is a difficulty where there was none indeede I will try if I can â—ight of the right keyes out of the Psalmes to open this locke that is to dissolue this difficulty which he maketh heere of a totall fall from grace Psalme 19. verses 12 13. Who can vnderstand his faultes cleanse mee from my secret sinnes and keepe thy seruant also from presumptuous sinnes and let them not reigne ouer mee so shall I bee vpright and made cleane from the great transgression Hee prayeth to bee cleansed from other sinnes but to bee preserued from presumptuous sinnes that they haue not the dominion ouer him Whereby wee may collect that the Saints are freed and still pray to bee freed from presumptuous sinnes such as reigne in the wicked but for other sinnes altogether they are not free Psalme 25. verse 5. Vnto thee O Lord I lift vp my soule my God I trust in thee Heere hee professeth his faith And yet verse 11. hee saith For thy names sake O Lord hee mercifull to mine iniquitie for it is great then in him there was a true faith and great iniquity dwelling together It followeth that not onely sinne but sometimes great sinnes may bee in a godly man but such as are not ioyned with presumption but with true and sincere repentance Psalme 37. verse 24. Though hee fall hee shall not bee cast downe for the Lord holdeth him vp with his hand In this Scripture there is another instance giuen of that which this Author called for when hee saide cedo tertium For the Prophet saith Though hee fall hee shall not bee cast downe To fall and yet not to bee cast downe is a tertium in respect of a totall and finall fall For hee that falleth so as yet hee is not cast downe falleth and yet neither totally nor finally the reason is giuen which is beyond all answering For the Lord putteth his hand vnder him to stay him Psalme 38. verses 3 4. There is nothing sound in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones because of my sinne for mine iniquities are gone ouer my head and as a weighty burthen too heauy for mee And yet verse 15. he saith On thee O Lord do I waite thou wilt heare mee my Lord my God Hee feeles the heauy burthen of his sinnes he doth not conceale the multitude of them they are so many that they are gone ouer his head hee confesseth hee complaineth hee cryeth to God What then where so great and so many sinnes were felt as a tender conscience must needes feele them shall we say that this man lost all grace No. If he had not beene much troubled with his sinnes hee would not thus haue spoken of them if hee had not had grace he would not thus confesse them and call to God for mercy Psalme 40 verse 12. My sinnes haue taken such hold vpon mee that I am not able to looke vp they are mee in number then the haires of head Yet verse 17. Though I bee poore and needy the Lord thinketh of mee Thou art my helper and my deliuerer my God Heere wee finde great and many sinnes and yet a great and a precious faith It were too long to rehearse all of this kinde This may suffice to prooue that grace in the regenerate is not totally lost by sinnes vnlesse they bee presumptuous sinnes which raigne But from these raigning sinnes they that are borne of God are preserued according to that of S. Iohn He that is borne of God sinneth not Hee that standeth vpon the top of the stayres may fall and slipp downe a steppe or two and yet not fall to the bottome There is danger I grant it And if we stood by our owne power and strength as the Pelagians and Arminians would haue it then might wee fall away altogether But in a regenerate man there is power and weaknesse the power is Gods the weaknesse is his owne When he falleth this is his weaknesse but God by his power doth so order that weaknesse and those fals that hee will haue his great power manifested in this great weakenesse Therefore the Apostle had this answer My grace is sufficient for thee for my power is made perfect through weaknes Wherefore the blessed Apostle maketh this vse Very gladly therefore will I reioyce rather in mine infirmities that the power of Christ may dwell in me I say further that sinne is so farre from cutting off faith totally in the regenerate that it is rather ordained by the infinite mercy of God which is rather to bee adored and wondred at then disputed it is I say ordained for the better exercise of faith and repentance For if by falling into sinne faith were totally lost in the regenerate then a man so falling could neuer rise againe vnto repentance For hee that hath lost grace totally hath nothing left in him but flesh and his owne nature and free-will Which of it selfe can neuer raise a man to repentance though the Pelagians and Arminians striue for this and would haue all grace lost that they might inferre that nature and free-will may raise vp a man to repentance but this is the poyson of their heresie Saint Peter fell into sinne and rose againe by repentance because his faith remained and failed not which drew him to repentance But Iudas fell and neuer rose againe because he neuer had true faith Now why doe men striue for this or what doe they ayme at When they would haue faith vtterly lost against the Apostle who teacheth that the gifts and graces of God are without repentance what haue they gotten that thus striue or what would they haue forsooth they would make Praedestination hang vpon vncertainties vpon mans will that a man may predestinate himselfe when he will as often as he will For they haue no better ends then these Pag. 18. Speaking of Bellarmines words Petro dominus impetrauit vt â—on posset eadere quod â—d fidem attinet He addeth these words Iust your Puritane doctrine for finall perseuerance This is the first time that euer I heard of a Puritane doctrine in points dogmaticall and I haue liued longer in the Church then hee hath done I thought that Puritanes were onely such as were factious against the Bishops in the poynt of pretended Discipline and so I am sure it hath beene vnderstood hitherto in our Church A Puritane doctrine is a strange thing because it hath beene confessed on both sides that Protestants and Puritanes haue held the same doctrines without variance The discipline varied in England Scotland Geneua and other where Yet the doctrine hath beene hitherto held the same according to the Harmonie of the seuerall Confessions of these Churches Not one doctrine of the Church of England another of the Church of Scotland and so of others What is your end in this but to make diuisions where there were none and that a rent may bee made in the Church forsooth that place may bee giuen to the Pelagian and
AN EXAMINATION Of those things wherein the Author of the late Appeale holdeth the Doctrines of the Pelagians and Arminians to be the Doctrines of the Church of England Written by GEORGE CARLETON Dr. of Divinitie and Bishop of Chichester IOHN 10.2.4.5 He that entreth in by the doore is the Shepheard of the Sheep and the Sheepe follow him for they know his voyce and a stranger they will not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voyce of Strangers LONDON Printed for William Turner 1626. TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE CHARLES BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF GREAT Brittaine France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. Most Gracious and Dread Soueraigne SVch Princes as are raysed by God for some great and good seruice are many times incubred with great troubles that they may be tried Of this your Mtie hath had experience For besides the great perils out of which God hath deliuered you and brought you home in safetie to the ioy of all your faithfull subiects two other great dangers haue assailed your kingdome of late the Plague and the Pelagian heresie the one destroying bodies the other soules This latter hath bene creeping in corners heretofore but of late hath come in more publique shew then euer before and dedicated to your Mtie in a booke intituled An Appeale to Caesar wherein the Author hath with confidence deliuered the doctrines of the Pelagians and Arminians for the doctrines of the Church of England By this our dangers grow great and come neere vs. When the Church is in danger to whō may we flie vnto for helpe next vnder God but only to your Mtie whom God hath set a nursing father of his Church here Of necessity these things must be brought to your Maties knowledge whose godly care is that this Church which hath thus long prospered and flourished by the blessing of the Almighty and the fauor of godly gracious princes may not loose that honor vnder so good gracious a king which it hath held vnder your noble predecessors I wil not say defende me gladio but defend the truth faith whereof God hath made you the Defender and God who only is able will not faile to defend you I end with that propheticall promise which I beseech the God of heauē to make good to your Mtie No weapōs that are made against thee shall prosper and euery tongue that shall rise against thee in iudgement thou shalt condemne this is the heritage of the Lords seruants and their righteousnesse is of me saith the Lord. Your Mties most humble seruant and Chaplaine GEO. CICESTRIENSIS THE CONTENTS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or Recapitulation of the chiefe passages in this Booke CHAPTER 1. AN Introduction to the whole worke ensuing Pag. 1. CHAP. 2. An Introduction for the better vnderstanding of the Controuersie following Pag. 4. CHAP. 3. An Examination of the respectiue pretended decree of Predestination Pag. 7. CHAP. 4. A preuention of such answers as may bee made against that which hath beene deliuered in the former Chapter Pag. 31. CHAP. 5. Of perseuerance in Grace and falling away from Grace Pag. 40. CHAP. 6. That perseuerance to the end is a gift of God giuen to true beleeuers flowing from Gods purpose and Predestination Pag. 43. CHAP. 7. Saint Augustines dostrine in the matter of the perseuerance of the Saints of God Pag. 50. CHAP. 8. The dostrine of Saint Ambrose and others of the Auncients touching perseuerance pag. 59. CHAP. 9. An examination of the Arminians definition of Grace pag. 65. CHAP. 10.11.12 13. A view of some particular escapes in the Appeale pag. 70. seqq AN ANSVVERE TO THE Author of the Appeale CHAPTER 1. THE Author of the Appeale hath troubled the