reported for to be since Christ his Prophets and Apostles and the whole Church of God from time to time haue propagated embraced resolued and defended this our present assertion as sound and there were neuer none as yet but Pelagians Papists and Arminians nay Atheists that opposed it then this your accusation that none but Puritans doe defend it must needs be false and forged at least it must bee idle and impertinent because it is but a meere euasion and waiuing of the Controuersie a meere Calumnie and reproach and a falling foule vpon the persons of syncere and vpright Christians who defend it for want of truth or learning to answer to their workes I come now vnto the second accusation that the Patrons of this assertion are nothing else but a packe and company of pestilent factious and seditious persons Indeed St. Paul had this very accusation laid against him by the Iewes because hee was so zealous to maintaine propagate and defend the Gospell and the word of God and I am verily perswaded if St. Paul were now vpon the earth as one vnknowne to you that you would presently flie vpon him accusing and condemning him for an Arch-Puritan for a Pestilent factious and seditious fellow since you accuse his followers of the selfe-same crime for defending this our Doctrine and assertion which he himselfe hath commended and recorded to them when as they are nothing like so hote and zealous for this truth as he But are there none but pestilent factious and seditious persons who maintaine our present assertion then Christ himselfe his Prophets and Apostles then all the Fathers and all the Churches of God from age to age were but a faction and a packe of pestilent and seditious persons then the Church of England and the Reformed Churches in forraine parts are but a faction then the Synode of Dort and our late Soueraigne King IAMES who was the cause of assembling and calling of it together with all the other Germaine States and Princes who were parties to it were but a faction for all these haue maintained defended and resolued this very assertion of ours as sound and orthodox If these were not a faction as none but Heathens Atheists or Diuells dare to stile them then surely those are not a faction who defend it now and so this false and scandalous accusation which you labour to fasten vpon others that are guiltlesse must truly light and rest vpon your selues who striue with all your might and maine and lay your heads and force together to question vnsettle and suppresse this ancient and approued truth which hath beene so long established settled and resolued in the Church of God and in this our Mother Church If one man should set an house on fire and another shauld indeauour for to quench it If one man should raise and stirre vp strifâ—… and another should take paines for to appease it If one man should breake anothers head and a third man should apply a salue to heale it If one man should oppose and labour to suppresse the truth and another should set himselfe against him to defend it I pray which of the two should be the pestilent turbulent factious and seditious person which of them is it who deserues the blame he that puts out the fire or hee that kindles it hee that seekes for to appease the strife or hee that stirres it vp he that heales the wound or hee that giues it he that defends the truth or he that doth oppose it Now those whom you accuse for pestilent factious and seditious persons they doe but labour to extinguish and put out the flame it is you that kindle nourish and increase it they doe but appease the strife it is you only that stirre it vp they doe but seeke to heale and to repaire the wounds and breaches of our Church it is you that giue and make them they doe but shelter and defend the truth it is you only that oppose it and seeke to quell and roote it out therefore you onely are the Incendiaries and fire-brands you only are the turbulent factious and seditious spirits you only and not these good Eliahs are the Ahabs who trouble this our Israell you only are the dangerous and preuayling Faction who like so many vnnaturall vipers will eate out the very bowells of this your Mother Church and of all true sauing grace if you are not preuented and withstood in time and not the men whom you accuse of purpose for to free and cleare your selues wherefore you must needes take this second accusation and slaunder to your selues alone to whom it doth truly and of right belong till you can finde some better cause to place it vpon those whom you doe here acuse To your third forgerie and last accusation That the Patrons of the totall and finall perseuerance of the Saints are such as do contrary to the decrees of Caesar and such as violate his Maiesties late and pious Proclamation I answer that you are much mistaken For as most of their workes were published and printed before the Proclamation was published or thought on and so are not within the danger and compasse of it so the only end of this his Maiesties pious Proclamation was to establish and settle the ancient setled receiued and approued Doctrine of the Church of England in peace and quiet and to keepe backe you and all other factions scismaticall nouellizing Arminianizing and Romanizing spirits from opposing or distrubing of it it was only to defend propagate and establish the truth of God the doctrine of our Church and not to quâ—…ll them and suppresse them Who then are those who violate and transgresse this godly Proclamation those who vnder pretence and coulor of it doe labour to suppresse and quell the truth and Doctrine oâ—… our Church contrary to his Maiesties good intent or those who out of good and honest hearts indeauour to defend them and to put them out of further doubt and question Doubtlesse if I and many others are not much mistaken not the defenders and establishers but the treacherous and pernicious quellers of the truth and of the Doctrine of our Church are those who must incurre the blame and censure and then this crime and accusation must fall off from others and light heauiest on your selues to whom it doth in truth belong If any of you object that the totall and finall Apostacie of the Saints is the vndoubted truth and the established and resolued Doctrine of the Church of England I answer that this is but an impudent and audatious forgerie and I dare to justifie it against the greatest Gamaliells of you all who dare to contradict me in it Yea more then this if any of you will bona fide affirme the totall and finall Apostacie of the Saints to be the positiue and absolute truh and the receiued doctrine of our Church I dare aduenture for to challenge him not only for a gracelesse and atheisticall person
