is Grace is taken diuersly according to diuers Fountaynes from which it floweth For albeit all grace proceedeth from God yet it proceedeth diuers wayes from him one way is by the way of his eternall purpose Thus proceedeth the grace of Predestination and the grace of Gods calling according to his purpose and the grace of iustification according to his calling and consequently according to his purpose This grace is primary constant and vnchangeable This is a free gift proceeding from the purpose of God and is wrought in vs by Gods calling Of this the Apostle speaketh The gifts and calling of God are without repentance This is one way by which grace proceedeth from God Another way it proceedeth from God and commeth to vs by the way of Preaching This way diuers graces come in diuers measures as hte Lord hath taught in the Parable of the Sower The Sower sowed the same Seed but some fell by the Way side and the Fowles came and deuoured it vp by this are they described who heare the word of the Kingdome and vnderstand it not Then commeth the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sowen in their heartes Other seede fell vpon stony ground where it had not much earth and forthwith it sprang vp because it had not deepness of earth and when the Sunne was vp it was scorched and because it had not roote it withered away By this are they signified who heare the word and anone with joy receiue it Yet hee hath no roote in himselfe but dureth but for a time for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by hee is offended Thirdly some fell amongst Thornes and the Thornes sprang vp and choaked it By this he is noted that heareth the word and the care of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches choake the Word and hee becommeth vnfruitfull Last is hee that receiued seed into good ground he that heareth the Word and Vnderstandeth it which also beareth fruite and bringeth forth some an hundreth some sixty some thirty I haue stayed the longer vpon the full recitall of this Parable because it proueth fully that which I intend to draw out of it First it is euident hereby that by the Preaching of the Word diuerse graces are giuen And the very Preaching of the Word freely to some Nations is a great grace In this respect it is called Verbum gratiae Acts 20.23 This grace though so great yet may be lost For many Nations haue had it that haue lost it Let them that haue it make much of it whilest they haue it For who knoweth how soone it may bee taken away And this is one way to loose it to suffer the Doctrines of our Church to bee corrupted It is the Spirit of God that setteth vp Preaching and directeth Preachers to one place and not to another As we read Acts 16.6 7 9. This then is one great grace to haue the Word of God Preached to a people but when it is Preached some vnderstand it not others receiue a greater measure of grace when they receiue the word with joy Yet this dureth not in some but is lost both totally and finally Others are choaked with the deceitfulnesse of the World and these fall away also Others are fruitefull and bring foorth plentifully All receiue the seede in some measure and thereby receyue grace in some measure but three sorts loose it altogether the fourth onely receiueth it fruitfully Then all these that receiue some grace and loose it againe are sayd and truly sayd to fall away from grace These graces that are thus lost are true graces And men may proceede farre in the practise of these graces some farther then other and yet may loose them Then they that speake in generall words that a man may fall away from grace speake at randome The question is Whether they that are according to Gods purpose Predestinated called and iustified may loose these graces of their Predestination Calling and Iustification This the Orthodoxe Church hath alwayes denied The Arminians who admit no other Predestination but conditionall affirme it and none but Pelagians and Arminians The Arminians hold that men may be often predestinated often elected and in the end may loose all They labour to prooue that all grace may be vtterly lost that the power of free will may bee receiued which then may shewe her power more fully when there is no grace CHAP. 6. That perseuerance to the end is a gift of God giuen to true beleeuers flowing from Gods purpose and predestination FIrst I will produce reasons to proue that perseuerance in grace to the end is a gift of God giuen to true beleeuers and then answere his Objections To prooue this the Scripture is euident to such as reade it with a single heart and vnblemished eies First of all those words of the Apostle proue it Wee know that all things worke together for the best to them