is pag. 141. transformed in mind renewed in soule regenerate by grace Discord Church of England HOmil of Saluation page 13. Because all men be sinners and breakers of Gods law therefore can no man by his owne acts words and deeds seeme they neuer so good bee iustified But of necessity euery man is constrained to seeke for another righteousnesse or iustification to bee receiued at Gods owne hands that is to say forgiuenesse of sins And this iustificatiō or righteousnes which wee so receiue of Gods mercy and Christs merits is accepted and allowed of God for our full and perfect iustification The faith in Christ which is within vs doth not iustifie vs for that were to account our selues to bee iustified by some act or virtue which is within our selues Art 11. Of the iustification of man We are accounted righteous before God onely by the merit of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ by faith not our owne workes Note in this maine point of Iustification That the Appealer differeth from the Church of England and consenteth to the Church of Rome in three remarkable particulars 1 In the signification of the word To iustifie which the Appealer and the Church of Rome take for making a man righteous The Church of England and the Protestants generally for accounting declaring or pronouncing a man righteous 2 The Church of England maketh Iustification to consist onely in forgiuenesse of sinnes The Appealer and Church of Rome not onely in forgiuenesse of sins but partly in it and partly in sanctifying graces infused 3 The Church of England teacheth That wee are not iustified by inherent righteousnesse or by any vertue within vs. The church of Rome and the Appealer hold That we are iustified by sanctifying and regenerating graces within vs whereby wee are transformed in minde and renewed in soule By renewing grace inherent in vs wee are sanctified but not iustified the confounding of Sanctification with Iustification as the Appealer and Papists doe is an errour of dangerous consequence as the learned well know Of Merit of Workes Harmony Church of Rome COunc. of Trent Sess. 6. can 32. If any man say That the good workes of a man iustified doe not truly merit increase of grace and eternall life let him be accursed Bellar. de iustifi lib. 5. c. 16. The workes of iust men proceeding frō charity are meritorious of eternall life ex condigno this is the common opinion of Diuines and it is most true Vasques in 1a. 2ae q. 114. disput 214. The good workes of iust men without any couenāt or acceptation are worthy of the reward of eternall life and haue an equall value of worth to the obtaining of eternall life Vasques disput 222. The workes of a righteous man doe merit eternall life as an equall reward or wages they make A man iust and worthy eternall life that hee may of desert obtaine the same Appealer APpeal pag. 233. The wicked goe to enduring of torments euerlasting the good goe to enioying of happinesse without end thus is their estate diuersified to their deseruing Answer to Gagg pag. 153. Merit of congruity is not commonly meant as scarce vouchsafed the name of merit Good workes are therefore said to bee meritorious are so vnderstood to be ex condigno which that a worke may so be these conditions are required that it bee morally good freely wrought by man in this life in the state of grace and friendship with God which hath annexed Gods promise of reward all which conditions I cannot conceiue that any protestant doth deny to good workes Discord Church of Engl. HOmily of Saluation 2. part page 17. Though I haue faith hope and charity repentance and doe neuer so many good workes yet wee must renounce the merit of all our said virtues and good deeds which wee either haue done shall doe or can doe as things that bee farre too weake and insufficient to deserue the remission of our sinnes Artic. 11. Wee are accoūted righteous before God onely for the merit of our Lord Sauior Iesus Christ by faith and not for our own works or deseruings Homil. of good workes To haue affiance in our workes as by merit of them to purchase to our selues remission of sinnes and eternall life is blasphemy Obserue reader that the Appealer ignorantly or fraudulently omitteth the proper conditions requisite to a meritorious act which are especially these 1 That the worke be properly our and not his of whom we pretend to merit 2 That it be opus indebitum a worke to which otherwise we are not bound 3 That it be some way profitable and beneficiall to him from whom wee expect our reward 4 That it haue some proportion and correspondence of congruity at least if not of condignitie to the reward expected All which conditions Protestants deny to bee found in our good works And therupon disclaime all merit These conditions the Appealer pretermitteth and from foure common conditions