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
throwne into condemnation in respect of their sins For to speake somewhat to this particular If that be granted which we haue prooued before by euident Scriptures that both Predestination and Reprobation respect the corrupt masse of mankinde This I say beeing granted It followeth that Gods iustice did find a iust cause to condemne all men because all haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God But God in his mercy receyueth some to fauour Of this we can finde no other cause but the meere and onely Will of God God in his iustice condemneth other of this beside the Wil of God wee finde a cause to be the sinne of those men that are condemned Here riseth a question whether there be an absolute decree of Reprobation If we vnderstand an absolute decree to be such as dependeth vpon the onely wil of God without respect to any other thing then I confesse I cannot vnderstand any such absolute decree in this For those things are here vnderstood absolute which depend vppon no other cause but only the wil of God Now heere besides the wil of God wee find sin to be a iust cause to condemne and to reprobate For this ground wee take with Saint Augustine that Predestination and Reprobation doe respect sinne And if besides the wil of God sinne also be a just cause of condemnation then I vnderstand not how any decree herein can be absolute But if it should be further questioned whether dereliction of some in their sinne be absolute so far as my knowledge reacheth I must yeeld that this may be called absolute because in this there is no other cause but onely the will of God For seeing that all men are once found sinners there may be a cause giuen why all men may iustly deserue condemnation The cause is apparant that is sinne but why any man should bee saued no cause appeareth but onely the will of God and his mercy to them whom hee is well pleased to deliuer from sinne Vpon these grounds St. Augustine sayth Obdurationis meritum inuenio misericordiae meritum non inuenio But some obiect thus If sinne be the cause of condemnation and reprobation then must all men be condemned and reprobate for all haue sinned Whereby they would inferre that sinne is no cause of condemnation and reprobation but onely the will of God but I deny the consequence for the true consequence should be this If sinne be the cause of condemnation and reprobation then no man can find any cause in himselfe why he should not be condemned and reprobate For I suppose that the greatest Saints that euer liued could finde no cause in themselues why they might not bee condemned and reprobate I say in themselues for if they looke out of themselues vpon Christ then they finde an high and only cause the will of God in Christ in whom he hath fully reuealed his will and mercy to saue sinners For Christ was sent to saue them that were lost and to call sinners to repentance Some may happily say that these questions and quirkes might be forborne and not spoken of at all I answere I am of the same minde But when the enemies of the Truth Pelagians and Arminians are euer busie in stirring these questions these busie heads impose a necessity vppon them that loue the Truth to maintaine it and by plaine writing to walke safely and plainely euen through the middest of Maeandrian crookes and windings of the Aduersaries The Church sayth Tertullian hath a rule and this rule hath no question but such as Heresies bring in Thus we see there may be a cause of condemnation besides the onely will of God but concurring with Gods will but of saluation no cause can be giuen but the onely will of God Yet our Author here vndertaketh to find a cause besides the only wil of God though concurring with Gods will This hee doth in the instance of St. Peter For he sayth that There is neither word apex nor syllable to proue that God did call saue and glorifie St. Peter without any consideration had or regard to his faith obedience and repentance The better to vnderstand this we must cleare some things which hee hath confounded They that deale not playnely confound many things of purpose which must be distinguished that the matter may bee cleared Hee sayth that Saint Peter was not called saued and glorified without consideration or regard of his Faith Obedience and Repentance This proposition in Truth containeth three propositions in it And neither can he conclude three propositions at once neyther can any man answere to three at once Therefore wee must distinctly separate these three propositions that his confusion may appeare and that a cleare answere may be framed vnto the poynt in question Of these three propositions the first is St. Peter was not called without respect to his Faith Obedience and Repentance The second is Saint Peter was not saued without respect to his Faith Obedience and Repentance The third is Saint Peter was not glorified without respect to his Faith Obedience and Repentance These three things are not all of one kinde The two latter propositions we grant the reason is because saluation and glorification are in the nature of a reward Now the Scripture witnesseth that God will reward euery man according to his Workes And therefore Saint Peters faith obedience and repentance shall-bee rewarded with saluation and glorification And saluation and glory may bee sayd to respect these goods workes that went before But the first of these propositions is that Saint Peter was not called without respect to his faith obedience and repentance Here we close with him I must charge with Pelagianisme in that very point of this Heresie for which Pelagius was condemned for an Hereticke in the Synode of Palestina as St. Augustine often relateth In which Synode the Doctrines of Pelagius were condemned as they were also in many other Synodes Concilio Carthag 7. Concilio Meleuitano Concilio Arausica And also condemned by the decrees of the Popes that then were and the Emperors He sayth that St. Peter was not called without respect and consideration had to his faith obedience and repentance In denying this proposition he affirmeth the contradictory That St. Peter was called in consideration and respect of his faith obedience and repentance This is the same which the Church hath condemned in Pelagius For Pelagius taught no otherwise but thus Gratia Dei datur secundum merita nostra In respect or consideration of our merits This man teacheth that St. Peter was called in consideration or respect of his faith obedience and repentance This is euidently Secundum merita as Pelagius vnderstood merita For those things which Pelagius and the Ancient Fathers who wrote in his time called merita were no other then these which this man calleth faith obedience and repentance Pelagius knew no greater merits then these If St. Peter was called in consideration and respect of these things then was that grace
