they would seeme to giue most to God Therefore if this bee that which the Appealer sticks not to approue in the Councell of Trent I will bee bold to say as Saint Ierome did to the Pelagians * It is the Churches victory that you vtter your mindes plainely Sententias vestras prodidisse superasse est to discouer your opinions is to discomfit them And for him to say that God prouided a Mediator for all such whom he foresaw would receiue him to wit by the freedome of their will were a meere absurdity if man haue not an absolute freedome to grace And by the Appealers approbation of the Councell of Trent in the point of freewill he must confesse that man in his Naturalls hath at least some free-will to grace Which will agree well with that he said before touching Gods foresight of those would lay hold on grace otherwise it implies a flat contradiction For if there be no freewill in a naturall man towards grace then what willingnesse did God foresee in men to receiue his Son vnlesse that which himselfe did purpose wholly to worke in them Although not Gods owne worke which hee purposed to worke in man by giuing him faith grace was that which foreseene moued him to elect and praedestinate to saluation for then the meanes should in Gods first intention to saue mankinde haue taken place of the end it selfe which in the priority of order is the first in intention though last in execution yea haue taken place also of Gods eternall free loue the prime motion and sole absolute cause that moued him to make his election of those whom he would not who would him But the Councell of Trent and who so take part with it deales coldly and comes farre short in giuing Gods grace the due praise in the worke of mans saluation So that while they aduance mans will too high and too much depresse Gods grace they so part the stakes that they giue the right hand rather to freewill then to grace For what saith the Councell Si quis dixerit c. If any man shall say that mans freewill moued and stirred vp of God doth cooperate nothing by assenting to God stirring vp and calling wherby it may dispose and prepare it selfe to obtaine the grace of iustification c. Let him be accursed In this very Cannon is inuolued a great part of the mysterie of iniquity For note here Romes Legierdemam in iuggling with Gods grace She ascribes to God two things 1. a worke of mouing and stirring vp the will 2. Touching the obiect or end of this worke that the will may by the cooperation of a free selfe assenting dispose prepare it selfe to obtayne the grace of iustification Examine we the words a little Note what a slight and slender worke they here attribute to God it is with them but a moving and stirring vp iust like the confederate Arminians lenis suasio some gentle motion as if the will were but a little dull and lazy and must be spurred or sleepie and drowsie and must be awakened as Elias bad Baals Prophets to cry alowd to awake their sleepie God Yet this moving and shirring vp their Schoole-men and in particular Andrew Vega and Dominick Soto two grand sticklers in that Councel who being the two standard bearers of two strong different factions in that Councel the one of the Dominicians the other of the Franciscans bore a great swinge and sway in it and haue written large Commentaries vpon that sixt the mayne and masterpiece Session of that Councel as also Catharinus of that Councell too and so Bellarmine others of that crew they expresse this Motion I say stirring vp of the will to be vnderstood as an act of the first grace a grace which the subtile Schoolemen haue deuised distinct from their second grace Which Schoole-diuinity and subtile Sophistry is the yery ground worke of all the maine Decrees of the Councel especially of those contained and most cunningly contriued in that sixth session concerning Iustification Well But what may this first grace be Truely no other by their owne Doctrine but such as a man may haue and yet never attaine to iustification and so to salvation yet such a grace they say it is as by moving and stirring vp the will cooperates to giue assent and to dispose and prepare it selfe to receiue iustification to wit an infusion of inherent grace which they call the Second grace and so the will by giving free assent by disposing and preparing it selfe doth merit of Congruity the second grace although the Councel confesseth that the first grace is given freely without any precedent merit in man By which one devise of a poore I wot not what first grace whereby a man is not at all by their owne confession iustified and so will scarce proue worth God haue mercy they would elude and evacuate the Scriptures which so much advance and magnifie the worke of Gods free and effectuall grace in our first conversion and iustification as Rom. 3. 