requisite to a good worke in generall he concludeth loosely and weakly That the Papists and wee agree in the doctrine of merit ex condigno of condignitie In his Appeale Chap. 11. by the advice as it seemes of the Approuer of his booke hee disclaimeth merit of condignity which in his former booke he seemed to approue But he saith little or nothing which may not well stand with merit of congruity Indeed hee lasheth Vasques for that wherein he differeth from other Papists but he retracteth not any where that his owne sentence namely The eternall state of men is diuersified to their deseruings Wherein hee crosseth the 11 Article and the words of S. Paul Rom. 6. The wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life Of Euangelicall Counsels or Workes of supererogation Harmony Church of Rome BEl de Monach. lib. 2. cap 7. An Euangelicall Counsell of Perfection is called a good worke not inioyned vs by Christ but shewed vnto vs not commanded but commended onely Ibid. cap. 8. It is the opinion of all Catholiques that there are many Euangelicall Counsels viz. of things aduised or counselled vnto but not prescribed nor commanded Appealer ANswer to the Gagg p. 103. What is meant by workes of Supererogation we may collect out of the texts of Scripture cited viz. That man in the state of grace and assisted by Gods grace may doe somethings counselled and not commanded I know no doctrine of our English Church against Euangelical counsels Appeale page 214. I doe beleeue there are and euer were Euangelicall counsels Discord Church of Engl. ARticle 14. Voluntary works besides ouer and aboue Gods Commandements w th they call workes of supererogation cānot be taught with our arrogancy and impiety for by them men doe declare that they doe not onely render vnto God as much as they are bound to doe but that they doe more for his sake then of bounden duty is required whereas Christ saith plainly When yee haue done all that are commanded vnto you say wee are vnprofitable
in the Heauens for it implieth a contradiction that his body should be contained in and yet be without the Heauens at the same time If his body may bee in more places then one at once then he might haue been at the instant of his passion in the Sun and Moon vpon the Crosse which S. Augustine concludes to bee absolutely impossible And if Christ in his flesh may be both in heauen and earth at the same instant Vigilius his reason hath no strength at all to wit because he is in heauen therefore he is not vpon earth To conclude if it be impossible that Christ his body should bee at the same instant in heauen and vpon earth as the testimonies of the Angel S. Peter S. Augustine and Vigilius aboue alleadged declare and if all Papists teach that Christs body after words of Consecration is truely really and substantially vpon earth handled with the hands and eaten with the mouthes of Communicants they must needes consequently deny his bodily presence and being at the right hand of his Father in Heauen Fiftly the article of the Catholike Church rightly expounded signifieth the whole company of Gods elect which is the onely Catholike inuisible Church wee beleeue for the visible Church is an obiect of sense and therefore not properly an article of faith This true interpretation of the article the Romanists are so farre from admitting that in the Councell of Constance they condemned Iohn Husse of heresie for maintaining it Whence I thus argue They who make the visible Church to be the catholike Church which wee beleeue misbeleeue the article touching the Catholike Church But the Romanists make the visible Church to be the Catholike Church which wee beleeue Therefore the Romanists misbeleeue the article touching the catholike Church The first proposition or major is proued by the words of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 7. We walke by faith and not by sight and Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the euidence of things not seene The Church therefore which we beleeue cannot be the visible Church The assumption is the assertion of all Papists who are so farre from beleeuing that they scoffe and laugh at an inuisible Church as a meere phantasme or Platonicall Idaea Sixtly the foure last articles of the Apostles creed the communion of Saints the forgiuenesse of sins the resurrection of the dead and life euerlasting rightly expounded import not only that there is a communion of Saints and remission of sinnes in the Church and a resurrection of the faithfull to eternall life which the Deuills themselues doe and cannot but beleeue but that euery true beleeuer who rehearseth these articles doth and ought to beleeue that hee hath a part in the communion of Saints hath obtained remission of his sinnes and shall at the last day rise to life eternall This interpretation of these