totally and finally The thing which I especially obserue out of these wordes is that there is somewhat which is heere called the Seede of God abiding in him that is once borne of God And this declareth a regeneration which proceedeth from the purpose of God and from that powerfull calling which is according to his purpose What this seede is let any man declare This is certaine all is not gone all is not cut off by intercision here is a Seede of God abiding Call it what you will all is one to our purpose For whether this Seede of God be Faith or the Word of God or the Grace of Gods calling according to his purpose or the Spirit or any of these or all these It prooueth our purpose that all is not gone all is not falne away If all be not falne away then this man in whom it abideth can not fall totally If Faith bee the Seed the Word of God soweth it the calling of God rayseth it and makes it fruitfull the Spirit of God quickneth it To this purpose St. Peter sayth Being borne againe not of corruptible Seede but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liueth and abideth for euer The VVord of God is sayd to liue and abide for euer because of the effect which it worketh as some learned Interpreters haue obserued For here he speaketh of the new birth as Saint Iohn did of the incorruptible seede as Saint Iohn called it the seede of God abiding of the word of God whereby the grace of regeneration is giuen which liueth and abideth for euer This agreeth with that which St. Iohn sayd of the same new birth Saint Peter confirmeth this further in those wordes Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his aboundant mercy hath begotten vs againe to a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance immortall and vndefiled and that fadeth not away reserued in Heauen for you which are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation It is hard to deuise more expresse words to deliuer this Doctrine of perseuerance then Saint Peter vseth here For he speaketh of them that are regenerate according to the purpose of God when hee sayth According to his aboundant mercy he hath begotten vs againe he sayth to a liuely hope and inheritance the inheritance is sayd to be reserued for vs in Heauen and we are kept by the Power of God through faith vnto it If we be kept for it by Gods power through faith and it be kept for vs then he that denieth perseuerance vnto the end must breake this power of God by which we are preserued to the end For what is this power of God that keepeth vs through faith to the end but the grace of perseuerance to the end The same Doctrine of perseuerance or of our preseruation by Gods power to the end is confirmed vnto vs from the nature of Faith and of Charity Of Faith the Lord saith He that heareth my Word and beleeueth on him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life The Lord speaketh of Faith but this faith is not an Historicall faith nor a Temporary faith for these doe fade and haue not this promise which this faith hath of which the Lord speaketh Then what faith can this bee but such a iustifying faith that proceedeth from the Calling of God according to his purpose The Lord sayth that Hee who thus beleeueth hath euerlasting Life If hee hath euerlasting Life then what Arminian or Pelagian can take this from him that Christ sayth hee hath Some may answere that when it is sayd hee hath it it may bee vnderstood hee shall haue it I stand not much vppon that for whether the Lord that giueth euerlasting life say hee hath it or hee shall haue it is not much differing But yet I cannot but obserue the Lords speech who knew best how to speake When hee sayth He hath it his meaning is that euerlasting life shall be as firmely and truely giuen to him as if hee had it already in possession which yet hee holdeth but in hope Now which of all the Pelagians dare say that perhaps hee may haue it and perhaps hee may loose it or that hee may fall totally or finally from it when the Lord sayth hee hath it Hee could haue sayd hee shall haue it but why doth hee say He hath it but onely to teach vs that true beleeuers haue such a grace heere which can not be lost The Lord sayth also of the man that hath this grace that He shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to Life What is that is passed but to make this Doctrine sure that there is such a grace giuen heere which cannot be lost Let the Pelagians wrangle as they will about losse of grace this may be sufficient for vs to rest in the plaine and euident words of our Lord and Maister Christ Iesus Thus we see that a true and liuely faith carrieth with it vndoubtedly the grace of perseuerance vnto the end The same may be confirmed from Charity I meane such charity whereby such a faith worketh as was last described Of charity the Apostle hath these words Charity neuer faileth though prophecie fayle and tongues shall cease and knowledge shall vanish away If any man shall here say that this is spoken in respect of other graces that in this life we haue vse of and go no farther I answere I admit that to be so but here the Apostle sayth Charity neuer fayleth It is true he numbreth vp some graces that do fayle I graunt that in the life to