Crowes and Rauens loues 〈◊〉 better then any other sweet and wholsome flesh that hee preferres the Rhemists Arminians before all his brethren or his Mother Church that hee is quite apostatized and fallen from the doctrine of the Church of England I say not from the state of true and sauing grace for that I dare presume he neuer had as yet into the very miâ—…e of Poperie and Arminianisme thinking to verefie this his doctrine of a 〈◊〉 and finall fall from grace by his owne example for want of better proofes I hope therefore that seeing Mr. Mountague had this his exposition and collection from Bertius and the Rhemists that you will rather hearken and yeeld to the sound and orthodox exposition which the Church of England hath heretofore made of it and which Doctor Benefield Bishop Carlton Mr. Rouse Mr. Yates and Mr. Rogers haue made of it then vnto Mr. Mountague who labours only to corrupt but not to expound the 16. Article Hauing thus proued that the Articles of the Church of England are vtterly against a totall and finall fall from grace that the 16. Article makes rather for me then against me I come now to the third thing to proue that the Homilies of the Church of England and the Common prayer booke make not against me As for the homilies they make not against me For first Mr. Mountague himselfe who obiecteth them confesseth that the Homilies are not the dogmaticall confirmed resolutions of the Church of England that they haue no dogmaticall positions or doctrine in them to be propugned or subscribed in all and euery point as the bookes of Articles and Common prayer haue therefore by Mr. Mountagues owne confession admitting that the Homilies were cleare againg me yet they proue not that the dogmaticall resolution and the receiued setled and established position of the Church of England is against me to because the dogmaticall publike resolutions of the Church of England are not 〈◊〉 in the Homilies neither are they such positiue current diuinitie as to be subscribed in all and entry point if Mr. Monntague may be credited But now you may wonder well what should be the cause that Mr. Mountague should so magnifie our Homilies in one place as to stile them authentis alt and orthodox records containing the established positiue and publikely professed doctrine of the Church of England and in an other place to slight and vilifie them so much and to contradict that which hee had written of them before 〈◊〉 Surely there is a mysterie in it and some pretty trick of more then Presbyterian-Legerdemaine For you may know that where Mr. Mountague doth presse magnifie our Homilies they giue some seeming colour to the Popish and Arminian doctrine of a totall and finall fall from grace but where he vilifies vnderualues them there they crosse and oppose him in his Popery in speaking against Images and therefore here they must not be the positiue doctrine and the dogmaticall resolution of the Church or if they be so yet Mr. Mountague did not subscribe to them in this particular and so they containe not the dogmaticall resolutions of the Church of England in this particular case for want of his subscription So that in Mr. Mountagues judgement the Homilies established and confirmed by the Church of England so far as they make for Poperie and Arminianisme are the dogmaticall resolutions and the authenticall and orthodox records of the Church of England and thus far are they to be subscribed to but as far as they make against Poperie Arminianisme they are not authenticall they are not the dogmaticall and positiue resolutions of the Church of England and thus farre they are not to be subscribed Very good Mr. Mountague if an honest man should haue said as much as this I doubt mee hee should haue lost his liuings his eares yea and his life ere this and that deseruedly too you can say thus much which is no more in substance but this that the Church of England is a meere Popish and Arminian Church and yet scape scot free take heede you smart not for it ere be long And doe you not deserue to vndergoe the sharpest censure that your Mother if your Mother can inflict vpon youâ—… I dare auouch it that you doe and I will proue it to or else I will suffer in your steede For you confesse in your Appeale pag 260. that the Homilies containe in them godly and wholesome exhortations to honour and worship almightie God and you grant that they containe in them godly and wholesome doctrine necessary for these times and you cite the 33. Article for the 35. Article for to proue it which shewes that Mr. Mountague is but an Ignoramus in our Articles to which hee hath so oft subscribed and yet you say in the same place that they containe not in them the publike dogmaticall and confirmed resolution positions and doctrine of the Church of England neither are they to be subscribed in all and euery point I pray obserue this passage well and then judge what Mr. Mountague is and what hee doth deserue For first in these words he affirmes that the