puts a new nature and disposition into them so that they cannot alter or destroy it if they would But of this see more in the reply to the answere which is giuen to the fourth argument drawne from God If therefore no sinne which the saints of God can commit if the freedome and liberty of their owne will cannot destroy that seede of grace which is within them and there be no other cause or thing to doe it it is certaine that this seede and annoynting of the Spirit must still remaine within them and so your answere as long as the seede and annoynting remaines which supposeth that they doe not alwaies remaine and abide within them must needes be false friuilous and repugnant And so this argument and text of Scripture remaines vnanswerable Other answeres there are vpon the diuers readings and expositions of these places which because they are but vaine and idle and not worth the answering I will passe them ouer and so proceede The fourth thing in the spirit of God or in the holy Ghost that may stablish and settle vs in this present truth is the earnest of the Spirit that is giuen to all those that are once truly regenerated from whence this fourth argument doth arise Those that haue the earnest of Gods spirit in their hearts it is altogether impossible that they should euer finally or totally fall from Grace But all those that are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ haue the earnest of Gods spirit in their hearts 2 Cor. 1. 22. Eph. 1. 13 14. 2 Cor. 5. 〈◊〉 Therefore it is altogether impossible that they should either finally or totally fall from grace The minor being the expresse text of God The maior only is for to be proued Now that those that haue the earnest of Gods spirit in their hearts can neuer fall either finally or totally from grace it appeares by these reasons First because the earnest of the Spirit of God is nothing but an assurance giuen vnto vs by God of that share and portion which he hath prepared for vs in heauen whence it is stiled the earnest of our inheritance vntill the purchased possession be really bestowed vpon vs Eph. 1. 14. 15. Secondly because it makes the Saints of God confident and sure of heauen and of eternall life as appeares by the 2 Cor. 5. 6 7 8. Where Paul saith thus Now hee that hath wrought vs for the selfe-same thing is God who also hath giuen vnto vs the earnest of the Spirit therefore 〈◊〉 are alwayes confident knowing that whiles wee are at home in the body wee are absent from the Lord wee are confident I say and willing rather to bee absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. This 〈◊〉 of the Spirit makes the Saints of God confident and sure of their saluation vpon good and solid grounds and not vpon bare conjectures and therefore it cannot choose but keepe them from falling away from grace Thirdly it must needes bee so that those who haue the earnest of the Spirit can neuer fall from grace in respect of the properties of an earnest For first an earnest it tyes and bindes the party that doth giue it to make good his bargaine and his promise Secondly it is a badge and signe of true and vpright dealing and it giues an assurance that the bargaine shall bee punctually performed to the vtmost by him that giues the earnest Thirdly an earnest is part of payment it is part of the whole which wee shall receiue Fourthly it is such a thing as can neuer be taken from vs. Let the Bargaine or the Contract hold or breake the earnest still remaines with him that doth receiue it hee that giues it is not to require it hee thâ—…t receiues it is not to restore it Fiftly an earnest drawes the whole to it it makes the whole of which it is an earnest to be our owne Now the Spirit of God and the graces of Gods Spirit which are once put into our hearts are stiled an earnest in all these respects because they binde the Lord for to performe his Covenant and to giue vs that inheritance which he hath promised to vs 〈◊〉 because they giue vs full assurance that God deales truly honestly and in good earnest with vs and that he will performe whatsoeuer he hath promised vnto vs to the very vtmost because that portion of Grace and of Gods Spirit which wee haue in possession here is a part and inchoation of that happinesse and glory which we shall haue hereafter because they are such things as shall neuer be taken from vs againe Luke 10. 42. Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not bee taken away from hâ—…r God will not require this earnest at our hands againe but wee shall still enioy it as our owne and because they drawe the whole vnto them they make the whole and all of that which God hath promised to vs to be our owne Wherefore this must needes bee an vndoubted truth that those who haue but once this earnest of Gods spirit in their hearts as all those that are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ haue it Rom 8. 9 14. can neuer possibly fall either finally or totally from grace for then this earnest of Gods spirit should bee lost and serue to none or little purpose Of all arguments that can bee produced this is one of the strongest and least capable of any sound and solid answer The fift thing in respect of the holy Ghost which may convince vs of the truth of this position is the ordinary and constant working of Gods Spirit in the hearts of all those who are once truly regenerated sanctified and ingrafted into Christ. For the spirit of God when once it enters into mens hearts and soules after it hath once truly humbled them for their sinnes and in some good measure sanctified and purified their hearts and soules then it doth secretly pacifie their soules and consciences then it giues them that inward and secret assurance of the everlasting and vnchangeable loue of God to them in Christ which passeth vnderstanding and testifieth to their owne spirits and consciences that they are the adopted children and sonnes of God which causeth them to cry Abba Father Rom 5. 