could not bee sure of heauen and of some benefit or aduantage by the death of Christ who is there that could loue the Lord at least in that degree as if hee were assured of all these That which kindles holy affections in vs that which warmes our heartâ—… and soules and doth euen fire and inflame them with an ardent feruent zealous and burning loue to God and Christ is the infallible and full assurance of their vnchangable and constant loue to vs and the serious consideration of that sure and certaine state of grace and glory which they haue prouided and prepared for vs If men were not in some good measure perswaded of their totall and finall perseuerance in the state of grace and secretly assured of the perpetuall and constant loue of God and Christ to them that they will loue them and preserue them to the end and giue them that eternall crowne of glory which is prepared for the saints in heauen they would not nay they could not loue the Lord as else they might and would doe they could not prise him aboue all things else they could not sequester their hearts and soules from other things to set and fixe them wholly vpon him as vpon their chiefest ioy and onely treasure And therefore this Doctrine which would robbe the Lord of the hearts and soules of all his children and lessen abate extenuate if not wholly extinguish the heate and vigor of mens loue to him must needes be odious and abominable to such as loue and feare the Lord and cannot be admitted to be true Ninthly If this should be admitted that the true regenerate saints of God might Apostatize and fall away from the state of grace it would robbe the Lord of all the praise and glory that is due vnto his name If men might loose those graces which God bestowes vpon them if it were not Gods goodnesse might and power but their owne strength their owne care and diligence that did preserue them in the state of grace if men could not bee sure of the loue of God and Christ of heauen and eternall happinesse but might loose them all at last who is there that could praise the Lord and giue him the glory which is due vnto his name There are but two chiefe grounds and causes of praysing God in a spirituall and heauenly manner The first is the free loue and bountie of God in bestowing grace vpon vs and working of it in vs without any merit or desert of ours the second is the perpetuity of his loue in the preseruation and continuance of thâ—…se graces which hee bestowes vpon vs. The chiefest ground and cause of euery true Christians thankfulnesse vnto God is this that God hath beene exceeding gratious mercifull vnto his soule and that this mercy of God indures for euer the 136 Psalme is wholly spent in praysing God and that onely vpon this ground beâ—…ause his mercy indures for euer Now this position that the true regenerate saints of God may fall away from grace it takes away both these causes and grounds of praysing God it attributes both the begining and the end the continuance and the perseuerance of grace to mans freewill and power and not to God it makes man both the beginer and the preseruer of his owne grace and it makes the grace and mercy of God together with those spirituall and heauenly graces which hee bestowes on men to be but momentary and fading and not â—…o indure for euer and so it robbes the Lord of all the praise and glory which is due vnto his name Therefore it must needes bee a damnable and pernitious Doctrine and cannot be admitted Tenthly if this were once admitted that the true regenerate saints of God might fall from the state of grace it would rob God of his worship and make men negligent and carelesse in his seruice for what man is there that would euer labour or take paines for grace if he might loose it after that he had gotten it who is there that will labour after perishing and fading treasures which he is not sure for to keep who is here that would labour and take paines for grace or spend his life in doing of God seruice if hee might loose the things which hee hath wrought and not receiue a full reward would any wise or well aduised man consume and spend his time and daies in purchasing of such a treasure or possession which hee were not sure alwaies to inioy would any man take paines to sowe the seed of grace wher he were not sure for to reap the fruites It is Christs owne counsell and aduise to all his saints Labour not for the foode that perisheth but for that which indureth vnto eternall life Iohn 6. 27. and lay not vp for your selues treasures on earth where moth and rust doe corrupt and where theeues breake thorough and steale But lay vp for your selues treasures in heauen where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where theeues doe not breake thorough nor steale Math. 6. 19. 20. If therefore grace were such a treasure that might bee lost and perish the Saints of God euen by Christs owne rule were not to seeke it nay they would not neither could they seeke it they could not serue the Lord with that diligent auxious and industrous care as now they doe they would grow very slacke negligent and carelesse in his seruice For though it be alwaies true that the true Saints and children of God ought not nor doe not serue the Lord onely or principally for the wages of heauen and eternall life or out of selfeloue or selfe respects but for himselfe yet that which doth most incourage them and make them more forwards actiue zealous and liuely in Gods seruice is the consideration of that large and great reward which God out of his mercy and goodnesse hath promised them for their seruice of purpose to incourage them and to make them actiue in it This is euident by the example of Moses Heb. 11. 24 25 26. who refused to be called the soune of Pharohs daughter châ—…sing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to inioy the pleasures of sinne for a season and why did he doe all this for he had respect vnto the recompence of reward So the Hebrewes themselues they tooke ioâ—…fully the spoyling of their goods onely for this reason because they knew that they had in heauen a better and more induring substance Heb. 10. 34. Yea who euer he be that comes to God he must not onely beleeue that God is but also that he is a rewarder of all such as doe diligently seâ—…ke him for if he should consider the seruice of God abstracted from the reward it would make him negligent and weary of Gods seruice Wherefore if this assertion were once true that the true regenerate saints of God who haue spent their whole life and strength in doing of Gods seruice might after all their care and paines fall
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
