a worthy argument I promise you Fourthly these words are spoken indefinitely to all but principally to such as were not yet conuerted and ingrafted into Christ as appeares by the conclusion of the second Homilie and they are but an exhortation to moue men to come in and obey God therefore they proue nothing against vs. Fifthly I say that these words which are cited by you are intended onely of hypocrites and barren Christians and such as haue but a dead faith which as the first Homilie of faith saith is no faith neither is it properly called faith For they are spoken of the vnfruitefull vyneard and of such as are barren in good workes of such as wholly neglect Gods seruice and order not their liues according to his example and doctrine in the number of which such as haue a true justifying and liuing faith doe neuer come as wee may see by the three Homilies of faith So that your argument from hence can bee but this hypocrites and barren Christians may fall finally and totally from grace therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may doe so too which is a grosse Nonsequitur Yea but Mr. Mountague obiects that those in the first Homilie are such as truly beleiue and such as beholding the face of Gods mercy in Iesus Christ are transformed into the same image c. I answere that it is true that they are called true beleeuers not because they haue any true justifying and sauing faith within them but because they are visible members of a true visible Church and haue a true historicall faith beleeuing the Scriptures to bee true they are such as beleiue the Gospell to be true which if they behold it as they ought to doe I pray marke this parenthesis which you haue purposely and cunningly omitted will transforme them into his image and make them partakers of his heauenly light and of his holy Spirit c which parenthesis implies that those true beleiuers so stiled here did not behold the Gospell and the face of Gods mercy in Iesus Christ and so they were not true beleeuers nor yet partakers of the Image of Christ and of the holy Ghost as they might haue beene had they beheld them as they ought So that the genuine sence of the words is onely this All those that are planted in the visible Church of God and haue the powerfull offer of Christ vnto them in the Gospell which is able to regenerate them and to make them partakers of the holy Ghost if they make a good vse of it if they neglect this Gospell and walke vnworthy of it God will surely depriue them of it What is this to true beleeuers to true regenerate men which haue bin transformed into the image of Christ by the Gospell what is this to a totall and finall fall from the true and sauing state of grace Secondly it is euident that these words are not spoken of such as are truly regenerated and made the sonnes of God for it is said of them that if they behold the face of God in Iesus Christ in the Gospell as they ought to doe it will fashion them in all goodnesse requisite to the children of God which words proue that these here meant are such as had not that goodnesse which is requisite to the children of God and therefore they are not the children of God Lastly the conclusion of this Homilie which followes vpon these words proues that those here spoken of are only such as liueing in the Church become notoriously vitious selling themselues ouer vnto sinne and that they were such as neuer were truly regenerated Lastly admit that those here meant were true beleeuers and such as had the grace of true and sauing faith within them yet the Homilie saith not that these do finally or totally fall from grace all it saith of them is this That God will beginne to forsake them and that â—…ee will take his word from them if they doe neglect it this God may doe he may beginne to forsake them and yet not vtterly forsake them hee may take away his word and yet not take away their faith and other sauing and habituall graces from them and therefore racke these words to the vtmost they will not proue that the true regenerate Saints of God do either finally or totally fall from grace As for the words of the second Homilie they are only spoken of hypocrites and wicked men not of the true regenerate Saints of God which appeares First because they are spoken of the barren and fruitlesse vyneard of such Christians onely as beare noe fruites now the true regenerate Saints and such as haue a true and liuing faith are alwaies fruitfull in good workes Ps 1 3. Ps 92 12 13 14. Ier 17 8. Math 3 8 cap 7 17 18 2 Cor 8 7. Ephes 3 18 19. Iohn 15 3 5. Phil 〈◊〉 17. Iames 2 14 18 22 26. this the three Homilies of faith doe likewise teach and those that are barren and vnfruitfull vnder the meanes of grace they are such as haue no true and sauing grace no liuing faith at all as the Scriptures and the Homilies forecited doe declare therefore those in the second Homilie are no true regenerate Saints of God Secondly they are compared vnto Saul aud Iudas aud to all the children of mistrust aud vnbeliefe now Saul and Iudas as I shall proue hereafter and the children of mistrust and vnbeleife were neuer truly sanctified and regenerated therefore neither were these in the Homilie Lastly the whole Homilie proues it which is purposely intended to wicked men planted in the visible Church and to such as were not yet come into â—…st nor regenerated by the Gospell and to no others â—…re is no mention of true regenerate men in the Homilie the substance of the Homilie and the whole summe of it is but this Brethren if you will not now obey the Gospell which is preached vnto you and come into Christ and bring forth fruites worthy of it you shall bee depriued of it and bee cast out of the Church Christ and his spirit shall neuer rule and raigne within you what makes all this to our present purpose surâ—…ly nothing at all Yea but saith Mr. Mountague these were truly justified for they wâ—…re in Christ and continued in him for a time I answere that they were so in outward shew to the eyes of men they were visible members of the visible Church and men could not discouer so farre as to see their hearts therefore in the judgement of men they were in Christ for a time but yet they were neuer truly ingrafted into Christ they had neuer any true life in him they were but like the Church of Sardis Reu 3 1. they had a name they liued and yet were dead they were alwayes dead and barren trees that neuer brought forth liuing and wholesome fruites they were but as Saul and Iudas who were neuer truly sanctified and regenerated as I shall
seuerall Conferences at Hage recorded by Brandius and Bertius haue concurred in the contrary assertion I confesse that Iacobus Arminius in Apolog aduers Artic quosdam Theologicos Respons ad Artic secundum in Examinatione Praedestinationis Perkinsis that Conradus Vorstius in amica collatione cum Piscatore sect 108 that Nicholaus Greuinchouius and Bertius in his Hyminaeo desertore sine de Sanctorum Apostasia and others of the Arminian crew to whom Master Mountague is much beholding haue beene of this opinion That faith once had may be lost againe But that any sound and orthodox Protestant Diuines were of this opinion in any of their decisions writings or resolutions that I neuer heard or read of as yet But will you know now who are Master Mountagues Protestant Diuines who haue so much opposed our present assertion and consented to the Church of Rome in the totall and finall losse of faith once had Surely they must and can be no other but those whose reasons arguments and quotations both out of Scriptures and Fathers Master Mountague hath ttanscribed in his Gagge for he intimates as much himselfe Now what Diuines are these Surely I must needes informe you who they are because they are worth the knowledge his two chiefe Diuines they are Bellarmine and Bertius the one a Cardinall and cheise pillar of the Church of Rome the other the strongest pillar and stoutest Champion of the Arminian faction It may be hee hath praid in some ayde from the Rhemists but I can assure you that all his quotations that are there cited are transcribed either out of Bellarmine in his 3. booke de Iustif cap. 14. or out of Bertius in his Hymeneo disertore siue de Apostasia sanctorū and most of them especially the quotations out of the Fathers are not to be found in any other Writer but in Bertius only Are these your Protestant Diuines Mr. Mountague were there no other Protestant Diuines from whence to fetch resolutions decisious but from these or can you bee so strangely impudent as to grace these two notorious and famous men the one knowne for the greatest Papist the other for the chiefest Arminian that euer was with the stile of most Protestaut Diviues no meruaile then is these men bee your Protestants that you stile all others that dissent from them not Protestants but Caluinists Puritans and Nouellers and that you stile this doctrine of the totall finall perseuerance of the Saints a Puritan Doctrine Wherefore good Reader take this short Nota with thee in the by that all M. Mountagues Protestants are none but Papists and Arminians and all his Puritans Nouellers and Caluinists whom hee so much lasheth none but sound and Orthodox Protestants who assent not to Arminius and the Church of Rome and what must Mr. Mountague be then in the meane time Surely a Papist or Arminian if not both or worse then both But I passe this ouer and come to the second thing which is to proue the totall and finall perseuerance of the Saints in the state of Grace to bee the receiued and approued doctrine of all Protestant and reformed Churches beyond the Seas by their seuerall Articles and Confessions and by their Synods which haue so resolued it That this is the receiued and approued doctrine of their Articles and Confessions it is euident and plaine First by the latter Confession of Helvetia Artic. 9. Because that the strength of the flesh and reliques of the old man are not of such great force in the regenerate that they can wholly quench the worke of the Spirit therefore the faithfull are called free yet so that they do acknowledge their infirmity and glory no whit at all of their Free-will So that by the expresse words of this Confession the regenerate Saints of God can neuer fall totally from grace because the strength of the flesh and reliques of the old man are not of such great force in the regenerate that they can wholly quench the worke of the spirit So Artic. 10. of the same confession The Saints are chosen in Christ by God vnto a sure end and Artic. 15. Wee who are once justified are not only cleansed from sinne and purged and holy but also indued with the righteousnesse of Christ yea and acquitted from sinne death and condemnation finally we are righteous and heires of eternall life And Article 16. True faith is the meere gift of God because God of his power doth giue it to his elect according to measure and therefore it is called the faith of Gods elect This faith doth pacifie the conscience and doth open vnto vs a free accesse to God it doth keepe vs in our dutie which wee owe to God and to our neighbour and doth fortifie our patience in aduersitie and it doth bring forth good fruites of all sorts c. By this it is euident that our assertion is the positiue doctrine of the Helu◅◅◅◅tian Church So is it also of the Bohemian as it is manifest by the 6. Article of their Confession which saith That true faith doth alwayes lift vp him that hath it and assures him that in and for Christ he assuredly hath and shall haue for euer eternall life according to his true promise which hee confirmed with an oath saying Verily I say vnto you hee that beleeueth on me hath eternall life For whomsoeuer God doth iustifie to them he doth giue the holy Ghost and by him hee doth regenerate them as hee promised by the Prophet saying I will giue them a new heart and I will put my Spirit in the middest of them that as before sinne had reigned in them to death so also grace might reigne by righteousnesse vnto eternall life through Iesus Christ. Now they that attaine to this iustification by Christ our Lord are taught to take vnto themselues true and assured comfort out of this grace and bounty of God to inioy a good and quiet conscience before God to be certaine of their owne saluation ond to haue it confirmed to them by this meanes that seeing they are the sonnes of God they shall also after death in the resurrection bee made heires The French Church doth likewise concurre with vs in our assertion in the 21. and 22. Articles of their confession which say That true faith is giuen only to the Elect not that they might once only be brought into the right way but rather that they might bee forward therein vnto the end because that as the beginning is of God so is also the accomplishment Therefore it is so farre that faith should extinguish the desire to liue well and holily that it doth rather increase and kindle it in vs whereupon good workes doe necessarily follow with which the confession of Belgia artic 23. 24. doth fully agree The Confession of Saxonie Artic. 3. 7. 9. concurreth with vs For it testifieth vnto vs. That the Error of doubting is altogether heathenish that it doth abolish the Gospell and take away all true
comfort from them that feele the wrath of God and that this Error is euidently confuted by these words Being justified by faith wee haue peace with God Also therefore is righteousnesse of faith that it might be sure Therefore it aduiseth vs to lay hold on this sweet comfort that the Sonne of God is the keeper of his Church as he saith Iohn 10. No man shall take my sheepe out of my hands Hee doth protect vs and also by his holy Spirit doth confirme our mindes to true opinions as hee doth begin eternall life so doth hee kindle in our hearts good motions faith the loue of God true inuocation hope chastitie and other vertues Through the Sonne of God wee are deliuered from eternall death and translated into eternall life as hee saith I giue vnto them eternall life and hee that hath the Sonne hath life And let hope be firme and sure as Peter saith hope perfectly that is looke for eternall life not with doubtfull opinion The famous Augustane confession confirmed and ratified by all the Protestant Princes States and Churches of Germany Anno Dom. 1530. in the 3. Article concurreth with vs for saith the Article Christ doth sanctifie all those that beleeue on him by sending the holy Ghost into their hearts who doth gouerne comfort and quicken them and defend them against the diuell and the force of sinne If against the Diuell and the force of sinne then nothing can cast them downe from the state of grace If you object that the 12. Article of this famous Confession doth condemne the Anabaptists who deny that such who are once iustified can loose the holy Ghost and therefore by the voyce of this confession those who are once justified may fall from grace I answer that the Protestant Diuines in Germany who were at the making of this Article and those who haue liued since did neuer expound or intend it in this sense that a man once iustified might fall away from grace either totally or finally but they condemned this Tenet of the Anabaptists in that sense as they defended it For this was the opinion of the Anabaptists That when once a man was regenerated and had obtained the holy Ghost and was made a true beleeuer that sin could not hurt him and therefore they would tell men that if they did beleeue let them doe what they would or commit what sinne they would it could not hurt them for faith would blot out all those sinnes which was the Error of the Valentinians as Irenaeus hath recorded it Now in this sense only doth this confession condemne the Anabaptists and in no other and so did the Lutherans before them as you may reade in Articulis Smalcandicis Article 3. composed by Luther himselfe which you shall finde in Lutherana Concordia pag. 310. Now the reason yeelded by the Lutherans why they condemne this Error of the Anabaptists in their third Article will fully proue that the true regenerate Saints of God can neuer fall from grace Forsay they the Saints of God doe alwayes grieue and repent for their sinnes groaning vnder the burthen of them and they alwayes striue against them Theresore those that voluntary rush into sinne whether it be adultery murther or blasphemie must needes shake off faith and the holy Ghost and faith and the holy Ghost must needes depart from them For the holy Ghost doth nener suffer sinne to reigne to get strength or to obtaine the victory and to be perfected but hee doth represse and curbe it that so it might not doe the thing it would But if it doth what it would certainly the holy Ghost and faith are lost neither are they present For so saith Iohn hee that is borne of God doth not sinne neither can hee sinne So that both the Augustane Confession and the Article of Smalcard are both for me and not against me being rightly vnderstood The Augustane Confession composed by the Argentine Church and confirmed by their Senate Anno dom 1539. concurreth with vs For these are the words of their 7. Article This sole and only mediator hath taken away our sins and reconciled vs to his Father hee hath impetrated the holy Ghost for all those whom his Father hath giuen him and which heare his voyce This regeneration together with all Christs merits the holy Ghost doth inspire into the hearts of all the faithfull and preserue them in them to the end All these Confessions of the Protestants in Germanie and else-where are expresse for me let Mr. Mountague now shew mee any to the contrarie But you will tell mee now that Mr. Mountague records it That all the Protestants of Germanie haue concluded against mee and consented to the Church of Rome in the Diot of Ratisbon Vpon those grounds and reasons which he there mentions True it is that Mr. Mountague hath so recorded it but his records are so false in euery thing that he must haue a strong faith that will beleeue them without examination of the truth of them For my owne part I haue read the disputation of Ralisbon set out by Bucer himselfe Anno dom 1548. and I can finde no such thing as Mr. Mountague relates in it For first this question of a totall finall fall from grace was not so much as controuerted there neither are there any of those Scriptures grounds and Fathers which Mr. Mountague hath recorded in his Gagge or in his Appeale only that place of Phil. 2. 12. and of St. Augustine de Ciuit Dei lib. 11. cap. 12. excepted so much as mentioned in all that disputation and these two quotations are cited by Steuen Bishop of Winchester who did oppose the Protestants in that Disputation and not by Bucer and the other Protestants there present How then could the Protestants of Germanie yeeld to that position in this Diot which was not drawne into question there Indeed the question of the certainty of saluation was there controuerted and discussed and by the vnanimous consent of all the Protestants resolued and determined against Maluenda Billickius and the Bishop of Winchester who did oppose it and in the resolution and determination of this Controuersie if you will beleeue learned Zanchius in his Confession to the Senate of Argentine in this our point De perseuerantia sanctorum or the Disputation of Ratisbone it selfe our very assertion though it were not there particularly controuerted was yet de claro resolued for vs in this famous Diot in the name of all the Protestants in Germanie For in the Disputation of Ratisbon or Ralisbon pag. 41. Respons ad Replic 14. This is the expresse Resolution of all the Protestants in that Diot That true faith and a sinne that wastes the conscience are incompatible and that hee which liues by a true iustifying faith can neuer sticke in such a sinne So pag. 243. to 251. they proceed to proue this assertion and conclusion For say they those who haue this iustifying