1. and cap. 8. 15 16. Then it stampes and settles this assurance of Gods loue this vndoubted certaintie of their owne salvation and of their continuall perseverance in grace vnto the end vpon their hearts and soules in such deepe and indelable Characters that no temptation no sinne or affliction whatsoeuer can vtterly raze and blot it out againe though it may so blot and blurre it for a time that thâ—…y themselues may not so evidently and cleerely see it as they should And when all this is done then the holy Ghost descends as a sweet and heauenly dew vpon them and doth fill and euen glâ—…tte and ravish their very hearts and soules with that ioy which is most vnspeakeable
are once committed to his charge Ioh. 17. 14. Ezech. 34. 16. Isai. 40. 11. Luk. 15. 45. 2 Pet. 3. 9. and Luk. 21. 18. Therefore the conclusion followes of necessitie and cannot be denied The sixt thing in Iesus Christ that may establish vs in this present truth is Christs continually residence and dwelling in our hearts from whence I frame this argument Those in whose hearts and soules Christ Iesus doth for euer remaine and dwell it is altogether impossible that they should fall from grace but Iesus Christ doth for euer remaine and dwell in the hearts and soules of all them that are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into him Io. 14 20 23. Cap. 17. 2â—… 23 26. 2 Cor. 13. 4 5. Gal. 2. 20. Ephes. 3. 17. 1 Iohn 3. 24. cap. 4. 4. Ephes. 2. 22. 1 Io. 4 12 13. 15 16. cap. 5. 10. 20. Col. 1. 27. Psal. 68. 16. 18. Reâ—… 2. 20. Therefore it is altogether impossible that they should euer totally or finally fall from grace What can bee truly answered or replyed to this argument I cannot learne or know The last thing in Iesus Christ that may assure vs of this present truth is his Sacraments for to what other end doe the Sacraments serue specially that of the Lords Supper but to assure our soules of Gods vnchangeable loue vnto vs in Iesus Christ and of our euerlasting obedience vnto him The Sacraments they are the very seales of Gods couenant wherein God and Christ doe seale vnto vs euen in the blood of Iesus Christ the one that hee will become a gratious and louing Father the other that he will become a gratious and louing Sauiour to vs for euer and wee seale againe to God and Christ that wee will become dutifull faithfull and obedient Children and seruants vnto them for euer The holy Sacraments therefore wherein God doth chuse vs for his children and wee doe chuse him for our God and Father must needes assure our soules that wee shall neuer finally and totally fall from grace or be depriued of Gods loue and fauour If wee could either totally or finally fall from grace what comfort and benefit what profit and assurance could wee haue from those most comfortable and blessed Sacraments if that couenant which is sealed ratified and confirmed in the blood of Iesus Christ should euer once bee broken what good or profit could it bring vnto our soules Wherefore the very Sacraments which seale Gods loue vnto our soules and all those other things which are in Christ which haue been formerly mentioned may giue our soules this comfortable and sweet assurance that wee shall neuer totally or finally fall from grace euen in respect of Iesus Christ when once we are but truly regenerated and ingrafted into him Thirdly it is altogether impossible in respect of the holy Ghost that those that are once truly regenerated should either totally or finally fall from grace Now in the holy Ghost there are these things which may serue for to assure vs of this truth First there is his personall residencie and habitation in our hearts and soules from whence this argument may bee deduced Those in whose hearts and soules the holy Ghost shall abide and dwell for euer it is altogether impossible for them either finally or totally to fall from grace because as long as they haue the holy Ghost within them there is alwayes grace within them But the holy Ghost shall abide and dwell for euer in the hearts and soules of all those which are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ as appeares by Io. 14 16 17. I saith Christ will pray the Father and hee shall giue you another Comforter that hee may abide with you for euer euen the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but yee know him for hee dwelleth in you and shall be in you by Rom. 8. 9 11. But yee are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so bee that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man haue not the spirit of Christ he is none of is but if the spirit of him that raised vp Iesus from the dead dwell in you hee that raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by â—…is spirit that dwelleth in you by 1 Cor. 6. 19. Know yee not that your body is tho Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you which yee haue of God and yee are not your owne by 2 Tim. 1. 14. That good thing which was committed vnto thee keepe by the holy Ghost which dwelleth in vs and by Ezech. 36. 26 27. A new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and yee shall keepe my iâ—…dgements and doe them Therefore it is altogether impossible that they should euer fall either finally or totally from grace If it be obiected that the holy Ghost may bee taken away from vâ—… that it may be grieued quenched and resisted as it is euident by Psal. 51. 