Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	good_a	hate_v	hatred_n	2,544	5	9.6222	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96425	The doctrines of the Arminians & Pelagians truly stated and clearly answered: or, An examination and confutation of their ancient errors, which by the Church of Christ in former ages were justly abhorred, but of late under the names of Comfortable truths to be embraced are newly published. Concerning I. The universality of Gods free-grace in Christ to mankind. II. Concerning election. III. Redemption. IV. Conversion. V. Perserverance. Wherein the principal arguments brought to maintaine the orthodox faith are propounded, and the principal objections against them answered. / By Thomas Whitfield, minister of the gospel at Bugbrook in Northampton-shire. The Tares of Arminian heresie showed in former times (and by the help of prelatical influence then given to them increasing) and now growing up so much in these; I conceive this book wherein the author doth learnedly state and confute those opinions, is very worthy the publike light. Joseph Caryll.	Whitfield, Thomas, Minister of the Gospel.; Carly, Joseph, 1602-1673.	1651 (1651)	Wing W2006; Thomason E646_7; ESTC R208798	87,011	101

Mediatour it is as much as if it had been said one God only one Mediatour only because in other places all other are excluded besides this one So when it is said Christ laid down his life for his sheep it is as much as if he had said for his sheep only because all are not Christs sheep he will not give Eternall life to all And by this reason here objected when the Apostle bids husbands love their wives as Christ loves his Church Ephes 5.25 some might except and say but he doth not bid them love their wives onely therefore they may love others Object But if in other places the word all must be taken in a generall sense as when it is said that all men have sinned and that death is come over all men why not as well in this he gave himselfe a Ransome for all Answ 1. Because these places have no restraint nor limitation put upon them as those of Christs dying have as already hath been shewed 2. Because all shall not be saved and the end of Redemption is Salvation Luk. 1.69.70 neither will Christ pray for all Iohn 17.9 Object 2 Against the argument drawn from the love of God that he loves not all with a speciall peculiar love therefore hee hath not given his Son to die for all Tho. More objects 1. That he loves all with a love of pity though not with a love of complacency or delight Answ But this love of pity is not a speciall peculiar love it is not the greatest love as that is which caused him to die greater love then this hath no man to give his life Christ may pity his enemies whom hee meanes to destroy it is not that unchangeable everlasting love which causeth him to love to the end it is such a love as may be turned into hatred therefore not the greatest love The Lord hates all the workers of iniquity Object God hates no man before he hath sinned in rejecting the offer of Christ Answ He hated Esau before he was born or had done either good or evill Rom. 9.13 Object This must be understood of a lesse love then that wherwith Iacob was loved as when we are bidden to hate Father and Mother this cannot be understood of any positive hatred but of a lesse love then wherewith we are to love Christ Answ But the love which caused Christ to lay downe his life is the greatest love therefore hee died for none but whom he loved with this love whereas hee loves the objects of hatred such as Esau with a lesse love for hatred as they make it signifies lesse love 2. Though hatred sometimes signifies lesse love yet when God saith Esau have I hated it cannot be so understood for here love and hatred are one set in opposition against another and therefore cannot be severall degrees of the same thing They are here made membra dividentia ejusdem generis such contraries as can never bee conjoyned The purpose of God is here distinguished into a purpose of love whereof Iacob was the object and a purpose of hatred whereof Esau was the object and they are the same with election and rejection the Apostle makes the love to Iacob to be the same with election ver 11. therefore hatred which is contrary to it is the same with rejection neither can we imagine a choosing of some but there must be a refusing of others Object I have hated Esau and laid his mountains waste for the Dragons of the wildernes Mal. 1.3 By this it appears that the hatred wherwith God hated Esau consisted only in regard of outward things in denying those priviledges to Esau which he granted to Iacob as the inheritance of the Land of Canaan and preservation from desolation which is threatned to Esau Answ Though there was a difference betwixt Iacob and Esau in regard of outward things yet neither the only nor principall difference did consist in these so as one is said to be loved and another to bee hated in regard of a difference in these for 1. The Land of Canaan was a type of the heavenly Canaan therefore Esaus rejection from the one was a sign of his rejection from the other Hence the selling of his birth-right is made a note of his prophanenesse Heb. 12.16 That he slighted this priviledge and for filling his belly passed away all his right and title to the heavenly inheritance whereof the inheritance of Canaan was a type 2. Esaus serving of Iacob and Gods hating of him could not bee fulfilled in regard of any outward inferiority wherby he was beneath Iacob for Esau in outward respects was a greater man then Iacob so that Iacob bowed to him and called him his lord And he possessed a fairer inheritance in Mount Seir then ever Iacob did