articles is condemned by the Papists as hereticall Whence we thus argue against them They who deny that a man is bound to beleeue that he is of the number of the elect or that his sinnes are vndoubtedly forgiuen him c. ouerthrow the foure articles aboue mentioned according to their true meaning But the Romanists deny that a man is bound to beleeue that he is of the number of the Elect or that his sinnes are vndoubtedly forgiuen him c. Therefore the Romanists ouerthrow the foure articles aboue mentioned according to their true meaning Secondly it is a dangerous errour to affirme that the present Church of Rome holdeth the same foundation of Sacraments with the Ancient Church Which I proue first They who maintain seuen Sacraments properly so called hold not the same foundation of Sacraments with that church which held but two onely But the present church of Rome maintaines seauen Sacraments properly so called the Ancient church of Rome held but two onely Therefore the present church of Rome holdeth not the same foundation of Sacraments with that church The first proposition or major if it bee not euident in it selfe may be thus confirmed The fiue Sacraments which the Romanists adde cannot be built vpon that foundation which beareth but two onely therefore those fiue Sacraments are built vpon another different foundation or vpon no foundation at all The second proposition or assumption is generally proued by all Protestant writers that handle this question with whom the Appealer professeth euery where to hold faire quarter Secondly I proue it thus Whosoeuer maintaineth an error ouerthrowing the nature of a Sacrament holdeth not the same foundation of Sacraments with the Ancient church But the present church of Rome maintaineth an error ouerthrowing the nature of a Sacrament Therfore the present church of Rome holdeth not the same foundation of Sacraments with the Ancient church The first proposition is euident in it selfe for nothing can be more fundamentall to a Sacrament then that which concernes the nature and essence of a Sacrament nothing more destructiue or euersiue then that which ouerthroweth the very essence and substance of it The second proposition is contained totidem verbis in expresse words in the articles of religion of the Church of England Artic. 28. Transubstantiation or the change of the substance of bread and wine a doctrine de fide in the Church of Rome defined both by the Councell of Lateran and the Councell of Trent in the supper of the Lord cannot be proued by holy Writ but it is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture ouerthroweth the nature of a Sacrament and hath giuen occasion to many superstitions Thirdly it is proued thus Whosoeuer holdeth an errour concerning Christs ordinance and institution of the Sacraments erreth in the foundation of Sacraments and therein differeth from the ancient Church But the present Church of Rome holdeth an errour concerning Christs ordinance and institution of the Sacraments Therefore the present Church of Rome erreth in the foundation of Sacraments and therein differeth from the ancient Church The first proposition is cleare for Christs order and institution is the foundation of the Sacraments and therefore an error concerning it must needs be fundamentall in point of Sacrament The second proposition or assumption is set downe in Article 30. Both parts of the Sacrament by Christs ordinance and commandement ought to be ministred to all christian men alike which assertion touching Christs ordinance the present Church of Rome erroneously denieth and defineth the contrary in the Councell of Constance and Trent Thirdly it is a dangerous errour to affirme that the present church of Rome is not diuerse from the ancient vndoubted church of Christ. Which I proue First thus Whatsoeuer Church hath most shamefully gone from the Apostles from Christ himselfe from the Primitiue and catholike church of God and hath vtterly forsaken the Catholike faith is vndoubtedly diuerse from the ancient true church of Christ The present church of Rome hath most shamefully gone from the Apostles from Christ himselfe from the primitiue and catholike church of God and hath
