peace and safetie of this our Church which is committed to your charge as you tender your owne honor and reputation with God man or that great account which you must shortly make to God of that great stewardship of his which is committed to you if you â—…ender the good and comfort of your owne soule both here and hereafter if you would haue Iesus Christ to owne you and not to bee ashamed of you at the last when hee shall come in the glory of his Father with all his holy Angells if you would not bee cast with those other fearefull ones into that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone for euer take heart and courage for the Lord of hoasts and for his truth and cause which now are likely to miscarie Suffer not his word and truth to bee betrayed and suppressed by scismaticall factious and Antechristian spirits for want of supportation and defence but since the eyes of God and man are cast vpon you execute stirre vp and act that place and power which God and man haue giuen to you to the quelling of heresy and scisme to the extirpation of Poperie and Arminianisme which are now flowing in so fast vpon vs that they doe euen threaten a sodaine inundation and deluge to vs to the subuersion of the kingdome of Satan and Antechrisâ—… to the maintaining and inlarging of the kingdome of Iesus Christ and to the establishing of that glorious truth and Gospell which hath flourished and shined so long among vs to the admiration and mirror of our friends and to the griefe and enuy of our aduersaries Let not feare and cowardice let not flesh and blood or any other impediment whatsoeuer daunt your courage or coole your loue and zeale to Christ or to his cause but be willing to denie your selfe to part with all for him who hath euen denied himselfe and parted with his life and all for you And here I would intreate your Grace to pardon this my boldnesse and my rudenesse with you which though modesty and manners might caâ—…e mee to forbeare yet piety and zeale to God and to his truth and loue to this my Mother Church together with the necessity and extremitie of the times hath made me guilty of it I hope not faulty in it and withall I humblie consecrate these Firstlings of my studies being nothing else but a iust defence of a comfortable and Orthodox point of faith which hath long beene setled and established in this our Church and in all reformed Churches beyond the seas which if your Grace will but vouchsafe to Patronize and shelter they shall not feele they will not feare a totall or a finall 〈◊〉 Now the God of all Grace so beautifie and adorne your Grace with all the graces of his Spirit so fill and replenish you with zeale with fortitude and courage for the truth and so firmely settle and establish you in the glorious and happy estate of true and sauing grace that neither your Grace nor yet that truth and Gospell which 〈◊〉 now inioy may euer feele a finall totall or a partiall fall Your Graces in all humble submission and respect WILLIAM PRYNNE TO THE CHRISTIAN READER CHristian Reader when as I had well considered with my selfe the great danger and combustion that was likely to befall our Church and State by reason of some dangerous points of Pelagianisme Poperie and Arminianisme which some factious and nouillizing spirits haue lately broched and set on foote among vs as the receiued positiue and resolued doctrines not only of the Scriptures Fathers and Protestant Churches in forraine parts but likewise of the Church of England I supposed that I could not performe a better peece of seruice to God or to our Church and State then to cast in my Mite among the rest and to indeauour according to my poore ability to stoppe the streame and current of these late reuiued and new minted Errors which by reason of the learning fame and greatnesse of their Patrons and the deprauation of mans nature which is alwayes more propense and prone to Error then to truth and holinesse are like to threaten a generall and vniuersall deluge to our Church and State if authority preuent them not in time Vpon this I resolued to put my penne to Paper and thereupon I selected and culled out from among the rest this hereticall and pernicious Error Of the totall and finall Apostacie of the Saints from grace to combate and to grapple with The reasons which moued me to single out this one aboue all or any of the rest were these First because this Error is most of all insisted and stood vpon and is more peremptorily maintained and dâ—fended then any of the rest and therefore requires the speediest and the strongest opposition Secondly because this Error by reason of a misreported confereÌ„ce hath drawne more disciples and parties after it than any of the rest it hath found more Patrons of late among vs than any other Error that I know and therefore I thought that I should doe the greatest good in opposing and suppressing the most infectious and spreading Error Thirdly I made choyce of this aboue the rest because it was a part of Pelagianisme