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
intention they say giue vs this day our daily bread least they bee separate from the body of Christ they pray that they may persist in sanctitie 6. Petition Leade vs not into temptation When the Saints pray Leade vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill What other thing doe they pray for but that they may persist in holinesse For if this gift of God be granted vs which no man can deny to be Gods gift seeing wee are commanded to pray to God for it this being granted to be the gift of God that we be not lead into temptation it followeth that the Saints praying for receiuing this gift must needs hold perseuerance in grace vnto the end for no man ceaseth to perseuere vnlesse he be drawne away by temptation If therefore this which he prayeth for be granted that hee bee not lead into temptation then surely by Gods grace hee persisteth in that sanctification which by Gods grace hee receiued Thus farre Saint Augustine out of Saint Cyprian And now Saint Augustine in his owne course But in perseuerance it is not as in other graces We call him chaste whom we know to be chast whether he perseuere or not perseuere in chastity and the like wee say of other graces of God that may be had or may be lost We say he hath it as long as he hath it but if hee loose it we say then he had it But in perseuerance it is otherwise For no man can be said to haue had perseuerance but hee that perseuereth to the end Therefore this is such a grace which many may haue but he that hath it can neuer loose it This grace may be obtained but when it is once obtained it cannot be lost through contumacy Let any man that dare tell mee whether God cannot giue that which hee commandeth vs to aske of him God commandeth vs to aske that wee bee not lead into temptation then whosoeuer is heard of God in asking this grace is preserued from the temptation of contumacy by which hee might loose perseuerance in grace for he that is not lead into temptation departeth not from God After the fall of Adam God would haue it to pertaine onely to his grace that man should come to him and likewise to pertaine to the same grace that man should not depart from him This grace hee hath put in him in whom wee haue our inheritance beeing praedestinated according to his purpose that worketh all things And therefore as he worketh that wee come to him so hee worketh that we depart not from him wherefore it is said in the Psalmes Let thine hand be vpon the man of thy right hand and vpon the sonne of man whom thou hast made so strong for thine owne selfe that wee depart not from thee Who is this man Iste non est primus Adam in quo discessimus ab eo sed Adam nouissimus super quem fit manus eius vt non discedamus ab eo saith Augustine For Christus totus all Christ with his members is for the Church which is his body and his fulnesse Therefore when the hand of God is vpon him that we depart not from God vâ—rily the worke of God commeth to vs. For this is the hand of God forasmuch as by the worke of God and his power it is wrought so that we are permanent with Christ in God not as Adam departing from God This is the hand of God not ours that wee depart not from him This I say is the hand of him that said I will giue my feare in their hearts that they depart not from me But we see that some depart why doth one depart and not another why is perseuerance to the end giuen to some and not to others To this what can we say but that the wayes of the Lord are past finding out Why is one receiued to mercy and not another can any man giue a reason but onely Gods will Hee hath mercy on whom he will haue mercy and whom hee will he hardeneth So hee giueth the grace of perseuerance to whom hee will and denieth it from whom hee will Yet in this the faithfull must rest that hee that hath the guift of perseuerance is in the number of the praedestinated the other is not For Saint Iohn saith of such as depart They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would haue continued with vs. Quid est quaeso non erant ex nobis What is the meaning of this they were not of vs were not both they that departed and they that continued created of God both borne of Adam both called both renewed in the fountaine of regeneration All this is true but yet according to another separation they were not of vs. What is that separation Gods booke is open we must not turne our eyes from it the Scripture cryeth loud let vs heare it before the beginning of the world they had not their part in him they were not praedestinated according to his purpose which worketh all things For if thus had they been then they should haue been of vs and should without doubt haue continued with vs. Saint Augustine in his booke de correptione et gratia hath diuers things to this purpose which because they conclude for perseuerance in grace to the end I thinke it not vnfit that the reader be made acquainted with his reasons the rather to satisfie the Author of the Appeale that this is no new Puritan doctrine as it pleaseth him to call it And that he may more fully vnderstand that this which wee teach is not the priuate fancy of some particular men but the publique doctrine of the Church Vpon thosâ— words Rogaui pro te Petre ne deficiat fides tua Saint Augustine saith What did Christ pray for heere but for his perseuerance vnto the end And againe When hee prayed that Saint Peters faith should not fâ—ile what other thing did he pray for but that he might haue a most free a most strong a most inuict a most perseuering will in faith to the end S. Augustine knew well that Peter sinned in denying his Maister and yet he did not doubt to say that Christ prayed for him and was heard for S. Peters perseuerance vnto the end Then it is not euery sinne that breaketh the course of perseuerance but a falling backe into the dominion and seruice of sinne Act. 13. As many as were ordayned to euerlasting life beleeued Who can be ordayned to euerlasting life but by the grace of perseuerance Whosoeuer are deliuered from damnation by the goodnesse of Gods grace there is no doubt but by Gods prouidence the Gospell shall be preached to them and they shall heare and beleeue and perseuere vnto the end in faith that worketh through loue And these if they sometimes goe wrong yet by reproofes they amend and returne againe into the way which they left Their faith
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