and liuely faith they are the sons of God the Spirit of God doth moue them to those things which are holy and right that so they may not wittingly commit any things to the contrary much lesse perseuere in them notwithstanding oft-times out of the weakenesse of the flesh they sin doe not according to faith but yet they neuer commit those sins which waste the conscience nor those which doe forth-with exclude them from the kingdome of God which reason they doe backe likewise with this Syllogisme drawne from the Scriptures Hee that beleeueth that Iesus is the Christ is borne of God 1 Ioh. 5. but hee that is borne of God the same Apostle in the same Epistle testifies cap. 3. that hee doth not sin neither can hee sin therefore â—…ee who doth truly and liuingly beleeue the Gospell of Christ can abide in no sinne which doth waste the conscience For euery one who commits such a sin as this hath neither seene nor knowne God Wherefore seeing that this Diot hath resolued that such a one as hath true faith cannot commit such a sinne as doth waste his conscience but only sinnes of infirmitie which doe not cast men wholly from the state of grace it hath likewise by this resolued against Mr. Mountagues assertion that faith once had may bee both finally totally lost againe so they haue not consented to the Church of Rome in this as hee most falsely doth affirme Againe this whole Diot haue with one vnanimous consent resolued it that all such as haue true faith both may and must be assured of their saluation because that God hath vndoubtedly promised eternall life to all such as are iustified doe 〈◊〉 beleeue in him which promise hee will punctually vndoubtedly performe in the time which hee hath promised because that Christ doth call elect all his not to a temporarie kingdome grace or life but to an eternall because that God himselfe will inable them cause them for to perseuere because this liuing iustifying faith is in it selfe eternall life those that haue it euen from the first time of their hauing of it haue euerlasting life because this faith is preserued in those that haue it not by their owne power or might but by the very power of God of the holy Ghost because this faith is of an incorruptible of a growing increasing and neuer failing nature as you may reade from pag. 461. to 538. Therefore by this expresse resolution vpon these pregnant and sure grounds which doe all proue our assertion to the full it is most euident and apparant to all the world that this famous Diot and so all the Protestants in Germanie who assented to it and were present at it haue resolued and determined That the state of true and sauing graece that true and liuely faith once had can neither finally nor totally be lost againe How base how trecherous and perfidious then is Mr. Mountague who would thus traduce this noble Diot and all the German Protestants in recording it vnto the world that they assented to the church of Rome in this that faith once had might bee lost againe when as they did expresly resolue it to the Contrary Well Mr. Mountague I must needs speake plainly to you and let all the world iudge whether I doe amisse in it or no as in many other things touching this particular controuersie so especially in traducing and abusing of this famous Diot you haue shewed your selfe a base an impudent a lying and seditious Varlet and a man vnworthy to liue in any Protestant Church or Christian Common-wealth and I will euidence and proue it by these 4. particulars First in that you traduce corrupt and falsifie the judgement of a whole Protestant Synod Secondly in that you traduce and falsifie it in such a manner saying that all the Protestants in Germany assented to the Church of Rome in this Diot at Ratisbon in this point of falling finally and totally from grace as if all the Protestants in Germany were turned Papists Thirdly in that you do it to this end to bring in Popery and Arminianisme into our Church to make the world beleeue that Popery and Protestanisme are all one and that Protestants haue heretofore alwayes yeelded and submitted to the Church of Rome in matters of Doctrine and therefore they should doe so now and so the end of this your falsification of this Synod is but to perswade all Protestants to turne Papists at least in this particular point Fourthly in that you would father the base bratts of that Arminian Bertius vpon this Protestant and famous Diot that so his dangerous workes might be countenanced approued and receiued as sound and orthodox vnder the name and colour of this Diot For if it please Mr. Mountague to remember himselfe those Scriptures reasons and authorities of Fathers which he citeth in his Gagge cap. 20. as the reasons arguments and grounds which moued Bucer and the Diot of Ralisbon to assent to the Church of Rome in this point of falling from grace as they are not to be found in the disputation of Ralisbon wherein the contrary was resolued so all and euery one of these Scriptures reasons and Fathers Clemens Romanus a meere suppositions and forged Writer only excepted were transcribed out of this Bertius his Apostatia Sanctorum where they are all and only to bee found Now hee who professing himselfe to be a Protestant and receiuing so many fauours from our Church shall putposely traduce and falsifie such a generall and famous Synod or Diot as this in such a base and infamous manner and that to such dangerous sinister and wicked ends as these how ill hee doth deserue of God and man especially of this our Mother Church whom hee doth labour to corrupt and seduce by this his jugling let all men judge But to passe this ouer which the loue I owe vnto the truth and to my Mother Church could not suffer mee to smother or conceale I will now proceed to giue you some farther and cleare euidence to proue the totall and finall Perseuerance of the Saints to be the doctrine of the Protestant Churches beyond the Seas Concordia Lutherana which was agreed vpon and resolued and set out by the consent of all the Protestants in Germanie against those who did oppose the Augustine Confession informes vs that this was one Article of the Protestants beleife touching justification which they did both teach and confesse That albeit true beleeuers and regenerate men were liable to many infirmities and spotts euen to their death yet that they ought not for to doubt either of the righteousnesse imputed vnto them by faith or of eternall saluation but that they ought firmely to resolue that God is reconciled to them in Christ according to his sure word and promise And though there bee much infirmitie in the Saints which makes them to complaine with Paul yet God doth neuer impute this
these I say who were vndoubtedly the learnedest in the Church of England in their times haue hitherto bin reputed so without controll haue with one vnanimous and joynt consent in these their seuerall writings and records in which they doe and shall for euer liue defended and maintained the Totall and finall perseuerance of the Saints as the Orthodox positiue and undoubted truth and as the receiued and resolued doctrine of the Church of England opposing confuting reiecting and condemning the contrary assertion as haereticall wicked blasphemous and athiesticall and as quite repugnant and crosse to the receiued and established doctrine of our Church But now it may be obiected that it is true that the learnedest in the Church of England haue heretosore maintained desended this our present assertion as sound and orthodox and as the receiued doctrine of our Church but doe the learnedâ—…st in the Church of England maintaine and defend it now in any of their workes and writings I answere yes Doctor Benefelde Lady Margarets Lecturer in the Vniuersitie of Oxford as learned and profound a Scholler as any in the Church of England in his two bookes de Perseuerantia sanctorum being nothing else but two publike Lectures which he read in the Diuinitie Schooles at Oxford Doctor Prideaux now regious Professor of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Oxford a man as famous for his learning as any in our Church in his Lecture de Perseuerantia sanctorum and in his Sermon intituled Ephesus backsliding Doctor Ames a famous and renowned Scholler now a Professor of Diuinitie in the Netherlands in his Coronis ad Collationem Hagiensem Article 5. Doctor Francis White whom some report to be dyed blacke of late one of the greatest Gamaliels in our Church in his reply to Fisher pag 52 53 54 81 84 87 102 167 168 200. Doctor Carlton the reuerend Bishop of Chichester Doctor Dauenat Bishop of Salisbury Doctor Samuell Ward Doctor Thomas Goade and Doctor Balcanquall in the fifth Article of the Synod of Dort at which they were present and to which they haue subscribed their names and in the Examination of Mr. Mountagues Appeale composed by Bishop Carlton to which they haue also annexed a Protestation touching the Synod of Dort so touching our particular point which is resolued in the one and defended in the other Mr. Wotton in his defence of Mr. Perkins in the point of the certaintie of saluation Mr. Bolton in his Discourse of true happinesse to passe by Mr. Ronse Mr. Burton Mr. Yates and others who haue answered Mr. Mountague and haue written particularly of this our present controuersie all these I say who are the learnedest at least as learned as any in our Church haue defended and maintained this our present assertion as sound and orthodox and as the doctrine of the Church of England in these their seuerall records neither is there any English Diuine but Mr. Mountague that did euer publish and record the contrary This cloude of witnesses which I haue here recorded together with many oâ—…hers which I might haue mentioned is sufficient for to proue that the learnedest in the Church of England not onely heretofore but likewise at this present time concurre and iumpe with vs in this our assertion that true grace once had can neuer be totally nor finally lost againe Mr. Mountague himselfe though hee records the contrary is so ingenious as to conâ—…esse that many in the Church of England reputed learned haue concurred in opinion with vs but yet withall hee auerreth that those who hold the contrary are their superiours both in learning authoritie so that in his opinion no learned men indeede no man of place or note in this our Church but onely some meane obscure men who are reputed learned but are in truth illitterate were euer of his opinion that true faith once had could not be totally nor finally lost againe But whether those men whom I haue formerly mentioned were obscure men or no or whether they were illitterate dunces men only reputed learned or whether they are not more eminent in place learning dignity and piety then Mr. Mountague or any of his Abettors let all men judge Hauing now sufficiently proued by many testimoâ—…ies that the learnedest in the Church of England haue assented to vs and that they haue maintained this our assertion as the resolued doctrine of the Church of England I will now in the second place examine whether there are any learned in the Church of England who either did or do oppose it as Mr. Mountague hath auerred it For my owne part I must confesse ingenuously that I neuer heard or read of any English orthodox Protestant Diuine that did euer oppose or contradict our present assertion in any worke or writing of his set forth by publike authoritie Indeed Mr. Bradwell in his detection pag. 89. and Mr. Rogers iu his third proposition on the 17. Article records the doctrine of a totall and finall fall from grace to bee one of Glouers errors but whether Glouer were one of the learnedest in the Church of England of which Mr. Mountague speakes or whether he hath left this error of his vpoÌ„ any authenticall and approued records that I know not sure I am that this doctrine of his which Mr. Mountagne would father vpon the learnedest of our Church is but a branded error and that vpon record I must confesse that Iohn Breyerly a Priest in his reformed Protestant Printed at 〈◊〉 in Laâ—…cashire 1621 pag 79. hath recorded this to be the Tenet of Mr. Harsnet now Bishop of Norwich and he quotes his sermon at Paules Crosse in the margent for to proue it where in this error of the totall and finall Apostacie of the Saints together with some other Arminian points were deliuered by him If the Bishop of Norwich then be one of Mr. Mountagues learnedest number who oppose this our present assertion I answer first that Mr. Harsnet was long since conuented for his Sermon and forced to recant it as haeriticall and erronious and therefore since hee hath recanted it as an error heretofore I doubt not but he doth disclaime it as an error now Secondly I answer that vpon this Sermon the controuersies that arose vpon it the Articles of Lambeth which do resolue this for vs that the true regenerate Saints of God can neither finally nor totally fall from grace were composed and by the appointment of the whole Vniuersitie of Cambridge Mr. Wotton was appointed to confute Mr. Harsnets Sermon as haereticall the next Sunday following and therefore by the voyce of the whole Vniuersitie of Cambridge and by the resolution of the reuerend Bishops and learned Diuines assembled at Lambeth who were farre more learned then Mr. Harsnet this totall and finall Apostacy of the Saints was branded for an error and so not the receiued Tenet of the learnedest in the Church of England Thirdly I answere that this Sermon of Mr. Harsnets was neuer
the words are that he may fall into sinne not that he doth cast himselfe into sinne in a voluntary presumptuous and wilfull manner so that this word fall into sinne implies that these sinnes here mentioned are sinnes of infirmity and incogitancie not of malice and presumption now I hope you will grant that sinnes of infirmitie and incogitancie without any precogitated and resolued malice doe not cast a man totally from the state of â—…ce for then euery Saint of God should fall from the state of grace continually but only sinnes of malice and presumption committed with an high hand and with an absolute full and deliberate consent Wherefore the sinne mentioned in the Article being but a sinne of infirmitie only and not of praecogitated and resolued malice it cannot be imagined that this falling into sinne in the Article should bee a totall or a finall fall from grace Thirdly obserue the order of the words they doe first depart from grace giuen and then fall into sinne they doe not fall into sinne first and then depart from grace giuen if then they depart from grace before they fall into sinne then this departure from grace cannot be intended of a falling from the state of grace because our Antagonists will confesse that the sinne committed is that which casts men downe from the state of grace and that men fall not from grace before but after sinne committed this departure therefore from grace giuen being before the sinne committed cannot be a totall departure from the habit and state but from the act of grace Fourthly the very coherence and connexion of the words will cleere the sense and meaning of them For and being a conjunction copulatiâ—…e â—…itting both sentences together it makes the sense of the Article After wee haue receiued the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 may depart from grace giuen and full into sinne to bee no more but this after wee haue receiued the holy Ghost wee may â—…all into sinne so that 〈◊〉 departure from grace giuen is nothing else but to fall into sinne which a man may doe and yet not fall from grace so that torture and rackâ—… these words which way you will they will not warrant this doctrine of a totall or a finall fall from grace Yâ—…a but you will object that these subsequent words By the grace of God wee 〈◊〉 rise againe and amend our liues doe necessarily imply thus much that the Saints of God may fall totally and finally from grace True Mr. Mountague if you if Bortius or the Rhemists bee the interpreters else there might be some doubt of it For you must know that the only reason wherefore these words were added to the former was but to meete with the Montanists Nâ—…uations Anabaptists and Brownists who denied forgiuenesse and reconciliation to such as sinned after Baptisme and if you had not beene purblinde when as you reade the Article you could not but haue seene it But God in his justice hath giuen you eyes according to your minde which alwaies looke besides and ouerthwart the truth but not vpon it But if you will haue the sense of these words it is only this that the Saints of God may rise againe from that sinne into which they were fallen and amend their liues not that they rise againe from the state of condemnation That from which the Saints of God must rise is only from that into which they were fallen for falling and rising they are Relatiues but the thing into which the Saints were fallen was but into some act of sinne as appeares by the words of the Article wee may depart from grace and fall into sinne it was not a fall from the state of grace into the state of damnation and therefore this is but a rising from some actuall sinne to amendment of life Secondly I say that these words make much against you For if those that fall doe rise againe this doth necessarily imply that they were not fallen quite away from the state of grace into the death of sinne that all their spirituall life was not extinguished and abolished by their fall for if they were dead in trespasses and sinnes they could not rise againe Hee that is quite dead in sinne and without the life of grace is not said to rise againe and amend his life for that implies a continuance of the former life but hee is said to reuiue againe and to haue a new life put into him and therefore if the Article had intended this departure from grace giuen and falling into sinne of a totall or finall fall from grace into the state of death and damnation the words should haue beene these Hee may reuiue againe or God may raise him vp to a new estate of grace againe and hee may haue a new life of grace infused into him which would crosse this rule in Logicke à priuatione ad habitum non datur regressus and not that he may rise againe and amend his life Take then either the title or the scope and substance or the very letter and words of the 16. Article yet neither of them will warrant this doctrine of a totall or a finall fall from grace All the argument which any man can raise from this Article in proofe of this conclusion is but from the bare words and letter abâ—…racted from the sense to wit Those who haue receiued the holy Ghost may depart from grace giuen and fall into sinne and by the grace of God may rise againt and amend their liues Therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may both finally and totally fall from grace therefore faith once â—…ad may be both totally and finally lost which how wâ—…ll it followes let all men judge But to giue M. Mountague and others full satisfaction in the sense and meaning of this Article I will compare it with some other Articles which are expresse in point that the true regenerate Saiâ—…ts of God â—…an neither finally nor totally fall from grace The 5. Article of Lambeth concluded and agreed vpon Nouemb. 20. 1595. by diuers reuerend and learned Bishops and Diuines of this our Church for the determining of some controuersies in the Vniuersitie of Cambridge is expressely contrarie to Mr. Mountagues collection from our 16 Article for the words of that Article are these True liuing iustifying faith and the sanctifying Spirit of God is not extinguished it fayles not it vanisheth not away in the Elect either finally or totally If the 16. Article had beene expresse to the contrary I suppose the reuerend and learned Composers of this Article would not haue varied from it But Mr. Mountague pleads to this that the Articles of Lambeth are forbidden by Authority but when and where and by what authority that he sets not downe Surely for my owne part I neuer yet could learne that these Articles were disallowed by any publike authoritie but only by Mr. Mountagues who like a Magisteriall Dictator and Cathedrall moderator ouer all divinitie and Diuines approues