24. Being iustified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Iesus For they turne the cat in the pan and because they cannot deny the expresse Scripture so pregnant and plentifull in setting out the free and vndeserved grace of God in mans salvation but are forced at least in words to confesse it therefore they haue no other shift but to restraine this free gift of Gods effectuall sauing grace to that onely which they call their first grace though no iustifiying grace at all Whereas the Apostle expresly in the forementioned place speaketh of the free gift of saving grace whereby wee are indeed actually iustified But the Trent Councell saith no where that that grace whereby a man is iustified which they call their second grace is freely given No they haue a freewill whose cooperating assent with their first grace produceth a merit of Congruitie to procure that their iustification may not be freely given but merited of Congruity For whereas they say chap. 8. that a man is said therefore to be iustified freely because none of those things which goe before iustification whither faith or workes doe merit the grace it selfe of Iustification for if it be of grace it is no more workes otherwise as the Apostle saith grace is now no more grace as the Councell hypocritically alleadgeth yet wee must vnderstand that the Councell meaneth no other here but to exclude merit of condignity from going before her iustification but not the merit of congruity And thus by her cunning equivocation she both keepeth good quarter with her Schoolmen and satisfieth the contrary opinions of Vega and Soto about the merit of Congruity in justification as ye may see in the History of the Trent Councell yea and thus also the Church of Rome quits scores with the Scriptures which exclude all merit of man from iustification and all by her futile distinction of a first and
free these miserable captiues out of that tyrant Pharaohs more then Aegyptian bondage Againe in the Acts of the Apostles where it is said that our hearts are purified by faith which some as Aquinas vnderstands of illuminating the vnderstanding by faith others of the purification of the soule and heart from sinne by faith as we are said also to be sanctified by faith that is in Christ. Now this faith is the first worke of Gods grace wrought in the heart that is in the whole soule in our first conuersion by which faith the vnderstanding is inlightned and with it the will and all the other faculties of the soule are sanctified For the heart in Scriptuee is taken oftentimes for the whole soule with all the faculties of it As Ephesians 1. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vulgar Latin renders it word for word Illuminatos oculis cordis vestri the eyes of your heart being illuminated that is the eyes of your vnderstanding And Math. 13. 15. Least they vnderstand with their heart So for â—â—e will Act. 7. 39. The Israelites in their hearts turned backe into Egypt that is in their wills So Acts 11. 23. Bernabas exhorts that with purpose of heart that is of will they would cleaue vnto the Lord. The heart is also taken for the memory as Luke 1. 66 All that heard laid vp those things in their hearts So Deut. 11. 18 Yee shall lay vp these my wordes in your hearts Sometime for the affections as loue feare and the like So Mat. 6. 21 Where your treasure is there will your heart be also your loue your ioy your hope yea and feare too And Psa. 62. 10 If riches increase set not your heart vpon them Thus wee vse to reduce all these streames of the soule to the heart as the prime fountaine as when we say an vnderstanding heart a wise heart a willing heart a valiant heart an humble heart a loving heart and the like Now the heart being taken for the soule and all the faculties of it and being the very seate and subiect wherein faith resides for with the heart man beleeveth to righteousnes and Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith then the heart being purified being sanctified by faith consequently the whole soule with all the faculties the vnderstanding will memory affections are at the same instant with the heart purified and sanctified by faith as the first act and worke of Gods grace in vs. Hence it is euident that the prime worke of Gods grace in the conuersion of a sinner is not a slight and slender worke as a bare stirring mouing or helping of the will to prepare and dispose it selfe to receiue the grace of iustification but it is a mighty and powerfull worke so that thereby the stony heart harder and heauier then the hardest rocke or highest mountaine is remoued and a new heart a new vnderstanding a new will a new memory new affections all new in the qualities of them are put insteed thereof By this prime worke of grace that most excellent grace of faith is wrought in the heart whereby the whole man is sanctified Babylonius Sir by the way now you touch vpon a point which as I haue heard is much controuerted among Diuines namely about the subiect or seat of faith in what faculty or power of the soule it resideth some placeing it in the vnderstanding onely some in the will onely but few as you doe in the whole soule and euery power of it as the soule is said by the Philosopher to bee whole in the whole body and whole in euery part of it Orthodoxus And you giue a very pregnant example to illustrate this truth that faith doth so fill and quicken euery faculty of the soule as the soule doth the body And the comparison holds well for Saint Augustine calls faith the soule of the soule because it giues life to the whole soule as the soule to the whole body And the Scripture saith that wee liue by faith and faith by Christ as Gal. 2. 