heretofore and it is but a point of pure Popery and Arminianisme now and therefore I presumed that I might with greater boldnesse and audacitie and with lesse offence to any aduenture to refell it especially since those who now defend it produce no other reasons arguments answers or authorities than those which the Pelagians Papists and Arminians haue framed and collected to their hands before without any new addition of their owne Fourthly I made choyce of this to vindicate the Church of England the Fathers Scriptures and Protestants in forraine parts from the false calumnies of those who would make all these the Patrons of this Error when as they haue all with one vnanimous consent condemned censured and refuted it yea and resolued against it as against a dangerous and hereticall position Fifely I made choyce of this because the sound confutation of it will ouerthrow the whole frame and fabricke of Arminianisme it will likewise out off a great part of Poperie and it will in effect suppresse and quite subuert the most of all those Errors Which haue beene lately broched among vs. For if this totall and finall Apostacie of the Saints bee once proued to be but an Error then the doctrines of Vniuersall Grace of Free-will of Election from the fore-sight of saith that such men as were neuer elected to saluation haue true saith that the number of the elect is vncertaine that the sinnes of the Saints doe cut them off from Christ that all these who are baptized are regenerated that the Sacraments conuey grace alike to all ex opere operato that there are some sinnes which are not mortall in their owne nature that men ought to doubt and that they cannot be certainely assured of their owne saluation without some
reported for to be since Christ his Prophets and Apostles and the whole Church of God from time to time haue propagated embraced resolued and defended this our present assertion as sound and there were neuer none as yet but Pelagians Papists and Arminians nay Atheists that opposed it then this your accusation that none but Puritans doe defend it must needs be false and forged at least it must bee idle and impertinent because it is but a meere euasion and waiuing of the Controuersie a meere Calumnie and reproach and a falling foule vpon the persons of syncere and vpright Christians who defend it for want of truth or learning to answer to their workes I come now vnto the second accusation that the Patrons of this assertion are nothing else but a packe and company of pestilent factious and seditious persons Indeed St. Paul had this very accusation laid against him by the Iewes because hee was so zealous to maintaine propagate and defend the Gospell and the word of God and I am verily perswaded if St. Paul were now vpon the earth as one vnknowne to you that you would presently flie vpon him accusing and condemning him for an Arch-Puritan for a Pestilent factious and seditious fellow since you accuse his followers of the selfe-same crime for defending this our Doctrine and assertion which he himselfe hath commended and recorded to them when as they are nothing like so hote and zealous for this truth as he But are there none but pestilent factious and seditious persons who maintaine our present assertion then Christ himselfe his Prophets and Apostles then all the Fathers and all the Churches of God from age to age were but a faction and a packe of pestilent and seditious persons then the Church of England and the Reformed Churches in forraine parts are but a faction then the Synode of Dort and our late Soueraigne King IAMES who was the cause of assembling and calling of it together with all the other Germaine States and Princes who were parties to it were but a faction for all these haue maintained defended and resolued this very assertion of ours as sound and orthodox If these were not a faction as none but Heathens Atheists or Diuells dare to stile them then surely those are not a faction who defend it now and so this false and scandalous accusation which you labour to fasten vpon others that are guiltlesse must truly light and rest vpon your selues who striue with all your might and maine and lay your heads and force together to question vnsettle and suppresse this ancient and approued truth which hath beene so long established settled and resolued in the Church of God and in this our Mother Church If one man should set an house on fire and another shauld indeauour for to quench it If one man should raise and stirre vp strifâ—… and another should take paines for to appease it If one man should breake anothers head and a third man should apply a salue to heale it If one man should oppose and labour to suppresse the truth and another should set himselfe against him to defend it I pray which of the two should be the pestilent turbulent factious and seditious person which of them is it who deserues the blame he that puts out the fire or hee that kindles it hee that seekes for to appease the strife or