Church of England with strange Doctrines in two things especially First in the Doctrine of Predestination he attempteth to bring in a decree Respectiue which he taketh for granted to bee the Doctrine of our Church But this will neuer bee granted by vs nor proued by him Secondly he taketh it likewise for granted that the Doctrine of our Church is that a man may fall away from grace totally and finally If his meaning be that such as are called and iustified according to Gods purpose may so fall away this was neuer a Doctrine of the Church of England If his meaning bee that others may fall away which are not called and iustified according to Gods purpose then hath he troubled the Church with an idle Discourse to no purpose For in this hee hath no Aduersary For it is necessary in the beginning to agree vppon the state of the question St. Augustine sets it in these tearmes They that are called and iustified according to Gods purpose cannot fall away Now against this question proposed in these tearmes the Author of the Appeale disputeth For pag. 37. scorning and reiecting this Doctrine he writeth against his informers as hee calleth them thus It is your owne Doctrine God hath appointed them to grace and glory God according to his purpose hath called and iustified them therefore it is certaine that they must and shall bee saued infallibly In the matter of Predestination I haue euer bin fearefull to meddle it is one of the greatest and deepest of Gods Mysteries We are with reuerence to wonder and with Faith and Humility to follow that which God in his Scriptures hath reuealed in this poynt and there to stay But it hath beene the vnbridled humour of some to be still prying into Gods secrets and to runne rashly and irreuerently into these Mysteries These things were neuer so irreuerently handled by any as they haue beene of late by the Arminians The Author of the Appeale doth complayne of some who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do conclude vpon Gods secrets I would to God he had beene as carefull to auoyde that fault in himselfe as hee was to reprooue it in others Tostatus Abulensis hath a remarkeable speech In nulla materia periculosius erratur quam in hac de praedestinatione Eligerem enim magis contra totius fidei veritatem peruerse sentire in hac non errare quam in omnibus rectè iudicanao in hac sola deuiare The speech is strange but hee intended to shewe that errour is more dangerous in this point then in all other His reason is Quia ex nulla speculatiua cognitione tantū finis noster statuitur operationes diriguntur And againe Scientiae de praedestinatione specialiori modo quam omnes aliae à Deo est ex hac enim perditio vel saluatio nostra exordium sumit Therefore his aduise is that men should bee very sparing in the handling of such a Mystery which aduise I am also desirous to follow yet here I am drawne into it against my will For when such men as seeme to haue little reuerence to so high a Mystery run rashly and boldly into it and as it may seeme without great praemeditation of the matter
which they should haue thought on conceiuing things contrary to that which we haue receiued from the Scripture I may not bee silent For that were as much as in mee is to betray the Truth Yet my care shal bee to say no more heerein then I shall bee drawne necessarily to speake for the Truth and to remooue that which hath beene erroneously presumed by others For then is a man bound to maintayne the Truth when it is oppugned It troubled mee not a little I confesse that I am to deale with a Minister of the Church of England one that hath beene mine ancient Acquaintance of whom I had greater and better hopes But in Gods Cause all respects of Friendshippe and Acquaintance yea if it were of blood and kindred must giue place to the Truth Leuy sayde to his Father and to his Mother I haue not seene him neither knew hee his Brethren nor knewe his Children For they obserued thy Word and kept thy Commandement Deut. 33.9 And this is the way to do him good For I am not out of hope of reclaiming of him seeing hee hath promised that if the euidence bee cleare against him or if hee be conuicted per testes idoneos to haue erred he wil recall it The Scriptures the ancient Fathers and the Doctrine of the Church of England are testes idonei I shall deale freely and plainly For the ordering of the whole First after a briefe Introduction set downe for the better vnderstanding of the controuersie I will examine his extrauagant opinions concerning the respectiue decree of Predestination and after of falling away from Grace Last of all some particulers in his Booke This I doe not vndertake vpon any confidence that I conceiue in my selfe I know many in our Church more worthy and able then my selfe and I thanke God for them But as heeretofore I haue had experience of Gods mercy and found that the loue of the truth hath in other things enabled me to defend the Truth and helped me to know the Truth so I rest vpon the same helpe I seeke Gods Truth which will not fayle them that seeke and loue it And if any man of greater confidence in his wit and learning will enter vppon the Defence of the Appeale for I haue heard the whisperings I shall bee willing to spend the rest of mine old dayes in this for they cannot bee spent in a better seruice CHAP. 2. An Introduction for the better vnderstanding of the Controuersie following THE Church England was reformed by the helpe of our learned and Reuerend Bishops in the daies of King Edward the sixt and in the beginning of the Raigne of Queene Elizabeth They who then gaue that forme of reformation to our Church held consent in Doctrine with Peter Martyr and Martin Bucer being by authority appoynted Readers in the two Vniuersities and with other then liuing whom they iudged to bee of best learning and soundnesse in the reformed Churches And of the Ancients especially with St. Augustine And were carefull to hold this Vnity amongst themselues and with the reformed Churches For that these worthy Bishops who were in the first reformation had this respect vnto P. Martyr and M. Bucer it is apparent both because the Doctrine of our Church doth not differ from the Doctrine that these taught and because that worthy Arch-bishop Cranmer caused our Leiturgy to be Translated into Latin and craued the consent and iudgement of M. Bucer who gaue a full consent thereto as it appeareth in his workes Inter opera Anglicana And P. Martyr beeing likewise requested writeth in His epistles touching that matter his iudgement and consent of the gouernment and discipline of our Church This vniformity of Doctrine was held in our Church without disturbance as long as those worthy Bishops liued who were employed in the reformation For albeit the Puritans disquieted our Church about their conceiued Discipline yet they neuer mooued any quarrell against the Doctrine of our Church which is well to be obserued For if they had embraced any Doctrine which the Church of England denied they would assuredly haue quarrelled about that aswell as they did about the Discipline But it was then the open confession both of the Bishops and of the Puritanes that both parts embraced a mutuall consent in Doctrine onely the difference was in matter of inconformity Then hitherto there was no Puritane Doctrine knowne The first disturbers of this vniformity in doctrine were Barret and Baro in Cambridge and after them Thomson Barret and Baro beganne this breach in the time of that most reuerend Prelate Archbishop Whitgift Notwithstanding that these had attempted to disturbe the Doctrine of our Church yet was the vniformity of Doctrine still maintained For when our Church was disquieted by Barret and Baro the Bishops that then were in our Church examined the new Doctrine of these men and vtterly disliked and reiected it And in the poynt of Predestination confirmed that which they vnderstood to be the Doctrine of the Church of England against Barret and Baro who oppugned that doctrine This was fully declared by both the Archbishops Whitgift of Canterbury and Hutton of Yorke with the other Bishops and learned men of both Prouinces who repressed Barret and Baro refuted their doctrine and iustified the contrary as appeareth by that Booke which both the Archbishops then compiled The same Doctrine which the Bishops then maintained was at diuerse times after approued as in the Conference at Hampton Court as will be hereafter confirmed And againe it was confirmed in Ireland in the Articles of Religion in the time of our late Soueraigne Articulo 38. The Author of the Appeale pleadeth against the Articles of Lambeth and iustifieth the Doctrine of Barret Baro and Thomson auerring the same to be the Doctrine of the Church of England This hee doth not by naming of those men whose names he knew would bring no honour to this cause but by laying downe and iustifying their doctrines and suggesting that they who maintained the doctrines contained in the Articles of Lambeth are Caluinists and Puritans So that those Reuerend Archbishops Whitgift and Hutton with the Bishops of our Church who then liued are in his iudgement to be reiected as Puritans The question is whether of these two positions we must now receiue for the doctrines of our Church that which Barret Baro and Thomson would haue brought in which doctrines were then refuted and reiected by our Church Or that Doctrine which the Bishops of our Church maintained against these men which Doctrine hath beene since vpon diuerse occasions approued If there were no more to be sayd I dare put it to the Issue before any indifferent Iudges CHAP. 3. An examination of the respectiue pretended decree of Predestination THe Author of the Appeale vndertaking to maintaine the Doctrine of the Church of England refuteth that which hitherto hath bene taken for the Doctrine of our Church and maintaineth the doctrine of the Pelagians striuing to make that