20. Indeede those of the Church of Rome are of different opinions in this point Dominicus Soto sets it downe as a definitiue decree of the Trent Councell It is decreed that the intellectuall power is the subiect or seat of saith And this suits well with Romes faith being historicall and so proper to the vnderstanding faculty Notwithstanding when they consider of the danger of placing faith in the vnderstanding least it should follow that therefore faith ought not to be an implicit and ignorant blind faith but a cleare and vnderstanding faith they fly to the will rather placing faith in that not for any good will but to suppresse the knowledge of faith which Romes Owle-eyed religion cannot brooke And therefore Bellarmine would haue faith to be defined rather from ignorance then from knowledge and so shuts it out of the vnderstanding and shuffels it into some blinde corner of the will But see the mischiefe of it while they would auoid the gulfe they fall vpon the rocke For if they place faith in the will they must of necessity allow it one speciall property of sauing faith namely assiance and considence in Gods promises in Christ a thing most hatefull to the Church of Rome therefore in conclusion of two euills chusing the lesse that they may rather exclude confidence from faith then science sith they can noe otherwise chuse they rather pitch vpon the vnderstanding then the will wherein to place their faith So that by their good wills they could be content for the auoiding of the inconueniences of an illuminate and confident faith to croud it into some corner of the inferiour part of the soule But for sure worke they haue taken a safer course by excluding and banishing not onely from the soule or any faculty of it but out of the verge and lists of their Romane Catholicke Church and that with a direfull Anathema the true sauing and iustifying faith But whereas you say few Diuines place faith in the whole soule and in euery power of it they are neither few nor those of small authoritie The prouinciall Councell of Colen which was a little before the Councell of Trent although charged by Andreas Vega to speake too broad and too Protestant-like in the point of faith and iustification by imputation saith that true iustifying faith is seated not onely in the vnderstanding but also in the will The learned and ingenious Cardinall Contarenus about the same time writing of iustification saith that the first act or motion of faith begins at the will which obeying God and faith causeth the vnderstanding to assent to the things deliuered of God without doubting and so to trust in Gods promises and of them to conceiue a firme affiance which pertaines to the will and that this faith as it were in a circle begins at the will and ends in the will So that he confineth not faith to the
passe wee to the last Chapter touching the Synod of Dort It is but short wherein the Authour saith The Synod of Dort is not our rule And Priuate opinions no rule Doth he not herein say truely Orthodoxus Why then should his owne priuate peruerse opinions be reputed as the rule of the Church of England For it is true no doubt that no Synod or Councell much lesse any priuate mans opinion is the rule of our faith Yet all Synods and Councels so farre forth as their Decrees are grounded vpon the Scriptures we are to imbrace and reuerence But of all other passages in the Appealers Appeale I muse at none more then this his eleuating and slighting the Synod of Dort And what spirit trow we is that man of or possessed with that stands so much for the Councell of Trent and so little esteemes the Councell of Dort I wot well the Synod of Dort is an aduersary to his Arminian Pontifician opinions and therefore no maruaile if he beare it no great good will But considering next vnder God the prime and principall mouer of that Synod his late Excellent Maiestie of eternall memory yea how He promoued it what Princely and prouident care what liberall cost He was at to adorne the Synod with some of the choicest and solidest Diuines that He had in His Kingdome what a zealous desire Hee had by that meanes to quench those fiery flames of dissention blowne by the factious spirits of Inâ—endiaries which threatned the ruine of those neighbour reformed Churches the tayles of which smoking firebrands are not altogether quenched but begin to reuiue hauing for want of vent till now lyen smoathering euen in our Church of England the smoake whereof hath blinded