for it is not said that the Galathians fell from grace totally or finally although in that particular error of theirs in retaining the Legall ceremonies and vrging Circumcision they in effect and by consequent ouerthrew a maine doctrine of the Gospel touching iustification by faith in Christ. Lastly this Obiection may be retorted against the Aduersarie thus Whosoeuer teach and beleeue iustification on by the Law or inherent righteousnesse are fallen from grace and refuted by this text of the Apostle The Aduersarie teacheth and beleeueth iustification by the Law or inherent righteousnesse see the precedent tablet Art of iustification Therefore the Aduersary is fallen from grace and refuted by this text of the Apostle c To the place alledged out of Saint Peter 2. Epist. 2. Chap. 20. We answer First Saint Peter speakes not of true beleeuers but of false teachers who priuily brought in damnable heresies euen denying the Lord that bought them verse 1. These though they had escaped the filthinesse of the world through the knowledge of Christ that is the practise of grosse idolatry called in Scripture Spirituall fornication and vncleannesse and had kept themselues from other foule and enormous sinnes of the flesh euen against nature wherein the blinde idolaters of the world were intangled yet were neuer inwardly and throughly washed and cleansed especially from the pollutions of the heart The Apostle compareth them to swine which after they are washed that is outwardly wallow againe in the mire because they retaine still their swinish nature so these after they had receiued the knowledge of Christ and outwardly conformed themselues to the Gospell and cleansed themselues from grosse actuall sinnes returne to their former filthinesse as naturall bruit beasts made to be taken and destroyed vers 12. Secondly a man may be intangled againe in the pollutions of the world and relapsed into foule sins as some of Gods Saints haue beene yea as enormous as any he committed before his conuersion and yet not fall totally or finally from grace as shall be shewed hereafter Lastly this Obiection may be retorted against the Aduersary thus None that are or were true beleeuers are wells without water For he that beleeueth out of his belly flow riuers of liuing water Iob. 7. 38. Those spoken of by S. Peter are wels without water vers 17. Therefore those spoken of by Saint Peter are not nor were true beleeuers Or thus None of the regenerate are dogges or swine For holy things and pearles are giuen to them which may not be giuen to dogs or cast before swine Matth. 7. 6. Those whom Saint Peter speakes of are dogs and swine vers 22. Therefore those whom S. Peter speakes of are not regenerate And so this text of Scripture is nihil ad rhombum and the Aduersaries argue worse and worse It being happened vnto them according to the true prouerb ab equis ad asinum mentioned vers 16. which beast and the Rider whether they are not a perfect impresse and embleme of the Aduersarie I refer it to the intelligent Reader of that Motto ver 15. HAVE FORSAKEN THE RIGHT WAY FOLLOWING THE WAY OF BALAAM THE SONNE OF BOSOR WHO LOVED THE WAGES OF VNRIGHTEOVSNES d To the place alledged Heb. 6. 4. weanswer First It is not affirmed as Whitaker learnedly obserueth in Cygneâ Cantio that those who were inlightned c. doe fall away but if they fall away they cannot be renued by repentance Which note of that Swan sweetly accordeth with the words of the Apostle himselfe in this Chapter vers 9. But beloued we are perswaded better things of you and things that accompany saluation though we thus speake May not I iustly apply the words of Saint Cyprian against Nouatus to the Aduersarie Bertius Scindis sicut ipse scissus es As thou art cut off and hast made a rent in the Church so thou cuttest and would'st make a rent in the Scripture by taking a part by it selfe to serue thy turne contrary to the coherence and scope of the whole Secondly inlightning grace doth not necessarily import renuing and sanctifying grace nor tasting the heauenly gift eating the bread of life Ioh. 6. and being filled therewith Matth. 5. 6. nor partaking of the holy Ghost being led by the holy Ghost Rom. 8. much lesse sealed with it Eph. 1. 13. as all true regenerate Christians are The Aduersaries might haue learned out of Gratian. de poenit dist 2. It is one thing to taste the gift and powers of the world to come another to haue them rooted in the heart Aliud affici pro tempore aliud perfici obsignari in vitam aeternam One thing to be moued or affected for a time as Herod was at the hearing of Iohn the Bapâ—ist another thing to be perfectly sanctified and sealed to eternall life as are all true beleeuers 2 Cor. 1. 