of his calling giuen in consideration and respect of these things and so Gratia datur secundum merita Secundum merita whether we Translate according to merits or in respect and consideration of merits all is one I stand not vppon any curiosity of Words there is no difference in the matter It followeth necessarily that this man teacheth that Doctrine for which Pelagius was condemned for an Hereticke let him shift this as hee can Here the Author of the Appeale may consider what wrong he hath done to the Church of England in obtruding for Doctrines of our Church the old rotten Heresies of Pelagius And let him also consider who doth now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trouble and betray the Church of England Wee teach with the Scriptures and with the most Orthodoxe Ancient Church that St. Peter was predestinated and called vnto faith obedience and repentance This man runneth with the Arminians into the depth of Pelagius his poysoned Doctrine And was it not likely that hee should run this way who being a priuate man without authority taketh vpon him to impose Doctrines to our Church to change those that are receiued and in place thereof to reuiue the Pelagian errours to beare men in hand that these are the Doctrines of our Church to scorne men that haue beene reuerenced for their Learning and will bee reuerenced in the ages following such as Arch-bishop Whitgift Arch-bishop Hutton Doctor Rainolds Doctor Whittakers and the other Bishops and Learned men that joyned with them whom this man accounteth sometimes Caluinists and Puritanes sometimes that They were reputed learned as if himselfe had that in Truth which they did but seeme to haue Who being a Priest of the Church of England accuseth Bishops his superiours to be Puritanes as all must be to him who yeeld not to his foolish and erroneous Doctrines who in commendation of his owne stile calleth it an Exasperating stile Who in this exasperating humour careth not and professeth that hee careth not what any thinke that please not this his humour Who with such height of disdayne sleighteth the diligence and industry of his brethren gathered at the Synode at Dort Yet they who were imployed in that seruice were authorized by his Majesties Commission directed by his Instructions and when they returned rendring to his Maiesty an account of their imployment were most graciously approoued of by his Maiesty onely they cannot get the approbation of this Gentleman It were good for him to consider these exasperating humors they proceede from Pride Here is neyther Humility nor Charity to be found and therefore not the Spirit of God And what good can he do in Gods Church that commeth in Pride and a spirit exasperating without charity and humility Sir I write not this in choller nor in malice to your person but I haue told you plainely the censures of those men with whom I haue spoken in this matter both of the higher sort in the Church who are your Fathers of inferior ranke who are your Brethren I omit the censure of the Layty I speake of them that are able to iudge of your spirit And because they haue obserued these things in you I thought the best seruice I could do you was plainly to let you know these things that you may amend them It were good and necessary for you to vnderstand how you haue bin fetched ouer by those cosening companions the Arminians who haue plunged you in with themselues in the depthes of Pelagius Their end in deuising that respectiue decree is that Predestination should not be ruled by Gods will and eternall purpose but by mans free will And this is the end which you must imbrace vnlesse God turne your heart and warne you to auoide these dangerous and pernitious doctrines wherein you draw the yoake with Pelagius God make you to see your errour and to make some satisfaction to the Church of England whom you haue so much wronged We say in this as Saint Augustine sayd in the like Promisit Deus quae ipse facturus erat non quod homines facturi erant quum Abrahae promiserat in semine eius fidem gentium quia etsi faciunt homines bona ipse tamen facit vt faciant quae praecepit Alioquin vt Dei promissa compleantur non in Deised in hominum est potestate That which Saint Augustine saith here of the promise of God is in like manner true in the purpose of Gods Predestination For God doth predestinate that which he himselfe will do not that which men would doe For albeit men according to Gods purpose are called doe beleeue are iustified walke in obedience repentance and other good workes yet it is God that worketh that which he predestinateth and worketh according to his owne exceeding great power faith in men charity and hope and maketh them walke in obedience otherwise that Predestination should haue his effect it should not be in Gods power but in mans power Now if it be Gods calling that gaue to Saint Peter faith obedience and repentance how then doth this man say that Saint Peter was called in consideration and respect of his faith obedience and repentance This is true that God giueth these graces Now he sayth that Saint Peter was called in respect of these graces what can followe but this that God giueth these graces to Saint Peter in respect of these graces Which were to run giddy in a circle CHAP. 4. A preuention of such answers as may be made against this that hath bene sayd SOme happily may obiect that this is not so plaine Pelagianisme For Pelagius taught that there was somewhat in Nature that did cause God to confer grace but this man seemeth to say that God giueth grace not in respect of nature but in respect of grace For faith obedience and repentance are graces and if in these respects God giue grace then it is grace that draweth grace and not nature This obiection as it may proceede from the Pelagians is of no validity For Saint Augustine doth witnesse that Pelagius himselfe did confesse grace in words but in truth denied it I will not thinke that this man doth so collude in this word Grace But because hee followeth the same course which the Pelagians held whether wittingly or as I rather thinke vnwittingly We may not suffer the grace of God whether wittingly or vnwittingly to be defaced The Pelagians when they speake of faith and charity and such like graces giue but smooth words to colour their meaning and to deceiue the simple Some of them doe more plainely open themselues Iohn Scotus who was the greatest Pelagian that liued in his time for it was he that brought in the doctrine of Meritum ex congruo which some of the most learned Papists amongst whō we may account Franciscus Victoria do confesse to be the true doctrine of Pelagius Victoria speaking of that doctrine De merito ex congruo saith plainly Haec erat bona pars erroris
come to that which I intend I would heere first remooue a scruple which the Pelagians stumble at in those words of the Apostle To them that loue God From these words they inferre that God respecteth them that loue him But the Apostle expoundeth himselfe in the words following To them that are called according to his purpose For these are they who loue God who vnderstand that Gods loue preuented them and called them according to his purpose He that hath the knowledge of this loue of God must needes loue God againe but this loue beginneth by Gods preuenting loue as St. Iohn sayth Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his son to be a reconciliation for our sinnes There be some that begin to loue but fall away and continue not to the end Of these St. Bede in his Expositions collected out of Saint Augustine expoundeth this place thus Apostolus cum dixisset scimus quoniam diligentibus deum omnia cooperantur in bonum sciens non nullos diligere Deum in eo bono vsque in finem non permanere mox addidit his qui secundum propositum vocati sunt Hi enim in eo quod diligunt Deum permanent vsque in finem Thus much to remooue this scruple that no occasion be left to the Pelagians Now to proceed The Apostle sayth All things fall out to the best to them that are called according to Gods purpose Then Gods calling is according to his purpose If any man should say that Gods purpose were according to his calling should hee not inuert the Wordes of the Apostle and falsifie his Doctrine Then his calling is according to his purpose but his purpose may not bee sayd to be according to his calling because the calling dependeth vppon his purpose but not the purpose vppon the calling The purpose is a cause of the calling but not the calling a cause of the purpose Now if wee proceede from Vocation to Iustification wee shall vnderstand the same For as Vocation dependeth vppon Gods purpose of Predestination so doth our Iustification depend vpon Vocation and as this was to peruert the Apostles words and to falsifie his doctrine as before I sayd to say that Gods purpose was according to his calling So if a man should say as this Author sayth that Gods calling is according to faith obedience and repentance this man should in like sort peruert the Apostle his words and falsifie his doctrine For iustification faith obedience and repentance depend vpon Gods calling but his calling dependeth not vpon them they are giuen according to his calling but his calling is not according to them And therefore they are giuen for and in considetation of his calling but that Gods calling should be for and in consideration or regard of these things which Gods calling draweth with it and after it is a thing absurde not onely in the iudgements of Orthodoxe Writers but euen in the iudgement of Pelagius himselfe and of Scotus and of the most learned of that side who thought it more probable and agreeing more with reason to say that the grace of God is giuen according to merits then to deuise this strange fancy that a subsequent grace should be the cause of a precedent grace This I say is not a priuate fancy of some particuler men but such a thing as was neuer vttered by any sober or learned writer And because heresie goeth not without absurdities it may be called either the Arminian heresie or the Arminian absurdity For besides Arminians no man writeth thus I may not omit to obserue in the last place that our Authors words crosse the words of the 17. Article which hee professeth to maintaine For the article speaking of Predestination sayth They which be indued with such an excellent benefit of God be called according to Gods purpose by his spirit working in due season they thorough grace obey their calling they are iustified freely they be made the sonnes of God by adoption they be made like the image of his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ they walke religiously