a great many and now the flames threaten to burne moe what a religious care He tooke to establish true religion and to abolish that Arminian roote of bitternesse springing vp and spreading abroad wherewith many were defiled which one act of His Maiestie shall no lesse eternize His name then the most famous and vnparalleld actions Hee atchieued in all His Princely gouernment this I say strikes me with an exceeding wonderment that the Appealer would euer suffer himselfe so farre to be transported with the spirit of contradiction as to fall foule vpon such a learned Synod a Synod of Protestants a Synod of many reformed Churches and which if nought else might haue most moued him a Synod assembled managed concluded by the most auspicious Peace-making spirit zeale wel-wishes and prayers of His late Maiestie yea and to fill vp the measure of his all-daring hardinesse to presume to thrust this booke in the name of An Appeale vnder the protection of our most Excellent patrizing Caesar here I am at a stand What so to disrepute the Synod of Dort O spare it either speake not at all of it or reuerently and honorably at least for the thrice noble religious zealous louer of the truth King IAMES He that so honoured that Synod imbraced those orthodox conclusions of it as that He aduanced those to Ecclesiasticall honours whom Hee had selected and sent to represent the Church of England Which also by the way addes to my wonderment that the Appealer should and that vnder the name of the Church of England dare to oppose the Councell of Dort if he had considered that his late Excellent Maiestie did vnderstand no other but that all the conclusions of that Councell did consent with the Doctrines of the Church of England as also the representiue Church of England as they were of the number of the primest and actiuest Agents in that Synod so with the rest they were the first still in order who by their subscriptions sealed vp their vnanimous assent to all the Conclusions Or can the Appealer taxe the incomparable judgement of that famous King of ignorance either in the choise of that representatiue Church of England or in the state of the Doctrines of it Farre be it His Maiestie knew as well the true state of the Doctrine of the Church of England as the most and greatest Scholars in England that I may not disparadge his Excellency so much as to say He knew it better then the Appealer himselfe And if I might pin my faith vpon any mans sleeue or referre the judgment of the Doctrine of the Church of England to my one man I would haue chosen His Maiestie as the â—â—pire oracle of it before any man liuing And yet He that professed protested writ wrought studied liued and dyed in the maintenance of that one truth wherein by His auspicious vnanimity the Church of England and the Councell of Dort haue confented according to the rule of faith Gods word shall He He I say His sacred ashes be raysed vp againe and by an Appeale be vrged to recaut His former profession to reuerse His iudgment to cancell or to bâ—râ—â— His bookes which no antiquity no iniury of time no elementary flames shall euer be able to abolish I might better appeale to those who were so happy as dayly to heare the wisdome of that our Salomon euen at His ordinary repast They can testifie what zealous protestations He made for the truth and with what vehement derestation He had of the contrary As for instance how did He abominate those that writ de apostasia Sanctorum Which very title of Bertius His Maiestie often in His pious zeale professed His indignation against as a blasphemous doctrine And as in His vsuall and ordinary discourse at table and at other times He shewed His Princely diuine spirit in refuting and refelling all the vanities of Popery and Pelagian Arminianismo so at His death He protested His owne constancy and finall perseuerance in that truth which He had formerly professed All this I say duely waighed I am still in a muse what should imbolden infatuate rather the Appealer to insert any such passage as the depressing and deprizing the Synod of Dort in his Appeale Yet doing so he is not more guilty of ingratitude towards our late Caesar as also of ignorance that I may not say starke folly in addressing this his Appeale to our present Caesar. Doth not the Appealer remember that Hee is the Son the onely Son of such a Father Yea a Son of that naturall and pious affection to His Father as all can witnesse with me Hee might well be a Princely myrrour of filiall piety to many Sonnes whose naturall affection commonly descends rather then ascends Nor only the Sonne the onely Sonne the most naturally and graciously pious Sonne but the very viue and expresse image of such a Father inheriting not onely His Fathers Kingdomes Crownes but which is the Crowne of all and more precious then all His Kingdomes His vertues and graces His wisdome His iudgment and aboue all His religion yea His loue care and zeale in maintaining the same This religion Hee first suckt in with His Nurses milke therein also bred brought vp vnder a religious