in the land of Canaan wherein he lived as a stranger Neither was the excellency of the land of Canaan so much in the pleasantnesse or fertility of it in the last of which the land of Egypt and Caldaea did equall if not exceed it but because it was symbolum divini favoris as Calvin cals it a pledge of the favour of God and a place which he had consecrated to himselfe and to his elect people whom he had set his love upon Deut. 7.7 3. As the mountains of Esau were layd waste so were the mountains of Iudaea yea the whole land First by the Assyrians then by the Caldeans and at last by the Romans and so it continues still and should ever do so were it not for the promise and covenant of mercy which God made wit● Abram Isaac and Iacob of which this promise of loving Iacob when hee hated Esau was a principall branch Object God loves the righteous but all men were righteous in Adam therefore he loves all Answ That love which is the ground of redemption is the love of Election but with this love he loves not all for he hath not chosen all besides this love hath no respect to mans righteousnes for God loved Jacob before hee had done good or evill God loves men with this love not because they are righteous but therefore they become righteous because he loves them Hee hath not chosen us because wee were holy but he hath chosen us to be holy Eph. 1.4 2. He could not execute or actually put forth any effects of this love upon Adams posterity before his fall because they had no actuall being Object 3 Against the Argument drawne from the Ransome which Christ paid for all and the satisfaction which thereby he hath made the effect of which is certain redemption and salvation being justified by his bloud we shall be saved from wrath by him Rom. 5.9 neither can a just God require a double payment of the same debt Tho. More objects that it is a most notorious untruth to say that all those for whom Christ dyed and payd their ransome are justified by his death P. 95. Answ But how then will he free the Apostle from

upon our actuall believing he actually chuseth still our loving and chusing goes before his Argument 4 If Gods decree of mans salvation be grounded on the foresight of his beleeving then his decree cannot be certaine and sure whereas the foundation of God remaineth sure 2 Tim. 2.19 for Gods foresight is grounded on the liberty of mans will not on the certainty of his owne will and decree because as Arminians teach God hath not absolutely decreed to give men faith but onely conditionally if they do not resist grace when it is offered neither doth he worke faith in them by any irresistable motion of his grace but onely he offers Christ to them and perswades them to beleeve leaving it alwayes to the power and liberty of their owne wills whether they will believe or not And when they have believed and received Christ still it remaines in the liberty of their wills to reject him again and they may every day fall from the faith after they have truly believed nothing therefore being more uncertaine more fickle and contingent then the motions of mans will How can that knowledge be certaine that is grounded on this foundation and such as the knowledge is such is the decree Argument 5 If Gods election be upon consideration of mans beleeving then it is not from all eternity for men beleeve in time namely when they have a being in the world Object 1 God foresees from all eternity who will be believers and upon this foresight elects Answ Either he doth see them to be believers when as he elects them or he foresees that they shall be believers after he hath elected them If he sees them believers when he elects them the election is not from all eternity If he sees that they shall be believers afterwards then election is without faith neither doth God look at men and consider them as believers when he elects them as Arminians teach Object He foresees from all eternity who will believe and upon this purposeth from all eternity that they shall be actually elected when they actually believe Answ Actuall election it selfe is Gods purpose touching mans eternall salvation yea an everlasting purpose and therefore cannot have a purpose going before it neither can there be a purpose of a purpose 2. Actuall election is properly election if therefore men be not actually elected till they actually believe election is not from all eternity 3. Actuall election implyes a potentiall but where doth the Scripture intimate any such kinde of election true it is that God foresees faith that shall be in men but how doth he foresee it namely by foreseeing himselfe the giver of it and for what end doth he intend to give it namely for salvation so that his foresight of faith presupposeth a preceding purpose of salvation Argument 6 If Gods election be out of faith then it is not immutable and unchangeable as all his decrees are being actus adintra because when ever a man comes to be a believer then he is actually elected for this Arminians make to be one of Gods absolute decrees namely that believers shall be saved when ever therefore a man comes to be a believer he is within the decree of salvation therefore elected besides he must be either an elect or a reprobate a reprobate he cannot be while he is a believer election being fastned to believing Now this man by the Arminians doctrine may fall away totally from his faith when he doth so either he continues still an elect person and so election is not alwayes fastned to believing or of an elect becomes a reprobate at least for the time else is under no decree at all yea this man may fall away finally and perish for ever and then either God must change his purpose and decree or else still he continues