22. Ephess 4. 30. Lastly this Obiection may be retorted against the Aduersary thus No regenerate childe of God can commit the sinne vnto death 1 Ioh. 5. 17. 18. The Apostle here speakes of those that commit or at least may commit the sinne vnto death Therefore the Apostle speakes not here of any regenerate childe of God ARMINIANS BERTIVS pag. 114. 1 Cor. 10. 12. Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he e fall Idem pag. 116. Philip. 2. 12 13. Worke out your saluation with feare and f trembling for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure APPEALER ANswer to Gag pag. 164. If righteousnesse had cannot be lost why should hee admonish as hee doth He that standeth let him take heed lest he e fall Ibidem And worke out your saluation with feare and f trembling e To the place alledged 1 Cor. 10. 12. we answer First though the regenerate and iustified mans estate be certaine yet is it certaine by the vse of such meanes as God hath appointed whereof spirituall watchfulnesse and care to which the Apostle here exhorteth is a principall The Apostles estate was certaine for Christ saith Luke 10. 20. Reioyce because your names are written in heauen And Iohn 17. 12. Those that thou gauest me I haue kept and none of them is lost but the sonne of perdition Yet he commandeth them to watch and pray that they enter not into temptation Matth. 26. 41. And he prescribeth a forme of prayer to be vsed by them and vs continually Lead vs not into temptation Mat. 6. 13. The souldiers and passengers estate who were in the ship with Paul Act. 27. 24. was safe and sure because God had giuen Saint Paul all them that sailed with him Yet were they to vse the helpe of the shipmen to saue their liues and vnlesse they had so done they had perished vers 31. Except these abide in the ship yee cannot be saued Secondly the Apostles words are to be noted who saith not Let him that standeth but let him that thinketh he standeth A man may thinke hee standeth though
to the guidance of Gods Spirit not they who by an vnfained conuersion become perfectly and sincerely other men To the former as saith this Father God is a light to the latter he is a fire the former he enlightneth only the latter he heateth also melteth their heart purgeth them from all their drosse Or if that eloquent Father take light in the good sense and fire in the worse then his meaning is that as the word of God is a sauour of life vnto life in them that are saued and a sauour of death vnto death in them that perish so God himselfe is a Comfortable light to the true children of light but a consuming fire to Hypocrites and Apostatates and all such as haue fellowship with the vnfruitfull works of darknesse much more those who vtterly forsake God and consult with the Deuill as Saul did and others of that his desperat resolution Flectere si nequeo superos Acheronta mouebo I will make a league with Death and couenant with Hell n To the passages alledged out of Saint Augustine we answer most willingly we desire to heare none rather than Saint Augustine speake in this Cause Neuer had the Church of God since the Apostle Saint Paul a more valiant and resolute Champion of Grace than Saint Augustine As Tully spake of the ancient Rhetoritians Potius ex arte quà m de arte scripserunt They rather wrote out of art than of the art So may it be truly said of Saint Augustines workes against the Pelagians non tam de gratiâ quà m ex gratiâ scripsisse videtur That he wrote rather and spake from grace than of grace so full of grace are his lips and pen in this argument of Grace I could easily point to many places in the Workes of this holy Father especially those extant in his seuenth Tome Vbi noÌ„ seclusa aliqua aquula sed vniuersum flumen erumpit Where there runnes not a small riuelet but a maine streame of this water of the grace of perseuerance springing to euerlasting life Verily Saint Augustine so professedly and strongly opposeth both the Pelagian Demi-pelagian and now Arminian errors that as Pelagius himselfe in a Synod at Ierusalem being pressed with Saint Augustines Reasons and Authorities which he was not able to answer sought to vilifie and slighten his Person So Arnoldus Coru. Bertius rather goe about to discredit than