11. 1 Thess. 5. 19. Ephes. 4 30. and Act. 7. 51. I answer that it is true that the sense and feeling of the sweet and comfortable motions of Gods holy Spirit may oft-time be taken from vs and suspended for a time but yet the habituall graces and fruits of Gods holy Spirit the Seale and inward annoynting of Gods Spirit and that fruite and seed of grace which Gods holy Spirit hath plaâ—…ted in our hearts shall neuer bee taken away or lost they shall abide and remaine in the hearts of those that are regenerated for euer they cannot be rooted or weeded out of them Io. 14. 16 17. 1 Io. 2 20. 27. and cap. 3. 9. And though Dauid prayeth to God not to take away his holy Spirit from him Psal. 51. yet that is onely meant of the ioy and comforts of the spirit and not of the spirit it selfe or the graces of the spirit as appeareth by the 8. and 12. verses of the same Psalme wherein hee prayes to God not to restore to him the holy Ghost or the graces of the spirit but to restore vnto him the ioy of the spirit As for that exhortation of Paul 1 Thes. 5. 19. Quench not the spirit some interpret it to bee no more but this that men should not hinder any one whose heart and soule was filled with the graces and gifts of Gods spirit from preaching of the word of God and interpreting of it vpon all occasions coupling it with the next verse where the Apostle saith thus Despise not prophecyings but the genuine and proper meaning of the place is this that men should not quench and smother those good motions and holy affections which the spirit of God doth kindle in their hearts but stirre and blow them vp vpon all occasions The spirit of God oft-times doth trouble the hearts of his Saints with
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
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
and as one who neuer had as yet any truth of sauing grace within him but likewise as a friend vnto Arminians and the Church of Rome and as an open and professed enemie to the grace of God and to the Doctrine of our Church if any of you will be so bold as to take vp this challenge this present Treatise or if not this another shall make it good against him so as the peace of this our Church bee not disturbed by it But if that your assertion be the positiue Doctrine of our Church as perchance you doe pretend it for to be how then doth it appeare to be so Sure I am our Articles our reuerend and learned writers our Religious professors and our Diuinity Schooles our reuerend Ministers throughout the Kingdome haue alwaies cryed it downe till now as blasphemous Papisticall and heriticall and there is not one approued writer of our English Church that did euer dare as yet to publish it vnto the world as sound and orthodox or as the Doctrine of our Church And if it be the Doctrine of our Church why do you not ioyne issue on it and put it to the tryall why do you not answer and refute but only labour to suppresse the workes of those who doe oppose it and challenge it as vnsound Indeede the truth is this you know your cause is bad you know that this your Doctrine is but false and counterfeite and quite repugnant to the Doctrine of our Church and therefore you dare not put it to the tryall for feare it should be proued to be false you dare not go about to proue our position to be vnsound or to giue an answer vnto such as haue defended it all your labour is to quell it and to suppresse not to answer the workes of such as haue defended it And why is this let Lactantius relate the cause Timeut ne à nobis reiucti manus dare aliquandò clamante ipsâ veritate cogantur Obstrepunt igitur et intercedunt ne audiane et oculos suos opprimunt ne lumen videant quod offerimus quum neque cognoscere neque congredi audent quià sciunt se facilè superari Et idcircò disceptatione sublata pellitur è medio sapientia vi geritur res You know you are not able for to answer and therefore you labour to suppresse our workes thinking to carry away the cause by force and pollicy and to suppresse the truth before it shall be able to come vnto a just legall tryall But remember that Intercipere scripta et publicatam velle submergere lectionem non est Deos defendere sed veritatis testificationem timere this is not to confute but to suppresse the truth this it not to confirme and proue but to condemne and marre your cause That gold which dreads the touchstone is but counterfeite that felon who refuseth his tryall doth but confesse himselfe guilty and that doctrine which hates the light and will not come vnto it which would establish it selfe by force and policy and not by truth and honest dealing it doth but discouer it selfe to be euill false and counterseite Whiles therefore you labour to suport your haerisie by force and pollicy and by suppressing of the truth you doe but daube with vntempered morter and marre it whiles you make it Wherefore giue ouer now for very shame your sinester and disloyall practises of which the world takes notice though you thinke not of it peruert not any longer the godly and religious intent of our gratious Soueraigne to a wicked and irreligious end and make not that an instrument to suffocate curbe the truth of God and Doctrine of our Church which hee intended should support inlarge and â—…uccor them How euer take this instruction from an ancient Father Nulla lex vetat discuti quod prohibet admitti Or if the saying of a Pope will please