and disalowes of whom and what he will without controll Sure I am these Articles and the doctrine in them were approued and agreed vpon on all hands at the conference at Hampton Court though Mr. Mountague records the contrary The booke is yâ—…t extant which will auerre all that I say for truth and proue Mr. Mountaguâ—… a lyer and Impostor if not worse so that if Mr. Mountague had not had his face euen crusted and steeled ouer with more theâ—… audatious impudencie hee would not haue thus incouraged his readers See the booke Againe the Articles of Ireland Nomber 33. 38. confirmed by King Iaâ—…es vnder his broad Seale they are the very same with the Articles of Lambeth and contradictory to Mr. Mountagues collection from the 16. Article which proues that the Articles of Lambeth were neuer repealed by publike authoritie and that the 16. Article was neuer expoundâ—… in Mr. Mountagues sense by any publike authoritie for then King Iames would neuer haue confirmed these Articles vnder his broad Seale hee being such a King as did desire vnitie and peace as much or more in Church as in the Common-wealth The words of the Article of Ireland are these A true liuely iustifying faith and the sanctifying Spirit of God is not extinguished nor vanished away in the regenerate either finally or totally And againe All Gods Elect are in their time inseparablie vnited vnto Christ by the effectuall and vitall influence of the holy Ghost derived from him as from the head into euery true member of his mysticall body So that if you will interpret our 16. Article either by the Articles of Lambeth or Ireland Mr. Mountagues exposition must be false and strained But the best expoâ—…ition of the 16. Article will bee taken from the 17. Article which was composed by the same men at the same time and if you will expound it by this Article then farewell Mr. Mountagues false glosse vpon it For our 17. Article certifieth vs That they which be indued wiâ—…h so excellent a benefit as Predestination is are called according to Gods purpose by his Spirit working in due season and that they through grace obey the calling that they are iustified freely that they are made the sonnes of God by adoption that they are made like the Image of his only begotten Sonne Iesus Christ that they walke religiously in good workes and at length by Gods mercy obtaine euerlasting felicitie From which article Mr. Rogers Chaplaine to Archbishop Bancroft in his Analysâ—… on the 39. Articles allowed to be publike by the lawfull authoritie of the Church of England and not hitherto disallowed or called in hath raised this third proposition They which are predestinated vnto saluation cannot perish and from thence he inferres this Consectarie Wander then doe they from the truth which thinke that the very Elect totally and finally may fall from grace and be damned that the regenerate may fall from the grace of God may destroy the Temple of God and be broken off from the vine Christ Iesus which was one of Glouers errors of which exposition allowed by publike and lawfull authority Mr. Mountague cannot bee ignorant because the more is the pitty hee hath subscribed and read them often as himselfe informes vs. And therefore if you will beleeue the 17. Article or Mr. Rogers his Collection from it allowed by the lawfull authority of the Church of England as the doctrine maintained professed and protected in the Church of England Mr. Mountagues collection from the 16. Article must be false and contrary to the Articles and Doctrine of the Church of England and hee himselfe must in the meane time bee a scismaticall factious and seditious person and one that doth oppose the Articles and Doctrine of our Church in an audatious peremptorie impudent and dangerous manner All now that Mr. Mountague can say for himselfe is this That this exposition and Collection of his from the 16. Article and this doctrine of a totall and finall fall from grace was resolued of and auowed for true Catholicke ancient and orthodoxe by that royall reuerend honourable and learned Synode at Hampton Court and for proofe of it he sendeth vs to the Conference at Hampton Court published by warrant and republished by command But sure Mr. Mountague did neuer reade the booke or else he was purblinde when hee read it for there is no such thing within the booke All that is mentioned and recorded there touching the 16. Article is this Dr. Reynolds moued his Maiestie that the 16. Article the meaning of which was sound might be inlarged and explained with this or the like addition yet neither totally nor finally and that the 9. assertions Orthodoxall might bee inserted into the booke of Articles to which his Maiestie replyed that it was best not to stuffe the booke with all conclusions theologicall Vpon this Dr. Ouerall Deane of Pauls informed the King of what had passed betweene him and some other in Cambridge tâ—…ching our present question and concludes that notwithstanding those who were instified and called according to the purpose of Gods election might and did sometimes fall into grienous sinnes and thereby into the present state of wrath and damnation yet did they neuer fall either totally from all the graces of God to bee vtterly destitute of all the parts and seeds thereof nor finally from instification to which King Iames replyed that repentance in the elect of God after knowne sinnes committed is so necessary as without it there could not bee remission of these sinnes nor reconciliation vnto God This was all that was spoken either of this point or of the 16 Article and whether Mr. Mountagues glosse and exposition were not here condemned in expresse tearmes let all men judge But will you now know what was the true cause why Mr. Mountague did so grossely mistake I will informe you in a word and it worth your knowledge Mr. Mountague as he hath beene deceiued by that varlet Bertius in other things euen so he hath beene in this For hee transcribed this argument from our 16. Article out of Bertius in his Apostatia Sauctorum pag. 107. and for his Exposition of it and that it was so resolued on at the conference at Hampton Court he had it Verbatim from the Rhemists in their second Conference at Hage recorded by Brandius pag. 364. Alas good Mr. Mountague that you should be ouertaken thus that you should be driuen to such narrow shifts as to flie to Bertius and the Rhemists the very dregges and seumme of all Arminians for corrupt glosses expositions and collections vpon our Articles as if the Church of England did not vnderstand but quite mistake the genuine true and proper sense of her owne Articles or as if that Bertius and the Rhemists who are strangers to them vnderstood them better then the Church yea then the learnedest of the Church of England who composed them What doth this betoken but that Master Mountague like
proue hereafter Sixthty I answere in your owne words that admit that these places are meant of true regenerate men yet these Homilies being no dogmaticall decisions but popular sermons and Godly exhortations may sometimes hyperbolize out of a rhetoricall straine and stretch some sayings beyond the vse and practise of the Church and so euery word in these homilies is not strictly litterally to be insisted on but we must giue thē a faire gentle construction Seuenthly these words here mentioned are but exhortations and preseruatiues to keepe men from falling from God therefore they doe not necessarily imply that men may fall from God all they imply ineuitablie is but this that men cannot stand fast in grace cleaue close to God but by vsing of the meanes they doe not imply that regenerate men will not vse the meanes or that they may fall from grace and the vse of the meanes doth not imply an incertaintie in obtaining of the end Lastly which answeres all that can bee obiected All the comminations and threates in these Homilies are conditionall so that take them as they are most aduantagious to you and as spoken to the true regenerate Saints of God yet all the argument that you can extract and juggle from them is but this If the true regenerate Saints of God neglect Gods word and become vnfruitefull they shall bee cast of and be giuen vp to the power of the diuell Therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may finally and totally fall from the state of grace a learned Nonsequitur following the Antecedent as much as darknesse doth the Sunne and all one And therefore Mr. Mountague and all others if they were not obstinate admitting these Homilies to bee dogmaticall decisions containing in them the doctrines and resolutions of our Church which Mr. Mountague himselfe denies must needs acknowledge that these Homilies and so by consequence the Church of England makes not against my present assertion but rather for it then against it As for the argument drawne from the Common prayer booke that infants after baptisme fall from that state of grace which they haue receiued in their baptisme therefore true regenerate men which are ingrafted into Christ by faith may fall from grace I shall answer it fully in another place All that I shall say of it here is this that though you would ground your argument on the words of the common Prayer Booke to make a flourish of it to the world as if it were your owne yet the truth is this you had it from the Rhemists from Mr. Thompson Eckardus Bertius Aegidius Hunnius Zacharias Mathesius and other Arminians or else from Bellarmine who doe presse this argument and relie vpon it as much as Mr. Mountague doth Which Argument Mr. Mountague knowes to haue beene oft-times answered both by Byshop Abbot in his Animad in Thomps Diatr cap. 7. by Dr. Benefield in his booke de Persen Sanctorum lib. 1. cap. 14. by Dr. Prideaux in his sixth Lecture by the Whole Synode of Dort in the 5. Article and by diuers others and hee knowes it to be but a meere nonsequitur admitting the Antecedent to be true and yet that he might deceiue the ignorant and the ouer-credulous hee makes no bones to publish it as an Orthodox and inuincible Argument Alas Mr. Mountague what is become of your honestie in the meane time who would thus deceiue both God and Man yea and your owne Mother Church by charging her with such a damnable and pernicious Tenent doctrine and assertion and that vpon such weake and ridiculous grounds as these I haue now sufficiently proued The totall and finall Apostacy of the Saints from grace not to be the receiued and resolued doctrine of the learnedest in the Church of England nor yet of the Articles Homilies or Common prayer booke of our English Church and so by consequence I haue acquitted the Church o◅ England of this pernicious doctrine which Mr. Mountague would scandalously lay vpon it I will now in the fourth and last place proue the totall and finall perseuerance of the Saints to be the established resolued and receiued Doctrine of the Church of England and that by this vnanswerable Argument That assertion doctrine and position which is ratified and confirmed by the 17. Article by the Articles of Lambe◅h and Ireland and agreed vpon by the royall Synode of Hampton Court That assertion Doctrine and position which the learnedest in the Church of England haue with one vnanimous consent not only published and taught in their seuerall parishes Cures but likewise publikely maintained and defended in the Schooles in both our Vniuersities from time to time and in their learned writings set forth by publike authoritie and approbation as the established and receiued Doctrine of the Church of England must needs be the receiued established and resolued Doctrine of the Church of England But this assertion Doctrine and position That such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuely faith can neither finally nor totally fall from grace is ratified and confirmed by the 17. Article by the Articles of Lambeth and Ireland and agreed vpon by the royall Synod of Hampton Court and the learnedest in the Church of England haue with one vnanimous consent not only published it in their seuerall Parishes and Cures but likewise publikely maintained and defend◅ it in the Schooles in both our Vniuersities from time to time and in their learned writings set forth by publike authority and approbation as the established and receiued Doctrine of the Church of England all which I haue already proued in the premises Therefore it must needs be the receiued established and resolued Doctrine of the Church of England Yea but Mr. Mountague in his Appello Caesarem affirmes the contrary True he doth so but is Mr. Mountague a Pope that he cannot erre or lie or that our Church of England should bee included in his brest alone or are Mr. Mountagues words such Gospell that men must of necessity beleeue them because hee speakes them Perhaps they may be so with some with mee they are not nay they shall not bee But if there are any who are so much deuoted to Mr. Mountague that they will pinne their faith vpon Mr. Mountagues sleeue and beleeue none else but he Let them consider but these three things which I will not only propound but proue vnto them The first ◅his That as Mr. Mountague hath all hee hath excepting that of our Homilies touching our present controuersie out of that arch Arminian Bertius and that Arch Papist Bellarmme so hee hath this among other things that this doctrine of a totall and finall fall from grace is the receiued doctrine of the Church of England They are Bertius his words in his booke de Apostata sanctorum pag. 107. In his Preface to the same booke and in his Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury as you may see in King IAMES his
established doctrine of our Church is yet the doctrine of the Church and I am ready to recant In which words as Mr. Mountague hath vsed a pretty sleight to keepe off men from writing or speaking against him lest they should come within the compasse of these two hatefull names Puritan and Papist so he hath discouered himselfe egregiously vnto the world and that in these particulars First hee hath discouered himselfe to be a meere Roman Catholicke in heart what euer he professe in words in hauing his beliefe and faith not grounded on the word of God but on the Church Hee beleeues only as the Church beleeues and not otherwise let come what will the Churches faith shall still bee his If our Church will owne this doctrine of his then hee will defend it then hee will teach it if our Church will not owne it then hee will disclaime it and recant it not because that this his doctrine is in it selfe true or false but meerely because it is the doctrine of the Church Now for any man thus to tie and pinne his faith vpon the Church and vpon that only what is it but to bee a professed Romane Catholicke Secondly by these his words hee hath discouered himselfe to be but a meere temporizer a meere Proteus and Chamelion a meere Neuter and a man of all religions as time and place shall serue and so a man of no religion or grace at all Let the Church of England not owne this doctrine of a totall and finall fall from grace Mr. Mountague will forthwith disclaime it though hee himselfe hath affirmed it to bee the doctrine of the Scriptures Fathers and of the learnedest in the Church of England So that his Tenets and religion shall bee alwayes altered and changed with the times and seasons And will you my Brethren receiue this for a sound and orthodox truth and as the receiued doctrine of the Church of England when as Mr. Mountague himselfe is as ready to disclaime it as to owne it will you suspend and pinne your faith your judgement and religion vpon Mr. Mountagues sleeue whose religion is but a meere Weather-cocke that is altered and turned about with euery blast and change in Church or State and who hath yet no other positiue or resolued religion in him but only this to be of no religion or of any religion as the times shall serue O hazard hazard not your soules vpon such vncertainties but rather sticke and cleaue to such who will sooner loose their liues and all they haue then bee remoued from this present truth which none of our Antagonists will dare to doe in defence of these their Errors And now seeing I haue made it manifest vnto your soules and consciences by vndeniable proofes and testimonies against the forgeries of Mr. Mountague and his Abbettors that this assertion of the totall and finall perseuerance of the Saints is not only the positiue established and resolued doctrine of the Scriptures but likewise of the ancient Fathers of all the Protestant Churches beyond the Seas and of this our Mother Church of England ô then if you tender the glory honour and authority both of the God and word of truth which shall judge you at the laâ—…t if you reuerence and respect the authority of the ancient Fathers and of all the Churches of God or if you tender the peace the good and welsare of this your Mother Church be willing to submit and yeeld vnto the truth What if Mr. Monntague what if men of greater worth and place then hee oppugne and contradict this truth what if carnall men of great abilities and parts who are no more able to judge of this our present assertion then blinde men are of colours because it is a sensible and experimentall a spirituall and heauenly truth which is principally testified and reuealed to the soules of men by the inward operation of Gods Spirit and is not subject vnto carnall reason doe publish this as a sound and orthodox truth That the true regenerate Saints of God may Apostatize and fall both totally and finally from grace are not the Scriptures and the word of God are not the Fathâ—…rs and the Churches of God and thoâ—…e many godly learned and famous writers which I haue cited who haue farre transcended them euen in parts learning of better credit and repute with you then they If not then farwell all religion let Poperie and Arminianisme let herisie and Atheisme rule and sway the world But if the Scriptures if the Fathers if all the Churches of God and all those worthies which they haue produced haue any estimate or credit with you then striue contend and stirre no more in this our present controuersie nor yet in any other that depends vpon it but willingly subscribe to this most orthodox sound and comfortable assertion of ours which is the only proppe and pillar of a Christian soule and the only thing which makes men liue and die with joy and comfort which they haue all ratified and resolued with one vnanimous and joynt consent That those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuely faith can neither finally nor totally fall from grace AN ANSWER TO THE Arguments which may be objected HAuing thus as I suppose sufficiently and fully proued the truth of this position That those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuely faith can neither finally nor totally fall from grace By vnanswerable proofes and Arguments there is nothing now remaining but that I should giue a satisfactory answer to all such Arguments and texts of Scripture as either are or may be objected to the contrarie and then I doubt not but that this truth will bee so cleere and euident in the hearts and consciences of men that they shall neuer dare for to resist it or oppose it more Now that I may the better answer and cleere those Arguments which shal be obiected I would first of all intreate you to take speciall notice of two things which I shall propound vnto you which will take off all future objections that are made against me and giue a finall determination to the point in question The first thing I would wish you to obserue is this That there is no place or text of Scripture which doth either expressely positiuely or totidem verbis say or else by way of necessarie and vndeniable consequence proue That a true regenerate man and one that is truly ingrafted into Christ can either finally or totally fall from the state of grace but that all the Arguments which are objected from the Scriptures are nothing else but bare inferences and wrested Collections contrary to the true scope and meaning of the places There is not any of our Antagonists that can shew me any expresse absolute and positiue text of Scripture which doth either in expresse words or by way of necessary sound and ineuitable consequence confute this Doctrine of the