satisfie the Authoritie of this Prime Father Non est standuÌ„ hâc in parte Authoritati Augustini We are not to stand to yâ— Authority of Austin in this point saith Arnoldê° Quid quod Augustinê° ipse alijs per AfricaÌ„ Ecclesijs viuê° vidensque sententiaÌ„ suam noÌ„ probauit Quid quod ipse à se dissentit Augustinê° vt AugustinuÌ„ citanti nihil sit promptius quà m AugustinuÌ„ ipsum opponere Austin saith Bertius by his life time made not good his opinion to the Churches of Africa He dissents froÌ„ himselfe in so much yâ— nothing is more easie than to oppose Augustine to Augustine This lesson they both learned froÌ„ Arminius their Master as Coruinus mali corui malum ouum acknowledgeth pag. 205. Puto Arminium non illibenter tibi concessurum fuisse hâc in parte Augustinum vobiscum facere ita tamen vt varium eum esse dixisset inconstantem in sententiâ suâ enuntiandâ But Plato Instar millium Saint Augustine is more worth than a thousand nay all the Arminians whose Workes as they haue already deuoured all the workes of the Pelagians and Semi-pelagians so I hope will in time deuoure also all the Arminians workes as Aarons Rod did the Magicians Durum telum necessitas ignoscite Meere necessitie droue Arminius and his Schollers to this desperate answer The Fox in the Greeke Epigrammatist when hee could not reach the grapes at which his mouth watered comforted himselfe saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is no great matter though I cannot reach them these grapes are but sowre fruit As sowre as they are Bertius and the Appealer snatch at one or two namely the two passages before alledged by them To the first we answer It toucheth not the state of the present question The state of Saints in Grace may be sure enough yet they not alwaies assured of it There is a certitude of the subiect and a certitude of the obiect that which now is in debate is not the certitude of the subiect whether the Regenerate are assured in themselues of their Perseuerance but the certitude of the obiect whether their perseuerance in it selfe be certaine This distinction is acknowledged generally by those Interpreters who comment on that of Saint Peter Make your election sure that is say they to your selues and your own hearts not in it selfe nor in respect of God For the foundation of God standeth sure hauing this Seale The Lord knoweth who are his neither can any thing done by man adde strength to Gods decree But because our assurance of Election and the state of Adoption and Grace and perseuerance in the same is partly from the testimony of the Spirit within vs and partly from the effects of Grace to wit the fruits of righteousnesse and because when we grieue the Spirit of God hee withdraweth his Spirit for a time and thereby both the testimony of the Spirit is silent for the time the effects of Grace cease Saint Augustine humbly and truly professeth that the Saints albeit they are certaine of the reward of their perseuerance yet are found vncertaine of their perseuerance it selfe Quis cum hominum se in actione profectuque iustitiae vsque in finem perseueraturum sciet They are certaine certitudine fidei by the assurance of faith but not certaine certitudine scientiae experientiae by the certainty of knowledge and experience as Bucer acutely distinguisheth they are certaine of perseuerance in it selfe yet they are found that is you may finde them in that state by reason of some fearfull temptation not certaine in themselues nay sometimes they in themselues receiue the sentence of death to humble them and make them pray with sighes and groanes which cannot be expressed Restore vnto me the ioy of saluation and vphold me with thy free Spirit Psal. 51. 12. Lastly there is a double perseuerance 1. A perseuerance in a course of sanctity vnto the end without any interruption or stop when a childe of God goeth still forward and neuer is cast backe but continueth as Saint Augustine speaketh In actione profectuque iustitiae Still in the action and progresse of righteousnesse and of such perseuerance the Saints are not certaine in this life 2. A perseuerance vnto the end yet not without some interruption and going back also for a time but without any totall or finall back-sliding and of such perseuerance a Saint of God may and ought to be assured o To the place alledged by Bertius out of the fifth Chapter of Saint Augustine de Corrept