that loue God euen to them that are called according to his purpose For those whom hee knew before hee Predestinated to be made like to the Image of his Sonne that hee might bee the first borne amongst many brethren Moreouer whom hee Predestinated them also hee called and whom he called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them also he glorified The purpose of God is the Spring and Fountaine from which all these graces are deriued The end is glorification From the beginning to the end are Predestination Calling and Iustification The chayne is so linked together that it cannot be separated He that God purposed to Predestinate must needes be Predestinated hee that is Predestinated must needes be called he that is so called must be iustified hee that is so iustified must be glorified But no man can come to glory without the grace of perseuerance to the end Therefore where God giueth these graces such a calling such a iustification hee giueth with all perseuerance without which no man can come to this end The same is prooued from the words of St. Iohn Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seede abideth in him and hee cannot sinne because he is borne of God When St. Iohn sayth that a man once regenerate by the Spirit of God sinneth not and cannot sinne We may not vnderstand this of sinnes of infirmitie For of such St. Iohn himselfe sayth If wee say we haue no sinnes we deceiue our selues and the Truth is not in vs if we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes How then doe these two agree together First we are all sinners and wee must confesse our sinnes Secondly a regenerate man sinneth not yea cannot sinne These contentions of the Arminian faction hath taught vs to reconcile these places For a man that is borne of God may sinne that is fall into the sinnes of infirmity but yet he can not sinne that is he cannot fall backe into the seruice and dominion of sinne
Pelagianorum si ego quicquam intelligo Scotus then teacheth that faith charity and repentance may be had ex puris naturalibus Concerning faith he saith Fide acquisita ex puris naturalibus potest homo assentiri omnibus reuelatis à Deo And a little after Hoc igitur tenendum est tanquam certum quod reuelatorum in Scripturis est nobis acquisita fides generata ex auditu actionibus nostris qua eis firmiter adhaeremus And speaking of faith infused he saith De fide infusa quomodo sit ponenda in nobis hoc non est ita certum an fit vel quomodo sit ponenda in nobis After the same manner he speaketh of charity Lib. 3. Distinct. 27. Quaest. 1. dist 28. Now seeing these be their positions it is not much materiall what words they giue when speaking of grace they intend to giue all to nature in the end The subtle Doctor saw that they who bring in the respectiue decree affirming that God in conferring of grace respecteth somewhat in man must needs yeeld that the thing respected in man must be nature nothing but nature And therefore Scotus beeing a Famous Pelagian granteth that roundly because hee perceiued that the respectiue decree cannot stand without this ground But others are or seeme to bee offended at such grosse proceedings and therefore they would temper this morter and daube it vp thus That it is not Nature but Grace that God respecteth Thus they would in words mollifie the horrour of the other opinion and yet they retayne the same absurdities The Author of the Appeale is running on with these but God knoweth which way hee is going for hee himselfe knoweth not Hee sayth God called Saint Peter in respect of his Faith Obedience and Repentance and then hee thinketh that hee hath well sayd in laying this respect not vppon nature but vppon grace as hee thinketh But hee doth not vnderstand the absurdity that this draweth after it For if God called Saint Peter in respect of his Faith Obedience and Repentance then were Saint Peters Faith Obedience and Repentance some cause why hee was called and therefore before his calling But in true Diuinity Saint Peters Faith Obedience and Repentance are the effects of his calling not the cause and come after the calling but goe not before it It may well bee sayd that God iustified him in respect of his calling and God called him in respect of Predestination and God predestinated him Secundum propositum in respect of his purpose For so Saint Augustine reasoneth that for the grace of Predestination wee haue the grace of Gods calling that is grace for grace And for the grace of his Calling wee haue the grace of Iustification that is grace for grace But the Ancients that reasoned thus alwayes obserued that the Consequent grace might be giuen for and in respect of the Precedent grace but that the Precedent grace