needs dwell too because it is a fruit of the spirit and it can not be seuered from the spirit Rom. 5. 5. Gal. 5. 22. Ephs. 3. 16 17. 1 Iohn 3. 16. therefore the true Saints of God can neuer cease to loue the Lord habitually because the holy Ghost the spring and fountaine of this loue doth alwaies dwell within them Thirdly this loue of the Saints to God is a grace which God bestowes vpon them out of his loue and which is preserued in him by his loue and therefore if they should cease to loue the Lord the breach would be on his side not on theirs for they can neuer cease to loue him but where God doth first giue ouer to support their loue to him God must first withdraw this grace from them or else they could not giue ouer for to loue him so that if there could bee any totall or finall breach betweene God and his Saints the defect should be in God who hath vndertaken to preserue them in his loue and not in the Saints which defect on Gods part can neuer be admitted If you obiect that they giue God the cause of breach and so the defect is not in God but in themselues I answere that God hath vndertaken to preserue them blamelesse and without offence hee hath vndertaken to preserue them from sinne 1 Thes. 5. 23 24. Ezech. 36. 27. ler. 32. 40. 2 Tim. 4. 18. Isay 46. 3 4. câ—…p 27. 3. therefore though the sinne be theirs when as they doe commit it yet if it make a totall breach betwixt God them the breach will be first in God in not preseruing of them from this sinne according to his promise and not in them in committing of it Lastly true loue is of a permanent and constant nature if it be set vpon a constant permanent and immutable obiect Let a man loue any thing truly for it selfe as long as the thing continues and the cause for which hee loues it his loue can neuer cease Let a man loue any man truely for his virtues or his graces as long as he continues vertuous and gratious he can not cease to louehim now God as hee is all and onely amiable so he is alwaies amiable there is neuer any change at all in him wherefore those that doe once truly loue him for himselfe cannot but loue him still and so the answere to this my argument is but false and idle I haue been the larger in refuting of this answere because I shall haue occasion oft times for to referre you to it hereafter I now proceed to other arguments The fifth thing in God which doth yeeld vs an argument for to proue our conclusion is the gratious mercy and goodnesse of God in which there are foure things to be considered First the freenesse of it it is voluntary and of free grace it is not wrested or merited by vs from God Exod. 33. 19. Hosea 14. 5. Iohn 3. 8. Rom. 9. 15. 19. and Ephes. 1. 5 6. Secondly it is permanent and constant it indures for euer and admits not of any totall change or interruption Psa. 103. 17. Psa. 100. 5. Psa. 118. 4. Psa. 136. Psa. 138. 8. Isay 51. 8. and cap. 54. 8. 10. Thirdly it is infinite there is an infinite store of it which is neuer drawne dry Exod. 34. 6 7. Psa. 103. 8. Psal. 130. 7. Micah 7. 18. 2 Cor. 1. 3. Ephes. 2. 4. cap. 3. 16. and 1 Tim. 1. 14. Fourthly God is ready and willing to impart it to his children vpon all occasions it is his chiefest delight and ioy for to dispence the riches and treasures of his mercy to his Saints Ezech. 18. 23. cap. 33. 11. Micah 7. 18. Math. 11. 28. cap. 23. 37. 2 Cor. 5. 20. 1 Tim. 2. 4. and 2 Pet. 3. 9. from this mercy of God thus considered I frame this fifth argument Those who are partakers of the free permanent constant sure euerlasting in finite and abundant metcies of God and haue these mercies of God readily freely and bountifully imparted vnto them vpon all occasions its impossible for them either finally or totally to fall from grace but all those who are once truely regenerated and in grafted into Christ are partakers ofthese mercies of God and they haue these mercies of God readily freely and bountifully imparted to them vpon all occasions and times of neede therefore its impossible for them either finally or totally to â—…all from grace The Maior proposition cannot be denyed the Minor only rests to be proved in these particulars first that the mercyes I meane the saving and spirituall mercyes of God are permanent constant and perpetuall Secondly that all those who are truely regenerated and are the true members of Iesus Christ are partakers of these mercies For the first of these it is euident by Isay 55. 3. where Gods spirituall mercies to his children are stiled the sure mercies of Dauid the seed of grace which is sowen in the hearts of all regenerate men is an immortall seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. a seed that remaineth and an vnction that abideth in them 1 Iohn 2. 20. 27. cap. 3. 9. the Saints of God they haue Iesus Christ and the holy Ghost who shall abide and dwell in their hearts and soules for euer Iohn 14. 16 17. Eph. 3. 17. 1 Iohn 3. 24. cap. 4. 4. Gal. 2. 20. they haue a Kingdome which cannot bee shaken Heb. 12. 28. a faith which cannot faile Luke 22. 32. a ioy which no man can spoyle them of Ioh. 16. 22. and charity which shall neuer cease 1 Cor. 13. 8. they haue mercies which indure for euer Psal. 103. 17. Gods mercies to them are permanent constant and perpetuall it cannot be denied Secondly that all those that are once truly regenerated ingrafted into Christ by a true liuely faith are partakers of these mercies it is most euident For all those that are borne of God all those that are within the câ—…uenant of grace all those that are the true sheepe and members of Iesus Christ they are partakers of these mercies which appeares expressly by Isai. 55 1. 3. cap. 4. 5 6. cap. 27. 3. Rom. 4. 16. Marke 16. 16. and Act. 2. 38 39. almost euery page in Scripture hath some thing in it that will proue it now all those who are truely regenerated and ingrafted into Christ they are borne of God they are the members and sheepe of Christ and within the couenant of grace and therefore it is certaine that they haue such permanent constant and euerlasting mercies as those and so can neuer finally nor totally fall from grace Can any one so much as thinke that God who hath proclaimed himselfe to be a God of grace and mercy a God delighting in mercy 〈◊〉 to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth 〈◊〉 mercy for thousands fâ—…rgiuing iniquitie transgressions and sinnes that God who doth not desire the death of any sinner but rather that he should repeâ—…t and be saued
grace and therefore cannot be admitted euen in this respect Thirdly this assertion if it were admitted would vtterly disanull abolish and take away the very roote and chiefe of graces euen true justifying and sauing faith For faith as it is defined Heb. 11. 1. Is the substance of things hoped for and the euidence of things not seene it is a sure euidence of heauen and eternall life Wherefore those that haue this faith must not only beleeue that God is but also that he is a rewarder of all such as doe diligently seeke him they must bee perswaded of all Gods promises and imbrace them as their owne Hebr. 11. 6. 13. and with faithfull Abraham Rom. 4. 19. 20 21. they must not stagger at the promises of God through vnbleâ—…fe but they must be strong in faith they must be fully perswaded that as God is able so likewise hee will bee faithfull to performe what euer hee hath promised He that hath a true justifying and sauing faith hee must be able to apply Christ Iesus and all the promises of the Gospel to himselfe he must appropriate and ascertaine them vnto himselfe so as to make them his owne for euâ—…r hee must be able thus to argue He that heareth the word of Christ and beleeueth on him that sent him hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Iohn 5. 24. he that trusteth and waiteth on God shall neuer bee remoued but shall stand fast for euer he shall mount vp with eagles wings he shall run and not be weary he shall walke and not be faint Psal. 125. 1. Isai. 40. 31. God will put his feare into his heart and they shall not depart from him Ier. 32. 