you better let Leo tell you thus much for your learning Quae patefacta sunt quaerere quae perfecta sunt retractare et quae sunt definita coâ—…ellore quid aliud est quam 〈◊〉 adeptis gratiam non referre et ad interdictae arboris cibum 〈◊〉 probos appetitus mortiferae cupiditatis extendere I know not whether you will I am sure you may apply it You see now how scandalous how sleight how false and forged all these your accusations are you see they are but shifts for to euade and colours to oppose the truth and such as doe professe it and defend it they are but meere impostures and pretences whereby the diuill and your owne deceitfull hearts doe labour for to blinde your eyes and to keepe you still in darkenesse to stupifie your hâ—…arts and consciences and so to set you in opposition against all gâ—…ace and goodnesse that so they may depriue you of your soules at last Consider therefore these wiles and pollicies of Satan and looke vnto the end of all your actions Consider who and what it is that sets you now on worke to slaunder and traduce the Saints of God and to oppose his truth and know that it is not the God of peace and vnion the God of grace and truth but the very Diuill himselfe the very spirit of Antechrist and the enemy of all grace and goodnesse who out of some carnall wicked sinister and by respects hath put you on this seruice aske but your owne brests and the secret whisperings of your owne consciences and they will tell you so And therefore though I haue spoken somewhat sharply to you before to make you know your selues the want of which knowledge if Lactantius may bee credited is the cause of all your Errors so now I doe euen beseech you by the mercies of God and by the death of Iesus Christ your Sauiour who died for you that you should no longer liue vnto your selues but vnto him that now you would lay downe your armes of rebellion and vomit vp your bitter hatred malice and dispite against all grace and goodnesse and such as doe excell in piety and holinesse that so you may with all meeknesse of spirit and humility of heart and minde submit vnto this comfortable and holy truth which here I offer and expose vnto you which will be the onely joy the onely comfort and safety of your soules If you will but seririously consider it and ponder it in your hearts and desire God to sanctifie and blesse it to you if you will but reade it with meeke and quiet spirits with indifferent and impartiall mindes and with an earnest desire to finde out the truth it may bee it may rectifie your judgements and reforme your liues it may bee it may doe you good and saue your soules But if you will shut your eyes and will not see if you will stoppe your eares and will not heare or if you will harden your hearts not consider If you will proceed for to oppose and persecute the Doctrine and the
girdeth their loines with a girdle He leadeth Princes away spoiled and ouerthroweth the mighty Hee remoueth away the speech of the trusty and taketh away the vnderstanding of the aged He powreth contempt vpon Princes and weakneth the strength of the mighty He increaseth the nations and destroyeth them hee inlargeth the nations and straitneth them againe He taketh away the heart of the chiefe of the people of the earth and causeth them to wander in a wildernesse where there is no way Iob 12 13 to 25. If our wills were in our owne powers not in Gods alone why then doe we dayly pray to God thy kingdome come thy will be done on earth as it is in heauen and leade vs not into temptation but deliuer us from euill this prayer were but vaine idle if our wills were our owne if God had no kingdome and power ouer vs to sway and rule vs as he pleaseth If our wills are free if wee may cast away that grace which God hath giuen vs and hath likewise couenanted to preserue it in vs why then doe wee call the Lord our God our King our Master and our Gouernour and why doth the Scripture certifie vs that our soules our spirits and our selues are not our owne but Gods and that it is God onely that worketh in vs both the will and the deede of his good pleasure 1 Cor 6 29. and Phil 2 13 Certainely if God be God Lord and King ouer vs as hee is if our hearts our wills and all our wayes are in his hands to dispose of them at his pleasure as wee must needes confesse they are vnlesse wee will turne Atheists and deny his Diety then when as God himselfe doth absolutely promise and vndertake to preserue and keepe 〈◊〉 Saints from falling and to establish them so that they shall not nor cannot for euer be remoued this their slight and supposition if they continue faithfull or vnlesse they will themselues must needes be false and idle or else you must of necessity grant that those whom God himselfe hath promised to keepe from falling and to establish so that they can neuer possible be remoued may fall away from grace which doth not onely falsifie the Scriptures and the promises of God but likewise pull God out of heauen and either make him to be no God at all or else sets man aboue him which is blasphemous and atheisticall Lastly If this their answere to the absolute promises and texts of Scriptute which we alledge against them were once admitted to be true then marke what dangerous consequents would follow vpon it First it would be a meanes to shake the very foundations principals and pillars of religion For if a thing which is absolutey true be not absolutly true which is the very summe and substance of all their answeres if that which God hath promised to establish for euer to keepe from falling and departing from him may