take vpon mee to be a censurer of bookes much lesse of an Appeale to Caesar if the Author haue any just cause for which to Appealâ— to Caesar and which is just and fit for Caesar to judge no doubt but hee shall finde a just Caesar to doe him right But the points you seeme to propose to me are matters of Faith wherein the Author seemeth too suspicious of his owne cause that like to fraudulent Merchants who haue run themselues into many mens debt and danger hee appeales to Caesar to haue a protection for his person But blessed be God wee haue a Caesar The Defender of the Faith not a protector of oppugners and vnderminers of the Faith And for matters of Faith our Caesar knowes they ought to be pleaded onely at Gods barre and tryed at the Common Law of the holy Land the Scriptures Nor will hee giue way for any Prohibition out of any Court of Chancery or conscience which may inhibite the proceeding of Gods cause in Gods Court by any prerogatiue whatsoeuer Therefore in such causes causes of Faith I say to appeale to Caesar giues to speake plainly a strong suspition of the weakenesse at least of the cause For so did Heretickes in times past to maintaine their heresies they had no other way but to patronize themselues vnder Caesars wings Thus did the Arians so mightilie preuaile against the Orthodox professors by the onely helpe and authority of Caesar. Not that I impute heresie to the Author of this booke onely for his appeale to Caesar. Let the booke like Baal plead for it selfe Asotus Sir you make me begin to suspect something Did Hereticks so as you say I pray you for my better satisfaction giue me some example of it Orthodoxus I will briefly Constantine the great he that restored the Church to a generall peace and calme sitting at the first Councell of Nice not as Iudge but rather as a Minister as himselfe piously confessed did for his part ratifie the Councels Decrees against Arius yet afterwards growing old hee was wonne by a woman his sister Constantia and she seduced by a sycophantizing Arian Priest to recall Arius from banishment that hee might againe declare his Faith whereof comming before the Emperour he made such a cunning confession as formerlie hee had done to the whole Councell of Nice which he had well nigh imposed vpon by his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in steed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that the good Emperour suspecting no deceit tooke it to be in all points the very same with the Councels owne confession yet so as hee referred Arius to the determination of a Councell But the Emperour not long after dying Arius with his faction creepe into the fauour and protection of Constantines successors especially of his sonne Constantins who was by the same Arian Priest who had formerly inueagled Constantia about Arius perswaded to fauour and protect the Arians and the rather was the Emperour perswaded by this old Priest because Constantine had committed to him his last Will and Testament to deliuer it to his sonne Constantius which he did Thus Arius by his Appeale to Caesar and by the cunning insinuaâ—ion of his craftie confederate an old Court Priest got footing againe and had in all likelihood mightilie preuailed but that God in justice to that impious impostor and in mercy to his Church and children calling the cause into his superiour Court cut Arius short by a suddaine and strange infamous iudgement euen in hot blood as he was going with all his pompe and traine into the Cathedrall in Constantinople in despight of the good Bishop Alexander who all the night before and that morning continued his earnest supplications to God prostrate in the Temple to â—uert and preuent Arius from setting his wicked foote and proude Standard of triumph against Christ in that sacred place His deuout and zealous prayers were heard and Arius his infamous death strucke all his traine with a shamefull amazement and confusion I would this example might teach the Appealler to tremble before that God from whose Tribunall is no appeale but by speedie flying with repentance to his throne of grace and mercie in Iesus Christ. But for the Appeale here let me tell you thus much by the way which I dare be bold to auouch that as he thinks he hath done politickly so I know hee hath done very poorely to appeale to Caesar being such a Caesar as when his many waightie affaires shall lend him leisure to view the Appeale the Appealer will quickly find his owne errour and haue cause to repent his appealing to a Prince of such dexteritie and judgement as in humaine so also in diuine matters Asotus Sir I thanke you I am satisfied in this matter Now let me intreat you to performe your promise in resoluing some doubts ministred by this booke Orthodoxus If you instance any particular I am ready to doe my best indeauour Asotus Sir because this Gentleman my friend hath some more learning then my selfe and