hee that stirres it vp he that heales the wound or hee that giues it he that defends the truth or he that doth oppose it Now those whom you accuse for pestilent factious and seditious persons they doe but labour to extinguish and put out the flame it is you that kindle nourish and increase it they doe but appease the strife it is you only that stirre it vp they doe but seeke to heale and to repaire the wounds and breaches of our Church it is you that giue and make them they doe but shelter and defend the truth it is you only that oppose it and seeke to quell and roote it out therefore you onely are the Incendiaries and fire-brands you only are the turbulent factious and seditious spirits you only and not these good Eliahs are the Ahabs who trouble this our Israell you only are the dangerous and preuayling Faction who like so many vnnaturall vipers will eate out the very bowells of this your Mother Church and of all true sauing grace if you are not preuented and withstood in time and not the men whom you accuse of purpose for to free and cleare your selues wherefore you must needes take this second accusation and slaunder to your selues alone to whom it doth truly and of right belong till you can finde some better cause to place it vpon those whom you doe here acuse To your third forgerie and last accusation That the Patrons of the totall and finall perseuerance of the Saints are such as do contrary to the decrees of Caesar and such as violate his Maiesties late and pious Proclamation I answer that you are much mistaken For as most of their workes were published and printed before the Proclamation was published or thought on and so are not within the danger and compasse of it so the only end of this his Maiesties pious Proclamation was to establish and settle the ancient setled receiued and approued Doctrine of the Church of England in peace and quiet and to keepe backe you and all other factions scismaticall nouellizing Arminianizing and Romanizing spirits from opposing or distrubing of it it was only to defend propagate and establish the truth of God the doctrine of our Church and not to quâ—…ll them and suppresse them Who then are those who violate and transgresse this godly Proclamation those who vnder pretence and coulor of it doe labour to suppresse and quell the truth and Doctrine oâ—… our Church contrary to his Maiesties good intent or those who out of good and honest hearts indeauour to defend them and to put them out of further doubt and question Doubtlesse if I and many others are not much mistaken not the defenders and establishers but the treacherous and pernicious quellers of the truth and of the Doctrine of our Church are those who must incurre the blame and censure and then this crime and accusation must fall off from others and light heauiest on your selues to whom it doth in truth belong If any of you object that the totall and finall Apostacie of the Saints is the vndoubted truth and the established and resolued Doctrine of the Church of England I answer that this is but an impudent and audatious forgerie and I dare to justifie it against the greatest Gamaliells of you all who dare to contradict me in it Yea more then this if any of you will bona fide affirme the totall and finall Apostacie of the Saints to be the positiue and absolute truh and the receiued doctrine of our Church I dare aduenture for to challenge him not only for a gracelesse and atheisticall person
good and holy motions and affections as the Angell sometimes troubled the poole of Bethesda inflaming rauishing and warming of their hearts and soules and stirring of them vp to frequent prayer godly meditations and discourses and such like holy duties which motions and influences of Gods spirit if the Saints of God doe well obserue and take aduantage of them to kindle and to stirre them vp they may gaine abundance of grace of heauenly ioy and comfort to their soules which for want of ioyning with them and stirring of them vp may quite be lost Now the Apostles meaning here is onely this that we should not quench these motions and influences of Gods spirit when as wee feele them arising and growing vp in our hearts and soules but that wee should blow and stirre them vp by yeelding and assenting to them that so they might fully warme our hearts and soules and bring much ioy and comfort and much increase of grace vnto them and not that the spirit of God it selfe or the habituall and inherent graces of Gods spirit might be quenched and quite put out within vs. And though that good men may sometimes resist the spirit in not hearkening and yeclding to those motions of it and may oft-times grieue it by their sinnes yet they doe neuer so quench it or resist it as vtterly for to loose it and the habituall graces of it Yea but you will obiect that the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an euill spirit from the Lord troubled him and therefore the spirit it selfe and the habituall graces of it may be lost I answer that in this place the spirit of the Lord is not taken for the sanctifying gifts and graces of Gods holy Spirit which are proper onely to the Elect and Saints of God but onely for the common and ordinarie gifts of Gods Spirit as Fortitude Valour Wisdome strength and an Heroicall Valiant and Kingly spirit as appeares by comparing these seuerall places one with another Iudges 9. 