to be an elect person when he is damned in hell Argument 7 If election be out of the foresight of faith then this foresight is grounded either upon man or on God himselfe God cannot foresee faith as being in man before man lives and have a being in the world if he foresees it in himself then he foresees it in his own will then he hath willed it and this being a meanes tending to salvation he hath first willed mans salvation nothing can be the object of Gods foreknowledge but that which some way hath being non ens simpliciter quod nullo modo habet invitarem nec in se nec in causis that which hath no kind of being which hath neither being in it selfe nor in his causes cannot be the object of Gods foreknowledge of that praescience wherby he seeth that the thing shall certainly be Object They have a being in Gods understanding Answ Gods knowledge and understanding alone is not sufficient to give being to things for then things only possible should have a being for he knows them Things cannot passe from a possibility only to a futurition or certainty of future being without some cause and since there is a certainty of the future being of things from eternity such cause as this cannot be any thing without God If it be in God it cannot be his knowledge for his knowledge presupposeth the being of things it makes it not therefore it must be found in his will his will only it is that causeth the difference betwixt things only possible and such as shall certainly have being here things have their first originall and by this he determineth that they shall have being in time the Scripture doth not any where say that God doth whatsoever he knows but what ever he wills and what he pleaseth Psal 115.3 But that knowledge whereby God seeth such things as have no being if we would speak properly hath not so much the things as God himself for the object of it God knows his owne power that he is able to do all things and this is the knowledge of possible things he knows his owne will what he hath determined to doe and this is his knowledge of future things but he cannot know himselfe to have willed any thing before he hath willed it Argument 8 Romans 9.11 The Apostle speaking of Esau and Iacob saith before the Children were yet born or had done good or evill It was written of them the elder should serve the younger and God had said Iacob have I loved and Esau have I hated But Iacob and Esau were types of the Elect and Reprobate therefore God doth not love or hate elect or reprobate men upon the foresight of works good or evill Object To this Arminians answer two wayes 1. That though these had not actually done either good or evill yet they had done these in Gods fore-sight he fore-saw what Iacobs and Esaus future actions would be 2. They deny Iacob and Esau to be types of the elect and reprobate and make Esan to be a type of such as sought righteousnesse by the works of the Law and Iacob a type of those who sought righteousnesse by faith

Christs death is spoken of should be taken in any other then a literall sense but why may he not as well count it blasphemy to deny that the bread in the Sacrament is properly Christs body because he saith this is my body or to deny that Christ is properly a branch a corner stone a morning starre and such like because the Scripture expresseth him by these names 2. Himselfe acknowledgeth that although the Scripture in speaking of Christs death sometimes and in some places useth generall expressions yet in other places it useth expressions wherein that generality is limited as when it is said that he gave his life a ransome for many Mat. 20.28 this is my bloud that is shed for the sinnes of many Mat. 26.28 he was set or appointed for the rising of many Luke 2.34 the gift by Jesus Christ hath abounded to many Rom. 5.15 he was offred to take away the sins of many Heb. 9. last he bare the sinnes of many Esay 53. last he was plagued for the transgression of his people ver 8. 3. He cannot deny that sometimes these notes of universality all every man world and the like are ofttimes used in a more restrained sense 1. The word all is sometimes taken for a part onely or some of all sorts so it is sayd that Christ healed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all or every kinde of disease Mat. 9.35 that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all Judaea and all the region round about some of all sorts went out to John Baptist and were Baptized of him Mat. 3.5 Luke 11.42 ye tith mint and rue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every herb Peter saw a vessell let down to the earth wherein were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all foure footed beasts that is some of all kindes Act. 10.12 All flesh shall see the salvation of God Luke 3.6 I will powre my spirit upon all flesh Joel 2.28 not upon every particular man but upon some of all sorts so Esay 40.5 And in this sense it is said that Christ gave himselfe a ransome for all 1 Tim. 2.6 namely for some of all sorts of all estates orders and degrees of men in which sense the Apostle had ver 1. bidden them make prayers and prayers for all men for Kings and Princes c. 2. So the word every is many times put for some of every sort The kingdome of God is preached and every one presseth into it Luke 16.16 God will make manifest the counsels of the heart and then every man shall have prayse of God 1 Cor. 4.5 not every particular man but every good man of what estate and condition soever Every man saith I am of Paul I am of Apollo cap. 1.12 Every man taketh his owne supper and one is hungry and another is drunken cap. 11.21 Every particular man amongst the Corinthians did not make rents and schismes in