is somewhat acquainted with the booke I shall entreate him to propouÌ„d and obiect and your selfe to resolue the Obiections Babylonius Friend Asotus I pray you doe not impute that to mee which I was neuer guiltie of as matter of learning yet if as a friend you impose this taske vpon me to ease you I will the more willingly vndertake it prouided that where you see me faile you will supplieâ— and Master Orthodoxus pardon I shall onely act your part in propounding those particular pointâ— which you say are contrary to those which Master Orthodoxus hath taught you as being also the most materiall things in the booke Asotus Sir I thanke you I desire no more Babylonius Then to begin in order as they lye the first thing is about the losse of Faith and Iustification in the third Chapter and so consequently of falling away from grace totally in the fourth Chapter and if totally possibly also finally without recouery Now although the Authour doe not auouch absolutely his owne oppinion yet hee proues the affirmatiue from antiquitie of Fathers and from the authoritie of the Church of England vnto whose Articles and Homilies all the Ministers thereof haue subscribed Now we desire your resolution herein Orthodoxus True it is that the Authour is very cauâ—elous in auerring any thing in his owne opinion especially in points of such consequence therein I commend his wit as the Lord did the wisdome of the vniust Steward but his priuate conception hee fathereth vpon the Fathers and his mother Church yet it is to be concluded that what he goes about to proue by the Fathers and by the authoritie of the Church of England though most falsly by him forced and forged glosses himselfe is of the same judgement with them and by the way for the Articles and Homilies of the Church of England wee subscribed vnto them indeede but not to the priuate sense which any particular man may make of them Now
on the contrary Gods knowing or foreknowledge of his is to elect them This is the foundation of God which stands sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth them that are his I could be more copious to illustrate this but this may suffice to satisfie those that be not quarrellous Babylonius But Sir howsoeuer you may conclude that Gods Election is absolute without any respectiue foreknowledge of any good or grace in vs in accepting grace offered yet the same cannot so well be sayd of reprebation that God should reprobate any but with a respect and foreknowledge of their disobedience and infidelitie For else God should bee vniust to cast away and condemne any without iust cause in themselues Orthodoxus Sir there is the same reason of reprobation that is of Election for both were out of the corrupt mafle wherein all men were equally condemned whereof some God called and chose out to life the rest hee left as hee found them guiltie of eternall death and vpon whom the sentence of death had now passed seazed Gen. 2. 17 So that for God to leaue some whom he would wallowing in their blood it is an act of his justice as to free others an act of his mercie Which Saint Augustine very pregnantly exemplifieth by a Creditor in whose power it is to acquit some of his Debtors and to exact of the rest to the vttermost as we noted afore This is setforth also in the types of the elect and reprobate Iacob and Esau who being yet in the wombe before they had done good or euill that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of workes but of him that calleth It was said to her the elder shall serue the yonger As it is written Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated Yet both Iacob and Esau were equally culpable in the wombe of originall sinne and so were children of death as all were in the wombe of our first Parents but the election comes and that makes a separation and puts a difference mercifully louing one and justly hating another and that before they had actually done good or euill that the purpose of God might stand according to election not of workes but of him that calleth So that the disproportion alledged by the Appealer was not betweene the elect and reprobate before the act of election but the election caused the disproportion not through any foreknowledge or foresight of any good or euill actually to bee done of either as the Appealer would inferre but Gods meere mercie on the one side and his justice on the other caused the disproportion And euen that place quoted by the Appealer out of Ezechiell makes altogether against himselfe though otherwise rightly alledged for if wee were in our blood if cast out if loathed if dead and yet if in this contemptible condition God saide vnto vs liue yea when wee were in our blood it is twice repeated ver 6. he faide vnto vs liue where is then that praescience of any good in vs moouing God to pull vs out of this miserable estate I am sure no mention of it is in Ezechiel no not in the whole Booke of God but the contrary as we haue proved no nor yet doth his