19. cap. 15. 14. cap. 16. 19. 20. cap. 6. 14. 1 Sam. 10. 10. cap. 6. 7. cap. 16. 13. 14. So that the spirit of the Lord departed from him signifieth onely this that his heroicall valiant and Kingly spirit and those other common gifts of the spirit departed from him which are not here in question and not the holy and sanctifying Spirit of God and the sauing graces of the Spirit for this abideth as a firme and stable truth that where once the sanctifying spirit of God doth come there it dedicates and sanctifies the heart and soule vnto it selfe there it takes vp its rest its habitation and abode for euer as those places of Scripture formerly cited doe expresly testifie And therefore it is altogether impossible that those that are once regenerated and truly sanctified should euer totally or finally fall from grace The second thing in respect of the spirit of God which doth assure vs of the truth of this position is the seale of Gods Spirit which is stamped on the hearts of all those which are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ Those that are sealed and marked to be Gods by the inward and powerfull operation of Gods Spirit working vpon their hearts and soules and that not for a time onely but to the day of Redemption and the day of Iesus Christ it is altogether impossible that they should euer finally or totally fall from grace because the seale and stampe of Gods spirit doth alwayes abide rest vpon their soules can neuer be razed and blotted out again But all those that are once truly regenerated are sealed and marked by the Spirit of God to be Gods own peculiar people that not for a time but to the day of Redemption and the day of Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 1. 21 22. Now hee which establâ—…sheth vs with you in Christ and hath annoynted vs is God who hath also sealed vs and giuen the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts Eph 1. 13 14. In whom also after that yee beleeued yee were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise Which is the earnest of our inheritance vntill the redemption of the purchased possession vnto the praise of his glory cap. 4. 30. And grieue not the holy Spirit of God whereby yee are sealed vnto the day of Redemption Therefore it is impossible that they should euer finally or totally fall from grace This argument though it may seeme a mystery a riddle to carnall men who were neuer acquainted with the workeing of Gods Spirit yet it doth so fully conuince the hearts and consciences of all the true saints of God and so settle this conclusion in them that nothing can be able to perswade them to the contrary The third thing in the Spirit of God which man may assure our soules of the truth of this position is the seede and annoynting of Gods Spirit from which I frame this third argument Those that haue the seede and the annoynting of Gods Spirit in their hearts it is altogether impossible for them either finally or totally to fall from grace But all those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ they haue the seede and annoynting of Gods Spirits in their hearts therefore it is impossible for them either finally or totally to fall from grace The Maior proposition is warrented by these two reasons First because the seed and annoynting of Gods Spirit they are of a deuine incorruptable perpetuall and immortall nature whence they are styled an incorruptible seede and a diuine nature 1 Pet. 1. 23. and 2 Pet. 1. 4. Secondly because where euer the seede and anoynting of the Spirit are there they alwayes continue and remaine for euer as appeares by the 1 Iohn 2. 20. 27. But yee haue an vnction from the holy one and the annoynting which yee haue receiued of him abideth in you and by 1 Iohn 3. 9. Whosoeuer is borne of God doth not commit sinne for his seede remaineth in him and he cannot sinne because he is borne of God And that all those who are once truly regenerated and borne of God haue this seede and annoynting of the Spirit it appeares by Rom. 8. 9. 14. where it is saide that if any man haue not the Spirit of Christ hee is none of his and that as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sonnes of God and no others and by 1 Iohn 3. 9. where the expresse words are whosoeuer is borne of God doth not commit sin for his seede remaineth in him The premisses then being true the conclusion doth ineuitably follow that they can neither finally nor totally fall from grace Yea but say our acute Antagonists if not absurd in this it is true that as long as the seede and annoynting abideth in those that are regenerated they cannot sin or fall away but when the seede and onnoynting is gon then they may I haue giuen a full defeate in generall to this