40. But I doe heare the word of Christ I beleeue on him that sent him I doe waite and trust on him therefore I haue euerlasting life I am passed from death to life and shall not come into condemnation I shall neuer be remoued from the state of grace but shall stand fast for euer I shall runne and not bee weary I shall walke and not faint I shall not depatt from him He that cannot argue thus hee that cannot thus apply and assume these promises of God vnto himselfe hath no faith at all he that hath faith and is able thus for to apply them can assure himselfe that hee shall perseuere vnto the end and that he shall neither finally nor totally fall from grace yea and must assure him selfe so from these and such like promises or else he hath no faith in them So that if this assertion of the Apostacie of the Saints were once admitted it would quite abolish and vtterly take away all true and sauing faith whose property it is not onely not to faile Luke 22. 32. but likewise to assume these promises of finall and totall perseuerance to it selfe Fourthly if this assertion were once admitted it would take away all certaintie and assurance of saluation for if the true regenerate Saints of God might after their true inscition into Christ either finally or totally fall from grace then they could neuer bee assured of saluation where euer there is a possibilitie of falling away from grace there can bee no full and perfect assurance of saluation a man can neuer bee surâ—… of the end that is not assured of the meanes for to attaine it perseuerance in the state of grace is the meanes for to attaine saluation and therefore if men could not be assured of their perseuerance they could neuer be assured of saluation which depends vpon it If a man might fall totally from grace hee could not be assured of saluation because he cannot bee assured of this whether he shall rise againe whether God will cut him off in his sinnes before hee be ingrafted into Christ againe Now this grace of assurance is a speciall fauour which God bestowes vpon his Saints and children it is the very anchor and piller that supports their soules and it is such a grace as all the Saints of God both may and ought to haue without any speciall reuelation as appeares by diuers pregnant places of Scripture which for breuity sake I will only quote and not set downe at large as Iob. 19. 25 26. cap. 11. 15 18. cap. 13. 16. cap. 16. 19. Psal. 27. 1. Psal. 46. 1. to 8. Isai. 25. 8 9. cap. 50. 7 8 9. Iohn 5. 24. cap. 14. 27. Rom. 8. 35. to the end cap. 14. 8. 2 Cor. 5. 1. to 10. Ephes. 3. 12. Phil. 1. 21. 23. Cor. 3. 4. 1 Thes. 1 4 5. 1 Tim. 1. 7. 12. 2 Tim. 2. 19. cap. 4. 7 8 18. Heb. 2. 15. cap. 10. 34 35. 1 Pet. 4. 19. 1 Iohn 3. 2. cap. 4. 17 18. cap. 5 18 19. 20. Wherefore since this doctrine of the Apostacie of the Saints would vtterly abrogate falsifie and ouerthrow the grace and doctrine of assurance and certainty of saluation it must needs bee a false dangerous and pernitious doctrine which cannot be admitted Fifthly if this were once admitted for a truth it would take away and vtterly abolish in the Saints the grace of loue and of joy and comfort in the holy Ghost it would take away the causes of loue and joy and so consequently these graces themselues which are the very end of the Gospell and in which the very kingdome of God consists as you may reade Iohn 15. 11. Rom. 14. 17. and cap. 15. 13 wherefore it cannot be admitted euen in this respect Lastly if this assertion were once admitted it would make true and sauing grace to be but a meere morrall perswasion and not a worke of the holy Ghost a thing that was meerely subiect to our owne wills it would destroy the kingdome of grace within vs and make vs Kings and Lords ouer grace whereas grace hath a kingdome and dominion ouer vs. If a man had liberty to cast off grace at his pleasure then grace should haue no power no kingdome or dominion ouer him then the kingdome of grace and the kingdome of Iesus Christ in the hearts of his Saints should be but a meere fiction and a fabulous conceite whereas the Scriptures do informe vs to the contrary almost in euery page If wee may cast of the yoke of Iesus Christ if we may cast of grace at our pleasures where then is the kingdome of Christ and the kingdome of grace that is within vs An earthly Prince who hath but a kingdome ouer the bodies of his subiects is able for to keepe them from rebellion and from casting of his yoake at their pleasure Christ Iesus grace they haue not only a kingdome ouer vs but a kingdome in vs to and that not ouer our bodies but ouer our soules and bodies ouer the whole man and the whole foule and therefore wee cannot but be subiect to them and wee haue no power for to cast them off Grace it captiuates the whole soule the whole man it brings euery thought into subiection vnto
as their loue to him is constant and immutable but when as they doe cease to loue God as many times they doe when they sin against him then God doth cease to loue them so that the defect is not in Gods loue to 〈◊〉 but in our loue to him To which false and slender 〈◊〉 I will make this replication First I say that Gods loue vnto the Saints doth not depend vpon the loue of the Saints to him first because the Scriptures certifie vs expresly that God doth loue his Saints freely that he sheweth mercy to them for no other cause but because hee will haue mercy Exod 33 19. Iosâ—…a 3 8. Rom 4 15 19. and Ephes 1 5 6. therefore his loue to the Saints doth not depend vpon the loue of the Saints to him for then his loue were not free depending meerely on the riches of his mercy and the freedome of his will Secondly Gods loue vnto his Saints cannot depend vpon their loue to him because then the Saints should love him first and so God should loue them because they loued him first and chose him to betheir God but Saint Iohn tells vs in expresse words 1 Ioh 4 10 19 that we loue God because he loued vs first and Christ himselfe assures vs Iohn 15 16 that wee haue not chosen him but that he hath choâ—…en vs God doth loue his Saints before euer they did loue him and therefore his loue doth not depend on theirs but their loue on his they beare not the roote but the roote them Rom 11 18. Thirdly Gods loue is a permanent constant and perpetuall loue as I haue proued by the Scriptures formerly cited therefore it cannot depend vpon the loue of man to him which is various and mutable that which is immutable permanent constant in its owne nature can neuer depend vpon that which is fickle and vnconstant therefore you must either grant the loue of the Saints to God to be constant and immutable which makes altogether against you or else you must hold the loue of God to his Saints and children to be mutable and vnstable which is expresly against the Scriptures and vnbeseeming that great and glorious God in whom there is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning Iames 1 17 wherefore this surmise of theirs that the loue of God vnto his Saints and Children dependeth wholly vpon their loue to him is meerely false and contradictory to the Scriptures and so the answere to this obiection is no answere at all Secondly I say that this surmise that God should loue all such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuely faith with a permanent constant immutable loue and yet that they should