come we shall not haue vse of these graces that fayle The Apostle obserueth a difference here betweene graces and graces some for the vse of this life onely others for this life and for that to come Of these that are both for this life and for that to come he nameth charitie which fayleth neuer If charity neuer faile no not in the life to come then it must follow that it neuer faileth in this life because if it should faile in this life then it must needes faile in the life to come For no man shall haue the glorious comfort of charitie in that life who looseth altogether the gracious comfort of it in this life Charitie neuer faileth therefore it abideth for euer therefore there are graces wherein true beleeuers perseuere to the end Heereupon some Schoolemen say that perseuerance is a grace not really differing from charity It is true that charity waxeth cold and the charity of many may faile and the faith of many may faile but the purpose of God cannot faile and those graces that proceede from Gods purpose neuer faile them to whom they are so giuen But because these controuersies were not knowne in the Church before the time of S. Augustine and by him more diligently handled
then by any other For the ancient Fathers that liued before him could not speake to these things which are brought in by Pelagius after they were dead and therefore could not come to their knowledge and indeede spake somewhat securely as fearing no harme and not knowing that their words should after their death bee peruerted by the Pelagians which made S. Augustine say Vobis Pelagianis nondum natis securius loquebantur Patres Because I say before him none could and after none did so exactly handle these things as if he had beene raised vp and reserued by God to do this seruice to the Church as no doubt hee was I purpose heere to ser downe S. Augustines doctrines in this particular not by way of citing some sentences but by a continued tract I may sometimes vpon occasions intermingle some things but that shall be in a parenthesis The whole body of this that followeth is S. Augustines Which I do the more willingly because I am well assured that the learned Bishops who were in the reformation of our Church in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths raigne did so much honour S. Augustine that in the collecting of the Articles and Homilyes and other things in that reformation they had an especiall respect vnto S. Augustines doctrines CHAP. 7. Saint Augustine his doctrine in the matter of perseuerance of the Saints FIrst this is true that God by especiall graces hath made a difference betweene Saints and other men This is euident by those words Quis te discernit quid habes quod non accepisti Who separateth thee what hast thou that thou hast not receiued This separation or distinction is not made by naturall guifts For no man can say that one man is made to differ from another by naturall guifts which are common to all men it remaineth then that this difference is made by especiall graces It is incredible to heare the folly and pride of the Arminians Greuincouius one of them was not afraid to answer these words of the Apostle quis te discernit with these words of his owne crackt braine ego meipsum discerno But let S. Augustine proceed This separation whereby one man is made to differ from another is the sâ—parating of some men and taking them out of the masse of perdition wherein others are left That man is discerned or separated from the condition of other that is by mercy taken out which is done by Gods praedestination calling iustification Wherein we sâ—e and confesse the miserable estate of all men by that sinne which Adam hath brought vpon all his seede that is vpon all men We see and must confesse the mercy of God in taking some to mercy and leauing other they that are thus taken to mercy are saide to be separated or to differ from other men Then this grace of perseuering to the end is the gift of God in Christ. Whether any haue this grace as long as he is liuing here to vs it is vncertaine as to vs it is vncertaine who are praedestinated A man that beleeueth and liueth a godly life albeit hee liue but one day or lesse hath this guift rather then one of many yeeres who but a little before his death shall depart from the soundnesse of faith Now that this grace is giuen to men it is euident by diuers Scriptures To you it is giuen for Christ that not onely you should beleeue in him but also suffer for his sake The one of these things belongeth to the beginning of faith to beleeue the other pertaineth to the end to suffer Yet both is the guift of God because both are said to be giuen Now can any man giue a reason why perseuerance in grace to the end should not be giuen in Christ to that man to whom it is giuen to suffer for Christ or to spâ—ake more expresly to whom it is giuen to dye for Christ And if this be giuen to them that dye for Christ who can say that the same grace of pâ—rseuerance is not giuen to such as by sicknesse or any other meanes dye in Christ. It is a more difficult thing to suffer death for Christ yet both that which is more difficult or lesse difficult is giuen by him to whom it is easie to giue both Those things that are