Rom. 14. 13. verse 20. is no more in substance and sense but this That stronger Christians must so much respect the weaker as that they must not giue them any just occasion of scandall or offence to wound and vexe their consciences to breed any sâ—…rupels or doubts in them to weaken their loue to God to discourage them in the practise of religion or to prouoke them vnto any sinne and not that scandals can make weake Christians in whom there is any truth of grace begun to Apostatize or to renounce the faith or to fall finally or totally from grace for this these scandals cannot do they cannot cause any of the true sheepe of Christ any that truly feare the Lord or belong vnto the â—…old of Christ to fall from grace or to depart from God and perish Iohn 10. 28. Ier. 32. 40. and 1 Iohn 2. 19. To answer this obiection in a word I answer that there is a double perishing the one in respect of such as giue the scandall and offence the other in respect of such as doe receiue it A weake brother may vtterly perish in respect of those that giue the scandall and offence that is they may doe as much as in them lies to cause him for to perish and to renounce the faith and therefore God will take it as ill at their hands as if hee had actually perished for it is onely Gods mercie which supports him and not their scandall that offends him that keepes him from Apostacie therefore God is as much offended with them as if they had perished in good earnest But yet such a brother doth neuer actually perish in respect of himselfe he doth neuer actually Apostatize and fall from grace This place proues on ely that hee may perish in respect of him that giues the offence but yet not actually in respect of himselfe and therefore it makes not against me The fifteenth obiection is that of the 1 Tim. 5. 11 12. The yonger widowes refuse for when they haue begun to waxe wanton they will marry hauing damnation because they haue cast off their first faith From whence this argument may be framed Regenerate men may cast off their first faith and so bee damned for it therfore they may fall away from the state of grace To this I answer first that the Antecedent is false and is not warranted by this text For Paul speakes not here of true regenerate men and of such as were really ingrafted into Christ but of young petulant and wanton widowes whose light and vnchast behauiour doth euidently proue that they had no grace or faith at all within them So that your argument hence can be no more but this Young petulant and wanton widowes may fall from grace therefore such as are once truly regenerated may doe so to which is no good consequent Secondly I answer that faith in this place doth not signifie the grace of true justifying and sauing faith but that vow of chastitie and perpetuall widdowhood which widdowes vsed for to make in former times when as they had their vse and place in thâ—… Church of God as appeares by the very sense and scope of the place Againe damnation in his place signifies only blame or reproofe or an Ecclesiasticall censure or punishment as excommunication or the like which was vsed to be inflicted vpon delinquents in this kinde and not eternall condemnation of soule and body in hell or the state of damnation So that the true and proper sense of the place is no more but this Widdowes that breake the vow of chastity either by marrying againe or by incontinency are to bee blamed and censured by the Church for breach of this their vow because they are an occasion of scandall and reproach vnto the Church What maket this to a totall or finall fall from grace Surely nothing at all and therefore I passe it ouer without any further answer The sixteenth objection is this A man man receiue the grace of God in vaine and beleeue in vaine as appeares by the 2 Cor. 6. 1. and 1 Cor. 15. 2. Therefore hee may fall from the state of grace I answer first that if you take the grace of God for the habituall graces of Gods Spirit and beleife for true and sauing faith then the Antecedent is false and is not warranted by these places of Scripture which are quoted but if you take grace for the word of grace and the offer of Christ to men in the Gospell and beliefe for an historicall and common faith as they are taken here by the Apostle then the argument is false and followes not Now that this place of Paul is meant onely of the word of grace and of the offer of grace to men in the Gospell and not of the habituall graces of Gods Spirit it appeares by the coherence and dependancie of the 2 Cor. 6. 