doctrines established confirmed by the Church of England and commanded to be diligently and distinctly read in our Churches by the Ministers by our 35. Article are not the publike and receiued doctrine of our Church which as it is a contradiction in it selfe and a vilification both of our Articles and Homilies so it is a great disparagement to our Church accusing her either of ignorance and dotage in not knowing what her doctrine is or of inconstancie in hauing no setled and positiue doctrine or at least of grand hypocrisie in commanding such doctrines to bee diligently and distinctly read as godly and wholesome and as her publike and receiued doctrine when as it is nothing so Secondly in these words Mr. Mountague affirmes that the Homilies of the Church of England established by authoritie are not sound and orthodox which is contrary to the 35 Article to which hee hath so often subscribed for which very thing many honester men then himselfe haue not onely bin silenced from preaching which penalty Mr. Mountague needs not vndergoe for he is to dumme already in that kinde but haue likewise beene depriued and quite stripped of all their spirituall liuings and promotions Thirdly in these words Mr. Montague judgeth the Church of England as it is the Church of England to bee but a wicked haereticall and atheisticall Church in as much as there are many godly wholesome and necessary doctrines which though they are in the Church of England yet they are not the receiued established and confirmed doctrines and resolutions of our Church Fourthly by these words Mr. Mountague makes the Church of England but an incompleate and imperfect Church a Church in which there is no life and power of religion a Church which is all for faith and speculation but not for life and
Declaration against Vorstius Mr. Mountague cannot shew mee in any of our owne Writers or in any other Protestant and Orthodoxe Writer that this was euer the receiued Doctrine of the Church of England only Bertius and the Rhemists in their Conference at the Hage Recorded by Brandius pag. 364. are the men that auerred this to be the Doctrine of our English Church and from them Mr. Mountague among other things transcribed it so that if you beleeue this to bee the doctrine of the Church of England you belieue not Mr. Mountague himselfe but only the Rhemists and Bertius from whom he doth transcribe it The second thing which I will propound vnto you is this that Mr. Mountague doth thrice record it in his Gagge cap. 20. that this our present Controuersie is vndecided and vndetermined in our Church and that the Church of England leaueth it at libertie vnto vs though in his Appeale he auoucheth the Totall and finall Apostacy of the Saints to be the publike receiued and established doctrine of our Church deliuered in authenticall plaine and Orthodoxe records in such a manner that no man can bee ignorant of it Behold here you haue Mr. Mountague against himselfe you haue one of his bookes against another which of them is it that you will beleeue If you beleeue him in his Appeale then you must make him as hee hath made himselfe a notable dissembler and Impostor in recording that to be vndecided and vndetermined by our Church which hee himselfe conâ—…th to be resolued established and determined by the common 〈◊〉 and orthodoxe records of our Church and that in such a palpable manner that no man can bee ignorant of it Or else you must make the Church of England to haue resolued this our Controuersie since the Gagge was written which cannot bee For our Articles our Homilies and our Common prayer Booke were composed long before the Gagge or Mr. Mountague himselfe were hatched and I am sure they are the same as they were before the Gagge was penned The Church of England though Mr. Mountague like a Lordly Pope hath done it hath neither altered the words or sense of any of them wherefore if this our Controuersie were not recorded in them or decided by them before it is not determined or resolued by them now as Mr. Mountague records it But how comes it to passe that so great a Scholler as Master Mountague should so much contradict himselfe It is a saying of Eâ—…ripedes in his Hyppolitus Coronatus that all men haue two tongues the one true the other what you will Mr. Mountague hath the latter of these two tongues but the first he wants or at least hee wants the vse of it and this makes him for contradict himselfe It is storied by Diodorus Siculus of certaine Ilanders who had such a double clouen and deuided tongue partly from nature partly from subtilitie and craft that they could counterfeite and resemble any voyce and that which was most admirable they could speake to two men of different things at once the one part of their tongue speaking distinctly of one thing the other part of their tongue speaking distinctly of another I know not whether Mr. Mountague bee of these mens race or no I am sure hee hath their qualities and conditions if not from nature yet at least from subtilty and craft for you see hee can speake two contrary things to two seuerall men at once And indeed if you will know the mysterie of it the difference of the men against whom hee writes doth cause this difference in his words His Gagge you know was written against a Papist and therefore to gratifie him in deeds though hee curries him with inuectiue and vnciuill words this Controuersie must be vndeeided by the Church of England only the learnedest in the Church of England consent with Rome in this which is as much to say that the Church of England is so farre from varying from the Church of Rome in this particular point which shee hath defended against her heretofore that now shee hath almost yeelded if not consented to her if there be any difference betweene them it is only a few Dunces among vs who are not to be reckoned of that make the