notwithstanding fall and come to ruine if it will it selfe and that it is safe onely if it continue or as long as it continues then marke what a ready way they make for Atheists and Infidels to delude all those fundamentall truths which are deliuered and set downe in Scripture For if I were an Atheist and an Infidel and they should come to conuert or confute me by the Scriptures or by reason If they should now produce any argument or text of Scripture to proue that there were a God to proue that there were a Christ or an holy Ghost or to proue that there were a Church or to proue any such fundamentall truthes I would shift them of with this sleeuelesse answere of their owne true it is that there is an eternall God there is a Christ and an holy Ghost there is a Church of God if they continue or as long as they continue and then I would inferre as they do vpon this answere but they doe not continue and therefore they are not What answer could they giuâ—… me if this their owne cuasion would hold water and goe for câ—…rrant certainely none at all Yea but they will obiect that the Scripture saith that the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are eternall and that the Church of God continueth and abideth for euer and therefore this answere if they continue or as long as they continue is very repugnant And doth not the Scripture say as positiuely that the righteous shall neuer be remoued that they shall stand fast for euer that their faith and graces shall neuer faile that the holy Ghost shall abide with them for euer that they shall neuer faile or perish Where then I pray you stands the difference If this answer of theirs bee repugnant and contradictorie in the one why should it not bee so in the other to Yea but God is eternall in his owne Nature and so in this there is a difference And is not grace an immortall and incorruptible seed a treasure which neither rust nor moth can corrupt nor theeues breake through and steale the Scripture I am sure stiles it so Yea Christians themselues that are once illuminated with the spirit of Grace they are immortall through grace the second death shall haue no power ouer them and they shall die no more Reu. 20 6. and Rom. 6. 10 11. Therefore if Christians are immortall and euerlasting by Grace and if that Grace which we haue now by Christ be of an incorruptible nature as well as God is eternall if it be absurd to suppose that God may not continue and abide for euer or to say that he is eternall vnlesse hee will himselfe it must likewise be absurd to suppose that Grace which is immortall and incorruptible that the Saints of God who shall stand fast for euer and cannot be remoued may notwithstanding cease to be and fall from grace and perish So that you see plainely that this euasion of theirs if it were admitted would vtterly subvert and ouerturne the very grounds principles and foundation of Religion Secondly if this their shifting answer should be admitted it would make the word of God but a meere nugation a meere tantologie a vaine absurd and idle thing a thing meerely repugnant and crosse vnto it selfe Absolute things must then be conditionall plaine things will become obscure expresse and absolute promises must bee suspended vpon vaine and idle suppositions mens graces then should alwaies increase and never faile and yet they should be lost and faile the Saints then should neuer fall perish or be remoued and yet they should fall quite away from grace they should perish and bee remoued they should not bee able to deparâ—… from God and yet they should depart the Scriptures in which there is no iarre at all should then bee full of contradictions or nugations Yea Scripture would become no Scripture truth no truth God no God if this their shift anfwer and euasion should be admitted to be true And therefore wee reiect this
in it selfe but not in vs. I answer that if grace in its proper nature bee perpetuall immortall and alwayes perseuering then it must of necessitie bee so in respect of vs. First because that which is perpetuall permanent immortall and alwayes perseuering in its owne nature must needâ—… bee so in all respects for nothing can bee truly considered as abstracted from its owne essence and nature for then it ceaseth for to bee the thing it is especially is it bee considered in a Notion which is quite contrary to its nature A thing that is immortall and perpetuall in its owne nature and essence cannot bee considered as a thing that is mortall and momentarie because this consideration destroyes the essence and nature of the thing considered If therefore grace be immortall incorruptible and perpetuall in its owne nature it cannot bee mortall corruptible and transitorie in respect of those that doe inioy it Secondly Grace hath neuer any essence being or subsistence but in man it is no substance but an habit and quality and therefore it hath no being essence or existence in it selfe but as it is conioyned with its subject man Let grace be seuered from man or man from grace then grace must needs perish and cease to be it cannot subsist of it selfe it cannot bee transferred to another subject and therefore it must needs vanish and come to nought If grace therefore hath no being essence subsistence or existence of its owne but only as it is inherent in its proper subject man if it bee immortall perpetuall and alwayes perseuering in its owne nature it must needs bee so likewise as it is in man because it hath no being no essence no nature or existence but as it is in man Wherefore this your answer which would giue grace