former therefore he that is once truly iustified may fall into an estate worse than the former Bert. pag. 36. Among the causes of Apostasie one is the feare of persecution He that receiued the seed in stony places the same is he that heareth the Word and anon with ioy receiueth it yet hath he not root in himselfe but dureth for a while for when tribulation ariseth because of the Word he is offended APPEALER APpeale pa. 159. Ezek. 18. 24 26. If the righteous t turne away from his righteousnesse and commit iniquitie and doe according vnto all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he liue All his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be remembred but in his transgression that he hath committed and in his sinne that he hath sinned in them shall he die Ibid. Ezek. 33. 13. If hee commit iniquity all his righteousnesse shal be no more remembred but for his iniquitie that he hath committed he shall die for the same Therefore the righteous may lose his righteousnesse abandon his faith die in his sinne c. Ibid. pag. 159. The vncleane spirit eiected returneth vnto his former residence entreth possedeth his former state and the case of that man is worse than the beginning Matth. 12. 44. u Satan is not eiected but where the partie is in the state of grace with God being regenerate by faith Reposseding is not but by relapse into sinne nor a worse state but where a man dieth in sinne Ibid. pag. 159. Luke 8. 13. * They on the rock are they who when they heare receiue the Word with ioy who for a while beleeue and in time of temptation fall away t Because this place of Ezekiel is set in the fore-front both by the Appealer and by Bertius as a testimony on which they most rely and are most confident of I will endeuour both fully to answer and retort it against them Besides those Answers by which others haue rebated the edge of this Obiection As * first that this speech is conditionall suppositiue and not positiue and therefore no more inferreth that a righteous man may fall from his righteousnesse then those words of Saint Paul If an Angell from heauen shall preach vnto you another Gospell than that you receiued let him be accursed conclude that an Angell from heauen can preach another Gospell Or the like of our Sauiour They shall doe signes and wonders to seduce if it were possible the Elect therefore it is possible to seduce the elect whereas indeed the contrary may be inferred euen from those words Secondly That the Prophet speaketh of him that is righteous in his owne opinion and before men but not in the sight of God such a man may fall away from his righteousnesse but the question is of a man regenerate and truly righteous and such a one cannot turne away from his righteousnesse Of this minde is Saint Gregory Moral in Iob. lib. 34. cap. 13. They who may be seduced in such sort that they neuer returne againe may seeme to lose the habit of sanctitie before the eyes of men sed eam ante oculos Dei nunquam habuerunt but indeed they neuer had any holinesse in the sight of God Thirdly that the Prophet speakes here of actuall righteousnesse which may be lost and is lost by the committing of any wilfull and grieuous sinne against conscience not of habituall which cannot be lost if he doe that which is lawfull and right Ezek. 18. 21. and 24. If he doth according to all the abominations the wicked man doth all the righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be remembred here is not a word that importeth habituall righteousnesse but meerely actuall which all sides confesse may be lost Besides these answers I say further that this Scripture no way tendeth to Bertius or the Appealers purpose For they should proue that a iustified man may lose Euangelicall righteousnesse or the righteousnesse of Faith not Legall righteousnesse Now it is euident that the Prophet speaketh of Legall righteousnesse First by the pronoune his if the righteous turne away from his righteousnesse that is the righteousnesse of his owne workes or his inherent righteousnesse not the imputed righteousnesse of Christ for that is not his owne Philip. 3. 9. That I may be found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Secondly by the enumeration of particulars vers 6 7 8. 15 16 17. all which appertaine to Legall righteousnesse If he hath not eaten vpon the mountaines nor lift vp his eyes to the Idols of the house of Israel nor come neare to a menstruous woman and hath spoiled none by violence and hath not giuen his money vpon vsury c. Lastly this argument may be retorted against the Aduersaries two wayes First thus If the difference of the Couenant betweene the Law and the Gospell consisteth especially in this that the righteousnesse required by the one may be lost but the righteousnesse promised by the other cannot be lost then the argument from the losse of Legall righteousnesse to Euangelicall is of no force but to disproue our Aduersaries tenent for that which in this place of Ezekiel is affirmed of the one may not be affirmed of the other but the difference of the Couenant betweene the Law and the Gospel cōsisteth especially in this that the righteousnesse required by the one may be lost but the righteousnesse promised by the other cannot be lost Ierem. 31. 31. 33. 34. Heb. 8. 8. Behold the dayes come that I will make a new Couenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah not according to the Couenant that I made with their Fathers c. but this shall be my Couenant which I will make with the house of Israel I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts I will forgiue their iniquitie and remember their sinne no more And Ierem. 