difference but all the learnedest which are in substance the whole Church of England consent to Rome in this and so wee both agree Now his Appeale is purposely written against Protestants whom hee bedawbes with the reproachfull names of Puritans and Novellers the better to conceale his dangerous projects and to countenance his Arminian and Popish doctrines as if no Protestants but only Nouellers and Puritans did euer contradict them and therefore here that hee might secretly gratifie both Papists Arminians he will make the Church of England the Patroâ—…esse of their doctrines and to giue her content withall and so to please both sides at once hee beares her in hand that all hee doth is but to vindicate her positiue and receiued doctrines from the deprauation and corruption of Puritans and Nouellers who are alwayes thrusting out their owne priuate fancies and conceites as the publike and resolued doctrine of the Church of England and not to countenance either Poperie or Arminianisme which hee abhorres in words as much as any man though hee doth reuerence and adore them in his heart This is the whole scope and Mysterie of Mr. Mountagues juggling he labours to please the Church of England in words that so hee may couertly bring in Arminianisme and Popery into her in deeds and this is the cause why hee doth so contradict and varie from himselfe in this and other particulars that so this false and trecherous practice of his might be the better concealed This therefore being Mr. Mountagues ayme his words being so contradictory and repugnant to themselues either beleeue him not at all or beleeue him in both and so in neither else if you beleeue him in the one and not in the other whiles you take him for a true man in the one you condemne him for a lyer in the other Thirdly consider that for any thing that yet appeares Mr. Mountague is not thorowly resolued in this point himselfe For as farre as I can yet collect from any of his writings hee is a Neuter at least a man vnsettled in it ready to change his tune and to recant his words vpon all occasions For hee certifieth vs in his Appeale pag. 37. In my answer to the Gagger I suspended mine owne iudgement and lay off aloofe in a kinde of neutrality Neither doe I now say more then I am vrged to doe by the expresse words of our Articles c. So that as yet Mr. Mountague hath not declared himselfe so fully in this point as to giue you his owne resolution in it But admit he hath declared himselfe yet hee informeth vs in the same Appeale pag. 107. That if any Puritan or Papist make it plaine that any thing by mee disclaimed for being the publike
THE PERPETVITIE OF A REGENERATE MANS ESTATE Wherein it is manifestly proued by sundry arguments reasons and authorities That such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a liuely faith can neither finally nor totally fall from grace It is also proued that this hath beene the receiued and resolued Doctrine of all the ancient Fathers of all the Protestant Churches and writers beyond the seas and of the Church of England All the principall arguments that are or may be obiected against it either from Scripture or from reason are here likewise cleared and answered By WILLIAM PRYNNE Gent Lincolniensis PSAL. 125. Verse 1. They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion which cannot be remoued but standeth fast for euer Fulgentius de Praedestinatione ad Monimum Gratia praeuenis impium vt fiat iustus subsequitur iustum ne fiat impius Praueniselisum vt surgat subsequitur eleuatum necadat LONDON Printed by WILLIAM IONES dwelling in Redcrossestreete 1626. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD GEORGE BY THE Diuine Prouidence Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Primate of England and one of his Maiesties most Honourable Priuy Councell MOST Reuerend Father in God it hath pleased the dispenser and giuer of all honour and preferment out of his especiall prouidence to aduance your Grace next to our gratious and Dread Soueraigne to the highest place of rule and dignitie in this our Church whereby you are farre ingaged to patronize the truth of God and the established and resolued Doctrines of our English Church Which when I had well considered it moued me to consecrate these first fruites of my studies to your Grace which are nothing else but a iust though weake and meane defence of a principell and ground of that religion which hath beene long established and setled in our Church till some factious and nouellizing spirits if not worse were so bold and impudent of late for to disturbe it The men and meanes by which this truth hath beene disturbed and drawne into question are not vnknowne I suppose vnto your Grace and therefore I neede not to informe against them All that I shall say of them is only this that they are now so potent and so politique that if they are not speedily and carefully preuented by your Grace they are like to quell at least to cloud that glorious truth and Gospell which hath shined so bright so plentifully and comfortablie among vs for so long a season with the dismall the dangerous and pernitious mists of Poperie and Arminianisme Their bookes you know which are fraught with dangerous and hurtfull errors and so much the more dangerous because they are sweetned cloathed and guilded ouer with the name and countenance of the Doctrine of the Church of England are printed and reprinted sold openly and dispersed publikely without controll and the pious wholsome and Christian labours of all such as would confute them by reason of those meanes which they haue made can either finde no license for the presse or if they chance to come vnto the presse by stealth or otherwise they are either quelled and smothered in it before they come vnto their birth or else they are called in and quelled before they can bee