affirme that it is not the Doctrine of the Church of England and that these words of the Common prayer Booke doe not warrant it And lastly if all these faile me I shall denie the Argument and proue vnto you that it followes not and that though the Antecedent and the Argument were both true yet that they are both impertinent to our present purpose For the first of these that all Infants that are baptized are not by their very Baptisme truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ but only Sacramentally I shall make it good by these subsequent reasons First because the Sacraments doe neuer conuey any inward and spirituall grace which may truly regenerate and ingraft men into Christ but where there is the hand of faith for to receiue them and that grace which is conueyed by them This is euident by Mark 16. 16. not he that is baptized only but he that beleeueth is baptized shall bee saued but hee that beleeueth not though hee be batized shall bee damned therefore it is not baptisme of it selfe but faith which doth regenerate and saue men So Acts 8. 36. 37. When the Aethiopian Eunuch demanded of Philip behold here is water what doth hinder mee to be baptized Philip returnes him this answer If thou beleeuest withall thine heart thou maist intimating that his baptisme without faith would doe him no good at all that it could not regenerate him nor yet conuey any grace into his soule So Gal. 3. 26 27. Yee are all the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus for as many of you as were baptized into Christ haue put on Christ. It was the Galathians faith and not their Baptisme which made them the adopted sonnes of God for in Christ Iesus neither circumcision auaileth any thing no nor yet Baptisme which succeedeth it neither vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue Gal. 5. 6. Baptisme without faith is in effectuall it may wash and purifie the body but it can neuer wash purifie regenerate and cleanse the soule vnlesse it bee accompanied with faith which workes by loue and with true repentance For it is faith only that purifieth the heart Acts 15. 8. it is Repentance and not Baptisme that doth wash away our sinnes Baptisme without repentance it cannot doe it therefore Peter Acts 2. 36 37 38. doth joyne them both together For when his auditors that were pricked at the heart demanded of him what they should doe Hee answers them thus Repent and bee baptized in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and yee shall receiue the gift of the holy Ghost If Baptisme without repentance had beene sufficient to haue regenerated them and purified them from their sins Peter would neuer haue aduised them for to repent withall for that had beene superfluous but his joyning of repentance and baptisme thus together intimates that the one is not effectuall without the other It is faith only that doth iustifie vs and ingraft vs into Christ Rom. 4. 3. 5. cap. 5. 1. 2 Cor. 13. 5. Gal. 5. 6. and Ephes. 2. 8. it is faith onely that doth make the Sacraments effectuall to regenerate vs and ingraft vs into Christ this I am sure is the doctrine of our Church Now all those Infants which are baptized no nor all those that are baptized at their ripe yeares be they Anâ—…baptists or such as are newly conuerted to the faith they haue not this grace of true sauing and justifying faith within them and therefore they are not truly regenerated by their baptisme As it is said of the word of God Heb. 4. 2. that it profited them not because it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it So I may say of Baptisme that it regenerates not all Infants because all haue not faith that doe receiue it Secondly all Infants that are baptized are not truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by their very baptisme because this would make the Sacrament of baptisme effectuall to all that doe receiue it which cannot be First because that this would make baptisme to bee quite different from all the other ordinances of God and meanes of grace For the Sacrament of the Lords Supper it profits not all alike to all vnworthy communicants it is the cause of damnation it is a cause of grace to none but such as doe receiue in a worthy manner so the word of God though it be the sauour of life vnto life to some yet it is the sauour of death vnto death to others that doe heare it 2 Cor. 2 16. So it is of all the other meanes of grace whatsoeuer they are not effectuall to worke grace in all and therefore Baptisme cannot doe it There is the same reason of all Gods ordinances where one of them is effectuall all of them are effectuall where one of them is ineffectuall there all of them are ineffectuall to for else there should be a great confusion and jarring in the ordinances of God a man should then bee saued by one ordinance of God suppose by Baptisme and damned by another by the vnworthy receiuing of the Lords Supper or by the vnprofitable hearing of the word of God which the God of order peace and vnion can neuer suffer There is a sweet harmonie and mutuall agreement betweene all the meanes of grace and ordinances of God they alwayes goe hand in hand together they all worke within the same sphere and compasse one of them is no larger then the other where one is effectuall there the others are or at least may be to Wherefore since the other ordinances of God are not effectuall to regenerate and to worke grace in all no more can Baptisme doe it Secondly Baptisme cannot regenerate all alike because circumcision which was a type of Baptisme did not doe it All those that were circumcised with the outward circumcision of the flesh were not circumcised with the inward circumcision of the heart and spirit whose praise is not of man but of God Rom. 2. 28 29. therefore all those that are outwardly baptized with water are not inwardly baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire Baptisme is come in the place of circumcision and therefore it must be of the same effect as circumcision was and so it is For as there was an outward circumcision of the flesh which was common to all and an inward circumcision of the heart which was proper only to the elect of God so there is an outward Baptisme or putting away of the filth of the flesh only which is common to all but saues none and an inward baptisme of the Spirit which is the answer of a good conscience towards God this is the Baptisme which doth regenerate and saue men of which all that are baptized are not partakers but only such as are elected to saluation Thirdly all that are baptized are not alike regenerated by their baptisme because this would take away the libertie of Gods Spirit which breatheth when and where it listeth
neuer elected or chosen to saluation And whereas you say that hee was giuen by God to Christ true as a sonne of perdition as the same text tells you not as a sheepe of Christ as a traytor not as a friend as a Disciple not as a Saint as one ordained to destruction that the Scripture might be fulfilled nor as one elected to saluation therefore this example comes as short of the purpose as Iudas did of grace The seuenth Example is Salomon Salomon he was a regenerate Saint of God But hee fell away from grace in committing idolatrie 1 Kings 11. 1. to 13. Therefore other regenerate men as well as hee may fall from grace To this I answer that it is not fully agreed vpon by Diuines whether Salomon though God indued him with excellent parts and wisdome beyond all those that were before or after him were euer truly regenerated yea or no if hee were not truly regenerated then hee is not within the verge and compasse of our present question if hee were regenerated as most Diuines doe thinke I answer that though Salomon in his old and doting age was led away vnto idolatrie by reason of those idolatrous wiues the which hee married yet there is no place of Scripture that proues that he fell totally from grace there are three places which doe strongly proue the contrary to wit the 1 Kings 11. 6. where it is said that Salomon went not fully after the Lord his God as did Dauid his father which word fully implyeth that hee did still follow the Lord notwithstanding his idolatry but not so fully as hee should haue done not so fully as Dauid did Psal. 68. 30. to 38. and 2 Sam. 7. 13. 14. where God bindes himselfe by his oath and couenant to Dauid that though Solomon should sinne against him yet his mercy should not depart from him as hee tooke it from Saul that he would not vtterly take from him his louing kindnesse nor suffer his faithfulnesse to faile that hee would not breake his couenant with him nor alter the thing that was gon out of his lips but that hee would establish him for euer before him though hee did visite his iniquitie with rods and his sin with scourges which places being compared with his Ecclesiastes which most take to bee a penetentiary booke for his idolatry and other sinnes will fully proue that Solomon did neither finally nor totally fall from grace To auoide prolixity and to end these examples Saul Asa Ioash Symon Magus The Elders of the Church of Ephesus Demas Hymeneus and Alexander Those of whom Christ prophecied that their loue should waxe cold Mat. 24. 12. Those of whom Paul and Peter and lude prophecied that they should depart from the faith and sedâ—…ce many all these say our Antagonists were true regenerate men they had the Spirit and true faith But all these they fell away from grace either totally or finally Therefore true regenerate men may fall from grace I answer that the Major is false these had no true grace at all they were neuer in the number of Christs sheepe for then they would haue continued with the residue of his flocke that went not from the fold but they went out from them that it might bee made manifest that they were not of them 1 Iohn 2. 19. If any of these by the verdict of the Scriptures had the Spirit it was but only the ordinary and common gifts but not the justifying sanctifying and sauing graces of the Spirit If any of them had any faith it was an historicall not a justifying and sauing faith and the faith from which they departed was nothing else but the doctrine of faith and not the grace of justifying and liuing faith as is euident by Acts 20. 30. Phil. 1. 27. 1 Tim. 1. 18 19 20. cap. 4. 1 2 3. 2 Tim. 3. 8 9. and 2 Pet. 2. 1. 2 3. Iude 3. The loue the which they had it was but counterfeite for many waters cannot quench true loue neither can the floods drowne it Can. 8. 7. Yea the very Scriptures from which these examples are taken do distinguish them from the Saints of God and reckon them as hypocrites as wicked and prophane persons as gracelesse men as reprobates as the seede and children of the diuell so that I cannot chuse but wonder at the impudencie of our Antagonists who will canonize them for Saints and godly men against the manifest and reuealed truth of God as if they knew them better then God himselfe and therefore since God himselfe hath branded them for hypocrites they come not to the point in question The twenty eight and last argument is drawne from those dangerous consequencies which would follow vpon this doctrine of the finall and totall perseuerance of the Saints Bertius he enumerates and musters vp some sixteene of them the most of which are but meere trifles and not worth the answering I will only cull out three of them which are the chiefe and most commonly objected by all our Antagâ—…nists and will waiue the other as idle and impertinent The first inconuenience which is obiected is this That this our assertion would make men very bold and presumptious to commit sinne when once they are regenerated because they could not fall from grace nor yet bee damned for it I answer that you are much mistaken and this your argument shewes plainely to the world that you who vrge and presse it were neuer yet acquainted either with the nature or the power of true and sauing grace nor yet with the mysteries and secrets of the word of God For if euer you had bin acquainted with the power and tâ—…uth of grace or with the Scriptures and the word of God you could neuer reason so carnally so rawly and ignorantly as now you doe the want of grace and the ignorance of the Scriptures is that which makes you argue thus that which makes you for to measure the Saints of God by your owne selues when as they haue not so learned Christ as you haue done If you were but acquainted with the Scriptures or with the nature of true and sanctifying grace you should finde that notwithstanding the true regenerate Saints of God could neither finally nor totally fall from grace yet they dare not sinne either willingly or wittingly against the Lord for these insuing reasons First because their hearts and natures are changed and regenerated sinne now becomes as odious and distastfull vnto them in their proportion and degree as it is to God himselfe they hate and detest yea they do vtterly defie and abhor from their very hearts and soules all kinde of sinne they hate it with an implacable and perfect hatred as an odious dangerous and bitter thing and as the greatest enemy of their soules therefore they will not therefore they cannot commit it Strange it is that any man should so much mistake himselfe as to thinke that perseuerance in the state of grace which is the
peace and safetie of this our Church which is committed to your charge as you tender your owne honor and reputation with God man or that great account which you must shortly make to God of that great stewardship of his which is committed to you if you â—…ender the good and comfort of your owne soule both here and hereafter if you would haue Iesus Christ to owne you and not to bee ashamed of you at the last when hee shall come in the glory of his Father with all his holy Angells if you would not bee cast with those other fearefull ones into that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone for euer take heart and courage for the Lord of hoasts and for his truth and cause which now are likely to miscarie Suffer not his word and truth to bee betrayed and suppressed by scismaticall factious and Antechristian spirits for want of supportation and defence but since the eyes of God and man are cast vpon you execute stirre vp and act that place and power which God and man haue giuen to you to the quelling of heresy and scisme to the extirpation of Poperie and Arminianisme which are now flowing in so fast vpon vs that they doe euen threaten a sodaine inundation and deluge to vs to the subuersion of the kingdome of Satan and Antechrisâ—… to the maintaining and inlarging of the kingdome of Iesus Christ and to the establishing of that glorious truth and Gospell which hath flourished and shined so long among vs to the admiration and mirror of our friends and to the griefe and enuy of our aduersaries Let not feare and cowardice let not flesh and blood or any other impediment whatsoeuer daunt your courage or coole your loue and zeale to Christ or to his cause but be willing to denie your selfe to part with all for him who hath euen denied himselfe and parted with his life and all for you And here I would intreate your Grace to pardon this my boldnesse and my rudenesse with you which though modesty and manners might caâ—…e mee to forbeare yet piety and zeale to God and to his truth and loue to this my Mother Church together with the necessity and extremitie of the times hath made me guilty of it I hope not faulty in it and withall I humblie consecrate these Firstlings of my studies being nothing else but a iust defence of a comfortable and Orthodox point of faith which hath long beene setled and established in this our Church and in all reformed Churches beyond the seas which if your Grace will but vouchsafe to Patronize and shelter they shall not feele they will not feare a totall or a finall 〈◊〉 Now the God of all Grace so beautifie and adorne your Grace with all the graces of his Spirit so fill and replenish you with zeale with fortitude and courage for the truth and so firmely settle and establish you in the glorious and happy estate of true and sauing grace that neither your Grace nor yet that truth and Gospell which 〈◊〉 now inioy may euer feele a finall totall or a partiall fall Your Graces in all humble submission and respect WILLIAM PRYNNE TO THE CHRISTIAN READER CHristian Reader when as I had well considered with my selfe the great danger and combustion that was likely to befall our Church and State by reason of some dangerous points of Pelagianisme Poperie and Arminianisme which some factious and nouillizing spirits haue lately broched and set on foote among vs as the receiued positiue and resolued doctrines not only of the Scriptures Fathers and Protestant Churches in forraine parts but likewise of the Church of England I supposed that I could not performe a better peece of seruice to God or to our Church and State then to cast in my Mite among the rest and to indeauour according to my poore ability to stoppe the streame and current of these late reuiued and new minted Errors which by reason of the learning fame and greatnesse of their Patrons and the deprauation of mans nature which is alwayes more propense and prone to Error then to truth and holinesse are like to threaten a generall and vniuersall deluge to our Church and State if authority preuent them not in time Vpon this I resolued to put my penne to Paper and thereupon I selected and culled out from among the rest this hereticall and pernicious Error Of the totall and finall Apostacie of the Saints from grace to combate and to grapple with The reasons which moued me to single out this one aboue all or any of the rest were these First because this Error is most of all insisted and stood vpon and is more peremptorily maintained and dâ—fended then any of the rest and therefore requires the speediest and the strongest opposition Secondly because this Error by reason of a misreported confereÌ„ce hath drawne more disciples and parties after it than any of the rest it hath found more Patrons of late among vs than any other Error that I know and therefore I thought that I should doe the greatest good in opposing and suppressing the most infectious and spreading Error Thirdly I made choyce of this aboue the rest because it was a part of Pelagianisme heretofore and it is but a point of pure Popery and Arminianisme now and therefore I presumed that I might with greater boldnesse and audacitie and with lesse offence to any aduenture to refell it especially since those who now defend it produce no other reasons arguments answers or authorities than those which the Pelagians Papists and Arminians haue framed and collected to their hands before without any new addition of their owne Fourthly I made choyce of this to vindicate the Church of England the Fathers Scriptures and Protestants in forraine parts from the false calumnies of those who would make all these the Patrons of this Error when as they haue all with one vnanimous consent condemned censured and refuted it yea and resolued against it as against a dangerous and hereticall position Fifely I made choyce of this because the sound confutation of it will ouerthrow the whole frame and fabricke of Arminianisme it will likewise out off a great part of Poperie and it will in effect suppresse and quite subuert the most of all those Errors Which haue beene lately broched among vs. For if this totall and finall Apostacie of the Saints bee once proued to be but an Error then the doctrines of Vniuersall Grace of Free-will of Election from the fore-sight of saith that such men as were neuer elected to saluation haue true saith that the number of the elect is vncertaine that the sinnes of the Saints doe cut them off from Christ that all these who are baptized are regenerated that the Sacraments conuey grace alike to all ex opere operato that there are some sinnes which are not mortall in their owne nature that men ought to doubt and that they cannot be certainely assured of their owne saluation without some