contingencie in future euents in respect of their second causes which worke contingently though whatsoeuer commeth to passe falleth within the certaine presience of God and is ordered by his prouidence 4. The Stoicks taught that men were impelled to sin by a fatall motion and that mans will was forced by Destiny We detest and abhorre any such assertion See more hereof in Melancthon his Common places Gratianus Ciuilis in Semipelagianismo Lipsius lib. 1. de Constantia cap. 18. sequent g T is true as we reade in the seuenteenth Article that for curious and carnall persons lacking the Spirit of Christ to haue continually before their eyes the sentence of Gods Predestination is a most dangerous downefall whereby the Deuill doth thrust them either into desperation or into retchlesnesse of most vncleane liuing no lesse perillous than desperation The sweetest meat in a corrupt stomacke turnes to choller but the fault is in the stomacke not in the meat in like manner the word of God and in particular this doctrine of the Word is in it selfe a sauour of life vnto life but to some proues no better than a sauour of death vnto death because as Saint Peter 2. 3. 16. telleth vs They peruert the doctrine of holy Scriptures to their destruction For the doctrine it selfe of Predestination it openeth no gate to a dissolute life but shutteth and barreth all such vnlawfull posternes Shall we continue in sinne because grace aboundeth God forbid Rom. 6. 1. On the contrary it openeth a faire gate and directeth a certaine readie way to holinesse of life For God hath predestinated vs that we might be conformable to the Image of his Sonne Rom 8. 29. And God hath chosen vs before the foundation of the world that we might be holy and blamelesse before him in loue Ephes. 1. 4. h In this obiection from Desperation the Arminians and Appealer as likewise in the former furbush vp the old Pelagians harnesse which Saint Augustine hath beat in peeces in his booke of the gift of Perseuerance chap. 17. I will not amplifie with mine owne words but I leaue it rather to them seriously to consider what a strange thing it is that they should perswade themselves the doctrine of Predestination doth bring to the hearers rather matter of desperation than exhortation or consolation for this is in effect to say that then a man is to despaire of his saluation when he is taught to repose his hope and confidence not in himselfe but in God whereas the Prophet crieth out Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man Some indeed make a desperate vse of this doctrine but the doctrine it selfe is no desperate doctrine or doctrine of desperation but of heauenly consolation as we reade in the seuenteenth Article which ought for euer to stop the mouth of the Appealer from slandering as he doth the truth of God The godly consideration of Predestination and our Election in Christ is full of sweet pleasant and vnspeakable comfort to godly persons and such as feele in themselues the working of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the works of the flesh and their earthly members and drawing vp their minde to high and heauenly things as well because it doth greatly establish and confirme their faith of eternall saluation to be enioyed through Christ as because it doth feruently kindle their loue towards God On the contrary the doctrine of the Arminians and the Appealer which maketh Gods Election to depend vpon the will of man which as they say may totally and finally fall away from grace is in truth a most desperate doctrine taking away all solid and firme ground of comfort both in life and death as shall appeare hereafter Of Election vpon fore-seene faith ARMINIVS ARMIN. Oration to the States pag. 49. * The Decree whereby God hath decreed to saue certaine and singular persons doth depend vpon his prescience by which he fore-knew from eternitie who according to the dispensation of sufficient meanes for their conuersion and faith would by preuenting grace i beleeue and subsequent perseuere And he is so hot in this point and proceedeth so far Argument 19. as to affirme That the opinion of precise Election without respect of foreseene faith in the elect ouerthroweth the foundation of all Religion Hag. Conference set out by Bert. pag. 62. The absolute decree whereby it is said that God in chusing men did not respect any mans good qualities fore-seene cannot stand with the nature of God nor with Scriptures The like is affirmed by Arnoldus against Tilenus And Greuinchouius against Amese and the Arminians generally who thus