published and dispersed for to cleare and vindicate the truth so that by the supportation and propagating of the one and the discountenancing and suppressing of the other that truth of God which wee haue hitherto professed is like to be betrayed Shall these factious scismaticall and hereticall spirits bee so industrous to establish and to vent their Errors and to quell the truth and shall not wee be as diligent and couragious to defend it shall they with all their might and maine plant Poperie and Arminianisme nay Pelagianisme Atheismie in our Church and shall wee sit still with foulded hands with silent tongues and stupified hearts and not labour to withstand them Alas where is our loue where is our zeale to God and to his cause where is our ancient courage for the truth that wee are now so cold and frozen that we are now so much ashamed of that glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ which hath flourished so long among vs and hath made vs a mirror and a spectacle of Gods mercies vnto all the world that now wee dare not or at least wee will not defend and take its part that we dare not to contend and struggle for it but that we suffer it so willingly to bee surprised and betrayed as if wee were more willing to be rid of it then any longer to inioy it Certainly this want of courage for and loue vnto the truth as it is a sure syntome that iniquitie doth abound among vs so it may iustly cause the Lord to bring a famine and scarcitie among vs not of bread only which now is very likely to befall vs but euen of the word of God which is farre worse yea it may prouoke him and that deseruedly to giue vs vp to strong delusions to beleeue lies that we all may be damned because wee would not receiue the loue of the truth that so wee might be saued O therefore let mee now beseech your Grace that as in former times you haue so now you would take heart and courage for the truth You haue many incouragements many inforcements and ingagements for to doe it For your incouragement you haue the Lord of hosts and the almightie King of heauen for to take your part you haue the votes and prayers of all true hearted Christians you haue all the aide and assistance that heauen and earth can yeeld vnto you O feare not then the face or frowne of man whose breath is in his nostrells feare not the power or the malice of any that oppose the truth for wherin are they to be accounted of the Lord of hosts is with you the God of Iacob is your refuge man therefore cannot stand before you For inforcements and incouragements to be zealous and couragious for the truth you haue very many You are called to defend and to support the truth the very nature and qualitie of your function and the very dignitie of that place and person which now you doe sustaine doe euen ingage and binde your Grace to be couragious and zealous for it God hath committed his truth Gospell to your trust and hath giuen it you in charge to propagate and defend it God and our Gratious Soueraigne haue committed the care and custodie of this our Church to your charge and they haue giuen you more ability and power and so more cause for to defend the truth and doctrine that is established and setled in it then to other men and therefore they will require and expect from your Grace to whom so much is committed much more then they can or will from any other O therefore as you tender the glory and honour of the God of heauen the defence of Christ and of his cause and Gospell the
against the Doctrine of the totall and 〈◊〉 perseuerauce of the Saints in grace which hath beene so long setled and established in our Church reflect and cast your eyes on these examples which are such liuely Emblems and representations of your selues These Libertines Iewes and Gentiles when as they could finde nothing to reply against that truth the which they did oppose they leaue the matter and the points in question and fly vpon the persons of such as did defend them So you since you haue nothing to reply vnto the arâ—… of those who do defend the totall final perseuerance of the Saints in grace doe waiue the Controuersie and fall foule vpon their persons thinking to carry away the cause by calumnies and scandalous accusations because you cannot do it by force and truth of argument For first you accuse and taxe all such who patronize this orthodox and ancient truth for Puritans Secondly for pestilent seditious and factious persons And thirdly for such as doe contrary to the decrees of Caesar such as violate and transgresse his Maiesties most pious Proclamation and vpon these false and scandalous grounds you labour to suppresse the workes and prosecute the persons of all such as doe defend this truth A worthy and a learned confutation which sauoreth of nothing but of pure malice and venomous rancor against all grace goodnesse and such as doe defend them Now that all the world may know how false your accusations are and so how ill your cause I will a little 〈◊〉 them and discusse them Your first accusation and objection against our present assertion is this That there are none but Puritants who 〈◊〉 it Surely if you so confidently affirme that there are none but 〈◊〉 that defend it I may with greater confidence and truth 〈◊〉 it that there are none but Pelagians Papists and Arminians nay 〈◊〉 who oppose it if any of you thinke I speake to harsh in this I haue the warrant of our late and learned Soueraigne King Iames to justifie mee who hath stiled them Heretickes and Atheisticall Sectaries vpon record But are there none but Puritans who defend it Sure I am and I hope I haue sufficiently proued it that Christ himselfe his Prophets and Apostles that all the ancient Fathers and some Councells that-all Protestant Churches and sound orthodox writers in forraine parts that the Synod of 〈◊〉 at which there were the choice Diuines of