and directly to condemne abhorre contemne oppose and persecute grace in any of the Saints and therefore to auoide the infamy and shame of men and to restraine and blinde his owne conscience which else would flie into his face hee vseth some pretence or other that so he may with lesse suspicion and with greater boldnesse disgorge his malice and his spight against it Againe consider that there is nothing so crosse and contrary so odious and hatefull to vnregenerate and carnall men as the very power and truth of grace and holinesse nothing is there in the world that carnall men abhorre and loathe so much nothing is there that they hate with such a bitter exorbitant vnlimited and implacable detestation as that power of grace and that image of holinesse which shines so glorious and resplendent in the liues and actions of the Saints this makes them fret and fume and mads them to the heart And lastly consider seriously and in good earnest with your selues because it is a matter which concernes your soules that there alwaies haue been are all shall be a generaâ—…ion of men vpon the earth which shall be hated scorned persecuted reproched reuiled accused slandered and condemned euen of all sorts of men for no crime no cause or sinne at all bur only for their new their gratious godly and their holy liues and for their hatred and detestation of all kinde of sinne Now lay all these together and sâ—…e what men there are in all the world who are generally hated reproched condemned scorned persecuted disdained â—…euiled falsly accused see what manner of men they are whose names are cast out as euill and who haue all manner of euill spoken against them falsely by all sorts and kindes of men and thaâ—… only for the syncere profession of the name of Christ for the vprightnesse and synceritie of their hearts for the puritie and holinesse of their liues and for the auoyding of all kinde of sinne and then you shall finde that these and these onely whom you accuse censure and condemne for Puritans are the men for they onely are hated of all sorts and kindes of men Papists Protestants Arminians ciuill and morrall men prophane and loose persons young and old rich and poore Clergie and Laitie they all doe band and set against them they all reuile reproch accuse condemne deride persecute slander and abhorre them they all auoide and shun them more or lesse and separate them from their companie they all distaste them in their hearts they all cast out their names as euill and prosecute them euen with virulent and bitter hatred as farre as oportunitie law or power will giue them leaue yea many men are so rauing mad against them that they could wish as Caligula did of the Romans that they had all but one neck that so they might cut them of at a blow and all this is for no other cause at all but because they are too pure and precise to holy and religious because they are too frequent in hearing and reading of Gods word in prayer and such like holy duties because they will reproue men for their euill courses and will not beare them company in their sinnes because they will not sweare whore drinke dice game inordinately mispend their time haunt Playes and Tauernes and play the good fellowes as others doe because they speake against Pluralities Nonresidents and lazie or good-fellow Pastors who either starue and quite neglect or else mislead their flockes If all men would be prophane and wicked and make no bones of sinne there would not be a â—…uritan in the world If therefore Puritans are such men as these if they are the best the dearest and holiest Saints of God as there is no doubt or question but they are if you will but giue your owne consciences libertie â—…or to determine it your accusation then that none but Puritans doe defend â—…his Doctrine will be so farre from disparaging of it that it doth highly grace and honour it and proue you who doe oppose and contradict it to be but prophaue licentious carnall and gracelesse persons and vtter enemies to all grace and goodnesse And now since I haue made it manifest vnto your vnderstandings at least vnto your consciences that Puritans are not the men you take them or rather such men as you would haue them for to be forbeare from hence-forth to hate to scorne to disdaine reproach accuse deride condemne oppose and slander them without a cause as formerly you haue done for feare lest whiles you bend your tongues your hearts your malice and your force against them for standing close vnto the truth and for manifesting the very power and truth of grace and holinesse in their liues you take vp armes against the Lord of Hoasts and King of heauen and wrecke your soules vpon that rocke and sinne against the holy Ghost which shall neuer be forgiuen But admit now that none but Puritans maintaine our present assertion that is as you in part intend it that none but Caluinists oâ—… men infected with Geneuanisme doe defend it must it therefore be a Puritan doctrine must it therefore be a false position doth the qualitie or condition of the Patrons make truth to be no truth consider I pray a little of it and then reflect vpon your selues perchance it may be some disparagement to your cause But say that the qualitie of the Patrons doth change and alter the very nature of the truth are Caluin and his followers so vndeseruing of the Church of God or is the Church of Geneua or the Belgicke Churches so subiect vnto Errors in their doctrine that this should not be truth because that these defend it Surely though I will â—…ot wholly pinne my faith on Caluins sleeue nor canonize him for a Saint stiling him St. Caluin as some of you haue done it in disdaine and scorne though I make no doubt but he is now a Saint with God in heauen yet this I will say vnto the best the proudest and the learnedest of you that the name of Caluin shall be remembred and renowned in the Church of God when as your names shall rotte and be forgotten And as for the Church of Geneua and the Belgick Churches though they differ from vs in their discipline yet none but Papists or Arminians can cauell at their Doctrine if you are such as you must be such if you continue to oppose our present assertion goe on and cauell at them whiles you will your cauells will but honour them not disgrace them and this our cause shall neuer fare the worse because it hath these Patrons to defend it Since therefore the quality of the Patrons of this truth can neuer change the nature of it and make it not to be a truth since Puritans appearing in their proper colours are men of greater grace and holinesse than the best of those who slander them and stile them so and are not such in truth as they are commonly taken and
11. 12. pag. 300. The sixteenth from 2 Cor. 6. 1. and 1 Cor. 15. 2. pag. 301. The seuenteenth from Psal 27. 9 11. Psal. 51. 11. Psal. 71. 9. pag. 302. The eighteenth from Gal 5. 4. pag. 304. The ninteenth from Prou 30. 8. 9. pag. 305. The twentieth from 1 Thes. 5. 19. pag. 306. The twenty one from 2 Iohâ—… 8. pag. 307. The twenty two from Psal. 119. 176. pag. 309. The twenty three from 1 Cor. 6. 15 16. pag. 310. The twenty foure That a regenerate man may fall into a grosse knowne and scandalous sinne and lye in it for a time or dye in it without repentance therefore he may fall from grace pag. 312. The twenty fiue That a regenerate man may be excommunicated and therefore he may fall from grace pag. 342. The twenty sixe That infants which are regenerated in their baptisme may fall from grace and therefore true regenerate men pag. 343. where that place of Gal. 3. 27 and the words obiected out of the Common prayer booke are answered and the vse the efficacy and the end of baptisme are declared The twenty seuenth argument is from examples pag. 364. which are of three sorts The first of Adam and the Angells pag. 365. The second from whole Churches pag. 368. as the Church of the Iewes pag. 369. The Church of the Galathians pag. 370. The Churches of Ephesus Smyrna Thyatira and Pergamus pag. 372. The third from particular Saints as the second and third ground pag. 383 those in Iohn 2. 23 24. pag. 375. The Disciples who went backe from Christ Iohn 6. 66. pag. 377. Dauid pag. 378. Peter pag. 385. Iudas pag. 391. Solomon pag. 393. Saul Aâ—…a Ioash Simon Magus the Elders of the Church of Ephesus Demas Hymenens Alexander those of Math 24. 24. and the rest of whom Paul Peter and Iude haue prophecied that they should depart from the faith pag. 393. 394. The twenty eighth and last argument is from the incâ—…cies of this our assertion pag. 394. which are three First it would make men presumptions bold to sin pa. 395. Secondly it would make men negligent and sloathfull in Gods seruice pag. 399. Thirdly it would make men proud arrogant pag. 403. And this is the substance of this third generall part The fourth last part of this worke consists of two profitable vses drawne from this assertion pag. 406. The first is a vse of exhortation to incite stirre vp all men to seeke prise the state of grace which is so permanent pag. 406. The second a vse of exhortation to the true Saints of God to comfort and reioyce their soules in the consideration of the perpetuity of their state of grace pag. 408. And thus you haue the compendium summe substance of this Treatise THE PERPETVITIE OF A REGENERATE MANS ESTATE WHEREIN IT is proued by sundry arguments reasons and authorities That such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuely faith can neither Finally nor Totally fall from grace c. IT is the expresse voyce and testimony both of the Spirit and the word of God that in the latter times and ages of the world there shall be some false teachers in the Church which priuily shall bring in damnable haeresies and pernitious doctrines euen denying the Lord that bought them and bring vpon them selues swift damnation Yea the same Spirit and word of God doe testifie that as there shall bee such false teachers in the world so likewise that there shall be many who departing from the faith and turning their eares from the truth shall giue heed to their seducing and erronious spirits and follow their pernitious wayes and doctrines insomuch that wholsome doctrine and the very way of truth itselfe shall be euill spoken of I would to God these prophecies and praedictions were not so truly and experimentally fulfilled in these last and euill daies of ours wherein we may truly say that there are some false teachers crept in among vs who priuily haue brought in damnable doctrines vnder the spetious pretence and coulour of the doctrine of our Church almost to the deniall of that Lord which bought them to the seducing of many ignorant and vnstable soules and to the scandall and reproach both of the word and way of truth Who and what those persons and these doctrines 〈◊〉 I need not for to mention the publicke fame hath made them so notorious that it would be altogether idle and superfluous for me to point and chalke them out Wherefore passing by the perâ—…ons I shall onely single out one pestilent and pernitious doctrine which they doe maintaine to wit the Totall and finall Apostacy of the Saints the which I here intend for to incounter not with the weake and feeble armes of fleshly wisdome but with the all conquering and all-subduing sword of the Spirit the word of God Now that I may not fight as one that beats the ayre nor trouble you with a long discourse to little purpose before I come to grapple with the aduersaries I will briefly and perspicuously relate the state and substance of that controuersie which is betweene vs. The question and controuersie 〈◊〉 selfe is onely this Whether those that are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liâ—…ely faith may either finally or totally fall from grace For the full and cleare vnderstanding of which you must take notice of two distinctions the first concerning regenerate men and such as are in thâ—… state of Grace the second concerning Grace it selfe Of regenâ—…rate men and such as are in the state of Grace there are two sorts The first are such as are regenerated and inuested into the state of Grace onely in outward shew and in the bare opinion of men but not in sincerity and truth these they are not within the question for though they make an outward shew and flourish of Grace vnto the world yet they had neuer any truth of sauing Grace within them and therefore we grant that such as these may both finally and totally fall away from that hypocriticall and superficiall shew of Grace the which they made The second sort of regenerate men are such as are regenerated in sinceritie and truth and not in outward shew onely such as haue really the seeeds and habits of true and sauing Grace within them of these onely is the present question and of these wee doe affirme that they can neither finally nor totally fall from Grace For Grace it selfe which is the second thing you must obserue that it hath a double acception in the Scriptures First it is taken for the free loue and mercy of God in Christ Iesus secondly it is taken for the graces which are wrought in men by the holy Ghost in this latter sense onely and not in the former is Grace taken in our present question Now these Graces of Gods Spirit they are of two sorts First there are ordinary and common Graces
girdeth their loines with a girdle He leadeth Princes away spoiled and ouerthroweth the mighty Hee remoueth away the speech of the trusty and taketh away the vnderstanding of the aged He powreth contempt vpon Princes and weakneth the strength of the mighty He increaseth the nations and destroyeth them hee inlargeth the nations and straitneth them againe He taketh away the heart of the chiefe of the people of the earth and causeth them to wander in a wildernesse where there is no way Iob 12 13 to 25. If our wills were in our owne powers not in Gods alone why then doe we dayly pray to God thy kingdome come thy will be done on earth as it is in heauen and leade vs not into temptation but deliuer us from euill this prayer were but vaine idle if our wills were our owne if God had no kingdome and power ouer vs to sway and rule vs as he pleaseth If our wills are free if wee may cast away that grace which God hath giuen vs and hath likewise couenanted to preserue it in vs why then doe wee call the Lord our God our King our Master and our Gouernour and why doth the Scripture certifie vs that our soules our spirits and our selues are not our owne but Gods and that it is God onely that worketh in vs both the will and the deede of his good pleasure 1 Cor 6 29. and Phil 2 13 Certainely if God be God Lord and King ouer vs as hee is if our hearts our wills and all our wayes are in his hands to dispose of them at his pleasure as wee must needes confesse they are vnlesse wee will turne Atheists and deny his Diety then when as God himselfe doth absolutely promise and vndertake to preserue and keepe 〈◊〉 Saints from falling and to establish them so that they shall not nor cannot for euer be remoued this their slight and supposition if they continue faithfull or vnlesse they will themselues must needes be false and idle or else you must of necessity grant that those whom God himselfe hath promised to keepe from falling and to establish so that they can neuer possible be remoued may fall away from grace which doth not onely falsifie the Scriptures and the promises of God but likewise pull God out of heauen and either make him to be no God at all or else sets man aboue him which is blasphemous and atheisticall Lastly If this their answere to the absolute promises and texts of Scriptute which we alledge against them were once admitted to be true then marke what dangerous consequents would follow vpon it First it would be a meanes to shake the very foundations principals and pillars of religion For if a thing which is absolutey true be not absolutly true which is the very summe and substance of all their answeres if that which God hath promised to establish for euer to keepe from falling and departing from him may notwithstanding fall and come to ruine if it will it selfe and that it is safe onely if it continue or as long as it continues then marke what a ready way they make for Atheists and Infidels to delude all those fundamentall truths which are deliuered and set downe in Scripture For if I were an Atheist and an Infidel and they should come to conuert or confute me by the Scriptures or by reason If they should now produce any argument or text of Scripture to proue that there were a God to proue that there were a Christ or an holy Ghost or to proue that there were a Church or to proue any such fundamentall truthes I would shift them of with this sleeuelesse answere of their owne true it is that there is an eternall God there is a Christ and an holy Ghost there is a Church of God if they continue or as long as they continue and then I would inferre as they do vpon this answere but they doe not continue and therefore they are not What answer could they giuâ—… me if this their owne cuasion would hold water and goe for câ—…rrant certainely none at all Yea but they will obiect that the Scripture saith that the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are eternall and that the Church of God continueth and abideth for euer and therefore this answere if they continue or as long as they continue is very repugnant And doth not the Scripture say as positiuely that the righteous shall neuer be remoued that they shall stand fast for euer that their faith and graces shall neuer faile that the holy Ghost shall abide with them for euer that they shall neuer faile or perish Where then I pray you stands the difference If this answer of theirs bee repugnant and contradictorie in the one why should it not bee so in the other to Yea but God is eternall in his owne Nature and so in this there is a difference And is not grace an immortall and incorruptible seed a treasure which neither rust nor moth can corrupt nor theeues breake through and steale the Scripture I am sure stiles it so Yea Christians themselues that are once illuminated with the spirit of Grace they are immortall through grace the second death shall haue no power ouer them and they shall die no more Reu. 20 6. and Rom. 6. 10 11. Therefore if Christians are immortall and euerlasting by Grace and if that Grace which we haue now by Christ be of an incorruptible nature as well as God is eternall if it be absurd to suppose that God may not continue and abide for euer or to say that he is eternall vnlesse hee will himselfe it must likewise be absurd to suppose that Grace which is immortall and incorruptible that the Saints of God who shall stand fast for euer and cannot be remoued may notwithstanding cease to be and fall from grace and perish So that you see plainely that this euasion of theirs if it were admitted would vtterly subvert and ouerturne the very grounds principles and foundation of Religion Secondly if this their shifting answer should be admitted it would make the word of God but a meere nugation a meere tantologie a vaine absurd and idle thing a thing meerely repugnant and crosse vnto it selfe Absolute things must then be conditionall plaine things will become obscure expresse and absolute promises must bee suspended vpon vaine and idle suppositions mens graces then should alwaies increase and never faile and yet they should be lost and faile the Saints then should neuer fall perish or be remoued and yet they should fall quite away from grace they should perish and bee remoued they should not bee able to deparâ—… from God and yet they should depart the Scriptures in which there is no iarre at all should then bee full of contradictions or nugations Yea Scripture would become no Scripture truth no truth God no God if this their shift anfwer and euasion should be admitted to be true And therefore wee reiect this