contained in the promises which God hath made to vs for the nourishing and increase of our faith we may we must lay hold on but God hath promised to giue vs this grace of perseuerance vnto the end The Prophet Ieremy saith I will put my feare in their hearts and they shall not depart from me What other thing is this which God promiseth heere but that this feare shall be such and so great which God will giue into our hearts that we may perseueringly adhere vnto God Now that which God hath promised vnto vs for that haue we good warrant to pray And therefore this grace of perseuerance is such a grace as beleeuers continually do pray for Saint Augustine hath obserued out of that Exposition of the Lords prayer made by S. Cyprian that almost in euery petition we pray for perseuerance 1. Petition Hallowed be thy name Wee say saith S. Cyprian hallowed be thy name Not that we aske of God that it may bee hallowed by prayers but because we desire of him that his name may be hallowed in nobis in our selues But how is God sanctified by man whom God himselfe doth sanctifie Yet because hee hath said Be you holy because I am holy this we aske this we desire that we who are sanctified in baptisme may perseuere in that which we haue begun to be 2. Petition Aduentat regnumtuum Doe we here aske any other thing then that his kingdome may come to vs which we doubt not shall come to all the Saints Then they that are Saints what other thing doe they aske here but that they may perseuere in that sanctitie which is giuen to them For otherwise the kingdome of God shall not come to them which assuredly commeth to none other but onely to them which perseuere vnto the end 3. Petition Fiat voluntas tua in terra sicut c. The Saints who do the will of God saying thy will be done pray that it may bee done when it is already done in them Why then doe they yet pray that it may be done but onely that they may perseuere in that which they haue begun to be 4. Petition Giue vs this day our daily bread S. Cyprian sheweth how perseuerance is here also prayed for We desire saith he that this bread may be daily giuen vs least that we who are in Christ and daily receiue the Eucharist as the food of our soules may be separated from the body of Christ if by any grieuous crime or being excommunicate we be forbidden to come to receiue this heauenly bread These things saith S. Augustine shew plainely that the Saints by prayer aske perseuerance of the Lord when in this
which worketh through loue surely either faileth not at all or if there bee some defect it is repaired in them before the end of their life And that intercurrent iniquity which breakes in is blotted and perseuerance is reputed vnto the end vsque in finem perseuerantia deputatur But they who perseuere not but fall away from the Christian faith and from a godly conuersation surely these men are not to bee accounted in this number no not then when they liued well they are not separated from that masse of perdition by Gods praedestination not called according to his purpose but called amongst them of whom it is said multi vocati but not of them of whom it is said pauci electi And who will deny that these are elect when they beleeue and are baptized and liue godly They may be said to be elect sed à nescientibus by such as know not what they shall be not by him who knoweth that these had not perseuerance For some be called of vs the sonnes of God for temporary graces which they haue receiued but vnto God they are not such Touching those Saints that are praedestinated to the kingdome of God such an helping grace is giuen to them that perseuerance is bestowed vpon them not onely that without it they cannot but that with it they cannot but perseuere For he said not onely Without me ye can do nothing but he said also you haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you and ordayned you that you go and bring forth fruite and that your fruite remaine In these words the Lord declareth that he gaue them not onely righteousnesse but also perseuerance therein For seeing that Christ ordained them to go and bring forth fruite that their fruit should remaine quis audet dicere who dare say that peraduenture it might not remaine For the guifts and calling of God are without repentance but then vndâ—rstand that calling which they haue who are called according to his purpose These receiue such freedome by this grace that albeit so long as they liue here they fight against the concupiscences of sinnes some creepe in vpon them for which they pâ—ay daily forgiue vs our trespasses yet they do not wilfully serue that sin that is to death of which S. Iohn saith There is a sin to death I say not for it thou shouldst pray Of thiâ— sinne because it is not expresly declared many diuerse things may be thought but I say that this sinne to death is a falling away euen to death from that faith which worketh by charity Now albeit the Apostle saith of all regenerate men liuing orderly Who art thou that condemnest another mans seruant he standeth or falleth to his Lord yet presently his words following respect the praedestinated For he saith He shall be established for God is able to make him stand then assuredly be giueth perseuerance