1. vpon the 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. God hath committed vnto vs the word of reconciliation Now then wee are ambassadors for Christ as though God did bee seech you by vs wee pray you in Christs steed bee yee reconciled to God wee then as workers together with him befeech you also that yee receiue not the grace of God in vaine which proues that this is onely meant of the offer of grace and Christ to men and not of the habit and seed of grace it selfe So that your argument from hence can bee no more but this Men may heare the word of God in vaine therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may fall from the state of grace a strange in consequent For that of the 1 Cor. 15. 2. vnlesse yee haue beleeued in vaine it is not meant of a true liuing sauing and justifying faith but of an historicoll fruitlesse dead and in-effectuall faith or beliefe which did neuer truly regenerate transforme the heart and soule of those who did injoy it This doth fully appeareby the opposition Antithesis in the samâ—… verse By which yee are saued vnlesse yee haue beleeued in vaine so that sauing faith is here put in opposition to this vaine beliefe which proues that this vaine beliefe was no true and ustifying faith So that your argument from hence must be this Men may loose a vaine and ineffectuall faith therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may fall from the seeds and habit of true justifying faith Secondly I answer that these two places proue nothing for your conclusion admitting that they were meant of true habituall grace and faith for the one of them is but a meere exhortation the other a bare exception and condition neither of them is absolute and positiue So that your argument from them can bee but this The Saints of God are exhorted not to receiue the grace of God in vaine and they shall bee saued vnlesse they beleeue in vaine therefore they may fall away from grace which is but an idle consequence and rather deserues to be derided then answered So that this objection doth
and not sanctifie their prosperitie or pouertie vnto them but God doth neuer leaue regenerate men vnto themselues he doth neuer leaue them nor forsake them and hee doth sanctifie all estates and conditions of life vnto them making them all to worke together for their good Rom. 8. 38. therefore they cannot cause them for to fall from grace Secondly I answer that these words of Agur doe not proue that plentie or pouertie may cause regenerate men to fall from the state of grace they only proue that they may cause them to commit many sinnes against God which they may doe and yet not fall from grace Hezechiah his heart was lifted vp with pride 2 Chron. 32. 25 26. yet hee fell not away from the state of grace but repented him of this his sinne Plentie or pouertie they may be occasions of pride and discontent thus much this prayer of Agur proues it proues that Christians ought for to desire a competencie and to auoide and pray against all occasions of sinne and this is all it proues What consequence then can you inferre from hence What that the true regenerate Saints of God may fall from grace because that Agur prayes to God to keepe him from the occasions of sinne because he prayes to God to giue him perseuerance and to remoue those lets and obstacles which might hinder him in his perseuerance What an absurdity would this be Regenerate men pray to God to keepe them from the occasions of sinne regenerate men vse the meanes and helpes to perseuere in grace and remoue the obstacles that might hinder them therefore they may fall from grace This is all the argument that can bee collected from hence and this all is nothing The twentieth Argument that may bee obiected against me is taken from that of Paul 1 Thes. 5. 19. Quench not the spirit The regenerate Saints of God may quench the Spirit of God therefore they may fall from grace I answer that there is a double quenching of the Spirit the one of the heate feruencie the other of the habituall graces of Gods spirit the Saints of God out of idlenesse and negligence in Gods seruice or by the commission of some sinne or other or by the negligent and superficiall performance of holy duties may quench the feruencie the heate and zeale of Gods Spirit that is of those spirituall graces which are within them which are no more but the degrees and fruites of grace but yet they can neuer extinguish the habituall graces of Gods spirit for they are of a diuine nature they are an incorruptible seed a seed which will remaine within them a spirituall fire which neuer failes and which many waters cannot quench as you may reade in the 1 Pet 1. 23. 2 Pet. 1. 3. 1 Iohn 3. 9. Luke 22 32. 1 Cor. 13. 8. and Cant. 8. 