32. 40. I will make an euerlasting Couenant with them that I will not turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Secondly thus If these words are spoken generally to the children of God and belong to the elect as well as others they cannot imply a totall and finall falling away from righteousnesse no not in the iudgement of the Arminians and Iesuites themselues with whose Heifer the Appealer plowes For as the Iesuites so Arminius himselfe teacheth that a man that is elect and predestinated to eternall life cannot fall finally nor perish for euer But the words of the Prophet Ezekiel are spoken generally vnto all and belong to the very Elect therefore I conclude in the words of the great Champion of Popery in generall and of this particular touching the Apostasie of Saints Card. Bellarm. lib. 3. de Iustif. cap. 12. It is true that the predestinated or elected are in no danger of losing
eternall life and that the terrifying threats vsed by the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures are to this end to stirre vp the elect to watchfulnesse and diligence motiues they are to and meanes of perseuerance not arguments at all to proue the Saints Apostasie u To the place of Matth. 12. 44. we answer First we ought not to ground any doctrine of faith vpon a meere parable or allegory because as Saint Augustine in his booke de Doctrinâ Christianâ deliuereth it All those points which belong to faith and manners are plainly deliuered in the Scriptures Secondly we cannot aâ—gue strongly from corporall possession or dispossession to spirituall as a Lunaticke man so a man possessed with the Deuill in body may be yet in the state of grace in his soule and in like manner as a man that is cured of his frensie or lunacie may be yet an vnsanctified man so a man out of whom the Deuill is cast from tormenting or possessing the body may be yet an vnregenerate man although I grant our Sauiour seldome or neuer cured any mans body but first he healed the soule as some Interpreters haue obserued yet no necessary consequence can be drawn from the health or sicknesse of the body to the health or sicknesse of the soule Neither is it said here that the vncleane spirit was cast out by Christ nor by any other but that he went out of himselfe and returned againe and therefore this possessed person can be no fit embleme of a truly regenerated and iustified man out of whom the Deuil is powerfully cast out and the party is no way vnder him or in his power but led by the spirit of God Rom. 8. and wholly deliuered from the power of Satan Thirdly the meaning of the Parable is as appeareth by our Sauiours application that as the latter state of that man out of whom the Deuill first departed and afterward returned with seuen worse than himselfe was worse than the former so it should be with the wicked Iewes out of whom the vncleane spirit had gone out for feare of the Law but now was returned againe vnto them through their refusall of the Gospell and despiting the Spirit of Grace Thus Saint Hilary Ierome and Bede expound the Parable and their Exposition is euidently grounded vpon our Sauiours words vers 45. Euen so shall it be also vnto this wicked generation As it is particularly applied by our Sauiour to the Iewes so it may be to any Nation out of which the vncleane spirit departeth for a while or is driuen away by the preaching of the Gospell if it be empty of good workes and giuen to the pleasures of this world like the lodging of the vncleane spirit which he found empty swept and garnished The vncleane spirit will enter with seuen worse that is the Gospell shall be taken away from them and the Kingdome of Grace for the abuse of it and they shall be brought into worse bondage of the Deuill then before according to Saint Peter 2 Epist. 2. 20. If after they haue escaped the pollution of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ they are againe intangled therein and ouercome the latter end shall be worse with them than the beginning for it had beene better for them not to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse than after they haue knowne it to turne away from the holy commandement deliuered vnto them This was the case of the Kingdome of Congo which for a time embraced the Gospell but afterwards perceiuing that it restrained their carnall libertie and no way permitted pluralitie of wiues they cast off the yoke of Christ and enthralled themselues againe to Satan But it is not so with those that are truly regenerate for to them his yoke is easie and his burthen light Lastly this obiection may be retorted against the Aduersaries thus This Parable is meant of a wicked generation Matth. 