either finally or totally fall from grace implies a meere contradiction for if this loue of God to them be immutable constant and perpetuall God can not but preserue and keep them both from a totall and a finall fall from grace Morrall men who haue but a sparke of loue within them will neuer suffer any either totally or finally to fall or perish whom they loue with a constant setled and perpetuall loue if it lie in their powers to relieue them and can you thinke that God who is infinite constant and perpetuall in loue vnto his Saints alwayes able to relieue them will suffer them either totally or finally to fall from grace doubtlesse he will not nay he cannot doe it this loue of his is constant and permanent therefore he cannot suffer them to fall totally it is perpetuall and euerlasting therefore hee will not permit them to fall finally from him the perpetuall and euerlasting obiects of Gods loue can neuer be the perpetuall and euerlasting obiects of his wrath and justice God will still preserue and keepe them from a totall and a finall fall hee will sustaine them and keepe them by his hand and power that they shall neuer fall vtterly from him and perish Psa 37 24. Psa 16 8. Ps 145 14 20. Cant 8 3. Iohn 10 28 29. God neuer casts of â—…hose he neuer throwes those into hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wgiâ—… hee loues with a constant permanent and euerlasting loue and therefore they can neither totally nor finally fall from grace And here you must obserue this difference that it is one thing for God to haue loue for euer if men will entertaine it and another thing for to loue men for euer because it is his will and pleasure so to doe in the first case its true that men must first imbrace Gods loue before that they can haue it and if they chance for to cast off this loue of God they might chance to loose it which is not our case but in the other which is our case where God doth loue men actually with a constant permanent perpetuall loue only because it is his will and pleasure so to doe there men can neuer vtterly depriue themselues of this loue of God this loue is grounded not vpon their merits but vpon his owne free loue and goodnesse and therefore God will not vtterly withdraw it from them though they sinne against him so that they can neuer totally nor finally fall from grace Thirdly I reply that the Saints themselues who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ can neuer seperate themselues from the loue of God and so fall from grace First because the Lord hath married himselfe to them and them 〈◊〉 himselfe not for a time onely but for euer they are his spouse he is their husband Christ and they are become one flesh and one spirit for euer Hosea 2 19 20. Psa 4 3. Cant 7 10 Isaiah 43 1. cap 54 5. 1 Cor 6. 17. Ephes 5 25. to 33 therefore they cannot seuer or diuorce themselues from God those things which God himselfe hath thus ioyned together no man can seperate Secondly all those that are once truly regenerated and made the sonnes of God they haue a son-like nature and disposition put into them the loue of God is shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen to them which loue of God doth with a naturall kinde of instinct holy violence constraine them for to loue and please him to sticke fast close to him continually with full purpose of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea this loue of God doth so knit and tie their hearts and soules to God and Christ it doth so ouer rule and master them that they cannot doe the things they would they cannot totally noâ—…â—…nally depart from him nay they cannot so much as will a departure from him for proofe of this reade but Ezech 36 27. Cant 5 5. Math 718. Acts 4 20. Iohn 6 67 68. Gal 5 16 17. Rom 5 5. Ier 33 40. and 2 Cor 5 14 15. which are all expresse in this point and therefore it cannot be that God should euer totally or finally withdraw his loue from them or they their loue from him Thirdly Paul assures vs Rom 8 25. to
the end that tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword can neuer seperta◅ the Saints from the loue of God nay he assures both himselfe vs that neither death nor life of which the feare of the one the loue of the other would seperate the Saints from the loue of God if any thing would doe it seing that the one is most terrible the other most sweet and louely nor Angels nor principalities nor powers which would surely seperate the Saints from the loue of God if might force and pollicy could doe it nor things present nor things to come nor highth nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to seperate the Saints of God from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus their Lord if things present if things to come if Diuels or men if no creature whatsoeuer can seperate them from the loue of God then its certaine that they themselues can neuer doe it for they themselues are creatures and therefore if no creat◅r whatsoeuer can seperate them from Christ neither can they themselues nor ye◅ their flesh which is a distinct creature from their inward man which is themselues be euer able for to doe it Lastly if the Saints themselues could feuer themselues frō God then it must be meerely out of the freedome liberty of their owne wi◅ for Paul hath certified vs in the forenamed place that nothing else can doe it But this can neuer be first because if it be in the meere power of their wills to fall or stand they cannot will a fall from grace because its dangerous and hurtfull to them it will pull eternall misery vpon them therefore they can not will it if they would the will can not desire any thing but that which is good in truth or at least in shew it can not desire any thing that is ill as ill now a totall or a finall fall from grace can not be good either in truth or in shew it can not bee considered but as ill and hurtfull therefore regenerate men out of the freedome of their owne wills can not desire it or seeke it they can not but desire to stand and perseuere in grace which is euery way best for them Secondly they cannot fall from grace out of the freedome and liberty of their owne wills because their wills are subordinate especially in this of perseuerance which is principally for their owne eternall good vnto the will of God the same spirit and minde is in them that is in God and Christ. 1 Cor 6 17. and Phil. 2 5. Now it is the will of God and Christ that the Saints should alwaies perseuere and neuer fall from grace and therefore it must needes be their will too because their wills are subordinate and conformable to the will of God Thirdly the loue of God is shed abroade in their hearts which doth so vnite and knit their soules to God and Christ that they can not will a fall or a departure from them they cannot will any thing with a full and perfect will that is displeasing to them and which might seuer and diuide them from them the very euill that they doe is the euill that they would not doe Rom. 7. 15. to the end and Gal. 5. 16 17. therefore out of the meere libertie of their owne wills they cannot fall from God Fourthly they can not will a totall or a finall departure from God because they know him to be the onely true God and they know not any else to whom they may resort for succour and reliefe this is euident by Peters answere vnto Christ Iohn 6. 