most Protestant reformed Churches that the Church of England and all her chiefest worthies and that King lames of blessed memorie haue from time to time deliuered published defended propagated and resolued this our present assertion as sound and orthodox and yet are there none but Puritans or are they all Puritans who defend it Was Christ his Prophets Apostels Puritans were all the Fathers and the Primitiue Church Puritans are all the Protestant and reformed Churches beyond the seas and all their sound and orthodox writers Puritans was thè famous Synod of Dort but a meere packe of Puritans are the Church of England and all her chiefest worthies Puritans or was King lames a Puritan that none but Puritans should maintaine this truth If you will condemne all these for Puritans as you must doe if your accusation goe for currant truth and so make Puritans to be nothing else as they are in truth but the true Church and Saints of God who professe propagate and maintaine the truth and puritie of the Gospell and will not bee withdrawne or seduced from it then we willingly acknowledge the accusation to be true and account it not a blemish but a grace and honour to our cause but if you will haue none of these to be the Puritans which you accuse your accusation then That none but Puritans defend this assertion must needes be false vnlesse you know to make a difference between those who 〈◊〉 maintained it in former times such as doe defend it now Now that I may giue a further answer vnto this false scandalous and malitious accusation I will a little inquire what kinde of creature this Puritan should be which makes such a stirre and businesse in the world and is so much accused condemned hated persecuted inueighed at and spoken against that so the odiousnesse and 〈◊〉 of the very name may not impeach the worth the credit the qualitie or condition of the person on whom it is 〈◊〉 Certainely the onely Puritan that is now aymed at and so commonly accused and spoken against is nothing else in veritie and truth if you will but lay aside the name that so you may behold him as he is But a godly and syncere Christian who stickes close vnto the word of God both in his iudgement and his practise being more abstemious from all kinde of sinue more diligent and frequent in all holy duties and more industrious to serue and please the Lord in all things then those who doe condemne reproach and censure him Hee that now sticks fast and close vnto the word of truth and will not be withdrawne from it hee that shewes forth the power and efficacy of grace in the constant holinesse of his life hee that is diligent and frequent in Gods seruice and squares his life and actions according to his word hee that makes a conscience of all his waies and workes and will not be so vitious and licentious so riotous and deboist so prophane dissolute and desperately wicked as other men hee and hee onely is the Puritan which is now so much condemned hee onely is the Puritan who now is made the very But and obiect of all mens hatred malice enuy scorne and disdaine hee onely is the Puritan whom you doe here accuse Take but away the vgly horrid and mishapen name and visard of a Puritan which doth now wholly ouercloud the persons on whom it is imposed and present them in a strange and different forme from what they are in truth and consider but the persons the liues the graces and the inside of those men who are reputed sor the greatest Puritans disrobed and vncased of the name it selfe and then the greatest and fierceest Ante-puritan of you all if his conscience be not strangly cauterized must bee forced to confesse that as it was with the Christians among the Gentiles so now it is with Puritans among such as seeme to be Christians Non scelus aliquod in causa est sed nomen et solius nominis crimen est that Puritans are hated contemned reproached accused and condemned not for any offence for any euill or wickednesse that is in them but onely for their name which is imposed on them onely for this end that men might the more freely persecute oppose dispise condemne and hate them for their holy liues And if that this seeme strange vnto you that men should be condemned hated reproached persecuted and accused for their graces and their holy liues consider then that euen from the beginning and from that time that God put
and as one who neuer had as yet any truth of sauing grace within him but likewise as a friend vnto Arminians and the Church of Rome and as an open and professed enemie to the grace of God and to the Doctrine of our Church if any of you will be so bold as to take vp this challenge this present Treatise or if not this another shall make it good against him so as the peace of this our Church bee not disturbed by it But if that your assertion be the positiue Doctrine of our Church as perchance you doe pretend it for to be how then doth it appeare to be so Sure I am our Articles our reuerend and learned writers our Religious professors and our Diuinity Schooles our reuerend Ministers throughout the Kingdome haue alwaies cryed it downe till now as blasphemous Papisticall and heriticall and there is not one approued writer of our English Church that did euer dare as yet to publish it vnto the world as sound and orthodox or as the Doctrine of our Church And if it be the Doctrine of our Church why do you not ioyne issue on it and put it to the tryall why do you not answer and refute but only labour to suppresse the workes of those who doe oppose it and challenge it as vnsound Indeede the truth is this you know your cause is bad you know that this your Doctrine is but false and counterfeite and quite repugnant to the Doctrine of our Church and therefore you dare not put it to the tryall for feare it should be proued to be false you dare not go about to proue our position to be vnsound or