infirmities to an happy end is the worke of God which no power in the world can defeate CHAP. 9. An examination of the Arminians definition of grace FOr the better vnderstanding of these men that pleade against the grace of God We must obserue that one especiall ground of their errour is in this that they conceiue and vnderstand amisse of grace They take it for another thing then the Scriptures haue declared and the Church of God from the Scriptures haue taken it to be And therefore when they define grace they say it is a morall perswasion Arminius himselfe saith it is lenis suasio they admit no power of God here And are not these a strange kinde of men that will make vnto themselues their owne grounds and not take their grounds from the Scriptures If this ground which they so blindly begge were true then were it indeed easie for them to proue many of their conclusions that alike or generall grace is offered vnto all that quantum ad Deum pertinet for so much as is in God one man receiueth as much grace as an other that the difference is in mans free-will in accepting or reiecting of grace that grace may soone bee gotten and soone lost altogether But who gaue these men authority to make a definition contrary to that which the holy Scriptures haue deliuered These men acknowledge no other power in the Gospell preached but onely the power of the Minister that preacheth The Preacher hath not power to giue faith and repentance to infuse grace but only vseth morall perswasions to the people but together with the labour of the Preacher the spirit of God worketh And therefore we are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 helpers with God in that great worke And because the spirit of God worketh with power in opening mens hearts humbling them leading them to an acknowledgement and confession of their sinnes conuerting their soules drawing them out of the power of darknesse out of the power of Sathan and sinne which worke cannot be done by a gentle perswasion onely it cannot be done but by the power of God therefore the Apostle declaring that grace which commeth to belieuers by the preaching of the Gospell calleth it the power of God to saluation And againe The preaching of the crosse is to them that perish foolishnesse but vnto vs that are saued it is the power of God And the Apostle speaking of faith which is the first and one of the greatest graces which we receiue saith your faith standeth not in the wisedome of man but in the power of God If our faith which is the first and the chiefest grace whereby we stand be in the power of God not in the wisedome of man then it is no morall perswasion For morall perswasion reacheth no further then mans wisedome But this is most perspicuously taught in the Epistle to the Ephesians where the Apostle saith I cease not to giue thankes vnto God making mention of you in my prayers that the eyes of your vnderstanding may be enlightned that you may know what the hope of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in his Saints and what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power towards vs which beleeue according to the working of his mighty power Then when wee are drawne vnto faith when we beleeue this is done by the power of God by the exceeding greatnesse of his power by the mighty working of his power And therefore they that say that grace is onely a morall perswasion and quantum ad deum that saluation is alike prepared for all and that the reason why one receiueth grace another receiueth it not is onely in mans free-will These men and their vaine and weake fancies are cleane ouerthrowne because grace is found to bee in the power of God For if quantum ad deum as they say it were prepared alike to all why then doth the Apostle say that preaching is foolishnesse to them that perish but the power of God to vs that are saued If it bee foolishnesse vnto some and the power of God to saluation to others then verily it is not alike vnto all God is able to make his powerfull grace appeare vnto them to whome it is foolishnesse but hee will not Heere wee may finde many things to admire and to wonder at and to cry out with the Apostle O the depth But still wee finde that the power of God is in his calling and declared in our faith which standeth not in mans wisedome but in the power of God This doth sufficiently prooue that the grace of God is not as these men affirme without and against all grounds of Scripture a morall perswasion For it is the power of God the exceeding greatnesse and the mightie working of his power They that would vnderstand this controuersie betweene the Church of God and thâ—se vngratefull and vngracious men that oppugne the grace of God may best vnderstand it if they seeke out with care and diligence the definition of grace It is of the greatest importance to know and being knowne will leade a man as by a thread vnto the particulars of this question We finde plainely that the loue of God and the power of God is in it And wee may be sure that they who deny the power of God to be in grace can neuer come to the true knowledge of it It is true that if that definition were once granted that grace is nothing but a morall perswasion then would all those strange conclusions follow of which I spake before and others more mad then they that the purpose of Praedestination is a thing vncertaine and of no power that Gods purpose of Praedestination must bee ruled by man and not by God It is much to bee wondred at that such men should bee found in the Church professing Christianitie that with such boldnesse take such a definition as granted and with such ignorance draw those conclusions from it Let vs but stoppe this principle and we stop their mouthes For if grace be the power of God to saluation if Faith and grace stand not in mans wisedome but in the power of God if wee bee drawne to beleeue by the exceeding greatnesse of Gods power by the mighty working of his power then it followeth that the grace whereby we are called whereby wee beleeue and repent and are iustified and in the end saued is the power of God It was his good will and purpose to praedestinate vs but it is his power to execute that good purpose to draw sinnefull men out of the power of darkenesse into the kingdome of light to worke in our hearts a loue of obedience by his holy Spirit To worke this farre surpassed the power al of creatures and therefore it is done by the power of God Vpon this ground thus laide the course of Arminians is stopped If they tell vs that grace is a gentle perswasion and goeth no further Wee answer that
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