c. To dye is to Id. cap. 10. loose the habilitie of life c. But this doth not happen to the soule for it is the breath of life neither to the Spirit for the Spirit is simple and cannot be dissolued and is the life of them that receiue him Partem aliquam spiritus eius sumimus c. We receiue Id. cap. 11. a part of his spirit vnto the effecting and preparing of incorruption by degrees accustoming to receiue and carry God in vs which the Apostle also called an earnest that is part of that honour which is promised to vs of God Qui credit in filium habet vitam aeternam c. He that beleeueth elemens Alexa. padag lib. 1. cap. 6. in the Sonne hath life eternall If then wee who haue beleeued haue life eternall what remaineth beyond the possession of life eternall Non es inquit amplius servus c Hee saith Thou art Idem Ibid. no more a seruant but a sonne If a sonne then also an Heyre through God What then wanteth to a Sonne when hee is an Heyre Qui credidit in nomine eius c. Hee that beleeued in his Ciprian de Orat. Dominiea name and is made the Sonne of God from that time must begin both to giue thankes and to professe himselfe the Sonne of God Scriptum est enim Iustum fide viuere c. It is written Id. de Mort. The Iust shall liue by Faith If thou art Iust and liuest by Faith If thou truly beleeuest in God why since-thou art to liue with Christ and art secure of the Lords promise dost thou not reioyce that thou art called by death vnto Christ Plus amare compellimur c. wee are inforced to loue the Id. ibid. more while it is granted to vs to know what wee shall bee and to condemne that which wee were Hilary dâ—… Triniâ—… lib. 1. Conscia securitatis suae ocio c. The soule knowing her owne safety resteth in quietnesse reioycing in her hopes so much not fearing death that shee accounteth it as the way to life eternall Chananeaiam ipsa c. The Chananitish woman being Ibid in Mat. c. 15 now saued by faith and CERTAINE of that inward Mystery and sure of her owne saluation Per spiritum sanctum datur c. By the Holy Spirit it is Basil. de spiritu cap. 15. giuen a restoring into Paradise a returne into the Kingdome of heauen a recouery of the adoption of sonnes a confidence of calling God Father a partaking of eternall glory and that I may say all at once to be in the fulnesse of all blessednesse both of this life and of those good things which are laid vp for vs in the life to come which in the meane time wee do enioy by FAITH beholding that Glory as in a glasse For if the EARNEST bee such how excellent is the Perfection Bene ait confido c. Hee saith well I am confident For Ambrose Serm. 15. confidence is the strength of our hope and an authority of hoping Therefore hope still and no man can make tâ—…ee ashamed of thy expectation Our expectation is life eternall Signauit nos dando spiritum c Hee hath sealed vs Id. in 2 â—…or 1. by giuing his Spirit to vs for an Earnest that wee may not doubt of his promises for if when wee were in the state of death hee gaue vs his Spirit it is not to be doubted but that to vs being made immortall hee will adde glory Non praeter spem esse debemus c. Wee must not bee Angust in Psal. 1â—…2 without hope yea wee may bee bold with great confidence because if hee be with vs on earth by charity wee are also with him in heauen Hee is below by the compassion of charity wee are aboue by the hope of charity For wee are saued by hope But because our hope is certaine though saluation be to come it is so spoken of vs as if it were already done Tribulatio est enim nostra in presenti seculo c. Our Id in Psal. 123. suffering is in this life and our hope in the life to come and except in the sufferings of this life the hope of the life to come did comfot vs wee should perish Our ioy brethren is not yet in performance but in hope But our hope is as certaine as if the thing were already done Diuers other places haue beene allready cited out of him of Finall perseuerance I referre the Reader particularly to his booke De Bono Perseuerantiae de Correptione gratia Where among many other sentences approuing the Perseuerrance of the sonnes of God hee saith cap. 9. Nullus eorum c. None of them being changed from good into euill doth end his life Exempta est a morte anima c. That soule is freed Prosper in Psal. 114. from death euen though shee bee compassed with mortall flesh which of vnbeleeuing is made beleeuing and besides that perfit eternall rest from all labours which the death of the Saints precious in the eyes of the Lord doth obtaine the soule which is deliuered from the death of infidelity hath also her rest in this life euen that soule which ceaseth from the workes not of righteousnesse but of iniquity Such a soule which is now aliue vnto God and dead to the world and is diligently buried in spirituall indeauours not resting in an idle but a quiet tranquility of humility and meek nesse she accounteth as now possessed whatsoeuer with an vndoubted hope she patiently expecteth Neque vsque eo solum c. Neither is the grace of Christ â—…irill Alex. Comment in Esa. lâ—… 3. the Sauiour of vs all onely so farre extended toward vs but in good hope the possession of the Kingdome of heauen lasting and eternall life and the absence of all euill which vseth to affect with griefe are likewise added For it is