to giue an answer vnto such as haue defended it all your labour is to quell it and to suppresse not to answer the workes of such as haue defended it And why is this let Lactantius relate the cause Timeut ne à nobis reiucti manus dare aliquandò clamante ipsâ veritate cogantur Obstrepunt igitur et intercedunt ne audiane et oculos suos opprimunt ne lumen videant quod offerimus quum neque cognoscere neque congredi audent quià sciunt se facilè superari Et idcircò disceptatione sublata pellitur è medio sapientia vi geritur res You know you are not able for to answer and therefore you labour to suppresse our workes thinking to carry away the cause by force and pollicy and to suppresse the truth before it shall be able to come vnto a just legall tryall But remember that Intercipere scripta et publicatam velle submergere lectionem non est Deos defendere sed veritatis testificationem timere this is not to confute but to suppresse the truth this it not to confirme and proue but to condemne and marre your cause That gold which dreads the touchstone is but counterfeite that felon who refuseth his tryall doth but confesse himselfe guilty and that doctrine which hates the light and will not come vnto it which would establish it selfe by force and policy and not by truth and honest dealing it doth but discouer it selfe to be euill false and counterseite Whiles therefore you labour to suport your haerisie by force and pollicy and by suppressing of the truth you doe but daube with vntempered morter and marre it whiles you make it Wherefore giue ouer now for very shame your sinester and disloyall practises of which the world takes notice though you thinke not of it peruert not any longer the godly and religious intent of our gratious Soueraigne to a wicked and irreligious end and make not that an instrument to suffocate curbe the truth of God and Doctrine of our Church which hee intended should support inlarge and â—…uccor them How euer take this instruction from an ancient Father Nulla lex vetat discuti quod prohibet admitti Or if the saying of a Pope will please you better let Leo tell you thus much for your learning Quae patefacta sunt quaerere quae perfecta sunt retractare et quae sunt definita coâ—…ellore quid aliud est quam 〈◊〉 adeptis gratiam non referre et ad interdictae arboris cibum 〈◊〉 probos appetitus mortiferae cupiditatis extendere I know not whether you will I am sure you may apply it You see now how scandalous how sleight how false and forged all these your accusations are you see they are but shifts for to euade and colours to oppose the truth and such as doe professe it and defend it they are but meere impostures and pretences whereby the diuill and your owne deceitfull hearts doe labour for to blinde your eyes and to keepe you still in darkenesse to stupifie your hâ—…arts and consciences and so to set you in opposition against all gâ—…ace and goodnesse that so they may depriue you of your soules at last Consider therefore these wiles and pollicies of Satan and looke vnto the end of all your actions Consider who and what it is that sets you now on worke to slaunder and traduce the Saints of God and to oppose his truth and know that it is not the God of peace and vnion the God of grace and truth but the very Diuill himselfe the very spirit of Antechrist and the enemy of all grace and goodnesse who out of some carnall wicked sinister and by respects hath put you on this seruice aske but your owne brests and the secret whisperings of your owne consciences and they will tell you so And therefore though I haue spoken somewhat sharply to you before to make you know your selues the want of which knowledge if Lactantius may bee credited is the cause of all your Errors so now I doe euen beseech you by the mercies of God and by the death of Iesus Christ your Sauiour who died for you that you should no longer liue vnto your selues but vnto him that now you would lay downe your armes of rebellion and vomit vp your bitter hatred malice and dispite against all grace and goodnesse and such as doe excell in piety and holinesse that so you may with all meeknesse of spirit and humility of heart and minde submit vnto this comfortable and holy truth which here I offer and expose vnto you which will be the onely joy the onely comfort and safety of your soules If you will but seririously consider it and ponder it in your hearts and desire God to sanctifie and blesse it to you if you will but reade it with meeke and quiet spirits with indifferent and impartiall mindes and with an earnest desire to finde out the truth it may bee it may rectifie your judgements and reforme your liues it may bee it may doe you good and saue your soules But if you will shut your eyes and will not see if you will stoppe your eares and will not heare or if you will harden your hearts not consider If you will proceed for to oppose and persecute the Doctrine and the
Iesus Christ. 2. Cor. 10. 5 it workes so powerfully and maiestically in mens soules that none can let it or resist it Isai 43. 13. and Acts 6. 10. it makes euery knee to bow and stoope to Iesus Christ and to keepe his iudgments and doe them Phil. 2. 10. and Ezech. 36. 