might bee giuen for or in respect of a Subsequent grace there was neuer Orthodoxe Writer that taught so Yet the Pelagians and after them the Arminians seeming willing to auoyde the danger of that Rocke at which so many haue made Shipwracke that grace is giuen for some respects in nature to auoyde this absurdity they labour to mollifie the matter but runne still vppon the same danger They change the manner of speaking and say that a Precedent grace is giuen in respect of subsequent grace as this man sayth When hee holdeth that the grace of calling is giuen in respect of Faith and Obedience which are subsequent graces But this is nothing else but for the loue to holde with Pelagius to say something Wherein they forsake Vnderstanding Reason Diuinity and Philosophy and speake Non sence For that I call Non-sence that is against Diuinity Philosophy and Common reason as this is which maketh a subsequent grace to bee the cause of a Precedent grace to set the effect before the cause And because in this manner of speech there is nothing to satisfie the vnderstanding of a Diuine or a Philosopher it is apparant that this was deuised for none other end but onely to dazle the ignorant with Wordes without Vnderstanding But a matter of this nature will not bee carryed with empty Wordes And in so high a poynt of Diuinity to speake without expresse Scriptures is a signe that they presume too much eyther vppon their owne wit or vppon other mens weaknesse Their end is that if thus much might be obtayned that God giueth the precedent grace for or in respect of the consequent they might with more ease afterward fall into the playne tearmes of Pelagius For howsoeuer they may palliate the matter with strange VVordes not vnderstood yet the Truth is as Scotus confesseth that if Gods grace bee giuen in respect of any thing in man that can bee nothing but nature For in man before he be called there is nothing but nature And therefore the playne Doctrine of Scotus that a man may merite grace Ex puris naturalibus standeth more probable in reason then this opinion which deuiseth a subsequent grace to be the cause of a precedent grace For as this is against Diuinity so the reason of the Naturall man refuseth it The graces of God are ordered and they that would disorder them trouble the whole frame of our saluation For God hath set the order From Gods purpose proceedeth Predestination from Predestination Calling from Calling Faith and Iustification from Iustification Obedience and all fruitefull workes The first grace that wee apprehend is Calling And therefore before we are called there is nothing in vs but nature If then God respect any thing in man in respect whereof hee calleth him that can be nothing but nature and free will This the Pelagians taught plainely but some following the Pelagians are ashamed to vtter themselues so plainely They striue to handle the matter more finely but whilest they seeke finenesse they haue lost their wits Surely they haue forsaken reason and vnderstanding Now it is not possible that from nature and freewill any grace should rise because the Lord sayth That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit Here be two principles set one in Nature the other in Grace The principle of grace and all good motions is the Spirit the highest principle of nature and naturall motions is the Flesh Therefore no grace of the spirit can proceede from the flesh but nature and free-will is nothing but flesh Againe the order wherin the Blessed Apostle setteth downe these things the purpose of God predestination calling iustification glorification doth prooue that a precedent grace may be some cause to draw after it a subsequent grace but for a subsequent grace to be any manner of cause to draw a precedent this is impossible The blessed Apostle sayth All things fall out for the best to them that loue God to them that are called according to his purpose Before I
come to that which I intend I would heere first remooue a scruple which the Pelagians stumble at in those words of the Apostle To them that loue God From these words they inferre that God respecteth them that loue him But the Apostle expoundeth himselfe in the words following To them that are called according to his purpose For these are they who loue God who vnderstand that Gods loue preuented them and called them according to his purpose He that hath the knowledge of this loue of God must needes loue God againe but this loue beginneth by Gods preuenting loue as St. Iohn sayth Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his son to be a reconciliation for our sinnes There be some that begin to loue but fall away and continue not to the end Of these St. Bede in his