take that question in the Conference at Hage pag. 123. Faith in Gods decree of election doth in order goe before not follow election it is not a fruit of election but an antecedent conditon to it APPEALER APPEALE pag. 58. The irrespectiue decree of God to call saue and glorifie Saint Peter without any consideration had of or regard vnto his i faith obedience and repentance c. I say there and I say truly is the priuate fancie of some particular man Pa. 64. There must needs be first a k disproportion before there can be conceiued an election or dereliction This disproportion he afterward declares to be in the different wils of men wherof some took hold of merey others would not His words are When all alike being plunged c. God out of his mercy stretched out to them deliuerance in a Mediator the Man Iesus Christ and drew them out that tooke hold of mercy leauing them there that would none of him Which is all one as if he had said he decreed to saue them from the common destruction which he fore-saw would beleeue and reiect those whom he fore-saw would not beleeue for by faith they take hold of mercy and through incredulitie reiect it nay in this point the Appealer speaketh not so warily as the Arminians for they require faith in a person to be elected and iustified as an antecedent condition they doe not say as a cause or motiue in God to elect iustifie and saue But the Appealer Answer to the Gag pag. 143. and Appeale pag. 194. saith that God was drawne by our faith to iustifie vs. * Decretum quo decreuit Deus singulares certas quasdam personas saluare praescientiâ nititur quâ ab aeterno sciuit quinam iuxta administrationem mediorum ad conuersionem fidem idoneorum ex praeueniente gratia credituri erant subsequente perseueraturi i When the Arminians and the Appealer make Election to depend vpon fore-seene faith either they meane that this faith is a meere gift of God receiued only by mans free-will or not so but in part or in whole a worke of mans will If they hold faith to be a meere gift of God their opinion of election vpon fore-seene faith implieth a contradiction for it maketh the former grace and gift of Predestination to glory to depend vpon a latter gift of faith Beside if
If any say that iustifying faith is nothing else but a confident relying on Gods mercy forgiuing our sinnes by Christ or that this confidence is the only faith whereby we are iustified let him be accursed Ib. c. 16 If any say or beleeue that hee shall certainly haue by absolute and infallible certainty the great gift of perseuerance to the end vnlesse he know and haue learned it by speciall reuelation let him be accursed Appealer ANsw. to Gag pag. 186. If we consider our own disposition wee assigne no more then probable and coniecturall assurance This Bellarmine assigneth this is enough Faction may transport a man to wrangle for more but when once they ioyne issues the difference will not bee much Much or little great or smal thus or so the Church of England is not touched that assigneth it neither Appeale page 213. I professe I am not of that opinion with you and whatsoeuer you may resolue for your crying Abba Father secundum praesentem justitiam I craue pardon I cannot thinke that you are may or can bee so perswaded secundum statum futurum Discord Church of Engl. HOmily of the passion p. 186. What meanes is that It is faith not an inconstant or wauering faith but a sure stedfast grounded and vnfained faith Pag. 187. The only meanes and instrument of saluation required of our parts is faith that is to say a sure trust and confidence in the merits of God whereby we perswade our selues that God both hath and will forgiue vs our sins and that hee hath accepted vs again into his fauour that he hath released vs from the bonds of damnation and receiued vs into the number of his elect people Et post Wee must take heed that wee doe not halt with GOD through an inconstant and wauering faith but that it be strong and stedfast to our liues end Wee must apprehend the merits of Christs death and passion by faith nothing doubting but that Christ by his owne oblâ—tion and once offering himselfe on the Crosse hath taken away our sinnes and restored vs againe into Gods fauour The point of Perseuerance hath such affinity with this point of assurance of saluation that what is wanting in this may be supplyed out of the former Parallel Al that I here obserue is that the Appealer fully accordeth with the Councell of Trent not only in