that is able to establish them that stand that they may stand most perseueringly or to restore them that fall For it is the Lord that raiseth vp the bruised Psal. 146. And therefore hee that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord. Hence it is that in this place of misery where the life of man is a temptation vpon earth vertue is perfected in infirmity What vertue but that he that glorieth may glory in the Lord. And for this cause the Lord would not haue his Saints to glory in their strength no not in their perseuerance in good but to glory in him which doth not onely giue them such an helpe as hee gaue to the first man without which they could not perseuere if they would but in them also hee worketh this that they shall will Therefore is both the possibility and will of perseuering giuen to them from the bounty of diuine grace Thus hath S. Augustine at full declared himselfe in this particular CHAP. 8. I Was willing to let S. Augustine bee heard the longer in that cause wherein he was most exercised against the Pelagians The same doctrine as being the publique receiued doctrine of the Church hath beene likewise taught by others S. Ambrose saith quos deus vocare dicitur perseuerant in fide hij sunt quos elegit ante mundi constitutionem He maketh pâ—rseuerance a grace that dependeth vpon Gods calling hee meaneth as himselfe expoundeth it that calling which is according to Gods purpose And hee saith againe in the same place hoc placuit deo cuius consilium retractari non potest This he proueth also from those words of the Apostle I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith from henceforth is laid vp for mee the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue at that day and not to me onely but to all them also that loue his appearing Then without perseuerance no man can expect glory And this grace is giuen not onely to Saint Paul and such excellent Saints as hee was but vnto all that loue the Lords appearing The same thing is taught by the Author of the booke de vocatione gentium who citeth that place Who shall confirme you to the end that you may bee blamelesse in the day of the Lord. And those words Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribuation or anguish c. Charitas dei saith hee qua eos diligit quos inseparabiles facit id est vsque in finem perseuerantes nam quid aliud est perseuerare quam tentatione non vinci The same is taught by Saint Gregory Qui non praedestinati sunt saith hee siue audiant doctorum verba siue non audiant vocari in dei habitaculum nequeunt And againe he saith Ab eo qui defecit venire spiritus dicitur ire ad eum qui perseveraturus est quia alios in tempore deserit alios assumit nec tamen deserit in reliquum dirigitur spiritus qui à gratia quam percipit nunquam discedit quid est ergo quâ—d dicitur à die illa et in reliquum nisi quia spiritus gratia sic recipitur vt in ea electi vsque in finem perseuerare doceantur And our venerable Bede vpon those words scimus queniam diligentibus deum omnia cooperantur in bonum saith thus Sciens nonnullos diligere deum et in eo bono vsque in finem non perseuerare mox addit his qui serundum propositum vocati sunt he enim in eo quod diligunt deum permanent vsque in finem et quid ad tempus inde deuiant reuertuntur et vsque in finem per durant quod in bono esse coeperaent Saint Bernard holdeth the same course Salus perseuerantibus promittitur praemium perseuerantibus datur Non est bonus qui bonum facit sed qui incessabiliter facit And in another place O sol iustitiae benigne Iesu Christe lucens in tua virtute reddens temet ipsum in praemium sempiternum
definire saith S. Bernard Then the old Sacraments did stand in force vntill they were abrogated that is publiquely by the Apostles interdicted And therefore as Baptisme is now a remedy against originall sinne so was Circumcision of old Now if any that are come to yeares and vnderstanding after the publication of the remedy of Baptisme shall refuse to be baptised this man addeth another sinne to originall sinne so through his owne pride he beareth the double cause of a most just damnatioÌ„ if he should in that case chance to dye Yet if before his death he repent and desire and aske to be baptized and dye before he can obtaine his desire so that a right faith a godly hope and sincere charity be not wanting so God be mercifull vnto me saith S. Bernard as in this case I cannot despayre of this mans salvation for the want of water onely Neither can I beleeue that this mans faith is voyd his hope confounded his charitie fayled if that not the contempt but onely the impossibility of having the Sacrament hinder him from being washed with water And I much maruaile saith he Si novus iste novarum inventor assertionum assertor inventorum if this new inventer of new assertions and assertor of things invented can finde a reason in this thing which was hid from the Fathers Ambrose and Augustin or can finde any authoritie before the authoritie of these For if he know it not both these judged as we doe herein let him read S. Ambrose his booke of the death of Valentinian if he hath not read it or if he hath read it let him recall it well to memory if he recall it let him not dissemble and