in good workes and at length by Gods mercy they attaine to euerlasting felicity These words of the Article containe the true Apostolicall doctrine For the calling of God is here sayd to be according to Gods purpose and iustification obedience walking religiously in good workes these things are declared in the Article to follow the calling as effects thereof But this man the new maintainer of the articles and of the doctrines of our Church peruerteth this Apostolicall doctrine contained in the article For he sayth that the calling is according to faith obedience and repentance contrary to that which is contained in the article The article maketh faith obedience and repentance to be the effects of calling and to followe it and proueth consequently that the calling is not according to these effects or in consideration and regard of these effects but that these effects are according to the calling and in consideration and regard of the calling By this mans doctrine the calling dependeth vpon faith obedience and repentance by the doctrine contayned in the article these things depend vpon the calling Thus hath he cleane peruerted and crossed the doctrine contained in the article and yet this man is thought fit to expound the Articles and to declare the Doctrines of our Church Thus much concerning his errours touching the matter of Predestination CHAP. 5. Of perseuerance in Grace and falling away from Grace THe question as Saint Augustine proposeth it is of perseuerance of the Saints in grace As this man and the Pelagians propose it of falling away from grace or of the Apostasie of the Saints The question is the same though diuersly proposed so that if we proue the perseuerance of Saints to the ende then is that doctrine ouerthrowne that bringeth in the Apostasie of Saints If this question be moued thus Whether a man may fall away from grace The proposition by reason of the ambiguous acception and vse of this word grace may be both true and false For this is true a man may fall from grace both totally and finally And this likewise true a man cannot fall from grace neither totally nor finally They who haue a purpose to deceiue take the generality of termes and in vniuersalibus latet dolits Therefore before any true proofe can be made in any disputation the word that is ambiguous must be declared distinctly In the Scriptures and in those Writers that ground themselues vpon the Scriptures there is obserued a double acceptation and vse of this word grace I am not ignorant that many distinctions are vsed of this word and that Bellarmine confoundeth himselfe and his reader with the multitude of distinctions of this word but distinctions were inuented to cleare the poynt in question and not to confound things I rest therefore for our present purpose vpon one distinction which is playne and grounded in the Scriptures and this it
deserued reprobation but no man could deserue mercy to be deliuered by predestination Rom. 3.23 For there is no difference for all haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God Then in the sinfull estate of corruption all are found once a like and all depriued of the glory of God And what is this to bee depriued of the glory of God but to deserue reprobation So he sayth Rom. 11.30 God hath shut vp all in Vnbeleefe So that all that are receiued to mercy by Predestination Vocation Iustification are taken out of the corrupted state of mankinde the rest are left in their sinnes These we call men reprobate that are left in their sinnes and in the end iustly condemned for sin But why some are left in their sinnes other deliuered from their sins by Predestination Vocation Iustification of this no cause can be giuen but the will of God But sayth our Author in that Article there is neither word syllable or apex to proue c. Yes sir there is somewhat For in that Article Predestination is sayde to be The euerlasting and constant purpose of God It is sayd in the Article that They that are predestinated are called according to Gods purpose This is enough to proue all which they intend and to ouerthrow your new Doctrine that men are called in consideration of their Faith Obedience and Repentance The Article saith moreouer That they are iustified freely If freely then without consideration of any thing fore-seene in man Thus whilst in curiosity you were seeking your apices you stumbled and are falne into a dangerous pit out of which God deliuer you I will doe the best seruice I can to make you see these dangers Your common Obiection against them that teach predestination to depend only vpon Gods will is this You say They bring in a decree absolute necessary irrespectiue irresistible determined fatall necessitating These Obiections you borrowed from the Arminians they had them from the Pelagians But you say that You haue read nothing of the Arminians It seemeth that you are an excellent Scholler that can learne your lesson so perfectly without instructors If they who vse these Obiections take them from the Pelagians then you see that the Doctrine which the Pelagians oppugned is the same which you oppugne St. Augustine had much controuersie with the Pelagians Pelagius taught that Grace is giuen to men in respect of their merits St. Augustine refuseth this error of Pelagius for which he was condemned for an Heretick in three Synodes Gratia Dei datur secundum merita nostra This was the position which the Pelagians maintained and which St. Augustine refuted St. Augustin referreth the matter to Gods will and purpose onely But this Pelagius denied and sayd that grace dependeth not vpon Gods will onely He denied not the will of God but sayde that Gods will had respect to merits fore-seene In this sense he sayth Gratia Dei datur secundum merita nostra And in this sense the purpose of God was held by the Pelagians to be respectiue as respecting somewhat fore-seene in men predestinated Pelagius himselfe said it respected merits others said that it respecteth faith fore-seene others deuised the respect of workes fore-seene which is all one with Pelagius his merits fore-seene The Arminians haue added the respect of humility fore-seene Hence arise two opinions about Predestination The one the Doctrine of the Church taught by St. Augustine and Prosper by St. Hierom St. Ambrose St. Gregory St. Bernard and the rest that herein followed St. Augustine The other is the opinion of the Pelagians who oppugned this Doctrine If the question be proposed why God receiueth one to mercy and not an other why this man and not that to this question all the Orthodoxe that haue taught in the Church after St. Augustine answere that of this taking one to mercy and leauing an other no reason can be giuen but only the will of God The Pelagians and Arminians say that Gods will heerein is directed by somewhat fore-seene in men Predestinated Now that Predestination dependeth only vppon Gods will without respect to any thing fore-seene in men is as I sayd the receiued Doctrine of St. Augustin and of the Church following For before St. Augustin this thing came not in question as himselfe in many places confesseth The same is the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches And this hath hitherto been receiued the Doctrine of the Church of England I will adde also the same is the Doctrine of the Church of Rome as Bellarmine deliuereth it For he concludeth thus Restat igitur vt huius discretionis causa sit voluntas Dei quae vnum liberat quia ei placet alterum non liberat quia non placet Wherein he followeth the Doctrine of St. Augustin and the rest Of these two opinions the Author of the Appeale hath made choyce of that which Pelagius held against the Church and maintayneth it by the arguments which the Pelagians haue vsed For thus they obiected against the Doctrine of St. Augustine that he brought in a decree absolute irrespectiue irresistible determined fatall necessitating and these be our Authors Obiections It must bee confessed it is a wrong to lay to mens charge Doctrines in other tearmes then themselues do teach These tearmes are not vsed by them whom this man chargeth We do not deale so with the Papists or any other For my part I mislike these tearmes But if by this word decree there be nothing intended but the purpose of Gods election I will not wrangle for words Onely I thinke that wee may speake most warrantably in the words of the Scripture For the holy Scripture hath furnished us with words sufficient We finde it there called the will of God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the purpose of God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Good Pleasure of God These words suffice to sober mindes to expresse this Doctrine Then he chargeth vs to teach that this decree is absolute Because the Pelagians and their Followers inferre an absolute decree they should declare what they meane by this word absolute If this be the meaning of the word that Gods purpose of Predestination dependeth vpon the onely will of God and not vppon any thing fore-seene in men Predestinated which God respected in Predestinating then I affirme that this is the ancient and Catholike Doctrine of the Church and the contrary is the Doctrine of the Pelagians If this Author would speake for the Pelagians against the receiued Doctrine of the Church then must he declare vnto vs what thing did mooue the will of God And by this meanes he will teach vs a thing which no man euer could speake to to know the cause of Gods will Dicat qui potest I thinke hee knoweth as little in this matter as other men And yet hee is bound to instruct vs in this Mystery For hee that sayth the will of God dependeth vppon something is bound to shewe what that thing is vpon which