12. 45. an euill and adulterous generation vers 39. a generation of vipers vers 34. such as the Scribes and Pharises were who in this Parable are reproued by our Sauiour But the regenerate children of God are not a wicked adulterous or viperous generation but a chosen generation a royall Priest-hood an holy nation a peculiar people 1 Pet. 2. 9. Therefore this Parable is not meant of the regenerate children of God * To the place of Saint Luke 8. 13. and Mat. 13. 20. we answer First the heart of a man truly regenerated is not compared to a stony ground for God by regenerating grace takes away our stony heart and giues vs an heart of flesh Ezek. 36. 26. Secondly a temporary faith is not of the same nature with a iustifying faith a temporary faith hath no root Matth. 13. 22. and Luke 8. 13. a iustifying faith hath a temporary faith beareth no fruit but a iustifying faith beareth fruit Matth. 13. 23. and Luke 8. 15. Those who beleeue the Gospell meerely out of temporary hopes because godlinesse hath the promise of this life they receiue the word with ioy while they thriue and gaine by it but when there ariseth trouble and persecution for the Word they are offended and fall away but those who ground their faith vpon the promises of a better life their faith like gold 1 Pet. 1. 7. being tried in the fire is made much more precious and found vnto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ beleeuing with ioy vnspeakable and full of glory receiuing the end of their faith the saluation of their soules vers 8. Their faith differeth from the faith of Hypocrites and Temporizers in the cause and kinde their ioy in the degree and both in the continuance Lastly this obiection may be retorted against the Aduersarie First thus They who are compared vnto the good ground are not meant here by stony ground But truely regenerate Christians and beleeuers Luke 8. 15. and Matth. 13. 23. are compared to good ground Therefore they are not here meant by stony ground Secondly thus That faith which is distinguished from a iustifying faith in this Parable cannot be taken for the faith of a true regenerate Christian But the temporary faith is distinguished in this Parable from a iustifying faith Therefore the temporary faith cannot be taken for the faith of a true regenerate Christian and consequently the Appealer and Arminians are in this their allegation mistaken Of Falling away from Grace ARMINIANS BERTIVS of the Apostasie of Saints pag. 26. Apostasie is described by the phrase to wax cold Mat. 24. 12. And because iniquitie shall abound the loue of many shall x wax cold Bertius pag. 34. The Apostle fore-seeing that the conuerted Gentiles might be bewitched with that opinion That they could not be cut off from the Church warneth them that they wax not proud against the Iewes but that they learne by their example that it may come to passe that they also may bee cast away Rom. 11. 19. They were broken off
for it is not said that the Galathians fell from grace totally or finally although in that particular error of theirs in retaining the Legall ceremonies and vrging Circumcision they in effect and by consequent ouerthrew a maine doctrine of the Gospel touching iustification by faith in Christ. Lastly this Obiection may be retorted against the Aduersarie thus Whosoeuer teach and beleeue iustification on by the Law or inherent righteousnesse are fallen from grace and refuted by this text of the Apostle The Aduersarie teacheth and beleeueth iustification by the Law or inherent righteousnesse see the precedent tablet Art of iustification Therefore the Aduersary is fallen from grace and refuted by this text of the Apostle c To the place alledged out of Saint Peter 2. Epist. 2. Chap. 20. We answer First Saint Peter speakes not of true beleeuers but of false teachers who priuily brought in damnable heresies euen denying the Lord that bought them verse 1. These though they had escaped the filthinesse of the world through the knowledge of Christ that is the practise of grosse idolatry called in Scripture Spirituall fornication and vncleannesse and had kept themselues from other foule and enormous sinnes of the flesh euen against nature wherein the blinde idolaters of the world were intangled yet were neuer inwardly and throughly washed and cleansed especially from the pollutions of the heart The Apostle compareth them to swine which after they are washed that is outwardly wallow againe in the mire because they retaine still their swinish nature so these after they had receiued the knowledge of Christ and outwardly conformed themselues to the Gospell and cleansed themselues from grosse actuall sinnes returne to their former filthinesse as naturall bruit beasts made to be taken and destroyed vers 12. Secondly a man may be intangled againe in the pollutions of the world and relapsed into foule sins as some of Gods Saints haue beene yea as enormous as any he committed before his conuersion and yet not fall totally or finally from grace as shall be shewed hereafter Lastly this Obiection may be retorted against the Aduersary thus None that are or were true beleeuers are wells without water For he that beleeueth out of his belly flow riuers of liuing water Iob. 7. 