written of the Saiuts euerlasting ioy is vpon their heads Probi viri cùm munduÌ„ possideant cor c. Good men hauing a pure heart became the receptacles of the comforter as Id. in Ioan. lib. 9. cap. 44. it is possible to men in this life and they do know that they shall enioy great and wonderfull rewards For they shall bee sanctified of the spirit and they shall be made partakers of all good things and the basenesse of bondage being cast off they shall be adorned with the dignity of adoption of the sons of God which Paul sheweth saying Because yee are sonnes God hath sent the spirit of his son crying Abba Father Non accepistis spiritum seruitutis c. You haue not receiued the spirit of bondage c. For hee cannot bee a iust man in the sight of God who serueth him not for loue but for feare Which place I alledge because the fallers from Grace by teaching this falling from Grace do teach men a Doctrine by which
that St. Paul doth when hee planteth and buildeth a certaintie of Saluation Yea shee almost vseth the same words Saint Paul first in a generall sheweth that there is a constant and vninterrupted progresse of good and happinesse to the Saints that loue God and are called of his purpose This generall hee makes good by particulars for hee bringeth them in as proofes of the generall Therefore hee begins with the word For For whom her did fore-know hee also did praedestinate to bee made like to the Image of his Sonne whom hee did praedestinate them he also glorified Behold the Apostle hath made good his generall by these particulars His generall of the constant good and happinesse of the Saints is proued by these particulars because God from his first fore-knowing or taking notice of them neuer leaues doing them good from one degree of good to another vntill hee hath brought them to eternall glory and blessednesse So that this place is no other but a proofe of the constant and vndefeasable happinesse of the Saints Now let vs see how our Church doth paralell this Doctrine of Saint Paul with the Doctrine of her Article Our Church first in the generall teacherh that God by his constant Decree bringeth his Elect to Saluation And then shee also descends to particulars in the like manner Wherefore they which be indued with so excellent a benefit of God be â—…alled according to Gods purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through grace obey the calling they hee iustified freely they be made sonnes of God by Adoption they be made like the Image of his only begotten Sonne Iesus Christ they walke religiously in good workes and at length by Gods mercy they attaine to euerlasting felicitie Behold here also the particulers by which that generall bringing to Saluation is perfited so that to ioyne both together The businesse of Saint Paul and our Church is both one or rather the purpose and businesse of Saint Paul is the purpose of our Church euen to shew that the Saints and Elect are constantly and infallibly brought to Saluation and happinesse by Gods loue and Election And indeed there is such a continued and indissoluble chaine beginning in Gods purpose and Decree and not ceasing vntill it bring the Saints to Gods to be glorified that there is no roome nor gappe for this full and finall Apostasie to breake in and interpose it selfe And that wee may be yet more sure that this place of Saint Paul did intend this very thing to proue the infallible stedfast and perpetuall blessednesse of the Saints as before it hath appeared both by his generall position at his entrance after by the particulars in his progresse so it may also most fully appeare and strongly for a three-fold cord cannot be broken by the vse that he makes in his egresse It were too much to stand vpon each particular of his inference and application I will take notice of a few First he triumphs like a conqueror beholding the safetie and assured victory of the Saints What shall wee then say to these things If God be for vs who can bee against vs God is for the Saints all the way from the first foreknowledge vnto the finall glory what Arminius or Bertius can make any Apostacy to be against vs when God is throughly for vs. God being stedfast with vs from Election to glorification no interloper can come in with intercision to cut off and put a sunder this continued chaine of happinesse which God hath ioynd together and guardeth all the way And that yet more plainly you may see that this was St. Pauls very meaning and purpose behold it in his owne words Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ See here a challenge sent to the whole world for hee defieth any thing that would seeme to seperate Gods beloued from the loue of God Wherefore let the Arminians take heed how they come within Saint Pauls defiance For the truth is they doe vndertake to accept Saint Pauls challenge and giue an answer to his question for when Saint Paul saith Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ They answer that there are many things that may seperate Saints from â—…he loue of Christ. But let them take heed how they make St. Paul their aduersary For it concernes them neerely to agree with this aduersarie while they are in the way lest their aduersary deliuer them to the iudge c. Neither is Saint Paul contented to defie their Apostacy