67 68. When Christ demands of the twelue will yee also goe away Lord saith Peter to whom shall w◅ goe thou hast the words of eternall life and we beleeue and are sure that thou art that Christ the Sonne of the liuing God the Saints of God know God to be the onely true God and they know not whether to goe if they should depart from him and therefore they can neuer will a departure from him Lastly God hath put his feare into the hearts of all his Saints hee hath put his spirit into them to the end that they should ◅ot depart from him Ier. 32. 40. Ezech. 36. 27. and therefore out of the liberty of their owne wills they can not fall from grace nor yet depriue themselues wholly o◅ the immutable constant and perpetuall loue of God Lastly out of the liberty of their owne wills they cannot depar◅ away from God because it is the absolnte and positiue will of God that they should not depart from him Ier. 32. 40 Psa. 85. 8. Iohn 6. 39. Rom. 3 11. put this then to be the case God doth absolutely will that a regenerate man shall not fall from grace and he hath determined it that he shall not fall well this regenerate man which I onely admit by way of supposition resolues that he will fall away from grace notwithstanding that God hath absolutely willed and refolued the contrary I pray which of these shall haue their wills either God or he if man then where is the power where is the omnipotency nay where is the soueraigntie and deity of God if man can crosse and thwar◅ the absolute and positiue will of God then either God is not God or else man can ouer-rule him either ofwhich is atheisticall and blasphemous to affirme or thinke But if God in this case hath his will and notman which none but an atheist can gainsay then it followes that a regenerate man can not fall quit◅ from grace out of the freedome and power of his owne will Lastly for to end this cauell I answere that a regenerate man and a true member of Iesus Christ can neuer finally nor totally cease to loue the Lord and therefore by your owne reason the Lord can neuer finally nor totally cease to loue him That a regenerate man can neuer vtterly cease to loue the Lord I proue it by these reasons First because a regenerate mans loue to God is grounded vpon Gods immutable and perpetuall loue to him he lo◅es God because that God did loue him first 1 Iohn 4. 10. 19. and Psa. 116. 1. Gods loue is the cause of his now this loue of God tohim is immutable constant and perpetuall therefore his loue to God must be so to as you may see expre◅y Psa 116. 2 2. Math. 5. 46. Ioh. 15. 9. Eph. 3. 18 19. 1. Iohn 4. 10 11 16 19. 20. as long a◅ God is kinde and louing to his Saints they can not but be louing and obedient vnto him else they should be worse then publicans and sinners yea then the beasts that perish Secondly regenerate men and the true members of Iesus Christ can neuer cease to loue the Lord because the holy Gh◅st doth dwell in th◅ir hearts and soules for euer Iohn 14. 16 17. now where the holy Gost doth alwaies dwell there the lou◅ of God must
euasion and shift before and therefore I will answere it but breefly now as it is applyed to these particular places of Scripture I say therefore that this answere is but false and idle and contrary and repugnant to these places of Scripture to which it is applyed For first it is onely a denying of the conclusion for which this Scripture is alledged and a meere begging of the question now disputed Secondly it is but a meere nugation and tautologie and in effect no more then this that those that are borne of God cannot sinne or fall from grace as long as they doe not sinne or fall from grace Thirdly it is a supposition that is quite repugnant to the sense and meaning of the place For first the text saith that the seede and annoynting of the Spirit abideth in them and if it doth abide within them then your supposition and andition as long as it abideth in them is but idle and contrary to the text because it supposeth that the seede doth not abide Secondly this is an immortall incorruptible and eternall seede 1 Pet. 1 23. Hebr. 9. 14 therefore this supposition that the seede should faile and not abide must needes be false because it is contrary and repugnant to the nature of the thing supposed Thirdly the scope of the Apostle in this place is onely to proue that those that are once truly regenerated and borne of God can neuer fall from grace because they cannot sinne vnto death Now his reasons why they cannot sin vnto death are two First because they are borne of God and secondly because the seede remaineth in them This therefore being one of the Apostles reasons why those that are once truly regenerated can neuer fall away from grace because their seede remaineth in them this your answere and supposition doth but falsifie and make voide the Apostles reason and therefore it must needes be false Fifthly if your exposition were the Apostles meaning in this place no doubt but the Apostle himselfe who desires plainnesse and perspicuity would haue expressed himselfe in other termes then now he doth to wit that those who are borne of God cannot sinne as long as the seede remaineth in them and not in these wordes which now hee vseth because the seede remaineth in them Sixthly those who are regenerated and borne of God the text faith they cannot sinne because they are borne of God God hauing once chosen them for his children and begotten them againe in Iesus Christ they must needes continue still to bee his children because now they are partokers of the Diuine nature and they cannot sinne so as to seperate themselues from God and to cease to be his children because they are borne of God God chuseth none to be his children and adopted sonnes in Christ whom hee doth intend to disinherit afterwards Men will not adopt those to bee their heires whom they will disinherit afterwards much lesse then will God do it whose gifts and calling are without repeutance Rom. 11. 29. Therefore the Apostle saith that they cannot sinne and fall from grace because they are borne of God and so your supposition as long as they are borne of God is friuilous and repugnant to the Apostles meaning Seuenthly this your answere and euasion doth quite inuert and change the words and meaning of the text for the text makes the seede of grace and the new birth the cause of the perseuerance of the saints they cannot sin because the seede remaineth in them and because they are borne of God Now you make the saints themselues the cause of the perseuerance and continuance of their graces you make the Saints to preserue grace and to beare the roote when as grace and the roote doth preserue and beare them and so you inuert the Apostles order meaning Lastly your answere supposeth that this seede and annoynting of the Spirit may be lost if it be lost then there must be some thing that is the cause of it there is something or other that must roote it out of their hearts Now I would demand of you what that cause should bee if there be any cause then either it must be some grosse sinne which they doe commit or the meere freedome of their owne wills for God himselfe cannot be the cause whâ—…se gifts and calling are without 〈◊〉 nor yet any outward thing whatsoeuer which can befall or assault them for Paul assures vs that they can neâ—…er seperate them from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Rom. 8. 