6 7. So that the meaning of the Apostle in this place is onely this that the Saints of God must not neglect the sweet and comfortable motions of Gods Spirit when as they feele them arising and springing vp in their hearts that they must beware of abating of the edge the feruencie the strength the heate and zeale of their graces and not that they may vtterly extinguish and put out the habituall graces of Gods spirit which are in them So that your Argument from this place of Paul can be but this The Saints of God may suppresse and neglect the sweet and comfortable motions of Gods spirit and lose the heate the zeale the feruencie and degrees of grace therefore they may lose the very habits and seeds of grace which is but a meere inconsequencie Secondly I answer that there is a double quenching of the Spirit first in respect of our selues secondly in respect of the Spirit it selfe The Saints of God may doe as much as in them lies to quench the Spirit of God but yet they cannot actually quench the Spirit the Spirit of God will not be quenched by them but will still remaine within them though they themselues out of incogitancie or negligence but neuer out of malice and wilfulnesse indeauour for to quench it Thirdly I answer that this quenching of the Spirit of God may haue a double construction For a man may quench the motions of Gods spirit either in respect of himselfe or in respect of others Now some good interpreters expound this place of Paul of the quenching of Gods spirit meerely in respect of others making this to bee the meaning of the place See that you incourage the Ministers of the Gospell and not crosse interrupt or discourage them in their preaching by your vnfruitfulnesse or by opposing your selues against them or by your disreport and neglect of their ministry in not repairing to their Sermons joyning it with the insuing verse Despise not prophecie If you â—…ake the place in this sense as well you may your Argument can bee no other then this The Saints of God may discourage and offend their Ministers therefore they may fall from the state of grace which is a meere Nonsequitur Lastly I answer that this place of Paul is but a bare admonition hee saith not that the Saints of God doe quench the spirit but onely admonish them not to quench it Which doth not implie that the Saints of God may quench the spirit because their diligent care in not quenching of the Spirit is the chiefest means for to preserue keep the Spirit in them The Saints of God must vse the meanes for to preserue the spirit in them therefore they may quite extinguish it is but an absurd and contradictorâ—…e Argument So that take this place of Paul in what sense you will it doth not make against me The twentie one objection is that of the 2 Iohâ—… 8. Looke to your selues that wee lose not those things which wee â—…aue wrought but that wee may receiue a full reward Regenerate men may lose the things which they haue wrought therefore they may fall from grace I answer that the Antecedent is not warranted or proued by this place first because these words are but a meere caution and exhortations to the Saints to beware lest Antichrist should seduce them therefore this being but a meere exhortation to vse the means to perseuere in grace doth not nor cannot necessarily implie that the saints of God may fall from grace Secondly those to whom St. Iohn doth vse this exhortation they were the elect saints of God verse 1. the truth did dwell with them and shall be with them for euer vers 2. they were such as should abide in the doctrine of Christ verse 9. therefore this exhortation and caution made to such as these doth not necessarily implie that they may be seduced fall from grace For it is impossible for the elect of God to bee seduced Math. 24. 24. Marke 13. 22. Reu. 9. 4. cap. 17. 8. it is impossible for them in whom the truth doth dwell and should abide for euer for them
but a meere transient act and not an habituall grace or at least it would make habituall repentance to bee of no esteeme in the sight of God neither of which can bee admitted For if a new and fresh repentance bee necessarily required after euery particular knowne sinne as your argument surmiseth then either the sinne which is committed must destroy that habituall repentance which is in men or else the act of repentance after those knowne sinnes committed must be a fruit of that habituall repentance which was in them before or else it must be but a meere transient act or else it must follow that such as haue the habituall grace of true repentance in thē may be damned or put into the state of damnation for want of an outward act of this their habituall repentance at that particular time If the sinne committed doth destroy that habituall repentance which was in them then you will make one act of sinne to destroy an habit of grace which cannot bee If this actuall repentance after the sinne committed which you say doth cut men off from Christ and cast them downe from the state of grace bee but a fruite and effect of the former habit of r◅pentance that was in them then they were not totally cut off from Christ and cast downe from the state of grace for they had still the grace and habit of repentance in them If this actuall repentance afterwards proceed not from an habit of repentance which is wrought within them then you make repentance to bee but a meere transient act and not an habituall grace which is contrary to the Scriptures which doe make repentance to bee an habituall grace If you grant repentance to bee an habituall grace and yet maintaine that the Saints