separation only by way of a question in generall termes but he passeth on to particulars and most weightie ones which if any might cause an Apostacy and separation of Saints from the loue of God But both these particulars he denyeth to bee able to separate yea generally all or any creature hee denyeth to bee able to separate vs from the loue of God in Christ Iesus Here also I will spare to insist on euery particular but I desire the Reader to consider of â—… few of them which I thinke include all other if the rule be true that the greater includes the lesse First Life and Death cannot separate vs. Now the Author of Apostacy himselfe could say Skin for â—…kin and all Iob. 24. that a man hath will he give for his life Touch therefore his bone and his flesh and hee will curse thee to thy face But both the example of Iob and the Doctrine of Saint Paul shew that death nor paine doe not separate the Saints from the loue of God For Iob will trust in God though hee kill him and Paul saith That in all thosâ—… things wee are more then conquerors Now if this maximum terribilium cannot separate the Saints from the loue of God what can lesser terrors doe surely they can separate lesse But here by the way let me giue a note of instruction or at least remembrance to the Doctors of Apostacy that in this case of Iob and other Saints of whom S. Paul speaketh it is God that loued vs who makes vs to conquer and not our owne Free-will for certainly if God did not hold vs by his loue but wee held him only there were quickly an end of the businesse death and many things else would separate vs from the loue of God Especially if among those many things wee take notice of those that follow Angels Principalities and Powers These are the mightiest creatures of all and yet these cannot separate vs from the loue of God Now if these that excell in power cannot separate vs how can any lesser and inferior powers separate vs But here also wee must carefully and humbly acknowledge that we haue no defence safetie and securitie against these mighty powers but the preuailing power of God which assisteth those whom he loueth and makes them conquerors For these are the sonnes of Anah of whom it is said who can stand against the Sonnes of Anah This is the strong man whom none can binde but one
the earnest which they now receiue they are as certaine of it as if they were already crowned and reigning c. Bernard saith who is iust but he that returneth loue to God who hath loued him which is done when the Spirit by Faith REVEALETH to a man the eternall PVRPOSE of GOD concerning his FVTVRE SALVATION Dr. Reynoldes was a man indifferently well esteemed by some for his learning in the place where he liued and not accused by any that I knew for not being orthodoxe in any point of the Doctrine of our Church Yet Salomons saying is true That the Race is not to the swift c neither is fauour stil to men of skill wherfore as when a Countrey-Gentleman would borrow money in this Citie though his estate be neuer so great in the Countrey yet commonly hee must hauea Citizen bound for him that is knowne to the Cittie so since Doctor Reynoldes though well knowne for his learning in the place where he liued yet perchance may faile to haue trust among some men I must take leaue to get a surety for him euen one that is liuing and whose wordes I thinke will be taken in the Citie The man whome I produce to giue his word for Dr. Reynoldes is Doctor Francis White Deane of Carlile I haue already indeede produced him for a witnesse but now I produce him for a surety yea since he can here be a witnesse also let him be both a witnesse and a surety First therefore I take him as a witnesse of Perseuerance in that which I formerly cited out of him That our Tenet concerning Praedestination is no other then what Saint Austen and his Schollers maintained against the Pelagians Now it may plainly appeare by diuers of Saint Austens workes that the Praedestination taught by Saint Austen gaue to the praedestinaite an infallible perseuerance a perseuerance by which a Saint could not but perseuere And that I may not send away my Reader presently to reade or buy the workes of Saint Austen let him but looke backe to the allegation of Doctor Fulke and there he shall plainly see that which here I tell him so that thence will arise a plaine Argument The Tenet of our Church concerning Praedesti nation is the Doctrine of Saint Austen But the Doctrine of Saint Austen teacheth a Praedestination that giues a sure and infallible Perseuerance Therefore the Tenet of our Church teacheth a Praedestination that giues a sure and infallible Perseuerance Neither may aman dare to meddle with any thing but the Conclusion for the former proposition is guarded by Doctor White and the second by Saint Austin and Doctor Fulke But Doctor White comes somewhat nearer and RePly to Fisher. Proues that A member of Christ and the Catholicke Church in the Creede which consists of the true members of Christ can neuer fall away vnto damnation and therefore must needs be possessed of finall perseuerance That Church or the Catholicke Church in the Creede hath the remission of sinnes and life eternall and passeth not to Hell Ioh. 10. 