the conclusion but in the very reason alleadged by the Councell for the ground thereof Of the Popes Primacy Harmony Church of Rome IN the forme of oath prescribed in the Bul of Pius 4 annext to the CouÌ„cell of Trent I acknowledge the holy Catholicke and Apostolicke Church of Rome to be the Mother and Mistresse of all Churches and I vow and sweare true obedience to the Bishop of Rome the successor of Peter the Prince of the Apostles Vicar of Iesus Christ. Bellarmin de Romano Pontif. lib. 4. c. 1. The Pope is supreame Iudge in coÌ„trouersies of faith and manners Appealer ANsw. to Gag p. 29. I could interpret S. Anselm well enough as that if a controuersie were referred by the Church or an heresie to bee corrected in the Church which touched the case of the Catholicke Church it could not be put ouer more â—itly to any one man by the Church representatiue in a Councell then vnto the Pope first Bishop of Christendome of greatest not absolute power among Bishops Discord Church of England HOm. for Whitsunday second part pag. 214. 215. First as touching that they will bee termed vniuersall Bishops Heads of all Christian Churches through the world wee haue the iudgement of Gregory expresly against them who writing to Mauritius the Emperour condemned Iohn Bishop of Constantinople in that behalf calling him the Prince of pride Lucifers successor and the forerunner of Antichrist S. Bernard agreeing thereunto saith What greater pride can there bee then that one man should preferre his owne iudgement before the whole congregation as if hee onely had the Spirit of God And Chrysostome pronounceth a terrible sentence against them affiriming plainly that whosoeuer seeketh to be chiefe on earth shall finde confusion in heauen and he that striueth for the supremacy shall not be reputed among the Seruants of Christ. Homily against wilfull rebellion 5 part pag. 308. 309. The Bishop of Rome being by the order of Gods word none other then the Bishop of that one See and Diocesse and neuer yet well able to gouerne the same did by intolerable ambition challenge not onely to be Head of all the Church dispersed through the world but also to be Lord ouer all Kingdomes of the world In this point touching the Popes Primacy though the Appealer comes not full home to the tenent of the Church of Rome yet he goeth too far pointeth at a most dangerous course of referring the iudgement of controuersies of faith that concerne the whole Church vnto the Pope Which course if with Master Mountagues good approbation we should take in the great controuersie touching the Head of the Church the Power of the See of Rome the causes of our Separation from that Church and all the controuerted points betweene vs conclamatum esset he that hath but halfe an eye might see what the issue would bee This resolution of M. Mountagu if he hold still it will bee expected that in the next edition of his booke he change the title now prefixed Appello Caesarem into Appello Papam The markes of the Beast were come out in the Pope before Anselmes time and since they are so apparent in him that other learned Diuines make the Pope whole Antichrist and the Appealer himselfe makes him halfe the Antichrist pag. 149. and an entire Apostata from Christ and his kingdome And was there no fitter Bishop in all Christendome to decide controuersies concerning the whole Church of Christ then he who is either halfe or whole Antichrist but of this point see more in the Writ of error Of Antichrist Harmony Church of Rome BEllarmine de Româ—no pontif lib. 3. c. 13. The seat of Antichrist shal be in Ierusalem not Rome for Enoch and Elias are to fight with Antichrist in Ierusalem Ibid. c. 12. Antichrist shall properly come for the Iewes and shall be receiued by them as the Messias he shall be circumcised and keepe the Sabbath for a time Ibid. cap. 18. The frensies of Hereticks are refelled by which they do not so much proue as impiously affirme that the Pope is Antichrist This conclusion is the scope of his whole third book and he and all Papists who haue written of this argument apply themselues wholly to proue that neither the Pope personally nor the Popes successiuely constitute that Antichrist described in the Apocalyps Appealer ANsw. to Gagg page 74. 75. I am not of opinion that the Bishop of Rome personally is that Antichrist nor yet that the Bishops of Rome successiuely are that Antichrist so spoken of App. p. 146. Whether the Pope of Rome or the Popes of Rome either are