Expositions collected out of Saint Augustine expoundeth this place thus Apostolus cum dixisset scimus quoniam diligentibus deum omnia cooperantur in bonum sciens non nullos diligere Deum in eo bono vsque in finem non permanere mox addidit his qui secundum propositum vocati sunt Hi enim in eo quod diligunt Deum permanent vsque in finem Thus much to remooue this scruple that no occasion be left to the Pelagians Now to proceed The Apostle sayth All things fall out to the best to them that are called according to Gods purpose Then Gods calling is according to his purpose If any man should say that Gods purpose were according to his calling should hee not inuert the Wordes of the Apostle and falsifie his Doctrine Then his calling is according to his purpose but his purpose may not bee sayd to be according to his calling because the calling dependeth vppon his purpose but not the purpose vppon the calling The purpose is a cause of the calling but not the calling a cause of the purpose Now if wee proceede from Vocation to Iustification wee shall vnderstand the same For as Vocation dependeth vppon Gods purpose of Predestination so doth our Iustification depend vpon Vocation and as this was to peruert the Apostles words and to falsifie his doctrine as before I sayd to say that Gods purpose was according to his calling So if a man should say as this Author sayth that Gods calling is according to faith obedience and repentance this man should in like sort peruert the Apostle his words and falsifie his doctrine For iustification faith obedience and repentance depend vpon Gods calling but his calling dependeth not vpon them they are giuen according to his calling but his calling is not according to them And therefore they are giuen for and in considetation of his calling but that Gods calling should be for and in consideration or regard of these things which Gods calling draweth with it and after it is a thing absurde not onely in the iudgements of Orthodoxe Writers but euen in the iudgement of Pelagius himselfe and of Scotus and of the most learned of that side who thought it more probable and agreeing more with reason to say that the grace of God is giuen according to merits then to deuise this strange fancy that a subsequent grace should be the cause of a precedent grace This I say is not a priuate fancy of some particuler men but such a thing as was neuer vttered by any sober or learned writer And because heresie goeth not without absurdities it may be called either the Arminian heresie or the Arminian absurdity For besides Arminians no man writeth thus I may not omit to obserue in the last place that our Authors words crosse the words of the 17. Article which hee professeth to maintaine For the article speaking of Predestination sayth They which be indued with such an excellent benefit of God be called according to Gods purpose by his spirit working in due season they thorough grace obey their calling they are iustified freely they be made the sonnes of God by adoption they be made like the image of his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ they walke religiously in good workes and at length by Gods mercy they attaine to euerlasting felicity These words of the Article containe the true Apostolicall doctrine For the calling of God is here sayd to be according to Gods purpose and iustification obedience walking religiously in good workes these things are declared in the Article to follow the calling as effects thereof But this man the new maintainer of the articles and of the doctrines of our Church peruerteth this Apostolicall doctrine contained in the article For he sayth that the calling is according to faith obedience and repentance contrary to that which is contained in the article The article maketh faith obedience and repentance to be the effects of calling and to followe it and proueth consequently that the calling is not according to these effects or in consideration and regard of these effects but that these effects are according to the calling and in consideration and regard of the calling By this mans doctrine the calling dependeth vpon faith obedience and repentance by the doctrine contayned in the article these things depend vpon the calling Thus hath he cleane peruerted and crossed the doctrine contained in the article and yet this man is thought fit to expound the Articles and to declare the Doctrines of our Church Thus much concerning his errours touching the matter of Predestination CHAP. 5. Of perseuerance in Grace and falling away from Grace THe question as Saint Augustine proposeth it is of perseuerance of the Saints in grace As this man and the Pelagians propose it of falling away from grace or of the