gratniti pars 2. sect 15. 18. to 24. Gorrutius de Prouidentia lib. 14 cap. 5 6 7. Heerbrandus in his Compendium Theolog. Locus de Electione pag. 438 439. Hutterus in his Loci Com. Locus 13. de Praedestinatione quest 5 9 12 13. Tossanus in his booke de Prouidentia Dei cap. 4 pag. 175. to 179 Chassanus Locorum Comm. lib. 2. cap. 8. Tilenus in his Syntagma Theolog. de Praedestinatione Dei Theses 24. to 33. Hemingius in his Comm. in 2 Tim. 2. 10 19. Gesnerus in his Compendium doctrinae caelestis Loc. 30. de Praedestinatione pag 235 246 247 248. Marcus Cyriacus in his Conciones 7. de Perseuerantia sanctorum Vrsinus in his booke de Prouidentia pag. 16. Chemnitius in his Encheridion de Praedestinatione pag. 224. and his Loci Communes Locus de Iustificatione de fide and in his Harmonia Euangel cap. 2 on Math. 7. 24. to 28. and Luke 6. 47. 48. Learned Iunius in his Notae on Psal. 1. verse 3. and in Philip. 1. 6. in his Meditation on Psal. 122. verse 2. in his Comment on Ezech. 33. 12. and in his Theses 33. Thesis 11. and Thesis 37. Corol. 2. Gomarus in declaratione sententiae suae pag 32. Learned and profound Danaeus in his Isagâ—…ges pars 2. de Ecclesia cap 5. Isag pars 4. lib 4 de fide cap 18. 19. and in his Tom 2. Controuers aduers Bellarm de Baptismo Respons 15. pag 385 386. Trelcatius in his Institutio Loc Com lib 3. de fide pars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Festus Hommius in his Specimen Controuersiarum Belgicarum seu confessio Ecclesiarum Reformatarum in Belgio Articulus 29 33 35 all these I say haue in these their seuerall workes and writings recorded propagated and deliuered this our persent assertion of the totall and finall perseuerance of the Saints in grace as an orthodox sound and vndoubted truth To these let me adde some other of great learning worth and credit in the Churches wherein they liued the most of them being publike professors of Diuinitie who haue particularly handled and discussed this our present assertion That the true regenerate Saints of God can neither finally nor totally fall from grace and defended it as sound and orthodox against such Pseudo-Lutherans Papists and Arminians who haue opposed it Learned Zanchius in his booke de Perseuerantia sanctornm which you shall finde in his 7 Tom pars 1. pag 91. to 174. and in his Confession to the Argentine Senate touching this very point recorded in the same Tom. pag 347 to 388. Sturmius in his booke de Praedestiantione Theses 11. Kimedoncius in his booke de Praedestinatione pag 328 to 333 English Reuerend and judicious Beza in his Theses Geneuenses Theses 27 de fide Theses 6 in his Breuis explicatio totius Christianismi cap 4 Aphorismus 12 cap 8. Aphor 2. and Colloquium Mompelgartense pag 463. to 469. Amandus Polanus in his Syntagma Theolog lib 6 cap 43. Pareus in his Comment on Rom 8 Dub 7. and in Appendice ad cap 15 lib 3 de Iustificatione Robertus Somus in his Tractatus de tribus quaestionibus quaest 3 Georgius Sohinus Operum Tom 2 in Exegcsi Artic Augustanae Confessionis pag 764 to 785 990 991 1016 1017. Piscator in Vorstij amica Collat cum Piscatore sect 108 and in his owne Thes Theolog vol 1 Locus 20 de Certitudine electionis Thes 25 and vol 2 Loc 5 de effectis Fidei Thes 102. Ludouicus Crocius in his 7 bookes de Perseuerantia sanctorum against Bertius Ruardus Acronius in Enarrati Chatech quaest 53. sect 11. Petrus Molineus in his Anatome Arminianismi cap 46 47. Ioannes Scharpius a Scot professer of Diuinitie in Dion in his Tractatus de Iustificatione Controuers 5. Bucanus in his Loci Comm Loc 20 de fide sect 24 27. Rollocke in Psal 51 and Rom 8. And Doctor Ames a learned English man a professor of Diuinitie in the Netherlands in his Corouis ad Collationem Hagiensem Artic 5. as also some of those whom I haue formerly mentioned and therefore will not here recite them haue learnedly maintained and defended this our present position as a sound and orthodox assertion and as the receiued and resolued doctrine of all Protestant and reformed Churches It is euident then by this cloud of reueren famousd and renowned witnesses that the most the learnedest and the soundest writers in all Protestant and reformed Churches in forraine parts haue alwaies defended and maintained our present assertion of the totall and finall perseuerance of the Saints as sound and orthodox and imbraced it as an vndoubted established and resolued truth How honest then is Master Monntague who hath auerred it vpon record that the Protestants in Germanie haue assemted vnto the Church of Rome in this that faith once had may be both totally and finally lost and that this is the resolution of many if not most Protestant Diuines as priuate men of Protestant Churches in their Descisions and Resolutions and that this assertion That faith once had cannot be lost is as much or more opposed propugned refelled by Protestants as by Papists Indeed Master Mountague being so great a booke-man might haue done well to haue giuen vs a Catalogue of the names and workes of those Protestant Diuines in other Churches who haue consented to the Church of Rome in this particular but Dolosus versatur in vniuersalibus Maister Mountague is a wilie Fox and one who is loath to haue his subtilety I will not say his knauery and treachery discouered and therefore he lurkes in the generall and vniuersall tearmes of most Protestant Diuines Indeed hee particularizeth in one Bucer by name and in none but him by which he hath discouered either much ignorance in vouching such a man whose workes he neuer read or much treacherie and falsnesse in vouching him for a totall finall losse of faith once had who is so full and frequent to the contrary throughout his works that hee could not haue lighed on such another Indeede I must confesse that some spurious abortiue and Pseudo-Lutherans haue held that faith once had might be totally lost and and some of them haue likewise held that it might be finally lost As Aegidus Hunnius tractat de Praedest pag 500 to the end Eckhardus in Fasciculo Controu cap 7 quaest 4 Winckelmannus Disput Theol Tom 1 Disp 14 Hinckelmannus Disputatione 7 Anticaluinistica cap 1. Policarpus Lyserus Disput 7 de Praedest Matthias Hafanrefferus Locor Theolog lib 3 loc 3. Wolffgangus Franzius Syntag Controuersiarum Disput 4. Ioannes Hesselbineus discursi Theol cont Materium Heyderum disp 4 Thes 10. and some few others of that stampe I confesse likewise that Bellarmine lib 3 de Iustific cap 14 Becanus de Iustificat Caluinist cap 10. Franciseus Feu-ardentius Zacharias Bauerius and other Romanists haue held so I confesse likewise that the Rhemists who are little better then meere Romanists in their
was hee euer with him at Eaton nor is he of this opinion as he hath recorded it And therefore it is likely that the Church of Geneua is still of this opinion as shee was before and so Deodate hath declared in that Letter of his so that there is no doubt but that all the Protestant Churches in Germanie and other parts concurre in judgement and resolution with vs and haue not subscribed and assented to the Church of Rome against our present assertion as M. Mountague hath recorded But admit now that the Diot of Ratisbon hath assented to the Church of Rome in this our Thesis and that the Protestants in the German Churches had beene of opinion against vs heretofore which I haue proued to be false yet what reason hath Master Mountague to affirme that this is their receiued doctrine and opposition now Master Mountague and all the world knew very well that in the fifth Article of the Synode of Dort which was held in the years of our Lord 1618 and 1619. this very controuersie of ours That those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ can neither totally nor finally fall from grace was resolued by the vnanimous consent of the Deuines of Great Brittaine of the County Palatine of Rhene of Hassia of Heluetia of the correspondence of Weteran of Geneua of Breme of Emden and of all the Belgicke professors of Diuinitie assembled by lawfull authoritie who haue all subscribed their names vnto this Synode in testimonie of their vnanimous approbation of it and of this Thesis and position which wee doe here maintine and defend He knew that Vorstius Greuinchouius Bertius and others that opposed it were banished the Netherlands for it He knew that this doctrine and assertion was now fully setled and established by vertue of this Synode the Estates approbation of it in all the Belgike Churches and yet Master Mountague that he might doe the Arminians and the Church of Rome a fauour and wrong the Church of England to make her swallow a Popish and Arminian doctrine vnder the coulor of Protestanisme must 〈◊〉 passe by this Synode and the resolution of it in this point and not so much as mention it in his Gagge making the world belieue that the German Protestants had assented to the Church of Rome in this point of falling away from grace and that it is their positiue resolution doctrine and assertion now notwithstanding the Synod of Dort had resolued it to the contrary This is square and honest dealing Master Mountagne is it not If you had any grace or honestie in you you would haue publikely recanted it long agoe and haue made fewell of your bookes ere this which are so full of manifest and palpable lies forgeries Impostures and vntruths least they should record your impudencie your treacherie and your base and lying forgerie to posteritie Great reason had you to checke and blame your Informers in your Appeale for dishonesty slaunder iuggling legerdemaine forgery and the like when as you your selfe haue so superabounded in them all in this our particular point Well to spend no more time in this particular I will close and shut it vp with this sillogisme That which all the Protestant Churches and writers haue with one vnanimous consent in their seuerall Confessions Synodes Decrees Resolutions Catechismes Schooles and writings published established ratified defended and resolued must needes be the established receiued and resolued Doctrines of those Churches But all the Protestant Churches and writers beyond the seas haue with one vnanimous consent in their seuerall Confessions Synodes Decrees Resolutions Catechismes Schooles and writings defended published established ratified resolued this our present assertion That thoâ—…e who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ can neither finally nor totally fall from grace yea they haue banished and punnished such from time to time as haue opposed it as appeares by the premises Therefore this our present assertion here maintained must needes be the established receiued and resolued doctrine of all the Protestant Churches and writers beyond the seas The Church of England Thirdly as this hath beene the Doctrine of the ancient Fathers and of the Protestant Churches beyond the seas so it is the receiued positiue and resolued Doctrine of the Church of England and of the learnedst most iudicious Diuines which the Church of England euer bred Indeed Mr. Mountague who contradicts himselfe in most things contradicts both himselfe me in this particular For first he affirmes That the learnedst in the Church of England do affirme that faith once had may totally finally be lost or that men once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ may both totally and finally fall from grace Secondly hee affirmeth that this is the publicke doctrine which is publickely professed and established in the Church of England not deliuered according to ordinary tracts and lectures but deliuered publickely positiuely and declatorilie in authenticall records insomuch that none can be ignorant of it And for proofe of this hee cites the 16 Article the Conference at Hampton Court the booke of Homilies and the booke of Common prayers in which this doctrine is publickely positiuely and declaratorily deliuered Now that I may answer Mr. Mountague cleare all that which hee objects I will first of all proue that this assertion which I here maintaine is the receiued positiue and resolued doctrine and position of all the learnedst and most iudicious Diuines of England Secondly I will proue that it is the Doctrine of the Articles of the Church of England and that the 16. Article makes nothing at all against it but rather for it Thirdly that the bookes of Homilies and of Common prayers make nothing at all against it And lastly I will proue that it is the publike receiued establish and resolued doctrine of the Church of England For the first of these that this my present assertion to wit That such as are one truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a liuely faith can neuer finally nor totally fall from grace hath beene the receiued positiue and resolued doctrine of all the learnedst and most judicious Diuines in England I shall make it good by this argument If most of the learnedst and judicious Diuines of the Church of England haue from time to time not onely in the Schooles and Pulpet but likewise in their learned labours set forth by publike allowance and authority maintained propagated and defended this my present assertion and there be no Orthodox English Diuine that did euer publikely in the Schooles or in any writings of his set forth by publike approbation maintaine the contrary then it is certaine that this my assertion is the receiued positiue and resolued doctrine of all the learnedest and most judicious Diuines in the Church of England But most of the learnedest and judicious Diuines of the Church of England haue from time to time not only in the Schooles and Pulpit but likewise
published and Printed by authoritie it was so farre from this that it was inioynâ—…d to be recanted by authoritie and therefore howsoeuer it can bee no record against me Neuer was there any among vs before Mr. Mountague that published this error of the Apostacie of the Saints in print but onely Thompson a Dutch-man fellow of Clare-Hall in Cambridge a man of an excellent memory and of great learning but of little grace and of a deboist loose licentious and voluptious life he being the first who infected Cambridge with Arminianisme hath published this error of the Apostacie of the Saints in that posthumous Diatraba of his But was this booke of his printed in England and allowed and receiued of our Church as sound and orthodox no such matter For when as Thompson himselfe made meanes to publish it it was stopped at the presse and it sound no license or approbation because it was contrary to the doctrine of the Church of England After his death because it could finde no license here it was transported vnto Lyons by some friends of his there was it printed But no sooner was it come from the presse and scattred abrode in England but as it found resistance at the presse at first so it found a Reuerend and learned Antagonist euen Abbot Bishop of Salisbury to incounter it least our Church should bee disquieted and infected by it Since therefore this Thompson was no English but a Dutch-man a drunken one to since this his booke was vtterly disalowed of as contrary to the doctrine of our Church and was printed but by stealth beyond the seas and not by any publike license and allowance here and seeing it was no sooner printed but it was presently refelled by a learned Bishop of our Church as haereticall and quite opposite to the established and receiued doctrine of our Church it makes much for me not against me fo that as yet there are no records against me but all of them are wholly for mee Let Mr. Mountague now with all his reading if hee can stoope so lowe as to cast his eyes vpon the moderne writers of our Church whose very names he cannot mention without disdaine and scorne shew mee but one learned Diuine nay any meane vnlearned Diuine in the Church of England since the reformation that did euer openly and in expresse tearmes oppose the totall and finall perseuerance of the Saints in grace in any worke of his set forth by publike allowance and authoritie and then perchance I shall in part beleiue him that some of the learned of the Church of England haue opposed it till then I shall account him but a meerelyer and impostor as he is For how is it possible that all the learnedest in the Church of England should affirme that faith once had might be both totally and finally lost and that they should oppose and refell the contrary when as there is not one member of the Church of England to bee found from the first reformation of it hitherto that doth in any publike or approued worke of his record the same If there bee any records of any learned in our Church to bee found which may make good Mr. Mountagues words let him doe vs that fauour as to giue vs a Catalogue of their workes and names but if his learnedest in the Church of England be but a meere notion abstracted from no Indiuidualls if they are namelesse and workelesse then surely Mr. Mountague is much mistaken and hee must for shame recant this forgery and vntruth of his Indeed Mr. Mountague hath vouched one by name and but one to patronize and make good his words to wit Doctor Ouerall Deane of Pauls But was Doctor Ouerall the learnedest in the Church of England if hee were so yet he is but one and what is one to all those worthies and learned Diuines which I haue cited to the contrary If Doctor Ouerall were of this opinion where then is this opinion of his recorded Surely in no printed workes of his set forth by publike authoritie but only in the Conference at Hampton Court pag 41 42 43. And what are his words they are onely these Those who are called and iustified according to the purpose of Gods election how euer they might did fall sometimes into greiuous sinnes and thereby into the present state of wrath and damnation yet did they neuer fall totally from all the graces of God to be vtterly destitute of all the parts and seedes thereof nor finally from iustification but were in time renewed by Gods Spirit vnto a liuely faith and repentance and so iustified from these sins and from the wrath curse and guilt annexed thereunto Is this the learned man the which you vouch as making for you who in expresse tearmes concludes againg you Indeed if this bee your meaning that those are the learnedest in our Church who haue maintained this our assertion point-blanke against you I willingly acknowledge it but yet that Doctor Ouerall or any others who are ex diametro against a totall and finall fall from grace should be so punctually for you I confesse this is a mysterie and riddâ—…e vnto me I cannot vnderstand it vnles your ipse dixi 〈◊〉 Gospell and their opinions must bee soe not because they are so but because you say it But it may bee now of late some of the learnedst in the Church of England haue made a defection from their Mother Church and haue shaken handes and sided with Papists and Arminians and this makes Maister Mountague to auerre that the learnedst in the Church of England do assent vnto Antiquity and to Arminius and the Church of Rome in this That faith once had may be both finally and totally lost If this bee so as I doe not beleeue it I would to God Mr. Mountague would disclose their names vnto vs that so we might indeauour to conuert them or else learne for to auoide them or at least that wee might iudge of them whether they are the learnedst in the Church of England yea or noe Sure I am whoeuer or whateuer they are they are neither the greatest nor yet the learnedest nor yet the best and honestest in the Church of England if there bee any such make the best and vtmost of them that you can they are but a company of carnall gracelesse prophane and dissolute persons there is no truth nor power of grace in any of them For our two Arch-bishops and the learned Arch-bishop of Meth to whom Mr. Mountague and all his Abettors are much inferiour they are all for vs. For other of our Bishops and diuers others of our learned Clargie throughout the Kingdome I know that they haue declared themselues wholly for vs and for my owne part I know not any man of any learning worth or note at least of any grace and goodnesse in our Church who hath fully declared himselfe against vs in any written or printed records if there are any against vs as I professe