pretended Goddesse indeede his nothing in the world the Church of England any where teach the same so nakedly yet shamlesly peremptory is this assertion of the Appealer hauing none to father his opinion vpon but Pelagius and his Disciples So weake and windy are his aspersions which he casteth vpon Caluin or vpon those whom hee calls Puritans for maintaining nothing but what the Scriptures plainely teach against his groundlesse and gracelesse opinion so that he fighteth against God and his truth against Gods glory and his grace against his Church yea the Church of England also Babylonius But Sir if the act of Election and Reprobation be without any respectiue foreknowledge in God of any actuall good or euill in man then what place is left for freewill or how can God bee just in punnishing the rebellious seeing he hath reiected them and denied them grace Orthodoxus Of freewill I suppose occasion will be giuen anon to speake of it by it selfe For the rebellious reprobate as he is justly reiected for his sinne in Adam so he is neuer but justly condemned and punished for all his actuall sinnes springing from that cursed roote Nor doth his reiection necessitate him to rebell the more against Cod his rebellion is from his owne peruerse will Nor is God bound to giue him grace But against all contentious quarrellers at the Doctrine of God wee cannot shape nor are we bound to giue a better answer melius enim non invenimus saith St. August many times against such cauellers for we finde not a better then that of the Apostle vpon the very same occasion Thou wile say then why doth he yet complaine for who hath resisted his will Nay but o man who art thou that replyest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus Hath not the Potter power ouer the clay of the same lumpe to make one vessel vnto honour and another to dishonour c. The comparison is very pregnant God is the Potter wee the lumpe of filthy and foule clay cast out as the clay in the streetes yet if the Potter will may hee not take some of the clay and make of it vessels of honour and make of the rest foule and filthy as he finds it to dishonour seeing it was in his power to put the whole lumpe and that justly to baser vses But as the Apostle saith God makes some vessels of his mercy to make knowne the riches of his glory leauing the rest to be vessels of wrath sitted for destruction to make knowne his iustice and power In a word if Gods election be an act of meere mercy then it excludes all respect to any good that hee could foresee to be in vs for as the Apostle saith There is at this present a remuant according to the election of grace And if by grace then it is no more of workes otherwise grace is no more grace But if it be of workes then it is no more grace otherwise worke is no more worke What then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded I will conclude with Saint Aug. Non solùm c. Therefore by the preaching of Pradestination the Elect is not onely not hindered from this worke to wit of sanctification but also is furthered thereunto that when he glorieth he may glory in the Lord. The Pelagians could say Siâ—â—â— c. If yee will not haue the obedience to which you incite and inflame vs to freeze in our hearts doe not preach vnto vs that grace of God which we confesse God is the giuer of and which you exhort vs vnto But Saint Aug. meetes with
sound-hearted Tutor who besides other learned and godly gouernours ceassed not from His very infancy to instill into Him the deaw of all heauenly knowledge and that especially by acquainting Him with the Scriptures which according to His daily taske Hee missed not to reade by three or foure chapters a day being able also euen when He was very young not aboue seuen yeares old to giue a present account without booke of the principall things Hee had read I speake not by guesse I was so happy as to bee often an eye and eare-witnesse of it But aboue all those instructions Hee receiued from time to time from His Royall Father lighting vpon a subiect of such peerelesse indowments both of Nature and Grace haue made Him a compleate Prince in all excellent knowledge and worthy to be the onely Sonne and Heire of such a Father So that when He was now growne to riper yeares He was able euen at table to discourse and discusse points of controuersie betweene vs and the Papists to the great ioy of all His seruants about Him And yet after all this see the lucke of it must the Appealer haue the hap to foist in his fardell of fancies yea falsities and that by way of Appeale to His Excellent Maiestie And vpon what ground I hope if not presuming that His Maiestie now vpon His first happy entry into His Kingdomes is so taken vp with many waighty affaires that Hee will not haue the leasure to peruse his Appeale which is the Appealers happinesse yea and Maiesties too sauing that His judgment is so settled vpon the truth after so long and strong a seasoning that vneath it were for Master Mountagu to caule