omnibus qui perseuerauerunt in agone certaminis Hunc splendorem nemo potest adipisci nisi qui perseuerauerit vsque in finem Abulensis followeth the same doctrine for he saith speaking of outward calling by preaching and of that conuersion which standeth in externall profession Dicuntur vocati quicunque per praedicationem conuersi sunt ad fidem et tamen non sunt omnes electi quia non perueniunt omnes ad vitam aeternam Nam licet quibusdam det deus gratiam conuersionis non dat eis gratiam perseuerandi in fide vel operibus fidei et ita pereunt Eligere autem est dare gratiam istam perseuerandi et perueniendi He saith many obtaine diuers graces by hearing the word preached amongst whom they that are elect receiue the grace of perseuering to the end but they that are not elect though they may attaine to many graces yet they may and doe fall away because this grace of perseuering to the end is proper and peculiar to the elect From the Schoolemen wee are to looke for no soundnesse in this point For it is a hard thing for them to speake of grace who haue it not Many of them speake of grace like meere naturall men They wanted neither wit nor learning but many of them wanted grace to speake of grace as the Iesuites for the most part doe at this day Therefore I passe them ouer and come to the time of Reformation In which time if I should produce the sentences of them that haue beene most learned and labourious in the reformed Churches it would bee a long worke and happily giue no great satisfaction to the Author of the Appeale and others whom I desire to satisfie For how can hee receiue satisfaction from the iudgement of late men that seemeth to scorne their verie names As for Caluin his name and doctrines are made odious but why I know not If hee hath written somethings amisse as who writing so much hath not slipped in many things yet a charitable construction would helpe in many things And admit hee hath some things which cannot bee excused yet if wee consider the ancient Fathers how often they haue slipped and erred wee might be more moderate in censuring of others In the Fathers we take that which they haue done well and the rest wee pardon for that which they haue done well And why may we not doe so with others And what greater pleasure can a man procure to the enemies of the truth then to speake euill and odiously of those men whose seruice God hath vsed and made them excellent instruments to make the truth knowne vnto vs Some take it for a signe of such as are looking towards Popery when they offer such a seruice to the Papists as to speake euill of them that haue beene the greatest enemies to Popery the greatest propagators of the truth but I censure none Then leauing other Churches wee come home to our owne Church We haue enough in the articles of Faith and Religion to confirme the same truth which hitherto wee have proued The Author of the Appeale hath gone wrong in two poynts First in the respectiue decree which either he hath deuised or taken from the Arminians Against this wee haue heretofore shewed that the 17. Article hath set forth the doctrine of Praedestination in a sound and wholesome manner that Gods calling followeth the purpose of God and dependeth vpon it that faith obedience and repentance follow the calling of God and depend vpon it but the calling of God doth not follow faith obedience and repentance nor dependeth vpon them So did the 17. Article teach against the new deuise of this man This I haue obserued before The second thing wherein this man wandreth is denying of perseuerance and scorning it as a Puritan doctrine I must heere againe recite the 17. Article And I would intreat any man that hath his eyes set right in his head to reade and consider the words the order and soundnesse of them and thâ—n let him iudge whether perseuerance vnto the end bee not soundly and roundly set downe and auerred in the Article The words are Predestination to life is the euerlasting purpose of God whereby before the foundation of the world he hath constantly decreed by his counsell secret to vs to deliuer from curse and damnation those whome hee hath chosen in Christ out of man-kinde to bring them by Christ to euerlasting saluation wherefore they which bee endued with such an excellent benefit of God be called according to Gods purpose by his spirit working in ane season They through grace obey the calling they be iustified freely they be made the sonnes of God by adoption they be made like to the image of his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ they walke religiously in good workes and at length by Gods mercy attaine euerlasting felicity Thus farre the words of the Article Can any man in any words declare perseuerance more fully or plainly froÌ„ the beginning by the meanes to the end then here is done For what is perseuerance but as S. Peter saith a preseruation or keeping of the Saints by the power of God to saluation And how can it be better proued then to draw it from the purpose of God by predestination by Gods calling by iustification by the worke of Gods spirit by adoption by being fashioned like to the image of Christ by walking religiously in good workes and by this meanes to come to life euerlasting This is done in the Article And this is the true doctrine of perseuerance They who are called according to Gods purpose and iustified and sanctifiâ—d made the sonnes of God by adoption walke religiously in good workes and so at last attaine to euerlasting life are they who haue receiued the grace of perseuerance to the end thus doth that Article set forth this doctrine But our Authour saith before they come to this end they sinne And what then Gods calling is powerfull indeed according to his purpose But it was not the purpose of God in calling vs to make vs Angels or to set vs in such an estate wherein we should neuer sinne any more but to teach vs humility he suffereth vs to striue with sinne and teacheth vs to fight against sinne And if in this battell wee take a blow yet hee sustaineth our weaknesse and will haue vs to glory in nothing that is in our selues but in our infirmities And still in his mercy preserueth vs from falling backe from the faith and keepeth vs from presumptuous sinnes and from that sinne that is vnto death This perseuerance you will say is with great weaknesse It is true wee cannot glory in our perfections which are none The Pelagians and Arminians who glorie in themselues in the power of their wills cannot taste this doctrine But wee glory in God that through many and manifold imperfections and infirmities of ours bringeth vs by this grace vnto the end This worke to bring vs through many
Arminian doctrines And then all that are against these must bee called Puritane doctrines It is true that Arminian doctrines will make a diuision where none was before And our Authour of contentions by vertue of that doctrine hath giuen a desperate attempt to doe the like in our Church And that finall perseuerance should bee that Puritan doctrine is a thing no lesse strange The Pelagians would haue so called it in Saint Augustines time if they had had that word then or any thing that might giue disgrace to the doctrine of perseuerance For Saint Augustine maintained the doctrine of finall perseuerance against the Pelagians And doth not this man in reiecting that doctrine professe himselfe to stand for the Pelagians against Saint Augustine and the Orthodox Church And yet himselfe confesseth finall perseuerance he had the lesse reason to call it a Puritane doctrine But hee is so various in his sayings as professing to bee at liberty not to declare his owne minde but to relate what others say that it seemeth hard to hold him stedfast to any thing But in this particular hee must confesse that though a regenerate and iustified man fall into sinne yet there is something that abideth and continueth in him to raise him vp againe to repentance As the carnall part abideth so the spirituall part abideth so long as the spirit striueth against the flesh Our Lord saith Hee that perseuereth to the end shall bee saued S. Iohn saith Hee that is borne of God sinneth not for the seed of God abideth in him Of this I haue spoken of before Briefly touching finall perseuerance I would know how any man can truely lay to his heart that article of our faith I belieue life euerlasting but that withall hee must belieue finall perseuerance for hee that belieueth that hee shall receiue euerlasting life must also belieue that hee shall perseuere to the end without which grace no man shall attaine to life euerlasting When the Pelagians and Arminians would say somewhat to infringe the doctrine of Praedestination they shew all their spight against finall perseuerance that all grace may bee lost And what will follow then If all grace be lost then surely the grace of Praedestination is lost and the grace of calling is lost and then must men goe to seeke a new Praedestination and a new calling and thus of the greatest mysteries of our saluation they make fables I thinke that the Authour of the Appeale is but a young Scholler in the Arminian Schoole and did not well fore-see these consequences but from the grounds that hee hath layed these things must follow the grace of Praedestination and the grace of Gods calling must bee lost For I appeale to his Logicke doth not he that saith all grace is lost totally conclude that the grace of Praedestination and calling is lost if so then is not this man bound to tell vs how GOD proceedeth to a new predestination and to a new calling These be things which the Arminians listen after How glad would they be to heare that the Church of England should begin to follow them in this course of multiplying predestinations and elections This is that which they haue long aymed at And here our learned Author hath well bestirred himselfe to doe them this service Against these foolish and fabulous fancies the Apostle hath layed this barre We are chosen and predestinate in Christ before the beginning of the world according to the purpose of him that worketh all things according to the counsell of his owne will This counsell by which he hath wrought these things is constant and vnchangeable Against this truth the gates of hell shall never prevaile though the Arminians come with all their troâ—pes to maintaine the passages of hell gates When the auncient Fathers and other godly men speake of predestination they teach that it is a grace which God giveth and God preserveth in vs and by which also he preserveth vs to himselfe For we cannot keepe preserue our selues to the end no more then a silly flocke of sheepe can keepe preserue and defend themselues from the Wolues this is the shepherd his care So our great shepherd can and doth keepe and preserue vs to the end this is his worke not ours But this grace is given to them