I know not any particular man sure I am that they are neither the best nor greatest nor yet the learnedest in our Church and therefore vnlesse that Mr. Mountague will arrogate and monopolize this title of the learnedest in the Church of England vnto himselfe alone which hee is very like to doe because he doth debase the chiefest worthies of our Church with such vile scandalous reproachfull and vnderualuing termes and checke correct reiect and vse them at his pleasure though alas good man hee is not worthy for to be their scholler hee must pardon vs though we beleeue him not in this That the learnedest in the Church of England haue alwayes held that faith once had may bee both totally and finally lost for you see that I haue proued it to be a meere forgery and vntruth that was neuer published and recorded by any member of the Church of England but himselfe But now Mr. Mountagne tells vs that they were the learnedest in the Church of England that drew composed and agreed the Articles in 52. and 62. that ratified them in 71. that confirmed them againe in 640. Well what if this be granted though perchance there might be some question of it All these saith hee haue and doe assent vnto Antiquity in this Tenent and subscribe it truly or in hypocrisie Well I grant it for all Antiquity as I haue formerly proued hath concurred with me in this assertion Yea but Mr. Mountague saith otherwise and therefore I must take his meaning not his words to wit that the learnedest in the Church of England haue agreed ratified and confirmed it that Faith once had may be both totally and finally lost But how doth this appeare O saith hee obsegnatis tabulis by the expresse words of the 16. Article so that now the second and the maine thing which I haue to proue is only this That the Articles of the Church of England but specially the 16. Article doe not proue Mr. Mountagues assertion of a totall and finall fall from gracâ—… This will euidently appeare first by the very title of the 16. Article which is only this of sinne after Baptisme The Title doubtlesse of euery Article compriseth the very pith scope and substance of the Article as well as the title of our Homilies doth of the Homilies else they were very injudicious and not the learnedest in the Church of England who imposed it and you an injudicious and shallow-pated scholler to draw arguments from titles as you haue done from the Title of an Homily if therefore this title and the 16. Article suite together the 16. Article must needs bee only intended of sinne after Baptisme and not of a totall or finall fall from grace Secondy as the title of the Article so the very words the very scope and end of the Article proue as much For the very scope and end of the 16. Article as any man that hath his eyes in his head may discerne at first was but to condemne two sorts of Heretickes First such as hold that after men are once regenerated they cannot sin as the Nouatians Iouinians and Catharists did and as some Brownists doe hauing reference to the 15. Article going immediatly before which concludes that all men besides Christ though regenerate were sinners Now this appeares by the conclusion of the 16. Article therefore they are to bee condemned which say they can no more sinne as long as they liue here Secondly to condemne such as denie place of forgiuenesse and reconciliation to such as commit any grosse and scandalous sinne after Baptisme though they are truly penitent for the same as the Montanists and Nouatians did in the primatiue Church and as some Anabaptists and Brownists doe now which appeares by the conclusion of the Article from the former praemises Therefore they are to be condemned which say they can no more sinne as long as they liue here or deny place of forgiuenesse to such as truly repent This then being the only substance end scope of our 16. Article to condemne these two sorts of heretickes there is nothing as yet to bee found in it which makes either for a totall or a finall fall from grace If then there be any thing in this Article making for it then it must needs be these bare words of the Article abstracted and wrested from their genuine and proper scope and sense After we haue receiued the holy Ghost wee may depart from grace giuen and fall into sinne and by the grace of God wee may rise againe and amend our liues But these words torment and racke them to the vtmost they warrant not this Doctrine of a totall or finall fall from grace at least they warrant it not in that declaratory and positiue manner and in plaine and expresse words as Mr. Mountague affirmes they doe For first here is not so much as one word of falling either totally or finally from the state of grace and justification into the state of death and damnation not so much as one word that faith once had may either totally or finally bee lost againe Now they are your owâ—… words Mr. Mountague the words are not direct which are not expresse so say I that is not the plaine positiue declaratorie and expresse Doctrine of the Articles which is not deliuered in positiue plaine absolute and expresse tearmes this Doctrine of a totall and finall fall from grace is not so deliuered in these words in this 16. Article therefore it is but your bare and wrested collection and not the expresse doctrine of the Article Secondly the very words themselues will not beare that doctrine which you would thrust vpon them in any good grammaticall construction For what good Grammarian is there that would giue this construction to these words After wee haue receiued the holy Ghost we may depart from grace giuen and fall into sinne that is wee may fall quite away from the state of grace into the state of damnation as if that euery departure from grace and euery fall into sinne were a falling totally from the state of grace Euery man I hope will grant that the committing of any sinne is a departure from grace in respect of that particular sinne be it but a sinne of infirmity he that commits the least sinne departs from grace and falls into sinne and yet hee doth not presently fall from the state of grace into the state of damnation A man may depart from the act of grace aud yet retaine the habit still a man may fall into finne and yet not fall from the state of grace into the state of damnation hee may recedere depart as our Article affirmes and yet not excedere fall quite away from grace giuen so that the very words will not necessarily no nor impliedly beare that sense the which you giue them because a man may depart from grace giuen and fall into sinne and yet not fall either totally or finally from the state of grace Secondly
Crowes and Rauens loues 〈◊〉 better then any other sweet and wholsome flesh that hee preferres the Rhemists Arminians before all his brethren or his Mother Church that hee is quite apostatized and fallen from the doctrine of the Church of England I say not from the state of true and sauing grace for that I dare presume he neuer had as yet into the very miâ—…e of Poperie and Arminianisme thinking to verefie this his doctrine of a 〈◊〉 and finall fall from grace by his owne example for want of better proofes I hope therefore that seeing Mr. Mountague had this his exposition and collection from Bertius and the Rhemists that you will rather hearken and yeeld to the sound and orthodox exposition which the Church of England hath heretofore made of it and which Doctor Benefield Bishop Carlton Mr. Rouse Mr. Yates and Mr. Rogers haue made of it then vnto Mr. Mountague who labours only to corrupt but not to expound the 16. Article Hauing thus proued that the Articles of the Church of England are vtterly against a totall and finall fall from grace that the 16. Article makes rather for me then against me I come now to the third thing to proue that the Homilies of the Church of England and the Common prayer booke make not against me As for the homilies they make not against me For first Mr. Mountague himselfe who obiecteth them confesseth that the Homilies are not the dogmaticall confirmed resolutions of the Church of England that they haue no dogmaticall positions or doctrine in them to be propugned or subscribed in all and euery point as the bookes of Articles and Common prayer haue therefore by Mr. Mountagues owne confession admitting that the Homilies were cleare againg me yet they proue not that the dogmaticall resolution and the receiued setled and established position of the Church of England is against me to because the dogmaticall publike resolutions of the Church of England are not 〈◊〉 in the Homilies neither are they such positiue current diuinitie as to be subscribed in all and entry point if Mr. Monntague may be credited But now you may wonder well what should be the cause that Mr. Mountague should so magnifie our Homilies in one place as to stile them authentis alt and orthodox records containing the established positiue and publikely professed doctrine of the Church of England and in an other place to slight and vilifie them so much and to contradict that which hee had written of them before 〈◊〉 Surely there is a mysterie in it and some pretty trick of more then Presbyterian-Legerdemaine For you may know that where Mr. Mountague doth presse magnifie our Homilies they giue some seeming colour to the Popish and Arminian doctrine of a totall and finall fall from grace but where he vilifies vnderualues them there they crosse and oppose him in his Popery in speaking against Images and therefore here they must not be the positiue doctrine and the dogmaticall resolution of the Church or if they be so yet Mr. Mountague did not subscribe to them in this particular and so they containe not the dogmaticall resolutions of the Church of England in this particular case for want of his subscription So that in Mr. Mountagues judgement the Homilies established and confirmed by the Church of England so far as they make for Poperie and Arminianisme are the dogmaticall resolutions and the authenticall and orthodox records of the Church of England and thus far are they to be subscribed to but as far as they make against Poperie Arminianisme they are not authenticall they are not the dogmaticall and positiue resolutions of the Church of England and thus farre they are not to be subscribed Very good Mr. Mountague if an honest man should haue said as much as this I doubt mee hee should haue lost his liuings his eares yea and his life ere this and that deseruedly too you can say thus much which is no more in substance but this that the Church of England is a meere Popish and Arminian Church and yet scape scot free take heede you smart not for it ere be long And doe you not deserue to vndergoe the sharpest censure that your Mother if your Mother can inflict vpon youâ—… I dare auouch it that you doe and I will proue it to or else I will suffer in your steede For you confesse in your Appeale pag 260. that the Homilies containe in them godly and wholesome exhortations to honour and worship almightie God and you grant that they containe in them godly and wholesome doctrine necessary for these times and you cite the 33. Article for the 35. Article for to proue it which shewes that Mr. Mountague is but an Ignoramus in our Articles to which hee hath so oft subscribed and yet you say in the same place that they containe not in them the publike dogmaticall and confirmed resolution positions and doctrine of the Church of England neither are they to be subscribed in all and euery point I pray obserue this passage well and then judge what Mr. Mountague is and what hee doth deserue For first in these words he affirmes that the doctrines established confirmed by the Church of England and commanded to be diligently and distinctly read in our Churches by the Ministers by our 35. Article are not the publike and receiued doctrine of our Church which as it is a contradiction in it selfe and a vilification both of our Articles and Homilies so it is a great disparagement to our Church accusing her either of ignorance and dotage in not knowing what her doctrine is or of inconstancie in hauing no setled and positiue doctrine or at least of grand hypocrisie in commanding such doctrines to bee diligently and distinctly read as godly and wholesome and as her publike and receiued doctrine when as it is nothing so Secondly in these words Mr. Mountague affirmes that the Homilies of the Church of England established by authoritie are not sound and orthodox which is contrary to the 35 Article to which hee hath so often subscribed for which very thing many honester men then himselfe haue not onely bin silenced from preaching which penalty Mr. Mountague needs not vndergoe for he is to dumme already in that kinde but haue likewise beene depriued and quite stripped of all their spirituall liuings and promotions Thirdly in these words Mr. Montague judgeth the Church of England as it is the Church of England to bee but a wicked haereticall and atheisticall Church in as much as there are many godly wholesome and necessary doctrines which though they are in the Church of England yet they are not the receiued established and confirmed doctrines and resolutions of our Church Fourthly by these words Mr. Mountague makes the Church of England but an incompleate and imperfect Church a Church in which there is no life and power of religion a Church which is all for faith and speculation but not for life and
workes in as much as there are many godly practicall wholesome and necessary doctrines helping men to honour and worship almighty God which are not the receiued established and confirmed doctrines of our Church Fifthly in these words Mr. Mountague if you marke the end wherefore he speakes them to wit because they are to sharpe and to precise against Images affirmes that the Church of England doth gratifie the Church of Rome in points of Poperie indeauouring tò reconcile herselfe and to submit to her in things in which she hath formerly oppugned her These fiue things are necessarily implied and I feare me principally intended in these words and passage of Mr. Mountague touching our Homilies and their authoritie amongst vs what censure hee is worthy of for such words and passages as these I leaue to others I judge him not From the authoritie of our Homilies and Mr. Mountagues abusing of them I come to examine the words which hee obiected out of them against my present assertion His first obiection is from the title of the Homilie There is an Homilie saith he allowed and established in our Church intituled Of falling he addes away from God Therefore it is the receiued and established doctrine of the Church of England that true regenerate men may both totally and finally fall from grace Was there euer such a ridiculous and simple argument propounded by any learned man that had his wits and sences about him as if the doctrine of the Church of England were meerely titular depending on the very titles of bookes which as they are not alwaies sutable to the doctrine contained in them so are they neuer doctrinall positiue resolutions in themselues therefore Mr. Mountague if you had not a brazen forhead or a crazie braine you could not chuse but blush at this your agument From the title of the homilies I descend vnto the words the which you cite The words out of the first Homilie are these For where as God hath sâ—…ewed to all them that truly beleiue his Gospell his face of mercy in Christ Iesus which doth so inlighten their hearts that they if they behold it as they ought to doe which parenthesis you haue omitted be transformed to his image be partakers of the heauenly light and of his holy Spirit and be fashioned to him in all goodnesse requisite to the children of God so if they after doe neglect the same if they be vnthankefull vnto him if they order not their liues according to his example and Doctrine and to the setting forth of his glory he will take away from them his kingdome his holy word wherby he should reigne in them because they bring not forth the fruite thereof that he toâ—…kes for The words you cite out of the second Homilie are these The place of Esay 〈◊〉 before sheweth that God at length will so forsake his vnfruitfull 〈◊〉 that he will not only suffer it to bring forth wilde bryers thâ—…rnes but also further to punish the vnfruitefullnesse of it Hee saith hee will not cut it he will not delue it and he will command the cloudes that they shall not raine vpon it meaning that hee will take away the teaching of his holy word from them which words Master Mountague hath passed ouer so that they shall be no longer of his kingdome they shall bee no longer gouerned by his holy Spirit they shall be put from the grace and benefits which they had and ouer might haue iniâ—…yed through Christ they shall be depriued of the heauenly life and light which they had in Christ whiles they abode in him And to be shart they shall bee giuen into the power of the 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 rule in all them that he cast away from God as he did in Saul and Iudâ—…s and generally in all such as worke after their owne wills the children of mistrust and vnbeleife You say Master Mountagne that these two Homilies but principally the words here cited doe thoroughly and wholly insist vpon the affirmation that faith once had may againe be lost and that no other construction of these words may be made then that a man my fall and hapâ—…e from grace both totally and finally But I pray what faith and what grace doe you intend Mr. Mountague a true liuing and justifying faith and sanctifying sauing and habituall grace or onely an historicall and common faith or ordinary common and hypocriticall grace If you intend these latter for you leaue them indefinite and ambigious that so you may euade the better when you are questioned for abusing our Church and Homilies then I say that your inference and collection is nothing to the purpose and reacheth not vnto thâ—…t faith and grace which is now in question If you intend and meane the former I answere then that these words of the Homilie doe not warrant yours For first they are your owne words That words are not direct which are not expresse Now here there is not so much as one word that faith once had may be lost that a true regenerate man may fall finally and totally from the state of grace your eyes Mr. Mountagne are better then all other mens if you can finde these words or any like vnto them in these Homilies they are but your priuate fancie conceite and therefore this is not the direct positiue and declatorie doctrine of these Homilies but your false and forged collection from them Secondly that I may instruct you a little in the Homilies in which I feare me you are truly or wilfully ignorant you may please to obserue Mr. Mountague that in the second and third part of the Homilie of faith It is said expresly That hee that beleeueth in Christ hath euerlasting life and therefore it must needs consequently follow that he that hath this faith must also haue good workes and be studious to obserue Gods Commandements obediently so that neither the world the diuill 〈◊〉 all the power of them shall preuaile against him That they that haue a liuely faith doe make their calling and election certaine sure and stable by good workes Therefore it is the expresse doctrine of the Homilies that true faith once had cannot be vtterly lost againe these words then which you alledge cannot imply the contrary vnlesse you will haue them to repeale and contradict the former Thirdly Mr. Mountague these two Homilies and the words you cite out of them doe not thoroughly and wholly insist vpon this that faith once had may be lost againe but if it please you to reade them ouer once againe you shall see that their principall and onely end is to exhort men to obey the Gospell and the word of God and to bring forth fruits worthy of them for feare least God depriue them of them What then will you inferre from hence All men are exhorted to obey Gods word for feare of being depriued of it Therefore the true beleiuers and Saints of God may fall totally and finally from grace