the Church neither did every man come unworthily to the Sacrament but a great many did and therefore this expression of generality is used and so when the Apostle sayth that Christ tasted death for every man it doth not necessarily follow that he dyed for every particular man but for many he gave himselfe a ransome for many Mat. 20.28 even for every of the sonnes of God for every heire of salvation of whose salvation Christ is appointed to be the head and Captaine for so it followes in the next verse It became him for whom and by whom are all things in bringing many sonnes to glory to make the captaine of their salvation perfect through sufferings Heb. 2.10 3. So the word World is often taken not for the whole world but for a part only as when it is said that when Christ came into the World the world knew him not Joh. 1.10 that the world hated him cap. 15.19 that the World hated his chosen ones ver 20. that the Whole world lyeth in wickednesse 1 Joh. 5.19 This cannot be understood of the whole world as including every particular man but onely of the worst part of the Whole wicked world And as the word World is ofttimes taken for the worst so sometimes for the better part of the world as when it is said that God was in Christ reconciling the World to himselfe and not imputing their sinnes 2 Cor. 5.19 There is a great part of the world who were never reconciled but alwayes have and alwayes shall remayne in a state of enmity with God and Christ even all those to whom Christ shall say at the last day I never knew you Mat. 7.25 all those who before Christs comming had been strangers from the covenant and had lived without God in the World Eph. 2.12 A great part of the world shall have their sinnes imputed to them for Christ shall set them on his left hand and say unto them go yee cursed into hell fire Mat. 25. so also is the world taken when Christ sayth he came into the World not to condemne the World but that the World might be saved by him Joh. 3.17 This cannot be understood of the whole world for Christ shall condemne a great part of the world even all those that he shall set on his left hand and what ever he shall do at last he intended at first to do Neither shall all the world be saved by him neither did he intend to save all for then he should misse of his intention neither in reason can we thinke that he came to save such as were already damned therefore by world must needs be understood the better part namely so many as are saved So Christ is sayd to be the bread of God that came down from heaven and giveth life to the world Joh. 6.33 There is a world to whom Christ actually giveth life but he doth not this to the whole world but onely to the believing world for he that believeth not shall not see life Joh. 3. last he is condemned already Yea that place God so loved the world Joh. 3.16 which Arminians thinke serves so much for their turne cannot be understood of all men in the world for though the world be there taken communiter for mankinde for men living in the world yea for all sorts all estat●s orders and degrees of men yet it cannot be taken universaliter for every particular man living in the world for the love here spoken of is a speciall peculiar love God so loved In this God setteth out his love towards us that Christ dyed for us Rom. 5.8 yea this is the greatest love greater love then this hath no man Joh. 15.13 Now the same persons cannot be the objects of the greatest love and greatest hatred for then there should be no difference betwixt the elect and reprobate by all which it appeares that there is no necessity those generall expressions used in Scripture touching Christs death should be taken in a generall sense 4. It appeares plainely by many other places of Scripture that these expressions of Christ dying for all men loving the

the Elect standing in opposition to the wicked World from which therfore none of the Elect are to be excluded for he prayes for all those whom the Father had given him both called and uncalled I pray not onely for these but for those who shall believe in me Iohn 17.28 4. Those uncalled ones whom our Saviour prayes for ver 20. he distinguisheth from the World ver 21. 23. and therefore it is not likely he would expresse them by the name of the world in ver 9. And this which hath been said may likewise answer the two last objections for if the World here cannot signifie the Elect uncalled but only the wicked World then Christ doth not pray for them at another time or in another manner then for his own for he doth not pray for them at all So that the Argument still holds good if Christ would not pray for wicked men such as shall perish in the end hee would not die for them for to lay downe his life was an action of the greatest love and for whom he hath done the greater he will also do the lesse His love in dying and thereby making satisfaction being the foundation of his intercession and all other benefits belonging to our Redemption Object 5 Against the Argument drawne from Election namely that the Sonne died for no more then the Father had elected to son-ship and to the eternall inheritance there being a connexion betwixt Election calling Justification and Glorification Rom. 8.30 Ephes 1.13 but all are not Elected therefore Christ died not for all Tho. More replies very little to the purpose 1. He saith that the proposition is directly contrary to the Scripture Heb. 2.9 1 Tim. 2.6 but he should have sayd to those Scriptures taken in his sense but not taken in the true sense for is it not agreeable to the Scripture to say that those whom God elected or predestinated those he appointed to obtaine salvation by Jesus Christ for those Christ dyed those hath