that are called according to his purpose and are justified and beleeue in him that is able to bring his promise to his end The great mysteries of our salvation are in danger by these poysoned doctrines of Arminians to be shaken If this age should giue libertie to these beginnings it is to be feared that in place of Communio sanctorum in another age may creepe in Apostasia sanctorum Pag. 25. and 26. he speaketh variously of falling away from grace and loosing of faith as if he had not yet determined what to hold He relateth a speech of his Gagger thus You meant that faith might be lost both totally and finally in regard of God who made no such absolute and irrespectiue Decree If he should be challenged for this speech he will answere as his vse is that he relateth onely but doth not determine dogmatically but in this place he is put from that answere For he cannot relate this as the opinion of the Gagger whom we may number amongst those Papistes that deny the respectiue Decree for that they deny it Bellarmine witnesseth as before I haue related Then this must be his owne speech and collection Faith may be lost totally and finally in regard of God that made no such absolute Decree and irrespectiue His reason standeth thus If God made no absolute and irrespectiue Decree then may faith be lost totally and finally But this is his opinion that God made no such absolute and irrespectiue Decree therefore it followeth that in respect of the Decree of God faith may be lost totally and finally This would proue fine Divinitie if he would stand to it he writeth so as if his greatest care were onely to seeke the approbation of Pelagius for these things will never get the approbation of any sound Divine in the Church of England But it is well that before faith can be totally and finally lost he must first proue that Gods Decree is respectiue This he never laboured to proue and he never heard any man deliver it but Arminians CHAP. 11. SPEAKING of falling away he layeth all vpon the doctrine of the Homilies He saith In the second part of the Homilie of falling from God we are sent to a conclusion more adoppositum not onely of totall lapse for a time but also of finall separation and for ever Which also is according to the doctrine expressed in the Articles For he that saith a man may fall away and may recover implyeth withall that some may fall away and not recover This belike he taketh for a solid kinde of proofe if he doe but in his imagination thinke it implieth so much When he vrgeth a point
he bringeth no reasons but a conceit of implications When he is vrged he doth but relate other mens opinions but what himselfe thinketh that he keepeth close This close-keeping of his opinion which he so much professeth is very suspitious there is something in it that he is loath should be knowne yet he hideth it not so closely but it may be found out He pleadeth that a man may fall from grace totally and finally A man may fall away from grace and become no child of God All this may be truely said and then who hath any thing to say to him that saith nothing but that which any other man may avouch Forsooth aliquid latet If he should say plainely that they that are called and iustified according to Gods purpose doe fall away totally and finally then he seeth that he should contradict the doctrine of the auncient Fathers and of our Church but holding himselfe in these generall termes that men may fall away from faith and grace he vnderstood that this might be maintained We must therefore open this matter plainly This is soone done by calling to remembrance what hath beene said of the respectiue Decree or irrespectiue He holdeth the Decree of predestination to be respectiue that is to respect something in men If this be so then it maketh no matter whether faith grace be vtterly lost For all may be repayred againe But repayred in regard and consideration of that which men doe and not vpon that which God hath done But if the Decree respect nothing in man then the case is altered We haue before declared the doctrine of the orthodoxe Church that the purpose of God which he calleth the Decree respecteth nothing but Gods will and therefore they that are called and iustified according to Gods purpose doe beleeue and obey repent and walke in good workes and at last obtaine the end everlasting life These graces that proceed from Gods calling according to his purpose cannot be vtterly lost because these gifts and this calling are without repentance They may be troubled and shaken but totally lost they cannot be This man taketh these things otherwise that they may be totally lost To be short we must bring him to this stand either plainly to confesse that the graces that are given according to Gods calling and purpose may be totally lost or else to confesse that his writings are idle and trouble our Church to no purpose because if he speake of graces which proceed not from Gods purpose and calling as many graces doe and in which graces men may make fayre and farre proceedings of which graces the Homilies speake in this point he hath no adversary that I know If he will acknowledge plainly that the graces which proceed from Gods calling and purpose may be lost then should not I trouble him in this point Provided withall that he giue ouer his respective Decree which is the ground root of all this trouble wherewith he hath troubled himselfe and others Now we come to examine that which he bringeth out of the Homilies concerning falling from God The first Homily sayth that sometimes men goe from God for lacke of faith sometimes by neglecting his commandements to be short all they that may not abide Gods word but following the perswasions and stubbornnesse of their owne hearts goe backward and not forward And whereas God hath shewed to all them that truely beleeue his Gospell his face of mercy in Iesus Christ which doth so lighten their hearts that if they beleeue it as they ought to doe this Parenthesis the Author hath left out which might some way direct the meaning of the Homilie they be transformed to his image be made partakers of heavenly light and of his spirit be fashioned to him in all goodnes requisite to Gods children so if they after doe neglect the same if they be vnthankefull c hee will take away from them his kingdome his holy word c. These words that follow the Parenthesis depend vpon those wordes contained in it which our Author hath left out It is true that if these men behold this grace and beleeue as they ought to doe that then they are so enlightned c. But this is ioyned with that condition expressed in the Parenthesis if that condition faile then these other things following are not well vrged from those words And what is all this but if we forsake him he will forsake vs as the Scripture teacheth 2 Chron. 15.2 It is evident that the Homily speaketh of profane and wicked men that goe from God because they never care for comming vnto God of which profane men there are God knoweth too many in our Land whereof the Homily complaineth The Homily speaketh partly of such partly of hypocrites This is evident from the words of the Homily which are these For God that promised his mercy to them that be truely penitent hath not promised to the presumptuous sinner either that he shall haue a long life or that he shall haue true repentance at the last end Doth not the Homily speake plainly of wicked profane and presumptuous sinners What is this to them that are called according to Gods purpose and walke with feare and obedience in the workes of their calling To the same purpose is that which he hath brought out of the second Homily Wherein by his leaue he hath vndertaken more then he hath proved or can proue out of the words of the Homily For he saith that in that Homily is concluded not onely a totall lapse for a time but also a finall separation for ever This conclusion is not prooved out of the words of the Homily And if they were they helpe him not For that Homily is to be expounded by the words of the former Homily which speaketh in expresse words of presumptuous sinners that such may fall away altogether who did every deny And because he vrgeth so much the words of the Homilies in this point I would know of him a reason why in that Homily which is against Worshipping of Images he denieth that the Homilies containe the publique dogmaticall resolutions of our Church Why doth he play fast and loose Why doth he vrge this in one place which he flatly denieth in an other place Let him giue a reason But the 16. Article teacheth the same sayth hee the words of the Article are these After wee haue receiued the holy Ghost we may depart from grace given and fall into sinne and by the grace of God we may rise againe and amend our lifes The Article speaketh religiously and truely For it is true and must be confessed that after grace given we may fall into sinne The Article attributeth all power of rising againe to the grace of God This we embrace What hath this man against this truely no reason but a prety fancy of his owne For sayth he he that saith a man may fall away and may recover implyeth withall that some may fall away and no