a being and subsistence of its owne abstracted from its subject man must needs bee false and idle and so the â—…quell of the Major proposition can neuer bee denied If you denie the Minor proposition that true and sanctifying grace is not of a Diuine permanent perpetuall immortall growing and increasing nature I answer that the premises doe sufficiently and vndeniable proue it But you will object First that Grace may decay in part it may decay in the fruites and in the degrees of it therefore it may decay in the whole and so it is not of a Diuine perpetuall and immortall nature To which I answer first That in grace there are these two parts First there are the seedes and habits of grace which are here in question secondly there are the degrees and the fruites of grace which are not controuerted here True it is that the fruites the effects and the degrees the strength and vigor of grace may decay in part and be suspended for a time but the habit and the seed of grace they neuer perish they neuer doe decay they neuer suffer any diminution or abatement the decay the fading and suspention of the fruites and effects of true and sauing grace doth not argue or imply a decay or diminution in the seed and habit of grace No man is so simple as to argue thus the Sunne is oft-times hindered from shining on vs by reason of the interposition of the Earth therefore the Sunne is not alwayes of a shining nature Or the Sun doth not alwayes shine so bright at one time as it doth at others therefore there is some defect decay and imperfection in the Sunne it selfe No man will argue thus the effects the fruites and faculties of the soule doe oft-times decay by reason of sicknesse old age or distemperatures of the minde therefore the soule it selfe doth decay and so is not eternall so neither is this a good argument the fruites the effects and the operation of true and sauing grace doe some-times decay in men and are oft-times suspended therefore the very seeds and habits of grace doe decay and so they are not of a perpetuall and immortall nature Wee all see by common experience that the leaues and fruites of trees of grasse and hearbes doe annually decay and yet the trees themselues and the rootes of grasse and hearbes are alwayes liuing and doe not decay with them So it is with Grace the sense and feeling of it the strength and vigor of it the fruites and effects of it may bee weakned lessened and suspended for a time but yet the seed and habit of grace remaine without any diminution or decay at all Secondly I answer that the remission diminution and suspention of the degrees the operations and the fruites of grace proceed not from any defect or decay in the seed the habite or roote of grace but from some externall cause and impediment which doth hinder and suppresse the operations and thâ—… fruites of grace For either it proceeds from God himselfe who doth sometimes withdraw and suspend the influence of his holy Spirit into our hearts for a season which should quicken and inliuen these fruites and operations of grace to humble vs and to make vs see our weaknesse without his afsistance or to cause vs for to prise the influence and assistance of his Spirit more then wee did before or to stirre vs vp to seeke him with greater diligence and importunity or to punish vs for some neglect or sinne Or else it proceeds from some defect or impediment in our selues For either wee neglect the meanes of grace in part or in the whole we doe not vse them all or else wee vse them but negligently carelessely and superficially or else wee doe not cherish and stirre vp these sweet and comfortable motions which Gods Spirit doth infuse into our soules or else wee grieue the good Spirit of God and hinder his sweete influence into our hearts by some sinne or other which wee doe commit or else there is some indisposition either of body or minde which doth suppresse and hinder the operations fruites and effects of grace for a season So that these defects ecclipses and suspentions in the operations fruits and effects of grace proceed not from any defect or decay in the habite and seed of Grace it selfe but from some extrinsecall causes and impediments which though they doe suspend and cloude the operations and fruites of Grace for a season yet they neuer extinguish nor yet annihilate and extirpate the seed and habite of Grace which is in men And no sooner are these outward impediments remoued but the habite and seed of Grace become more operatiue more strong and vigorous then euer they were before Wherefore this first obiection makes nothing at â—…ll against this perpetuall immortall and perseuering nature of true and â—…auing Grace But now you will obiect in the second place That true and sauing Grace perpetually requires some spirituall nourishment and sood to feed it and preserue it or else it would decay and perish therefore it is not of a perpetuall permanent and immortall nature To this I answer First that the antecedent is false For