27. wherefore this doctrine which doth thus ouerturne and pull downe the kingdome of grace which makes it subiect vnto man whereas man is subiect vnto it must needes be a damnable and pernitious doctrine and so cannot bee admitted for a truth euen in this respect Fourthly if this doctrine of the finall or totall Apostacie of the Saints should bee admitted it would produce many dangerous consequencies in respect of the whole Church of God but more especially in respect of our Church of England For first it would wrong the whole Church of God in traducing slighting condemning the doctrine and opinion of all the ancient Fathers of the Church and of the Church of God in former ages and in vilifying and contradicting the doctrine of all Protestant and reformed Churches and the judgment and learning of all the best moderne Protestant Diuines who haue alwaies defended and maintained this assertion that the true regenerate Saints of God can neither finally nor totally fall from grace as I shall proue hereafter Secondly it would wrong the whole Church of God in reuiuing and raising vp from hell againe that old Pelagian Heresie which hath not onely beene condemned and opposed by Saint Augustine Hierome Prosper Bradwarden and others but likewise by three seuerall Councells to wit the Councell of Mileâ—…etan the Councell of Africke and the Councell of Orange For as all the points of Arminianesme are nothing else but meere Pelagianisme clad in other tearmes so this was one part and member of the Pelagian or Deme pelagian Heresie that the true regenerate Saints of God might fall away from the state of grace and therefore the Demepelagians did caâ—…ell and carpe at Saint Augustines doctrine for teaching that the Saints of God after they were once regenerated had such a disposition put into them that they could not but perseuerance in grace as appeares by the Epistles of Hilarie and Prosper to Saint Augustine concerning the remainders of the Pelagian Heresiâ—…s wherefore this doctrine of the Apostacie of the Saints being nothing else but a part of the Pelagian Heresie cannot be now admitted and imbraced without great wrong and preiudice to the whole Church of God Thirdly it would produce many dangerous consequencies in respect of the Church of England For first it will pull vp a maine foundation and a maine principle and ground of truth which hath bin planted and setled in our Church it will raise a strong bulwarke and fort of true religion which the best and chiefest worthies of our Church haue hitherto full well and manfully defended against all forraine hostility whatsoeuer which will be a great disparagement and blemish to our Church Secondly it will giue our enemies just cause to vaunt and triumph ouer vs and to erect a Trophie where as they neuer got the field This hath beene the glory and honour of the Church of England that the 〈◊〉 Church and all her complices since her reformation and reuolt from them could neuer yet with all their learning wiâ—… or policie conuince her of any maine or fundamentall error in her doctrine If then wee should now admit and approue of this doctrine of a finall or a totall fall from grace and imbrace it as a truth wee should then conuince our selues of a maine and fundamentall error in our doctrine wee should then subscribe and yeeld the wasters vp to them without any combate or opposition at all when as they were not able for to wrest them from vs by truth strength of argument and so wee should giue them just and lawfull cause to triumph ouer vs to the great dishonour of God to the very betraying of the truth and to our owne perpetuall infamie and disgrace Thirdly it would breake downe the very walls and bulwarkes of our Church that so Armiâ—…nisme and 〈◊〉 might come rushing in with a full carere and quite beat downe the truth For if this be once admitted and receiued for a truth that the true regenerate Saints of God may fall either finally or totally from the state of grace this very point it selfe is grosse and palpable Arminianisme and Poperie it is a point which all Rhemists and Arminians and which Bellarmine Becaonus and other Papists do defend against the Proâ—…estants and it drawes along with it many other grosse and palpable points of Armianisme and Popery as predestination from the foresight of faith and workes freewill both to receiue and reiect grace at our pleasures veniall sinne no certaintie of saluation in this life without some speciall reuelation vniuersall grace that those who are not elected to saluation are members of the holy Catholike Church that the number of the elâ—…t is not certaine vnto God himselfe and the like If this one point then should bee admitted and imbraced by vs as a truth it would scrue in the whole body of Arminianisme Pelagianisme and a great part of Poperie into our Church and so would quickly crush and quell that glorious and holy truth which now we doe professe Fourthly it would breede such a combustion and diuision in our Church as would hardly bee appeased without great hurt and danger to the state wee see by present experience that a little conniuancie wincking at this doctrinâ—… hath bred a kinde of faction and diuision in our Church and drawne many great disciples after it who if they were not awed by superiour powers and with the expectation of the doome censure of the Generall and Grandee of their faction would make such astrange and sodaine rent and combustion in our Church and state as would indanger both and giue occasion to our enemies to fish in troubled streames where they could hardly misse their prey You therefore my brethren who are so hot and forwards to vsher and bring in this damnable and pernicious doctrine into our glorious and much renowned Church consider what you are about to doe consider what dangerous and dismall consequencies are like to follow and insue vpon it consider how ill and viper like you shall reward that mother of yours which hath nourished and brought you vp to the end that you should defend her vpon all occasions and not beare armes against her Consider that it is no other but the Diuill himselfe woo either by his owne priuate suggestions to your hearts or else by his dangerous agents and seditious factors doth labour to withdraw you from the faith and to rent you from your mother Church not for any desire or loue to God or to the truth but for priuate ends and by respects that so he may make both you and others a prey and bootie to himselfe Consider what the inducements are that