he called justified and to which he adds that it is so grosly false as it deserves rather abhorring then answering pag. 114. But it may be better sayd this kinde of language deserves rather to be abhorred then answered which makes the language of Scripture a thing to be abhorred 2. He saith that it overthrows the distinction which the Gospell makes betwixt common and speciall salvation Answ It may well overthrow that which hath no foundation in the Gospell which his common salvation hath not as before hath been shewed 3. He denyes that there is any such connexion betwixt these priviledges that he who partakes of one must needs partake of all pag. 117. All that is in the common salvation pertains to the speciall but not on the contrary Answ 1. It hath been already shewed that there is no such common salvation if salvation be taken properly and in a spirituall sense namely for eternall life or any thing which necessarily belongs to it 2. That there is such a necessary connexion betwixt election and redemption may thus be proved All those and onely those who are elected are likewise redeemed called justified glorified But all are not elected nor shall be called justified glorified therefore all are not redeemed The proposition is proved by those Scriptures which make the love of election to be the ground and cause of redemption and all the rest God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten son which cannot be meant of a common love because it tends to everlasting life Joh. 3.16 to salvation 1 Tim. 1.16 we love him because he loved us first and gave himselfe to be a propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 4.10 God setteth out his love in that while we were sinners he gave Christ to dye for us Rom. 5.8 so that Gods love is the cause of giving his son where that goes before this must needs follow neither is this ever to be found where that hath not gone before To this purpose also the Apostle sayth we are chosen in him Eph. 1.4 not as the foundation of our election which is onely from the good pleasure of his will ver 5. but of our redemption and salvation in that he hath appointed us to obtayne salvation by Jesus Christ 1 Thess 5.9 In both which places Christ is made the fruit and effect of election therefore of equall extent with it reaching neither shorter nor farther then that doth so that he is given for all and onely those that are appointed to salvation For if God therefore gives Christ for men because he hath appointed them to salvation it follows on the other side that if he hath not appointed all men to salvation he hath not given Christ for all and how can we in reason thinke that God should give his sonne to purchase salvation for those whom he never intended to save yea more for such whom he intended to destroy For it cannot be denyed that God will bring destruction upon a great part of men and what he doth in time he intended to do before all time 2. The Apostle sayth we are chosen to salvation through the beleese of the truth 2 Thess 2.13 Now saith is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 and such a gift as he doth not give to all Now if it should be asked why God doth give this gift to some men rather then to other it must be answered because he hath chosen them to salvation so many as were ordained to eternall life believed Act. 13.48 If it should on the other side be asked why doth he not give faith as well to others since he is able to do it the answer must needs be because he hath not appointed them to salvation Now if God will not give faith to those whom he hath not appointed to salvation shall we thinke that he hath given Christ for them which is farre the greatest gift of all For the rest which follows it is but a venting of his owne private notions about election wherein either he affirms that which is not denyed or proves not that which is denyed Object Against that place Act. 13.48 that so many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved Tho. More objects that the word ordaining is to be understood of an actuall ordaining constituting preparing furnishing making meet and not of Gods eternall purpose pag. 150.151 Answ 1. This he sayes but this he proves not but the contrary may be proved from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as it is most usually taken in Scripture is not put for preparing furnishing or fitting but for ordaining or appointing so it is sayd the powers which be are ordained of God Rom. 13.1 and it was told Paul all things which were appointed for him to do Act. 22.10 In both which places the same word is used 2. This ordaining to life is made the cause of beleeving which ariseth not from any furnishing or fitnesse in our selves but is the free gift of God Eph. 2.8 3. How

make all men believe when he commands them to believe Object But this implies an ill agreement betwixt the Wil of Gods purpose and the Will of his precept or command requiring what he will not effect Answ No such thing necessarily follows hence for Gods purpose of not giving power to all men to believe may stand well enough with his command whereby he enjoynes all to do their duty As Gods purpose of not having Isaack killed did agree well enough with the command that he gave touching killing of him 2. Gods purpose of not giving all men effectuall Grace without which he knowes certainely they will not believe which themselves grant doth as much disagree from his command of believing as his purpose of not giving sufficient Grace without which they cannot believe Object 12 But if God gives not all men power to believe whom hee commands to believe then there should be no other end of his command but making men inexcusable