28. Aug. de Doctr Christi lib. 3. cap. 32. Againe The testimonies of St. Austen obiected by the same Aduersary which are that the Catholicke Church is the Body of Christ whereof he is the Head and that out of this Body the holy Ghost quickneth no man make altogether against himselfe For none are vitall Members of Christs mysticall Body but Iust and Holy persons And it is the same Fathers Doctrine Impii non suntreuera corpus Christi wicked persons are not in Deed Veritie the Body of Christ. And in another place In corpore Christi non sunt quod est Ecclesia quoniam non potest Christus habere membra damnata They are not in Christs Body because Christ CANNOT haue DAMNABLE members Thus are Christs members sure of Salvation because safe from damnation they cannot be damned therefore they must be saved and I thinke that they will not deny that finall perseverance is an inseparable companion of Salvation And now wee come to another place in the same worke which though it begin in Witnessing yet it ends in Suretiship It that is still The Catholicke Church in the Creede is the Church builded upon the Rocke against which the gates of Hell shall not preuaile either by Herisie Tentation or Mortall sinne Matt. 16. 18. Matt. 7. 24 And if it bee a meere fancie to hold this then Gregory the great with many ancient Father were fantasticks for teaching in this manner Which to make good there are many citations adioyned Aug de Ciâ—…it Dei lib 20. cap 8. Nunquam ab illo ecclesia sed vcetur praedestinata electa ante constitutionem mundi Origin Trac 1 Mat Vnumquodque peccatorum c. portae sunt Inferorum Vna Inferorum porta vocatur scortatio Câ—…mmultae sunt neque recenceri numero possint Inferorum portae nulla porta Inferorum valet aduersus petram aut Ecclesiam quam Christus super illam aedificat Gregor Morall lib. 28. cap. 6 Sanctam EcclesiaÌ„ de Sanctis in aternum perman suris constructam nullis huius vitae persecutionibus superandam Ipse super quem â—…dificata est euidenter ostendit cum ait Portâ—… Inferi non praeualebunt aduersus eam Ambr in Luc lib. 2. cap. 3. Bern in Cant serm 7â—… Dr. Raynold de Script Eccles. Thess. 4 confirme the same at large Thus are we referred to Doct. Reynolds by this learned man and therefore we may safely passe on to see what hee sayes Neither is this Reference meerely generall and learge but punctuall to this very poynt of the finall Perseuerance of the Saints A more generall commendation hee hath besides of this same worke when he sayes The aduersaries haue made no Reply to Doctor Reynoldes Theses Neither are any endued with sanctification but those whome God hath Elected that they should bee Saints And to true Sanctification Iustification concurreth But God Iustifieth onely the Elect and Iustifiing Faith by which the Hearts are purified is the Faith of the Elect of God The wicked are not beeleeuers in the Apostolicall vse of that word For whosoeuer beeleeueth shall bee saued and the end of Faith is the saluation of the soule And howsoeuer they may bee called beeleeuers for a profession of faith or for a temporary Faith yet they are not redeemed as those which are grounded on Christ For those that are Redeemed are made Kings and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God which is the Prâ—…per prerogatiue of Saints And they that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did vp on Christ haue built houses grounded vpon the Roâ—… which shall neuer fall Thes. 4. which is the very same wherevnto D White referred the Reader The 〈◊〉 Doctrine of Finall perseuerance 〈◊〉 againe confirmed in the Apologie of these Thesâ—… Master Hooker As Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more power ouer him so the iustified man be ing allyed to God in Iesus Christ our Lord doth as necessarily from that time
alwayes liue as Christ by whom he hath Ioh. 14. 19. life liueth alwayes I might if I had not other where largely done it already shew by many and sundry manifest and cleare proofes how the 〈◊〉 and operaâ—…ns of life are sometimes so indiscerâ—…ble and so secret that they seeme stone dead who notwithstanding are still aliue vnto God in Christ. For as long as that abideth in us which anima teth quickneth and giueth life so long wee liue and wee know that the cause of our Faith abideth in vs for euer If Christ the Fountaine of life may flit and leaue his habitation where he once dâ—…elleth what shall become of his promise I am with you to the worlds end If the Seed of God which contayneth Christ may be first conceiued 1. Pet. 1. and then cast out how doth S. Peter terme it immortall 1. Ioh. 39. How doth S. Iohn affirme it abideth If the Spirit which is guen to cherish preserue the seed of life may be giuen and taken away how is it the EARNEST of our INHERITANCE vntill Redemption If the Iustified â—…rre aâ—… he may and neuer come to vnderstand his error God doth saâ—…e him through generall repentance but if he fall into Hâ—…risy he calleth him at one time or other by actuall Repentance but from 〈◊〉 which is an inward direct deny all of the foundation 〈◊〉 preserâ—…eth him by speciall providence foreuer Discourse of Iustification Thus haue the Fathers and Doctors of our Church plainly shewed the Doctrine of our Church And this last witnesse a man beyond all exception of Schisme or Partialitie the enimies of this Doctrine being Iudges hath