35. to the end Now no grosse sin that they doe commit can doe it for the Apostle tels vs that those that are borne of God doe not 〈◊〉 sinne for the seede remaineth in them neither can they sinne because they are borne of God 1 Io. 3. 6. 9. and cap. 5. 16. 18. Secondly the liberty and freedome of their owne wills can neuer do it First because their wils are in the hands of God they are subordinate and conformable to his will now it is Gods will that the seede of grace should abide within them and therefore it cannot but bee their will so that they themselues out of the freedome of their owne wills cannot roote out the seede of grace that is planted in their hearts because they cannot will to doe it their wills being subordinate and conformable to this will of God Secondly out of the libertie of their owne wills they cannot cast out the seede of grace which they haue once receâ—…ued because it is euery way hurtfull for them and there is no colour of any good to doe it now they cannot will that which is euery way hurtfull for them because the will cannot will that which is hurtfull to it selfe and therefore they cannot will the casting away of this seede of gracc Thirdly out of the freedome of their owne wills they cannot cast away this seede of grace which they haue once in truth receiued because then they should repent them of those graces which they haue Now the saints of God can neuer repent them of those graces that they haue receiued whence Paul styles repentance to saluation repentance not to bee repented of 2 Cor. 7. 10. and therefore they can neuer out of the freedome of their owne wills reiect and cast them out againe Fourthly out of the liberty and freedome of their owne wills they cannot extirpate and roote out those graces which are once planted in them because though they had the will yet they neuer haue the power for to doe it For as men cannot alter and change the order and course of nature though they would they cannot change that nature which God hath giuen them though they should set themselues about it no more can they change and alter that seede habite of grace which God hath put into them because it is an other nature yea a thing more permanent vnchangable then nature is It is such a thing as doth make them new men and new creatures it
for to hinder it Wherefore since true and sauing Grace is of a permanent perpetuall immortall incorruptible perseuering growing and increasing nature it is impossible for those that haue this Grace as all those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ must needs haue it or else they were neuer truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ either finally or totally to fall from it againe euen in respect of the very nature of Grace it sâ—…lfe Lastly it is altogether impossible for such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ either finally or totally to fall from grace in respect of the many dangerous consequents which else would ineuitablie follow vpon the contrary and that both in respect of the Trinity in respect of the true Saints of God in respect of grace and in respect of the Church of God in generall but specially of our Church of England First these dangerous consequents would follow euen in respect of the Trinitie and Dietie it selfe For first it would deâ—…ogate from the honour of the Trinitie What greater dishonour could there be vnto the whole Trinitie What greater dishonour to Father Sonne and holy Ghost then this that they should suffer any of those Saints whom they haue chosen for themselues and vndertaken to preserue and keepe to â—…all from grace â—…hat they should begin to build the fabricke of grace in men and yet be vnwilling or vnable for to make an end that they should make so many absolute couenants and promises to preserue and keepe the Saints from falling and not performe their words that they should giue true grace to men and yet repent them of these gifts and take them quite away that they should owne such for their followers their seruants and attendants their children and their friends as should disgrace them by their falls and bring a scandall vpon the profession of their names What would Atheists what would Heathens say if they should heare of this position that the true Saints of God may apostacie and fall away from grace would they not say that it were farre better to haue no God at all that it were farre better to haue an Idoll God then such a God as this as either will not or cannot keepe his Saints from falling from him Certainely this very Doctrine of the Apostacy of the Saints dishonours all the Trinitie in all their sacred and most glorious attributes yea it depriues God of his Dietie it puls him from his throane and sets vp man aboue him it makes God to be no God at all or at least to be no better then an Idoll or an idle God Wherefore in respect of this dishonor which elâ—…e would light vpon the whole Trinitie this Doctrine of the perseuerance of the Saints must needes be true Secondly if the true regenerate Saints of God might Apostatize and fall away from grace it would derogate much from the word and promise of God and Christ. For they haue promised to preserue all such as are once truly regenerated and to keepe them from falling they haue promised that their graces shall not faile that they will giue them perseuerance to the end that they will finish the worke of grace begun within them that they will preserue them blamelesse to the day of Christ and keepe them so that they shall neuer perish but haue euerlasting life as I haue pâ—…oued at large before If then the Saints of God might either finally or totally â—…ll from grace where then were the truth of God and Christ where were the performance of their word and promises wee might then say that all these promises of God were but false and counterfeite and so we should make God and Christ no better then the Diuell himselfe who is a lyar and the father of lyes Iohn 8. 44. Yea I may boldly say that this assertion of the Apostacie of the Saints would quite ouerthrow the whole frame and fabricke of the word of God For take the whole Scripture from the beginning to the very end of it the whole frame and fabricke of it serues to no other end and purpose but to take away all from man in matters of grace and to attribute all to God that so he only and not man might haue the praise and glory of all Now this assertion of the Apostacie of the Saints it takes all away from God and attributes all to man that so man might glory in himselfe onely and not in the Lord. It giues a man free will to reiect or receiue grace at the first and it giues him full power and ability to reiect or to retaine grace after hee hath receiued it it takes away Gods prouidence kingdome soueraigntie and power ouer man it exempts man wholly from his jurisdiction it makes man an absolute creature it makes him a God and Lord ouer himselfe whereas the Scripture dorh take man of from his owne legges and subiects him wholly vnto God in whose hands his life his thoughts his will his waies and all his actions are and so it dissolues and ouerturnes the whole frame and fabricke of the Scriptures and strikes at the very foundation and roote of all religion Wherefore this Doctrine of the Apostacy of the Saints can neuer be admitted to bee tâ—…ue euen in this respect and so my present assertion must be sound and orthodox Thirdly if the true regenerate Saints of God might fall quite away from the state of grace it would derogate much from the great goodnesse and the infinite mercy and loue of God vnto his children For if those Saints of God might fall quite away from grace where then were the exceeding riches of Gods mercy where were the gratiousnesse and infinite goodnesse of his nature where were the freenesse the constancy and vnchangablenesse of his loue If you obiect that the fault is not in the loue of God to them but in their want of loue to him I answere first that Gods loue to them is free and voluntary Hosea 14. 