prayed that his faith did not fayle and so he did persevere in the faith And S. Iohn saith that he that is borne of God cannot sinne because the seed of God abideth in him Then he that hath the seed of God abiding in him doth persevere according to that grace which abideth in him Many men speake of grace and faith but verily none can speake truely thereof but they that haue these things in them S. Augustin saith no man can vnderstand the truth but he that liveth a godly life In cognitione cavendus est error in actione nequitia Errat autem quisquis putat veritatem se posse cognoscere dum adhuc nequiter vivat Now where S. Augustin saith that Saints or true beleevers are sure of the reward of perseverance but not of perseverance it selfe if we should vnderstand this as our Author seemeth to take it S. Augustin hath wrapped himselfe in a contradiction For if a man should thus reason against these words Every true beleever is sure of the reward of perseverance but every true beleever is sure that vnlesse he persevere he cannot be sure of the reward of perseverance therefore every true beleever is sure of his perseverance This I say cannot be denyed by any that graunteth with S. Augustin that true beleevers are sure of the reward of perseverance For it followeth that he is as well assured by faith of his perseverance And vpon this ground it is inferred because he is sure of the reward of perseverance CHAP. 12. PAG 28. He maketh a great shew of all the learned men of the Church of England that composed the Articles that confirmed them that iustified them at Hampton Court He saith that these were the most learned men of our Church Who denyeth that or who called their learning into question But what doe these here And why are they troubled All these saith he are such as doe assent to antiquitie There is no doubt but these learned men did assent to learned Antiquitie But where is this Antiquitie or what is it Parturiunt montes Truely we haue not hitherto had one word from Antiquity but onely those places of S. Augustin and Prosper which are answered and found to be nothing to the purpose This is a strange kinde of proceeding to rayse so great an expectation and in the end all to turne into smoake We expect to heare whereunto all these learned men haue assented here is nothing but words in the clouds You haue made a glorious syllogisme The maior is that these men were the most learned men in our Church it is graunted The minor you say you will make good but that is not yet done you haue said nothing to proue it you would proue it first out of the 16. Article but you goe from the words of the Article and shew vs what in your conceite it implyeth This will never be taken for proofe That which you vndertake to proue is a totall and finall fall whereof you haue not as yet offered a proofe either out of the Articles or Homilies Pag. 30. he saith The doctrine of the 16. Article was challenged for vnsound in the conference at Hampton Court by those that were petitioners against the doctrine and discipline established and being so challenged before his Maiestie was then and there defended maintained avowed averred for true auncient iustifiable good and catholicke against that absolute irrespectiue necessitating fatall Decree of your new predestination A man would thinke that such a man as this relating things done should speake truely especially of such an Act which every man that list may know It is more strange that he should report it so as not to say one word true For it is not true that it was challenged for vnsound it is not true that it was then and there defended maintained avowed averred for true For there could be no vse of this defending avowing averring where on both sides it was confessed to be true and where the Article was not challenged for vnsound The plaine truth is Doctor Rainolds repeated the Article and professed that the meaning of the Article was sound besides Doctor Rainolds no man spake to that particular How then could our Author say it was challenged for vnsound Doth he that saith the meaning of the Article is sound challenge it for vnsound The libertie is great that this man giveth to himselfe to thinke that such things would currantly passe whether his words containe reason or none Doctor Rainolds onely desired that it might be explained by these words added to the end of the Article thus after we haue received the holy Ghost we may depart from grace to these words of the Article he desired this might be added yet neither totally nor finally Against this no man spake then but for it that worthy and learned Deane of Paules then after Bishop of Norwich Doctor Overall did speak so much as directly confirmed that which Doctor Rainolds had moved For Page 42. of that Conference he professed that it was a Doctrine which himselfe had taught That whosoever though before iustified did commit any grievous sinne as adultery murther treason or the like did become ipso facto subiect to Gods wrath and guiltie of damnation Adding herevnto that those which were called and iustified according to the purpose of Gods election howsoever they might and did fall into grievous sinnes and therefore into the present state of wrath and damnation yet did never fall either totally from all graces of God to be vtterly destitute of all the parts of seed thereof nor finally from iustification Now when Doctor Overall did in the summe agree with Doctor Rainolds where then was the challenging of the Article for vnsound on the one side and where was that defending avowing averring on the other side Our Authour would proue his assertion out of the Conference at Hampton Court but out of that conference the contrary is proved He sayth that a iustified man may fall away totally and finally but D. Overall in that Conference affirmeth the contrary neither totally nor finally he should haue vsed some more probability He seemeth to be much destitute of reason when he vseth reasons which being at the first examined proue directly against him He must therefore obserue that this doctrine of totall and finall falling away which he pretendeth to be the doctrine of our Church was a doctrine refuted at Hampton Court by D. Overall and before that time was never received here For D Overall would never haue refuted a doctrine received in this Church Then let him seeke out when his doctrines began to be the Doctrines of our Church Page 35. 36. he saith Let this be acknowledged the doctrine of our Church that Children duely baptized are put into the estate of grace and salvation but many children so baptized when they come to age by a wicked life doe fall away from God and from the estate of grace and salvation wherein he had set them if
these words is that these speculations as he calleth them are not to be feared to breed danger The Church is quiet and without danger vntill some new doctrines be broached and contentions raised about the truth and then the hearts of many are disclosed and dangers grow These things that this Author hath moved in our Church are more apt to breed dangers then any thing that hath beene mooved since the time of Barret Baro and Thomson A desperate man may set an house on fire and say there is no danger yet the danger is not the lesse but the madnesse of the man is the more that cryes out there is no danger The ignorance of Gods word and truth therein contained is able not onely to breed danger but to cause destructions of Churches and states The Prophet complaineth that the people of the Iewes were destroyed and led into captivitie for want of knowledge Then the want of knowledge of God and of the holy doctrines of Gods word is a thing apta nata to throw states and Kingdomes into destruction And the true knowledge thereof is a thing apta nata to keepe states and people from destruction Pag. 42. he saith These classicall proiects consistoriall practises conventuall designes and propheticall speculations of the zealous brethrē in this land meaning Holland do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ayme at anarchy and popular confusion dangerous indeed to Prince and people He speaketh here of the Ministers of the Low-countryes between whom and vs in the matter of doctrine there hath beene a care of mutuall consent sought and by his late Maiestie graciously entertained and for the publicke good the desire thereof may be continued though this man should be offended For though the Church of England be the best Reformed Church yet is it not the onely Reformed Church And it might seeme no good providence in vs to stand so by our selues as to reiect and disdaine the consent of other Churches though they doe not agree with vs in the discipline It is observed by Eusebius that Polycrates and Irenaeus did both reprone Victor because for matters of ceremonies he was too much offended with other Churches which otherwise agreed with him in doctrine Irenaeus doth admonish him that the auncient Bishops of Rome before Victor did keepe vnitie consent with the Easterne Bishops though in ceremonies there was difference between them Omnes isticum in observantia variarent inter semetipsos et nobiscū semper pacifici fuerunt He saith there also that the dissonance in ceremonies did not breake the consonance in faith And why may not we doe the like to keepe the vnitie of faith with those Churches which doe not agree with vs in ceremonies if we seeke the peace of the Churches that professe the same doctrine Touching the point of their discipline I can witnesse that they are weary of it and would gladly be freed if they could When wee were to yeeld our consent to the Belgicke confession at Dort I made open protestation in the Synode that whereas in that confession there was inserted a strange conceit of the parity of Ministers to be instituted by Christ I declared our dissent vtterly in that point I shewed that by Christ a parity was never instituted in the Church that hee ordayned 12 Apostles and also 70 Disciples that the authority of the 12 was aboue the other that the Church preserved this order left by our Saviour And therefore when the extraordinary authority of the Apostles ceased yet their ordinary authority continued in Byshops who succeeded them who were by the Apostles themselues left in the government of the Church to ordaine Ministers and to see that they who were so ordeined should preach no other doctrine That in an inferior degree the Ministers that were governed by Byshops succeeded the 70. Disciples That this order hath beene maintained in the Church from the time of the Apostles And herein I appealed to the judgement of Antiquity and to the judgement of any learned man now living and craved herein to be satisfied if any man of learning could speake to the contrary My Lord of Salisbury is my witnesse and so are all the rest of our company who spake also in the same cause To this there was no answere made by any Whereupon we conceived that they yeelded to the truth of the protestation And somewhat I can say of mine owne knowledge For I had conference with divers of the best learned in that Synode I told them that the cause of all their troubles was this that they had not Byshops amongst them who by their authoritie might represse turbulent spirits that broached novelties Every man had libertie to speake or write what he list and as long as there were no Ecclesiasticall men in authoritie to represse