strongly confirmed and established it Yea he hath cut off that Goliâ—… Head which commonly marcheth against the hoast of God to terrifie them out of their assurance of Finall perseverance and certaine Saluation For he sheweth that the truely iustified after their errors are saued either by generall or actuall repentance but from Infidelitie Fundamentall Errors they are preserued for euer And Dr. Overall seemes to ioyne in one harmonie with this doctrine of M Hooker saying the like for Errors of life that this other did for errors in beleife In the Conference at Hampton Court these are his words Those which were called and iustified according to Gods purpose and Election howsoeuer they might and did sometimes fall into greiuous sinnes c. were in time renewed by Gods Spirit vnto a liuely Faith and Repentance and 〈◊〉 iustified from those sinnes and the wrath and Curse and Guilt annexed thereunto So that the obiection now adayes vrged was long since prevented with an answer and should haue kept silent the mouth of it being stopped For to what purpose is it to aske and obiect What if a iustified man commit a great sinne and dye without Repentance When it hath ben answered long since that Iustification hath such a Repentance annexed to it as shall suffice to wash away the guilt and wrath of those Errorâ—… sinnes into which the iustified shall fall If true Iustification and 〈◊〉 Repentance goe still together and 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 what a strange question is that which rayseth an obiection from IustificatioÌ„ separated from Repentance Iâ—… it lawfull for them to make a Iustification of their owne severed from Repentance and to raise an obiection thence against our Iustification conioyned with repentance This is a meere deceit to argue from things ill divided against things well conioyned Yea cursed are they that put a sunder what God hath knit togâ—…thhr King Iames said in the Conference at Hampton Court It was hypocrisie and not true iustifiing faith that was seuered from Repentance If then true Iustifiing Faith and Repentance be not seuered their argument against perseuerance taken from iustifiing Faith seuered from Repentance is a meere imaginarie and fantasticall argument For they imagine a severing of things not indeed severed and then they raise an argument from the seperation which is onely in their owne braines and not in the thing So that the ambition and vtmost hope of such an argument is onely this If such a thing were that indeed is not then that would not be that indeed is If iustifiyng Faith were wholly severed from Repentance as it is not then perseverance would not be Persverarance Wee haue seene out of S. Austen Our Church Doctors that the same Election which Decreeth to the Saints glory Salvation Decreeth also perseverance Now Perseverance must needes haue that sufficient Repentance without which it cannot be perseverance And therefore the same Decree that decreeth Perseverance must needes also Decree that Repentance without which Perseverance cannot be And in deede one and the same Seede of God Decreed to all the Elect is an immortall seede both of repentance and perseverance Briefely then though a man were to be excluded from Salvation for not performing a condition yet if he be sure to performe the coÌ„dition he is still sure of Salvation As on the other side if he be sure of Salvation then he is sure to performe the condition without which he cannot be sure of Salvation Now those whom our Article saith God hath coÌ„stantly Decreed to bring to Salvation they are sure of Salvation And therefore are they sure of that Repentance and all other conditions or qualifications without which they cannot be sure of Salvation Perchance the same matter in Mr. Hookers words will be Discourse of Iustification of more authority Our Saviour when he spake of the sheepe effectually called and truely gathered into his fold I giue vnto them Eternall life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hands In promising to saue them he promised no duobt to preserue them in that without which there can be no Salvation as also from that by which it is recoverably lost But in a second place let the questioners giue mee leaue to aske them a question Whether in this their damning of men regenerate that doe not particularly repent for euery great sinne they doe not bring in a Doctrine of despaire For if one of these great sinnes euer happen to be forgotten it is the very case of sinne against the Holy Ghost There remaineth no more sacrifice for Heb. 10. sinnes but a certaine fearefull looking for of Iudgement and fiery indignation A sinne forgotten cannot be for given There is no salvation without particular Repentance noâ—… no particular Repentance without patticular Remembrance Againe wee know that some liue in an innumerable variety of grea horrible sinns such as S. Paul reckons 1. Cor. 6. 9. Now if these men after come to repent it is impossible for them to remember their numberlesse particular sinns which they haue committed and to apply to them a particular repentance Then by the same reason it seemes to mee it were impossible they should be saued But if God accept a generall repentance of them it were good to bring some place of Scripture which saith that