know that wee were once ingrafted truly into Christ and therefore it is impossible for vs to bee broken off from him wee were once inuested into the state of Grace from which wee cannot fall and therefore we are now in Christ wee are in the sure state of grace and shall continue in it all our dayes This would be able to ward off all these fierce assaults of Satan that they should neuer hurt them this would comfort and beare vp their soules and keepe them from sinking in despaire this would make men for to die with ioy and comfort and to lie downe and rest in peace For then they might say with Paul Wee haue finished our course wee haue fought a good fight and wee haue kept the faith henceforth there is laid vp for vs a crowne of glory Whereas now they cannot die with ioy with comfort and assurance and lie downe in peace because they are not sure of their perseuerance they are not sure of their state of grace it may be that they are alreadie fallen from their state of Grace for ought they know if not they may fall from it ere they die yea in the very last gappe and minute of their liues they may commit such sinnes as may cut them off from Christ for euer because they cannot liue for to repent of them before their death and so despâ—…iring or at least doubting of their owne saluation the diuell being aptest then for to assault them with desperate and auxious thoughts and feares when as they are neerest to their ends and least able to resist his fierce assaults they lie downe in terrour and rest in woe and griefe Alas what comfort could a godly and a Christian life which otherwise would comfort and reioyce the soule beyond expression bring any man at his death if this were true that hee might after all fall finally or totally from grace if all the workes and holy duties which hee had done or wrought in all his life might vtterly be lost and be remembred of the Lord no more If hee might loose the wages and reward of all his paines at last Certainly if faithfull Christians and holy men who are the only happy men on earth and haue the only cause for to reioyce and ioy continually might either finally or totally fall from grace they should of all men bee most wretched and miserable they should be stripped of all true comforts here and be driuen to despaire at the last day Away then with this Doctrine of a finall or totall fall from grace which sauoureth of nothing but of meere despaire God grant that those who doe maintaine it in their health may neuer feele the smart and terrour of it in their temptations sicknesses or deaths But you may perchance obiect that though regenerate men may fall totally from grace and so may bee discouraged and perplexed for the present yet they may comfort and sustaine their hearts and soules with this that God in his mercy may raise them vp againe and may in some good measure assure their soules that because God hath bestowed grace vpon them heretofore therefore he will be the more ready and willing to restore it to them againe and to impart it to them the second time To this I answere that you are much mistaken in this point and it is nothing so For their hauing of Grace bestowed on them heretofore doth rather argue that God will therefore bestow grace on them no more because they did not keepe it at the first God seldome or neuer giues those grace the second time who haue not kept it at the first Gods graces they are alwayes pretious hee will neuer cast them before such dogges and swine as haue lost and trampled them vnder foote before This is euident by all those places of Scripture which our Antagonists doe principally object against vs. For Ezech. 18. 24. When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquitie and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall bee liue Marke the comfort which you talke of no all the righteousnesse which hee hath done shall bee no more remembred God will not so much as once respect it in his trespasse that hee hath trespassed and in his sinne that hee hath sinned in them shall hee die So Hebr. 6. 4 5 6. It is impossible for them who were once inlightened and haue tasted of the heauenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and haue tasted of the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come if they fall once away to renew themselues againe vnto repentance seeing that they crucifie againâ—… vnto themselues the Sonne of God and put him to open shame Marke the words it is impossible for such as fall totally from grace to be renewed againe vnto repentance they cannot bee ingrafted into Christ the second time Where then is the truth or comfort of your answer So Heb. 10. 26. 27. If wâ—… sinne wilfully after that wee haue receiued the knowledge of the truth there remaines no more sacrifice for sinnes but a certaine fearefull looking for of iudgement and fiery indignation to deuoure those that doe Apostatize from Grace These and such like Scriptures which are objected against vs for to proue a totall or a finall fall from true and sauing grace serue only to satisfie this objection to terrifie the hearts and daunt the soules of all such men as shall once fall from grace and to exclude them for euer from Gods mercy and from rising vp againe So that the possession and inioyment of grace before if it be once lost serues only for to proue that those which had it shall neuer haue it nor injoy it any more and not that God will therefore bee more ready and willing to bestow it on them againe And so the due consideration of all these Scriptures and this position of a totall or a finall fall from grace would driue men vnto finall desperation You therefore that maintaine this desperate and terrible doctrine of the finall or totall Apostacy of the Saints beware lest that you quench the smoaking flax and breake the bruised reede which Christ himselfe would neuer doe Beware lest you afflict and wound to desperation the tender and the broken heart the troubled conscience and the soft and tender soule which God himselfe commands you for to heale to comfort cherish and binde vp with the comfortable assurance of his immutable constant and perpetuall loue to them in Christ and with the impossibility of a finall or totall fall from grace If the pressing of this doctrine driue any to despaire as it cannot choose but doe vnlesse they are perswaded by Gods Spirit to the contrary their bloud and soules shall be required at your hands that presse it and Christ himselfe who is that good and great Shepheard of his sheepe which wil not suffer any of his sheepe to perish will