and censure such contentious spirits their Church would never be without trouble Their answere was that they did much honour and reverence the good order and discipline of the Church of England with all their hearts would be glad to haue it established amongst them but that could not be hoped for in their state Their hope was that seing they could not doe what they desired God would be mercifull to them if they did what they could This was their answere which I thinke is enough to excuse them that they doe not openly ayme at anarchy and popular confusion The truth is they groane vnder that burthen and would be eased if they could This is well knowne to the rest of my Associates there Pag. 58. speaking of the 17. Article he saith there is not one word syllable or apex touching your absolute necessary determined irresistible irrespectiue Decree of God to call saue and glorifie S. Peter for instance without any consideration had or regard to his faith obedience and repentance and to condemne Iudas as necessarily without any respect had at all to his sinne this is a private fancy of some particular men Of this I haue spoken at large before I haue declared that these accusations which he hath here made against the doctrine of predestination were the accusations of the Pelagians against Saint Augustines doctrine Onely here I will answer to a particuler surmise that may happily fall into the thought of the Reader or of the Author of the Appeale himselfe Hee saith here that these things are not contained in the 17. Article and so after his manner of shifting he may say that hee deliuereth not heere his owne opinion but onely saith that these things are not contained in the Article To remoue this answer he must remember that in diuers places through his booke hee deliuereth the same with confidence not onely as his owne opinion but as the doctrine of our Church as page 30. Hee saith though not truely as hath beene proued before That the 16. Article was challenged as vnsound but was there defended maintained avowed auerred for true by the greatest Byshops and learnedest of our Diuines against that
absolute irrespectiue necessitating and fatall decree of your new predestination In which words he plainely deliuereth his owne opinion and as hee taketh it the doctrine of our Church Thus much I say here to take him from that starting hole which he might thinke of to say that in this as in some other things hee deliuered not his owne opinion his opinion is plaine that he layeth these accusations against predestination as the Pelagians did Page 71. he saith That Deodate Minister and professor of the Church of Geneua professed to him his opinion in some points contrary to the conclusions of Dort All the English Diuines which were there do verily beleeue this to bee vntrue because they hold Deodate for an honest man And to put this matter out of doubt Deodate himselfe hath written to a learned and reuerend Bishop of our Church protesting that hee neuer spake any such thing as the Author of the Appeale imposeth vpon him touching the conclusions of that Synode Hee that durst deale so with Deodate must needes loose credit in other things Page 72. he saith At the conference of Hampton Court the Byshop of London Doctor Bancrofte called the doctrine of praedestination a desperate doctrine without any reproofe or taxation I answer as the Byshop of London did then vnderstand it a desperate doctrine so do I call it The Byshop of London had reason for speaking against a common abuse of that doctrine Our Author hath no reason to speake against the doctrine it selfe The Byshops words were these which he omitteth to wrong the Byshop Many in these times neglecting holynesse of life presume too much of persisting in grace laying all their religion vpon praedestination If I shall bee saued I shall bee saued which hee termeth a desperate doctrine and who will deny this as the Byshop deliuereth it It was not the Byshops meaning to call the doctrine of praedestination a desperate doctrine as Saint Paul preacheth it or as the 17. Article deliuereth it The Article affirmeth that the godly consideration of praedestination and our election in Christ is full of sweete pleasant and vnspeakable comfort to godly persons and such as feele in themselues the working of the spirit of Christ mortifying the workes of the flesh aswell because it doth greatly establish and confirme their faith of eternall saluation to bee enioyed by Christ as because it doth feruently kindle their loue towards God If the Author had beene but indifferently affected to the doctrine of Praedestination and to the Article that proueth such comfort to be contained in it and receiued by it Hee would haue said somewhat of this comfort which the godly receiue from this doctrine But hee is pleased to finde nothing in Praedestination but a desperate doctrine The Article saith also that for curious and carnall men lacking the spirit of God to haue continually before their eyes the sentence of Gods Praedestination is a most dangerous downefall The Bishop spake of these last words Our learned Authour the determiner of the doctrines of the Church of England alloweth that the doctrine Praedestination should bee called a desperate doctrine Hee cannot say here that hee onely relateth the Bishops words for therein hee hath wronged the Bishop that hee relateth not his words rightly But the doctrine of our Church in that Article saith that it is full of sweet pleasant and vnspeakable comfort to godly persons He hath handsomely maintained the doctrine of our Church saying that the doctrine of Praedestination is a desperate doctrine without any mention of the abuse of it which before him no Diuine of the Church of England euer vttered Pag. 73. He saith It is your owne doctrine God hath appointed them to grace and glory God according to his purpose hath called and iustified them therefore it is certaine that they must and shall bee saued infallibly Thus writeth the Authour of the Appeale against his accusers I know not these men against whom hee writeth but hee doth much honour them in saying that this is their doctrine Sir is not this your doctrine also I am sure it is the Apostles doctrine Quos insitificauit glorificauit Saint Augustine draweth out of these words that doctrine which this man condemneth Electi sunt de mundo ea vocatione quae Deus id quod praedestinauit implevit Quos enim praedestinavit ipsos vocauit illa scilicet vocatione secundum propositam Non ergo alios sed quos praedestinauit ipsos vocauit nec alios sed quos ita vocauit ipsos iustificauit nec alios sed quos praedestinauit vocauit iustificauit ipsos glorificauit He saith in the same place Haec est immobilis veritas praedestinationis gratiae Then according to these grounds which Saint Augustine calleth the immoueable truth of Praedestination and grace they whom God according to his purpose hath called and iustified must and shall be saued infallibly Sir doe you puffe at this doctrine Durum est contra stimulos calcitrate The words are short and plaine Quos iustificauit glorificauit They must and shall be glorified because the word of God must and shall be true These things are not as this man in scorne calleth them Scholasticall speculations they are the Grounds of our saluation The chiefe and corner stone elect and precious is vnto some a rocke of offence Men may dash themselues against this rocke but they cannot shake it they cannot hurt or remoue it Againe these short words Quos iustificauit glorificauit doth vtterly shake in peeces that new doctrine of his where hee laboureth but in vaine to proue that a man so iustified may fall away totally and finally Quos iustificauit glorificauit If they who are iustified according to Gods purpose shall infallibly be glorified then can they neuer fall away totally or finally Yes saith hee they may fall away totally though not finally It seemeth that this man maketh some account of this conceit for hee hath spoken of it at other times that a man may fall away totally but not finally If hee or any man could proue by euident Scripture that a man that is predestinated called and iustified according to Gods purpose may fall away totally then will I yeeld that hee may fall away finally It is a weake conceit to thinke that hee shall stand finally that falleth away totally For if all grace be gone totally lost then must the man come to another predestination another calling another iustification 〈…〉 cation another adoption But then must 〈…〉 man set vp another Schoole of Diuinit 〈…〉 by that knowledge of Diuinity 〈◊〉 receiued amongst vs and hitherto preserued these things cannot stand FINIS Errata Pag. 2. lin 5. for pag. 37. reade pag. 73. Pag. 85. lin 11. for may be lost reade may not be lost Esa 54.17 Tostat. in Genes cap. 19. Bellar. lib. 2. de grat lib. arb cap. 16. Brad. lib. 1. cap. 10. Enchir. cap. 96. De Genes contra Man lib. 1. c. 2. Lib. 1 contra Pelag Calest cap. 6. Ephes. 1.18 Lib. de corrept gratiae ca. 14. Lib. de Praedest Sanct. cap. 6. Act. 4.28 Lib. de donâ— perseu Cap. 12. Ad Bonif. lib. â— cap. 5. Ibid. Aduers calumniat August c. 1 De praedest sanct cap. 10. Râ—â—ect 1. de potest Zib 3. dist 23 Quest. 1. Iohn 3.6 1 Iohn 4.10 Bed in Rom. 8. Rom. 11.29 Matthew 13. 1 Iohn 3.9 1 Iohn 1.8 1 Peter 2.3 1 Peter 1.3 Iohn 5.24 Lib. de pradest Sanctor 1. Cor. 4.7 Lib. de dono perseuer Phil. 1.29 Ier. 32.40 Dicat mihi quisquis auder Psal. 80.17 1. Ioh. 2.19 Lib. de correp et gratia Liberâ—imaÌ„ fortissimam enuictiss maÌ„ perseuerantissimam in fide voluncatem Act. 13.48 si quando exorbitant Ioh. 15.16 Rom. 14.4 In Ephes. 1. Exhort ad virgin 2 Tim. 4 7 8. Prosper lib. de vocat gentium 1. 1 Cor. 1.8 Rom. 8.35 Greg. in 1 Reg. cap. 14. lib. 4. Beda in Rom. 8. Bern. de modo bene wuendi serm 20. Lib. de pass dom cap. 14. Tostat. in Mat. 22. q. 6 9. 1 Cor. 3.9 Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.18 1 Cor. 2.3 Ephes. 1.18 1â— Math. 24.13 Ephes. 1 4.11 Esa. 46.10 Heb. 6.17 Lib de corrept gratia cap 7. ibid cap 9. Lib. de oper Monach. cap. 13. August in Psal. 77. Bern epist. 77. Mark 16.16 Cyprian de coena Domini Heb. 6. Lib de bapt contra Donatistas 5 ca. 24. Hos. 4.6 Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 24. Lib. de Fradest sanct cap. 17.