5. I will loue them freely therefore if God should quite withdraw his loue from them for their disobedience vnto him this freenesse of Gods loue would be much tainted and blemished and the breach would light on God Secondly Gods loue to them is the cause of their loue to him 〈◊〉 Iohn 4. 10. 19. and it is the loue mercy of God which should preserue and keepe the saints in obedience loyalty and subiection vnto him yea God himselfe hath promised to preserue their whole spirit soule and body blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thâ—…s 5. 23 24. If therefore God should suffer them to sin against him and so to incurre his displeasure whereas hee hath vndertaken to preserue them blamelesse vnto the comming of Iesus Christ the breach must bee first on Gods part in suffering them to sinne and not on theirs who hath no power of their owne without the power and ayde of God to keepe themselues from sinne
leade you to imbrace this error If you will but examine your owne hearts well you shall finde that the thing which leades you to imbrace this error is either the learning or the fame of some particular men that do defend it or else some secret hatred malice either to all or to some particular men that doe oppose it or else some felfe conceite and some high opinion which you do attribute to your owne conceites without any due examination of them by the word of God or else it is some desire of singularity or fame or the hope of gaine honour preferment one of these I may be bold to say is the cause that moues you to patronize this error and not the loue of God or of his truth Remember therefore that you are bought with a price that you should not be the seruants of men that the word of God is the rule of life and doctrine and not the word of men remember that if you are the sheepe of Christ you must heare his voice and his only you must not hearken to the voice of strangers let their learning or their parts bee what they will No men more apt to erre then those of greatest parts and learning especially when as their parts and persons are not sanctified The greatest schollers haue alwaies broached and propagated the greatest and the most dangerous errors Wherefore neuer pinne your faith to the fickle opinions of fraile and mortall men especiallly of such men in whose liues the practise and power of religion shines not forth but examine all things by the word of God and though an Angel from heauen much lesse a Diuell from hell or a carnall man from earth should bring any other doctrine to you then what you finde to be warranted and recorded there receiue him not but let him bee accursed Sure I am that this doctrine of the finall or totall Apostacie of the Saints hath no ground or footing for it in the word of God if you will but take the paines to search the Scriptures you shall finde it to bee so and therefore let not the opinion or fame of any particular man that doth patronize this error ouersway your judgments against the Scriptures the word of God And as for all other priuate by respects which may ingage you to adore this error remember that Gods glory and the loue of truth if not the good and welfare of the Church should ouer ballance and surpasse them all Better is it for to loose the world with all the fame the riches honours and preferments in it then to loose the Lord of truth and his euerlasting fauour to loose both soule and body at the last in hope of gaining honouror prefernâ—…ent now Wherefore lay aside all sinister by respects and consider how many great dangerous and pernitious consequencies will ineuitable follow vpon this doctrine of the finall and totall Apostacy of the Saints and then you cannot but disclaime it and detest it from your soules and euen fromyour hearts imbrace this orthodox and sound position which here I do defend That such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuely faith can neither finally nor totally fall from grace Hauing thus as I suppose so fully proued the truth of this position by arguments and reasons drawne from the Scriptures that no man can be able to gainsay it For further satisfaction in the point I will now produce some humane authorities for to proue it which authorities I shall reduce to these three generall heads First I will proue that this was the doctrine of the ancient Fathers of the Church 〈◊〉 that this was and is the doctrine of all Protestant Churâ—… beyond the Seas Thirdly that this was and is the doctrine of the Church of England For the first of these that this was the doctrine of the ancient Fathers of the Church I shall manyfâ—… it by their owne authorities which I will vouch in â—…atine as I finde them printed lest I should giue the opposites any occasion for to carpe at mee or wrong the authors or the reader in the translation especially since I cite these Fathers to satisfie the learned not the ignorant I will first begin with the auncient of the Fathers and so discend to these of latter times Dionysius Areopagita Dionysius Areopagita who liued in the Apoftles times and as himselfe records it in his 11. Epistle to Apollophanus the Philosopher was 25. yeares of age at the death of Christ though others doubt of it hath deliuered and recorded this very doctrine in his booke de diuinis nominibus cap. 7. His words are these Diuina fides est stabilis credentium sedes qua hos in veritate locat in ipsisque veritatem impersuasibili identitate certam simplicem veritatis notionem habentibus ijs qui crediderunt Nam profectò si scientia cognoscentium cognitorum coniunctrix est ignorantia verò mutationis semper ex se ignoranti suae diuisionis est author eum qui in veritate credit iuxta Scripturae fidem nihil remouebit à verae fidei autore in quo constantiam immobilis atque immutabilis identitatis habebit In the 8. chapter of the same booke about the end of the chapter he hath these words Verum enim profectò hanc salutem non praeter intentionem Scripturae sanctae vt bonitate cuncta saluantem qua sunt omnia ab suorum prolapsione bonorum redimentem praedicare meritò possumus quantum cuiusque saluâ—…ndorum admittet naturae Idciâ—…cò etiam redemptionem iam theologi nominant ex quo sinit quae verê sunt ad id caedere vt non sint Ex eo item quod et fi quid deliquerint ab ordine suo aberrauerint imminutionem aliquam perfectionis bonorum suorum passa fuerint Hac etiam parte à passione imbecillitate ac priuatione reddimit impleus quod deest paterno affectu infirmitatem supplens at que à 〈◊〉 â—…rigons imò in pulchro fistens quod effluxerat bonuÌ„ reparans ae disponens ordinis quod deest in illo atque positionis exornans integrumque perficiens ab omnibus absoluens 〈◊〉 atibus And a little before he hath these words Itaque vt verum dixerim hoc magis est diuinae iustitiae proprium nequaquam emollire atque enermare optimorum quorumcun que masculum sensum largitione carnalium neque si quis id conetur agere eas sine adiutorio linquere sed eos in praeclâ—…o inflexibilique statu solidare eisque cum sint huiusmodi secundum merita reddere So that by this most ancient Diuines opinion these that are truly faithfull can neuer fall quite away from grace Iustin Martyr Iustin Martyr who flourished in the yeare of Lord 163. and somewhat after concurreth in opinion with vs in his Explic. quaest à Gent. Christ. positarum quaest 23. For there