the liâ—uor of his musty caske to relish well in such an vncorrupt Palate And for this Chapter touching the Synod of Dort one part of his Appeale wherefore doth hee in this and other passages about this Synod appeale Forsooth he appeales to His present Maiestie King CHARLES to indge and determine whither the Councell of Dort bee now to bee holden in that esteeme as it was by His late noble Father King IAMES whither those conclusions of it bee not now to be reiected which His royall Father so much auowed and approued whither the Decrees thereof bee not now to be holden as opposite Doctrines to those of the Church of England which the most judicious King IAMES found to be so correspondent and consonant one to the other or whither the Doctrine of the Church of England be not now quite changed from that it was in the time of King IAMES his peaceable gouernment whither the learned representatine Church of England selected by the most judicious and learned King for that purpose which in that Councell swarued not from the Tenents and grounds of their Mother Church be rather to be admitted as interpreters of our Church Doctrines then singular Maister Mountagu whither the Decrees of that Synod being grounded vpon expresse texts of Scripture and concluded by so many learned and graue Diuines be to be accounted priuate opinions rather then Maister Mountagues owne fancies conceiued of some misunderstood Doctrines of the Church of England and so which of these should be admitted of vs rather for no rule In a word hee appeales I wisse whither the judgment of King IAMES approuing the Doctrine of the Synod of Dort as agreeable to the Doctrine of the Church of England and both to the holy Scriptures or his owne iudgment in his disallowing and reiecting the Synod as not agreeable to his owne fancies for his words are I haue no part nor portion in them either in them that maintaine the Decrees or in the Decrees themselues whither I say King IAMES His iudgment or his owne be rather to be intertained and approued of His sacred Maiestie His Son whom God for euer preserue in all integrity of judgment and loue of the Truth Asotus Gentlemen I thanke you both for your learned discourse though much of it aboue my capacity It is now dinner time If it please you to take the paines to meete here againe after dinner about two of the clock I shall bee glad to bee informed further of some points in the Second part of the Appeale Babylonius You haue made a good motion friend Asotus I shall be ready at the time appointed if it please Maister Orthodoxus to receiue further satisfaction with you Orthodoxus And seeing you haue giuen so good proofe of your patience thus farre I am not vnwilling to yeeld to your motion and desire so farre as God shall in able me So fare ye well Asotus Babylonius And you good Maister Orthodoxus Gentle Reader I pray thee correct these faults with thy pen. Page 7 Line 13 reade Philistian p. 13 l. 19 r. as his owne 〈◊〉 26 his forced l. 36 r. reuerence p. 21 l. 36 1. the Rocke p. 31 l. 36 r. recured p. 38 l. 7 r. presumption l. 12. r. audiunâ— p. 40 in margâ—nt râ—guauiter p. 41 l. 2 1. or no. p. 45 l. 20 r. Iuterimsists p. 48 l. 2 for Dued r. Quum l. 36 r. done with the. p. 62 l. 30. r. great p 69 l. 19 r. motiue FINIS Tertul de Praescript aduersus hareticos libâ—â—â—â—â— miâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 Quaest. super 〈◊〉 1. qu. 117. 〈◊〉 4. and in Psal. 55. Tertul ibid. 2. Iohn 10. Gal. 〈◊〉 * As Master Mountagâ—â— hath fairly promised laying though he may erre yet he will be no Hereticke especially against the Church of England Appeale c 1. p. 4. p. 9. Acts 〈◊〉 Acts 13. Euseb. lib. 4 cap. 14. Aliud est quod competit Rectori aliud quod prosertur emptori For example Rusinus Ecc. hist. lib. 1. cap 11. Socratas lib. 1. cap 25. homoâ—ousios for homousiâ—s Of losse of Faith and Iustification Of totall and finall â—â—lling from grace * Pap. 34. Subscription to the Church of Englands Doctrine not to Mr. Mountagues priuate inteâ—pretation The Church of Englandâ— doctrine â—o other then that of the Scriptures Heb. 6. 6 The Churches rule of faith is the Scriptures A sure rule to interpret Scriptures Aug. de corrept grâ— cap. Aug de correpâ— c. cap. 13. a Aug. de fide et operibus cap. 16 Tom. 4. b 〈◊〉 de correpâ—â—â—t gratâ—a cap. 12. Et 〈◊〉 9. Note Baptisme is called Regeneration Sacramentally He quotes the booke De bono pâ—rseuerentia for the booke 〈◊〉 corrept gratia Saint Augustine guelded by the Appealler * Aug. de ben perseuer cap. 〈◊〉 Aug. de corrept et grat cap. 7 * He saith not whose faith doth fall totally away expressing the same thus ibid. 〈◊〉 si quando exorbitant electi correpts emendantur inâ—iam quam reliquerant redemus * Aug. de corâ—pâ— de graâ— cap. 1â— Act 27 28. Doctor Ouerall fred from the Appâ—alers wrestings Reasons of the Saints perscuâ—rance 1 Reason Ang. de â—omo perseâ—â—â— cap. 2. 〈◊〉 Reason Rom 11. 29. 〈◊〉 Reason 4 Reason * Exemplified also in Christâ— prayer for