38. Those spoken of by S. Peter are wels without water vers 17. Therefore those spoken of by Saint Peter are not nor were true beleeuers Or thus None of the regenerate are dogges or swine For holy things and pearles are giuen to them which may not be giuen to dogs or cast before swine Matth. 7. 6. Those whom Saint Peter speakes of are dogs and swine vers 22. Therefore those whom S. Peter speakes of are not regenerate And so this text of Scripture is nihil ad rhombum and the Aduersaries argue worse and worse It being happened vnto them according to the true prouerb ab equis ad asinum mentioned vers 16. which beast and the Rider whether they are not a perfect impresse and embleme of the Aduersarie I refer it to the intelligent Reader of that Motto ver 15. HAVE FORSAKEN THE RIGHT WAY FOLLOWING THE WAY OF BALAAM THE SONNE OF BOSOR WHO LOVED THE WAGES OF VNRIGHTEOVSNES d To the place alledged Heb. 6. 4. weanswer First It is not affirmed as Whitaker learnedly obserueth in Cygneâ Cantio that those who were inlightned c. doe fall away but if they fall away they cannot be renued by repentance Which note of that Swan sweetly accordeth with the words of the Apostle himselfe in this Chapter vers 9. But beloued we are perswaded better things of you and things that accompany saluation though we thus speake May not I iustly apply the words of Saint Cyprian against Nouatus to the Aduersarie Bertius Scindis sicut ipse scissus es As thou art cut off and hast made a rent in the Church so thou cuttest and would'st make a rent in the Scripture by taking a part by it selfe to serue thy turne contrary to the coherence and scope of the whole Secondly inlightning grace doth not necessarily import renuing and sanctifying grace nor tasting the heauenly gift eating the bread of life Ioh. 6. and being filled therewith Matth. 5. 6. nor partaking of the holy Ghost being led by the holy Ghost Rom. 8. much lesse sealed with it Eph. 1. 13. as all true regenerate Christians are The Aduersaries might haue learned out of Gratian. de poenit dist 2. It is one thing to taste the gift and powers of the world to come another to haue them rooted in the heart Aliud affici pro tempore aliud perfici obsignari in vitam aeternam One thing to be moued or affected for a time as Herod was at the hearing of Iohn the Bapâ—ist another thing to be perfectly sanctified and sealed to eternall life as are all true beleeuers 2 Cor. 1. 22. Ephess 4. 30. Lastly this Obiection may be retorted against the Aduersary thus No regenerate childe of God can commit the sinne vnto death 1 Ioh. 5. 17. 18. The Apostle here speakes of those that commit or at least may commit the sinne vnto death Therefore the Apostle speakes not here of any regenerate childe of God ARMINIANS BERTIVS pag. 114. 1 Cor. 10. 12. Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he e fall Idem pag. 116. Philip. 2. 12 13. Worke out your saluation with feare and f trembling for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure APPEALER ANswer to Gag pag. 164. If righteousnesse had cannot be lost why should hee admonish as hee doth He that standeth let him take heed lest he e fall Ibidem And worke out your saluation with feare and f trembling e To the place alledged 1 Cor. 10. 12. we answer First though the regenerate and iustified mans estate be certaine yet is it certaine by the vse of such meanes as God hath appointed whereof spirituall watchfulnesse and care to which the Apostle here exhorteth is a principall The Apostles estate was certaine for Christ saith Luke 10. 20. Reioyce because your names are written in heauen And Iohn 17. 12. Those that thou gauest me I haue kept and none of them is lost but the sonne of perdition Yet he commandeth them to watch and pray that they enter not into temptation Matth. 26. 41. And he prescribeth a forme of prayer to be vsed by them and vs continually Lead vs not into temptation Mat. 6. 13. The souldiers and passengers estate who were in the ship with Paul Act. 27. 24. was safe and sure because God had giuen Saint Paul all them that sailed with him Yet were they to vse the helpe of the shipmen to saue their liues and vnlesse they had so done they had perished vers 31. Except these abide in the ship yee cannot be saued Secondly the Apostles words are to be noted who saith not Let him that standeth but let him that thinketh he standeth A man may thinke hee standeth though