of God are in the state of damnation after any grosse sinne committed before their actuall repentance notwithstanding they haue the habituall grace of repentance in them then you make the habit of true repentance to wit the inward disposition and frame of the heart and soule the inward hatred and antipathie against sinne the inward tendernesse and the habituall sorrow and griefe of heart and soule the constant purpose of heart to forsake all sinne and to cleaue inseperablie to Christ to bee nothing wor◅h in the sight of God and to bee nothing auailable to the Sa◅nts when as it is onely the inward and habituall disposition and inclination of the heart and soule that God requires and regards as an acceptable and pleasing sacrifice vnto him neuer respecting the outward act of repentance vnlesse it proceed from that babit of repentance which is within vs as you may see at large 2◅ Chro. 34. 27 28. Ps. 51. 17. Isa. 57. 15. c. 61 1 2 3. Eze. 36. 26. Mal. 3. 14. Wherfore seeing that this argument would make repentance to be a meere transient act not an habituall grace and seeing it would make the habituall grace of true repentance to bee of no effect and not sufficient to free men from damnation it followes not Fifthly this argument followes not because it would breed a great fraction and interruption in a Christian mans estate a regenerate man might then bee one day in the state of grace another day in the state of damnation a third day saued a fourth day damned a fifth day written in the booke of life a sixth day rased out of it againe the state of grace should then beefull of fractions and interruptions full of inconstancie and ficklenesse whereas the Scripture doth informe vs that a regenerate mans estate is a constant stable setled permanent and immutable estate and so well grounded fixed rooted and established that it cannot be shaken moued or totally interrupted as you may read at large Psal. 125. 1. Psal. 37. 24. Psal. 89. 36 37. Ier. 31. 36 37. Math. 7. 24 25. Luke 6. 48. Iob. 36. 7. Heb. 12 28. Ephes. 3. 17. Col. 1. 23. cap. 2. 5 7. 2 Cor. 1 21. Rom. 5. 2. 1 Cor. 16. 23. 1 Cor. 1. 8. 2 Tim. 2. 19 and 1 Pet. 5. 10. wherefore your argument followes not Sixthly the argument followes not because it would seuere the meanes from the end or the end from the meanes it would seuere Gods absolute positiue and immutable decree and election from the meanes that should execute it and so it would make it to bee of no effect For if repentance bee the meanes which God hath appointed his children to obtaine saluation by as wee all know it is then that God who hath decreed that his elect chosen and true regenerated Saints should bee saued hath likewise decreed that they should still repent because else this decree of his could not be executed As God hath giuen Christ vnto his Saints and children so hee doth also together with him freely giue them all things that may tend to their saluation Romans 8. 32. as God hath giuen them life and godlinesse so hee hath giuen them all things that belong vnto them 2 Pet. 1. 4. all things that may preserue and keep them in them So that all whom God hath praedestinated to eternall life he hath likewise praedestinated them to all things that are needfull and requisite for to obtaine it else this praedestination and decree of his would be in vaine for want of meanes to execute it Wherefore God hauing praedestinated all such as are regenerated vnto etern all life hee hath likewise praedestinated them for to repent of all their sins and therefore this argument of yours which would seuer repentance from praedestination and suppose that a regenerate man elected to eternall life might die without repentance and so perish for euer must needes be false Seuenthly this argument followes not neither can it bee admitted because it would seuer and diuide those graces of Gods spirit which cannot bee disioyned It would seuer repentance from faith and loue from justification and adoption which cannot bee disioyned or seuered from the other For a man may commit a grosse sinne and yet haue true and sauing faith and loue within him still a man may bee stained with some foule and scandalous sinne and yet not loose his adoption and that seede of grace which is within him 1 Iohn 3. 9. If therefore such a man as is adopted and regenerated such a one as hath the seede of grace and the habit of faith and loue within him might fall from grace and perish as you pretend hee may then a man that is justified a man that hath true and sauing grace within him may bee damned and the graces of Gods spirit which are concatinated and lincked together by an inseperable vnion might bee seuered which were an absurd and an impossible thing Eightly this argument followes not because it derogates much from the merits and satisfaction of Iesus Christ it puts all vpon one act of repentance it makes our former repentance and justification by faith in Christ to bee nothing at all it takes away all from Christs satisfaction and