the whole chapter to cleare Gods justice in this particular and to answere that scandalous prouerbe of the Iewes The fathers haue eaten sower grapes and the childrens teeth are set an edge this was the onely cause of penning this chapter as you may reade ver 2 3 19. The second scope and end of this whole chapter is to free God from â—…niustice and partiality in his dealing which hath reference to two sorts of men First to the wicked Secondly to the righteous His justice and partiality towards the wicked is manifested in this chapter in these two particulars First that he doth punish them but when there is a cause for it that hee doth neuer punish them but when they sinne Secondly that hee will spare them when they doe repent and therefore hee doth deale impartially and justly with them he wrongs them not at all His justice and impartiall dealing with the righteous consists in these two things First that hee doth not respect them and preferre them before wicked men without a cause and that the onely reason why hee doth is is because they doe obey his will Secondly that if they fall away from him and giue themselues ouer vnto sinne that then he will punish them as well as wicked men This is the onely scope meaning of the words and they are in substance no more but this he that repents and forsaketh his sinnes shall bee saued but hee that forsaketh mee and will liue and dye in his sinnes shall be damned If therefore the onely aime and end the onely scope and drift of these words which you obiect are only to cleare Gods justice in these two particulars without any intent or purpose at all to declare vnto vs that a true regenerate member of Iesus Christ might fall away from the state of grace the place makes nothing at all against mee vnlesse you will peruert the true scope sence and meaning of it and wrest and racke it to your purpose against the true intent and meaning which will bee a great disparagement not onely to your selues but to your doctrine to which needes such forraine and strained constructions and collections to support it The Scripture as you know hath but one genuine true and proper sense in this only it must bee taken when there is any speciall doctrine to bee grounded on it or proued by it If it bee not taken in this sense it is but wrested and the argument and sense so wrested from it is not to be regarded because it is not the Scripture but the racked construction and wresting of the Scripture that is obiected Your argument therefore from this Scripture being not within the proper scope sense and meaning of the Scripture cannot be warranted by the Scripture it is but your owne collection and so it is not to be regarded though the place were meant of the righteousnesse of faith and of true regenerate men Secondly if I admit that this place is meant of the righteousnesse of faith and of true regenerate men yet it makes not against me because the words of it are conditionall and not absolute and positiue The Prophet saith not that righteous men doe commit iniquity and turne from their righteousnesse and doe according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth and dye in their sins But if they commit iniquitie if they turne from their righteousnesse and doe according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth that then they shall dye in their sinnes So that your argument from this place can bee no more then this If a righteous man fall from grace then hee shall perish therefore a righteous man may fall from grace which is a ridiculous consequent If you obiect that a conditionall speech though it giues no being yet it giues a possibilitie to the thing to which it is applyed and therefore this place though it proues not that righteous men doe fall yet it necessarilie proues that they may fall from grace I answer that there are two sorts of conditionall speeches or suppositions The first of things imposible which neither giue an essence nor a possibilitie to the thing supposed For example If God should cease to bee then there should bee no eternall life If all the stones in England were gold then wee should be rich Neither of these two speeches or suppositions giue an essence or a possibilitie to the thing supposed because the thing supposed is impossible Secondly there are conditionall speeches and suppositions which are possible if such a man study hard hee may bee Arch-bishop of Canterbury If such a man bee Arch-bishop of Canterbury hee shall take place of all other Bishops of England If such a man get to bee Lord Keeper hee shall be a man of great imployment These suppositions and conditionall speeches they giue not a reality nor yet a necessary possibilitie to the thing supposed Now this place of Ezechiel it is an impossible condition and so giues not a being nor a possibilitie to the thing supposed For first those that are regenerated they are borne of God their seede remaineth in them therefore they cannot sinne Secondly they are good trees therefore they cannot bring forth bad fruite Thirdly they are the elect of God and therefore they cannot possible be seduced Fourthly the spirit of God is put into them which doth cause them to walke in his statutes and to keepe his iudgements and doe them so that they cannot do the things they would Fifthly they doe trust in God therefore they cannot be remoued but shall stand fast for euer Wherefore this of Ezechiel must needes be an impossible condition and therefore cannot imply an actuall or a potentiall fall from the state of grace If you obiect that if this be an impossible condition then this commination of God in this place should be to no purpose I answer First that the end of this and such like comminations is onely to preserue and keepe the Saints of God from security and presumption and to stirre them vp to watchfulnesse and perseuerance the end of these threats is to helpe the Saints of God in their perseuerance and not to proue that they may not perseuere Now God obtaines this end of his by these his comminations and therefore they are not vaine and idle though those to whom they are spoken cannot but perseuere of this I shall say more hereafter Secondly I answer that God doth vse those words and suppositions which you alledge not as bare comminations but as declarations of his law and justice So that the effect and substance of these words is onely this Suppose a righteous man should cast of my yoake and wholly inthrall himselfe to the bondage of sinne and Satan I will bee so just and impartiall in my dealing towards him that hee shall surely dye for it Now this being principally a declaration of Gods law and justice and not a commination onely though