Apostasie of the Saints The question is the same though diuersly proposed so that if we proue the perseuerance of Saints to the ende then is that doctrine ouerthrowne that bringeth in the Apostasie of Saints If this question be moued thus Whether a man may fall away from grace The proposition by reason of the ambiguous acception and vse of this word grace may be both true and false For this is true a man may fall from grace both totally and finally And this likewise true a man cannot fall from grace neither totally nor finally They who haue a purpose to deceiue take the generality of termes and in vniuersalibus latet dolits Therefore before any true proofe can be made in any disputation the word that is ambiguous must be declared distinctly In the Scriptures and in those Writers that ground themselues vpon the Scriptures there is obserued a double acceptation and vse of this word grace I am not ignorant that many distinctions are vsed of this word and that Bellarmine confoundeth himselfe and his reader with the multitude of distinctions of this word but distinctions were inuented to cleare the poynt in question and not to confound things I rest therefore for our present purpose vpon one distinction which is playne and grounded in the Scriptures and this it
absolute irrespectiue necessitating and fatall decree of your new predestination In which words he plainely deliuereth his owne opinion and as hee taketh it the doctrine of our Church Thus much I say here to take him from that starting hole which he might thinke of to say that in this as in some other things hee deliuered not his owne opinion his opinion is plaine that he layeth these accusations against predestination as the Pelagians did Page 71. he saith That Deodate Minister and professor of the Church of Geneua professed to him his opinion in some points contrary to the conclusions of Dort All the English Diuines which were there do verily beleeue this to bee vntrue because they hold Deodate for an honest man And to put this matter out of doubt Deodate himselfe hath written to a learned and reuerend Bishop of our Church protesting that hee neuer spake any such thing as the Author of the Appeale imposeth vpon him touching the conclusions of that Synode Hee that durst deale so with Deodate must needes loose credit in other things Page 72. he saith At the conference of Hampton Court the Byshop of London Doctor Bancrofte called the doctrine of praedestination a desperate doctrine without any reproofe or taxation I answer as the Byshop of London did then vnderstand it a desperate doctrine so do I call it The Byshop of London had reason for speaking against a common abuse of that doctrine Our Author hath no reason to speake against the doctrine it selfe The Byshops words were these which he omitteth to wrong the Byshop Many in these times neglecting holynesse of life presume too much of persisting in grace laying all their religion vpon praedestination If I shall bee saued I shall bee saued which hee termeth a desperate doctrine and who will deny this as the Byshop deliuereth it It was not the Byshops meaning to call the doctrine of praedestination a desperate doctrine as Saint Paul preacheth it or as the 17. Article deliuereth it The Article affirmeth that the godly consideration of praedestination and our election in Christ is full of sweete pleasant and vnspeakable comfort to godly persons and such as feele in themselues the working of the spirit of Christ mortifying the workes of the flesh aswell because it doth greatly establish and confirme their faith of eternall saluation to bee enioyed by Christ as because it doth feruently kindle their loue towards God If the Author had beene but indifferently affected to the doctrine of Praedestination and to the Article that proueth such comfort to be contained in it and receiued by it Hee would haue said somewhat of this comfort which the godly receiue from this doctrine But hee is pleased to finde nothing in Praedestination but a desperate doctrine The Article saith also that for curious and carnall men lacking the spirit of God to haue continually before their eyes the sentence of Gods Praedestination is a most dangerous downefall The Bishop spake of these last words Our learned Authour the determiner of the doctrines of the Church of England alloweth that the doctrine Praedestination should bee called a desperate doctrine Hee cannot say here that hee onely relateth the Bishops words for therein hee hath wronged the Bishop that hee relateth not his words rightly But the doctrine of our Church in that Article saith that it is full of sweet pleasant and vnspeakable comfort to godly persons He hath handsomely maintained the doctrine