in them to change them and regenerate them Secondly admit that faith is not necessarily required to make Baptisme effectuall yet all Infants nay most Insants that are baptized are not regenerated by their baptisme because they are not all elected and ordained to eternall life The meanes of grace and the Spirit of grace which accompanies them doe neuer worke powerfully and effectually vpon any but vpon such as are predestinated and ordained to eternall life as you may see expresly by Acts 2. 39 c. 13. 48. Rom. 8. 28 29. 30. cap. 11. 5. 7. 8. Ephes. 1. 4. 5. and Tit. 1. 1. now all Infants that are baptized are not predestinated to eternall life for then they could neuer perish or fall from grace and therefore baptisme and the holy Ghost doe not worke effectually on them to regenerate them But you will say if Infants that are baptized are not regenerated to what end and purpose is their baptisme To this I answer first that though baptisme doth not truly regenerate all Infants that are baptised and ingraft them truly into Christ yet it is of much vse and purpose to them For first it seales all the promises and couenants of God vnto them and giues them an interest and right vnto them if they will imbrace them when they come to yeares Secondly it makes them Christians and incorporates them into the Church making them visible members of the visible Church and giuing them an interest in all those priuiledges which the Church inioyes Thirdly when men are once in truth regenerated it makes the match betweene Christ and them to be of greater validitie it increaseth and strengthened their faith and knits them closer vnto God it makes them more carefull to auoide all kinde of sinne and to obey and serue the Lord in all things the very remembrance of that vow and couenant which they haue made to God in baptisme will make them more diligent and carefull for to please the Lord and to resigne and giue vp their selues wholly vnto him Fourthly I answer that though Infants that are baptized are not truly regenerated by their baptisme that is they are not so farre regenerated as to haue any habit stocke and seed of true and sauing grace wrought within them yet those whom God hath ordained to eternall life are so farre cleansed and washed by their baptisme from the guilt of originall sinne that if they die in their infancie before their actuall regeneration and reall conuersion vnto God they shall bee saued and therefore though Infants are not really and truly regenerated by their baptisme yet they receiue much fruite and benefit by it in these foure respects and so it is not to no purpose Secondly I answer that the end of baptisme is not to regenerate men neither was regeneration the end why baptisme was instituted For if baptisme had beene instituted of purpose to regenerate men then men in the Apostles times should alwayes haue beene baptized before they did beleeue but men in the Apostles times that were not formerly conuerted vnto Christ nor borne of Christian parents were not to be baptized before they did belieue as is euident by Marke 16 16. and by the example of the Eunuch of the 3000. conuerts of Cornelius the laylor and others as you may see Acts 2. 37 38. cap. 8. 36. to 40. cap. 10. 44. to the end and cap 16. 31. 33. 34. therefore the end of baptisme is not regeneration for then men should haue beene baptized before they did beleâ—…us that so they might be regenerated and not haue beene regenerated by 〈◊〉 first before they had beene baptized Againe if the principall and chiefe end of Baptisme had beene for to regenerate men then those men who were regenerated should not haue bin baptized because they were regenerated before for their baptisme had bin 〈◊〉 meerely superfluous but those who haue bin truly regenerated haue bin afterwards baptized as you may see by these expresse testimonies of Scripture Mat. 3. 6. Acts 2. 37. 38. ca 8. 36. to 40. ca. 10. 44. to the end Acts 16. 14. 15. 31. 33. 34. therefore the end why baptisme was instituted was not for to 〈◊〉 men Why then may you say was baptisme instituted I answer that it was instituted to theâ—…s ends First it was instituted in the place of circumcision to the intent that it might seale the couenant and promises of God vnto the Gentiles as circumcision did vnto the Iewes for which reade Acts 2. 39 and Rom. 4. 11. Secondly it was instituted as a type and signe to 〈◊〉 vnto vs that as the water it selfe which wee vse in baptisme dâ—…th wash away the filth of our bodies so the blood of Iesus Christ doth wash and purge away the filth and corruption of our bodies and the sin of our soules as you may see Rom. 4. 11 Tit. 3. 5. Col. 2. 11 12. 1 Pet. 3. 21. and 1 Iohn 1. 7 9. Thirdly it was 〈◊〉 to incorporate men into the visible Church and to interest them into the priuiledges and benefits which the Church injoyes Mat. 28. 19. Act. 2. 37. 38 39. 〈◊〉 18. 19. Fourthly it was instituted to distinguish Christians from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Heatâ—… on mon 〈◊〉 it is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christians where by they are distinguished from Turkes and Infidels it is the outward 〈◊〉 and seale whereby they are knowne to belong to Christ. Lastly it was instituted to knit men faster and to bring them 〈◊〉 vnto 〈◊〉 and to make them more 〈◊〉 and carefull for 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him to abandon and auoide all kinde of sinne and to sticke more fast and close vnto the truth by considering that vow and conenant which they made to God when as they were baptized as you may see Rom 6. 1. to 9. Gal. 3. 27. Math. 28. 19 20. and 1 Cor 1. 13. these were the many ends why baptisme was instituted and not of purpose to regenerate men and therefore though children are not regenerated by their baptisme yet they must be baptized in obedience to Christs institution and to these seuerall ends which are vsefull profitable and comfortable And thus much for the first thing the which I vndertooke to answer that all infants that are baptized are not regenerated I come now to the second to proue that Gal. 3. 27. As many of you as haue beene baptised into Christ haue put on Christ makes not against me For first I say that it is one thing to be baptized into Christ and another thing to be baptized in the name of Christ to be baptized into Christ is to be incorporated and ingrafted into Christ by faith as appeares by verse 26. 28. for yee are all the children of God not by baptisme but by faith in Christ Iesus and yee are all one in Christ so that the connection of these words with the precedent and subsequent verses proues that to bee baptized into Christ is not to bee baptized with
can either totally or finally fall from grace But if you take a whole Church for the greater part of a visible Church for those who are members of a visible Church and yet are but goates tares and chaffe and no members of the true and holy Church of Christ then the sequell of the Major proposition is false and no more in substance then this If hypocrites and wicked men may fall from the shew and shadow of grace then the true regenerate Saints of God may fall from the very habits and seed of true and sauing grace which is but a meere Nonsequitur True then it is that all those of a whole Church which are notregenerated which are farre the greatest number may Apostatize and fall from the doctrine of grace but yet the true regenerate Saints of God in such a Church doe neuer fall from the habit and state of true and sauing grace and therefore both the Major and the Minor proposition in that sense as they are propounded are false and vnsound Thus much for the generall The first example of any particular Church that is objected against me is the Church of the Iewes The Iewes who were partakers of the fatnesse of the roote and Oliue tree Christ Iesus were broken off and fell from grace Rom. 11. 16. to 25. therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may fall from grace I answer first that the Antecedent is false for the roote and Oliue tree which the Apostle speakes of is not Christ but Abraham and the Patriarkes So Chrisostome Bede Anselme Theodoret Haymo Caluin Peter Martyr Beza Pareus Willet Hyperius and most of those that coment on this place and therefore it followes not that because the Iewes might be broken off from Abraham and be depriued of the promises and couenant made to him and to his seed that therefore the true beleeuers may be broken off from Christ. Secondly admit that Christ himselfe and not Abraham is the roote and Oliue tree here mentioned and that some of the Iewes were broken off from him yet I answer that those Iewes and branches which were broken off were such as were neuer truly ingrafted into Christ but only in common reputation ond in outward shew which is euident by the same chapter First because it is said ver 7. that such as were blinded and broken off were such as were neuer elected Secondly because it is said vâ—… 〈◊〉 that they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through vnbeleefe if then those that were thus broken oâ—… were not elected if they were vnbeleeuers it is certaine then that they were neuer truly ingrafted into Christ because they neuer had any true and liuely faith Thirdly though the greatest part of the Iewes did Apostatize and so were broken off yet the 2. 5. 7. and 17. verses of this chapter certifie vs that all the elect and chosen Saints of God that were among them all the true Israell of God belonging to the election of grace did still continue in the stocke and roote and were not broken off they did not fall from grace none but the counterfeite and superficiall branches were broken off the true and liuing branches did still continue So that this example makes wholly for vs not against vs. The second example is taken from the Galathians The Galathians they were true beleeuers and the true regenerate Saints of God For they receiued the Spirit of God they began in the spirit and suffered many things for Christ Gal. 3. 2 3 4. yea they were all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus and they all had put on Christ ver 26. 27. But yet they fell from grace they ended in the flesh they disobeyed the truth and turned from the Gospell to the law and so made Christ of no effect vnto them Gal. 1. 6. cap. 3. 1. 3. cap. 4. 9. and cap. 5. 2. 4. 7. Therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may fall from grace For answer to this example I say sirst that all the Galathians to whom Paul wrote were not regenerated because there was neuer yet any Church on earth I meane any visible Church neither shall there euer be any where all the members of it are regenerated for Christ himsele hath certified vs that there shall be chaffe as well as wheate goates as well as sheepe good fish mixed with bad continually in his Church euen to the end of the world Math. 13. therefore it must needs bee so in these Churches of Galatia to whom Paul wrote If you object that Paul saith that they were all the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus Gal. 3. 26. therefore they were all regenerated I answer that the meaning of these words of Paul is not to shew vnto vs that all the 〈◊〉 were then in the 〈◊〉 of regeâ—…eration and justification and if it were so it would make quite against you not for you for if they were in this estate when as Pâ—…l wrote vnto them then they were not fallen from grace as you pretend but Pauls meaning there is onely this That all such as are the regenerate and adopted sonnes of God in Christ they are so onely in regard of faith it is faith onely that makes them so and not the workes of the law which is euident by the very scope of the place so that this place proues not that all the Galathians were truly regenerated And so the Major proposition that all the Galathians were regenerated iâ—… false Secondly I answer that all those Galathians who were regenerated did perseuere in grace and did not turne away from the Gospell to the Law and that such as did Apostatize vnto another Gospell were such onely as had receiued the Gospell but not the grace of Faith and such as neuer were regenerated I would aske but this question of our Antâ—…gonists whether all the Galathians or onely the greater part of them fell from grace If all then they were no Church when as Paul did write vnto them for there cannot be a Church but where there are some faithfull ones continuing in the state of grace If all of them did not fall from grace then who were those which did fall away Who were they which did continue did the true regenerate Saints of God fall away and the hypocrites onely continue or did the hypocrites fall away and the true regenerate Saints of God continue If any fell away they were certainly the hypocrites and such as had no truth of grace within them for the true regenerate Saints of God they cannot bee seduced they cannot depart from God and they goe not out from the fold and flocke of Christ. Math. 24. 24. Ier. 32. 40 1 Iohn 2 19. and Reu. 3. 12. If any did continue they were certainly the faithfull Saints of God for hypocrites and wicked men they hold not out but as the chaffe before the winde they are blowne away Psal. 1. 4. and Math. 3. 12. Therefore if that the outward face only of the Church
of Galatia if the greater part of them onely if the chaffe of them if the Goates and not the wheate and sheepe among them fall away this example proues nothing at all against me All that this example proues if you racke it to the vtmost is only this that men may fall from the word the doctrine and Gospell of faith but not that they may fall from the grace of faith The third example is taken from the Churches of Ephesus Smyrna Thyatira and Pergamus these they lost their first loue and fell from grace Reu. 2. 4 5. therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may fall from grace I answer that neither of these Churches fell from grace though they fell into some sinnes for which the Lord reproues them by Saint Iohn For it is there said of the Church of Ephesus verse 2 3. that shee had workes and labour and patience that shee could not beare them which were euill that shee had tried them which saide they were Apostles and were not and shee found them to be lyars that shee had patience and that shee had laboured for Gods name sake and had not fainted of which God tooke speciall notice and God himselfe tells her that hee had but somewhat to say against her all that was in her was not out of order she was not generally faulty something only was amisse and what was that she had lost not her loue but her first loue that is shee had lost the degrees the zeale the heate and feruencie of her loue her loue was not so intense so hot so zealous and so ardent as it was before but yet the habit of her loue was still remaining in her shee had loue in her still though not in that degree as shee had it before yet she had it in such a degree that shee hated the deedes of the Nicholitans whom God hated and shee could not beare them which were euill verse 3 6. which shee could neuer haue done if this habit and grace of loue had beene vtterly extinguished and abolished in her and therefore because that all things in her were not amisse because there were many graces and good things in her of which God tooke speciall notice it is most certaine that she was not fallen totally nor finally from the state of grace The same answer may serue for all the other Churches for they had all workes charity seruice faith patience they did hold fast the name of Christ and not deny his faith and their last workes were 〈◊〉 then their first versâ—… 9. 13 19. and of this God himselfe takes speciall notice and can you thinke that these Churches which had these things in them were fallen quite from grace Can any Church or person haue all these graces in them and yet be fallen totally from the state of grace Credat 〈◊〉 Apella non ego others may beleeue it if they will but men of any judgement cannot doe it because it is a plaine contradiction that a man should bee fallen totally from grace and yet haue many graces in him still So that these examples proue nothing at all against mee Yea I may boldly say they are vnanswerable proofes and euidences for mee For say I if these Churches of God when as they fell into those sinnes for which God reproues them did not fall totally from the state of grace as it is manifest they did not then it is plaine that the Saints of God doe neuer fall from grace for if they fall not from the state of grace by falling into sinne they fall not from it by any other meanes and so they fall not from it at all So that these maine examples and proofes on which you doe rely they are the strongest euidences that make against you Thus much for the second sort of examples The third sort of examples are taken from some particular Saints of God and these are many in number First the examples of the second and third ground are produced against vs. The second and third ground they had true grace and faith but they fell away from grace Math. 13. 5 6 7 20 21 22. Therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may fall from grace I answer that the Major is false for though they did receiue the word with joy for a time yet they had no true and sauing grace at all within them as is euident by these reasons First because they neuer came to that maturity and ripenesse as to bring forth fruite there was only a blade and outward shew of grace within them there were only the buds and leaues but not the fruites of faith in them now faith without fruits and workes is but a dead and empty faith yea no faith at all 1 Thes. 1. 3. Iam. 2. 14 17 26. Secondly because the faith the which they had it did not altar and change it did not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 their hearts it made them not good and firtle groâ—…nd they were but stonie and thornie ground still the word the which they did receiue it wrought no chang or alteration in them they were still the same they were before Now how is it possible that such as were neuer changed and regenerated such as continued in their carnall and old estate being as bad as euer such in whose hearts there was no alteration and renouation wrought that they should haue true grace or faith within them For true grace and true faith they doe regenerate transforme and alter men they purifie and 〈◊〉 their hearts and soules and make them new men and new creatures Rom. 12. 2. Acts. 15. 9. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Ephes. 4. 22 23 24. Gal. 5. 24. and Col. 3. 9 10. and therefore these two grounds could haue no true and sauing grace or faith because they were not thus truly regenerated purified and transformed into good ground but continued stonie and thornie as they were before Thirdly because it is said of one of the groundes that afflictions and temptations made the seeds that was sowen in it to wither away and of the other ground that the thornes and weeds sprung vp and choaked the seede that was sowen in it Now this is the propertie of true justifying and sauing faith that it makes men to abide the triall and to hold out in times of persecution affliction and temptation Iam. 1. 12. and 1 Pet. 1. 7. that it ouercomes the world and the cares and troubles and temptations of it 1 Iohn 5. 4 5. and therefore these two grounds which were ouercome of temptations persecutions and afflictions and of the cares the pleasures and riches of this world had no true justifying and sauing faith within them Fourthly because that true justifying and liuing faith of which only our question is intended is alwaies rooted and grounded in the soule so that it can neuer wither nor yet be rooted and weeded out as we may reade at large Ephes. 3. 17. Col. 1. 23. cap. 2. 5. 7. 1 Cor. 15. 58. Ier.