there he shall finde that S. Ambrose confidently presumed of the salvation of that man who dyed without Baptisme and did vndoubtedly attribute that to his minde which was wanting thorough impossibilitie of performance Let him also read the fourth booke of S. Augustin of one onely Baptisme against the Donatistes and he will either acknowledg himselfe to be imprudently deceived or proue himselfe impudently obstinare For S. Augustin sayth that sometimes suffering is in stead of Baptisme as appeareth in the theefe vpon the Crosse to whom though vnbaptised Christ sayd to day thou shalt be with me in Paradise From which place S. Cyprian tooke an Argument to prooue the same poynt And S. Augustin addeth Considering this thing againe and againe I finde saith he that not onely suffering for the name of Christ may supply the want of Baptisme but faith also and the conversion of the heart if happily the straitnesse of time will not suffer a man to celebrate the mystery of Baptisme And afterward How much saith he even without the visible Sacrament of Baptisme that avayleth which the Apostle saith With the heart man beleeveth to righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth to salvation it is declared in that Theefe But then is this fulfilled invisibly when as not contempt of Religion but necessitie excludeth the mystery of Baptisme S. Bernard having declared thus much out of S. Augustin proceedeth thus I confesse saith he that S. Augustin retracteth that instance which he put of the Theefe and thought it not so fit to proue this sentence because it was vncertaine whether that Theefe was baptized or no but the sentence it selfe and assertion he confidently maintained and diverse wayes confirmed neither shall you finde that he did ever retract the opinion if I be not deceived saith Bernard And further he saith that S. Augustin in another place when he had spoken of some whom the Scripture restifyeth to be sanctified invisibly but not visibly He maketh this inference hence it is collected that invisible sanctification hath beene had and hath profited without the visible Sacraments which are changed according to the diversitie of times so that others were then others are now And a little after notwithstanding saith S. Augustin the visible Sacrament is by no meanes to be contemned for he that contemneth it cannot be invisibly sanctified Whereby he prooveth plainly that a faithfull man and one converted to the LORD is not deprived of the fruit of Baptisme if he cannot hauâ— Baptisme but if he contemne to be baptized From these two pillars I meane S. Ambrose and S. Augustin saith S. Bernard I can hardly be drawne to beleeue otherwise I confesse my selfe either to erre or to be wise with these I my selfe also beleeving saith he that a man may be saved solâ fide by faith onely having a true desire to receiue the Sacrament though either death anticipate his holy desire or some other invincible force hinder it And consider when our Saviour saith He that beleeveth and is baptised shall be saved whether it be not with great warinesse and vigilancy repeated againe But he that will not beleeue shall be damned He saith not he that is not baptized shall be damned but onely he that beleeveth not shall be damned implying hereby that sometimes faith alone sufficeth to salvation and without it nothing Wherefore albeit we graunt that Martyrdome may be in stead of Baptisme yet we must vnderstand that it is not punishment that maketh this but faith it selfe for without it what is Martyrdome but plaine punishment Now it is against all reason to thinke that faith which is reputed for Baptisme where Baptisme is wanting and which doth make Martyrdome acceptable to God should be sufficient by it selfe to saue a man when either Baptisme cannot be had or Martyrdome is not required S. Bernard vpon these and such like reasons concludeth that a man may be saved by faith without Baptisme where there is a true desire and no contempt of Baptisme And that Infants which die without Baptisme are consequently saved by the faith of their faithfull Parents Thus farre S. Bernard Saint Cyprian cited here by Saint Augustin and by Saint Bernard out of Saint Augustin vpon this point hath these wordes speaking of the theefe vpon the crosse Latrâ—cinium damnationem meruerat supplicium sed cor contritum poenam mutavit in martyrium sanguinem in baptismum And this is all that antiquity teacheth or our Church requireth that baptisme is not simply necessary so as without it damnation must follow of necessitie and that children baptized are delivered from originall sinne But this man goeth further Many that are baptised saith he may after their baptisme liue a graceles life then they loose grace or else wee must say that all that are baptized are saved I answere we neede not say so Wee say that if they fall into a sinfull and wicked life after baptisme they loose the priviledge of their baptisme and the good that they might haue had by it so long as they remaine such And this is sufficient to answere him But what is this to the grace of predestination which hee would oppugne by these quirkes drawne onely from the charity of the Church and baptisme which charity we also hold