of our Church saying that the doctrine of Praedestination is a desperate doctrine without any mention of the abuse of it which before him no Diuine of the Church of England euer vttered Pag. 73. He saith It is your owne doctrine God hath appointed them to grace and glory God according to his purpose hath called and iustified them therefore it is certaine that they must and shall bee saued infallibly Thus writeth the Authour of the Appeale against his accusers I know not these men against whom hee writeth but hee doth much honour them in saying that this is their doctrine Sir is not this your doctrine also I am sure it is the Apostles doctrine Quos insitificauit glorificauit Saint Augustine draweth out of these words that doctrine which this man condemneth Electi sunt de mundo ea vocatione quae Deus id quod praedestinauit implevit Quos enim praedestinavit ipsos vocauit illa scilicet vocatione secundum propositam Non ergo alios sed quos praedestinauit ipsos vocauit nec alios sed quos ita vocauit ipsos iustificauit nec alios sed quos praedestinauit vocauit iustificauit ipsos glorificauit He saith in the same place Haec est immobilis veritas praedestinationis gratiae Then according to these grounds which Saint Augustine calleth the immoueable truth of Praedestination and grace they whom God according to his purpose hath called and iustified must and shall be saued infallibly Sir doe you puffe at this doctrine Durum est contra stimulos calcitrate The words are short and plaine Quos iustificauit glorificauit They must and shall be glorified because the word of God must and shall be true These things are not as this man in scorne calleth them Scholasticall speculations they are the Grounds of our saluation The chiefe and corner stone elect and precious is vnto some a rocke of offence Men may dash themselues against this rocke but they cannot shake it they cannot hurt or remoue it Againe these short words Quos iustificauit glorificauit doth vtterly shake in peeces that new doctrine of his where hee laboureth but in vaine to proue that a man so iustified may fall away totally and finally Quos iustificauit glorificauit If they who are iustified according to Gods purpose shall infallibly be glorified then can they neuer fall away totally or finally Yes saith hee they may fall away totally though not finally It seemeth that this man maketh some account of this conceit for hee hath spoken of it at other times that a man may fall away totally but not finally If hee or any man could proue by euident Scripture that a man that is predestinated called and iustified according to Gods purpose may fall away totally then will I yeeld that hee may fall away finally It is a weake conceit to thinke that hee shall stand finally that falleth away totally For if all grace be gone totally lost then must the man come to another predestination another calling another iustification 〈…〉 cation another adoption But then must 〈…〉 man set vp another Schoole of Diuinit 〈…〉 by that knowledge of Diuinity 〈◊〉 receiued amongst vs and hitherto preserued these things cannot stand FINIS Errata Pag. 2. lin 5. for pag. 37. reade pag. 73. Pag. 85. lin 11. for may be lost reade may not be lost Esa 54.17 Tostat. in Genes cap. 19. Bellar. lib. 2. de grat lib. arb cap. 16. Brad. lib. 1. cap. 10. Enchir. cap. 96. De Genes contra Man lib. 1. c. 2. Lib. 1 contra Pelag Calest cap. 6. Ephes. 1.18 Lib. de corrept gratiae ca. 14. Lib. de Praedest Sanct. cap. 6. Act. 4.28 Lib. de donâ— perseu Cap. 12. Ad Bonif. lib. â— cap. 5. Ibid. Aduers calumniat August c. 1 De praedest sanct cap. 10. Râ—â—ect 1. de potest Zib 3. dist 23 Quest. 1. Iohn 3.6 1 Iohn 4.10 Bed in Rom. 8. Rom. 11.29 Matthew 13. 1 Iohn 3.9 1 Iohn 1.8 1 Peter 2.3 1 Peter 1.3 Iohn 5.24 Lib. de pradest Sanctor 1. Cor. 4.7 Lib. de dono perseuer Phil. 1.29 Ier. 32.40 Dicat mihi quisquis auder Psal. 80.17 1. Ioh. 2.19 Lib. de correp et gratia Liberâ—imaÌ„ fortissimam enuictiss maÌ„ perseuerantissimam in fide voluncatem Act. 13.48 si quando exorbitant Ioh. 15.16 Rom. 14.4 In Ephes. 1. Exhort ad virgin 2 Tim. 4 7 8. Prosper lib. de vocat gentium 1. 1 Cor. 1.8 Rom. 8.35 Greg. in 1 Reg. cap. 14. lib. 4. Beda in Rom. 8. Bern. de modo bene wuendi serm 20. Lib. de pass dom cap. 14. Tostat. in Mat. 22. q. 6 9. 1 Cor. 3.9 Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.18 1 Cor. 2.3 Ephes. 1.18 1â— Math. 24.13 Ephes. 1 4.11 Esa. 46.10 Heb. 6.17 Lib de corrept gratia cap 7. ibid cap 9. Lib. de oper Monach. cap. 13. August in Psal. 77. Bern epist. 77. Mark 16.16 Cyprian de coena Domini Heb. 6. Lib de bapt contra Donatistas 5 ca. 24. Hos. 4.6 Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 24. Lib. de Fradest sanct cap. 17.