Answ It follows not for there may be other ends as to draw them to some outward conformity that so thereby their punishment may be so much lesse as also that the elect who do truly repent and believe may see that it was not of themselves but of the meer mercy of God that they do believe because others that had the same means are left still in their unbeliefe 2. Of some it may bee said that one principall end not of the meanes of Grace which in themselves alwayes tend to life but of GOD in causing them to be dispensed to them was the making of them more inexcusable for look what is at last effected by these means God intended at first should be effected by them but the principall effect which these means do at last bring forth in some is the making of them more inexcusable therefore this was at first intended by God namely that the having of the meanes should bereave them of all excuse An Examination and Confutation of the Arminian erronious Tenets concerning PERSEVERANCE IN the article of Perseverance the principall question is whether a true beleever such as by a living justifying faith is united to Christ and made a true member of him may fall away that is so fall as he wholy loseth his faith ceaseth to be a member of Christ and so comes to perish in the end to this Arminians answer that a true beleever is so upheld by Christ in all his temptations that by no force or fraud of Satan or any outward enemy he shall be taken out of Christs hand but by his owne negligence and abuse of his free-will he may wholy make shipwracke of faith and a good conscience fall from grace cease to be a member of Christ c. because all promises touching support are conditionall and the fullfilling of these promises depends upon our performance of the condition and doing the duty that God requires of us To this we answer on the other side that howsoever such a one by reason of the remainders of corruption within and enemies without be subject to fall yea may fall both frequently and dangerously yet he is so upheld partly by a principle of grace within partly by divine assistance and support from without that he shall never fall totally and finally it not being possible that the elect should be deceived or a member of Christ should perish the truth of this appears Argument 1 From the nature of Gods love which is the fountaine whence all true grace flowes all saving graces are effects of the speciall and peculiar love of God but this love is an everlasting love an unchangeable love I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindenesse have I drawne thee Jer. 31.3 those whom hee loves he loves to the end Joh. 13.1 therefore all that are loved with this can never wholy f●ll away and perish otherwise the same persons might be the objects of everlasting love and everlasting hatred hence it is said that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Rom. 11.29 what calling and gifts these are appeares in the former verse namely such as flow from election If man by his abuse of these gifts should cause God to take them away then there should be no difference betwixt these and common gifts which may be lost Then as God is said to repent of making Saul King when he tooke his Kingdome from him so he might be said to repent of giving these gifts which the Apostle here denyes then it had been needfull he should have put in some limitation to this proposition telling us that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance unlesse man makes him to repent which he doth not whatever cause makes God to repent if he doth repent of giving these kinde of gifts still this contradicts the Apostle who saith that these are without repentance Argument 2 From the nature of the Covenant which God hath made with his people all true beleevers are within the compasse of this Covenant and this Covenant is an everlasting Covenant Jer. 32.40 by this Covenant God hath bound himselfe to put away their iniquities and to remember their sinnes no more Jer. 31.34 and this being a branch of the everlasting Covenant all true beleevers to whom it belongs shall ever enjoy the benefit of it therefore they shall never perish never have their sinnes so laid to their charge as they shall all wayes ly under the guilt and punishment of them yea this is one branch of this everlasting Covenant that God will write his lawes in the hearts of his people therefore they shall remaine and abide there and that he will put his feare into their hearts so as they shall never depart from him Jer. 32.40 which wholy excludes all totall and finall defection Argument 3 From the promise of Christ he hath promised to build the Church upon the rocke that is himselfe and being thus built the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it Mat. 16.18 all true beleevers are built upon this rocke 1 Pet. 2.6 therefore the gates of hell that is the power of hell shall not prevaile against them therefore they shall never perish for when men are cast into hell the power of hell prevailes over them all true beleevers are the sheep of Christ they heare his voice and follow it and to these he hath promised that he will give them eternall life Joh. 10.27 and that none shall take them out of his hands if these miscarry by what meanes soever it be whether by Satans malice or their owne corruptions so as in the end they misse of eternall life how is Christs promise fulfilled If any of Christs sheep such whom the Father hath given him and for whom he hath laid down his life should perish it would argue that either Christ were not willing and carefull to keep them or not able to keep them either of which is blasphemy to speak or think of him that is so great and faithfull a