comfort from them that feele the wrath of God and that this Error is euidently confuted by these words Being justified by faith wee haue peace with God Also therefore is righteousnesse of faith that it might be sure Therefore it aduiseth vs to lay hold on this sweet comfort that the Sonne of God is the keeper of his Church as he saith Iohn 10. No man shall take my sheepe out of my hands Hee doth protect vs and also by his holy Spirit doth confirme our mindes to true opinions as hee doth begin eternall life so doth hee kindle in our hearts good motions faith the loue of God true inuocation hope chastitie and other vertues Through the Sonne of God wee are deliuered from eternall death and translated into eternall life as hee saith I giue vnto them eternall life and hee that hath the Sonne hath life And let hope be firme and sure as Peter saith hope perfectly that is looke for eternall life not with doubtfull opinion The famous Augustane confession confirmed and ratified by all the Protestant Princes States and Churches of Germany Anno Dom. 1530. in the 3. Article concurreth with vs for saith the Article Christ doth sanctifie all those that beleeue on him by sending the holy Ghost into their hearts who doth gouerne comfort and quicken them and defend them against the diuell and the force of sinne If against the Diuell and the force of sinne then nothing can cast them downe from the state of grace If you object that the 12. Article of this famous Confession doth condemne the Anabaptists who deny that such who are once iustified can loose the holy Ghost and therefore by the voyce of this confession those who are once justified may fall from grace I answer that the Protestant Diuines in Germany who were at the making of this Article and those who haue liued since did neuer expound or intend it in this sense that a man once iustified might fall away from grace either totally or finally but they condemned this Tenet of the Anabaptists in that sense as they defended it For this was the opinion of the Anabaptists That when once a man was regenerated and had obtained the holy Ghost and was made a true beleeuer that sin could not hurt him and therefore they would tell men that if they did beleeue let them doe what they would or commit what sinne they would it could not hurt them for faith would blot out all those sinnes which was the Error of the Valentinians as Irenaeus hath recorded it Now in this sense only doth this confession condemne the Anabaptists and in no other and so did the Lutherans before them as you may reade in Articulis Smalcandicis Article 3. composed by Luther himselfe which you shall finde in Lutherana Concordia pag. 310. Now the reason yeelded by the Lutherans why they condemne this Error of the Anabaptists in their third Article will fully proue that the true regenerate Saints of God can neuer fall from grace Forsay they the Saints of God doe alwayes grieue and repent for their sinnes groaning vnder the burthen of them and they alwayes striue against them Theresore those that voluntary rush into sinne whether it be adultery murther or blasphemie must needes shake off faith and the holy Ghost and faith and the holy Ghost must needes depart from them For the holy Ghost doth nener suffer sinne to reigne to get strength or to obtaine the victory and to be perfected but hee doth represse and curbe it that so it might not doe the thing it would But if it doth what it would certainly the holy Ghost and faith are lost neither are they present For so saith Iohn hee that is borne of God doth not sinne neither can hee sinne So that both the Augustane Confession and the Article of Smalcard are both for me and not against me being rightly vnderstood The Augustane Confession composed by the Argentine Church and confirmed by their Senate Anno dom 1539. concurreth with vs For these are the words of their 7. Article This sole and only mediator hath taken away our sins and reconciled vs to his Father hee hath impetrated the holy Ghost for all those whom his Father hath giuen him and which heare his voyce This regeneration together with all Christs merits the holy Ghost doth inspire into the hearts of all the faithfull and preserue them in them to the end All these Confessions of the Protestants in Germanie and else-where are expresse for me let Mr. Mountague now shew mee any to the contrarie But you will tell mee now that Mr. Mountague records it That all the Protestants of Germanie haue concluded against mee and consented to the Church of Rome in the Diot of Ratisbon Vpon those grounds and reasons which he there mentions True it is that Mr. Mountague hath so recorded it but his records are so false in euery thing that he must haue a strong faith that will beleeue them without examination of the truth of them For my owne part I haue read the disputation of Ralisbon set out by Bucer himselfe Anno dom 1548. and I can finde no such thing as Mr. Mountague relates in it For first this question of a totall finall fall from grace was not so much as controuerted there neither are there any of those Scriptures grounds and Fathers which Mr. Mountague hath recorded in his Gagge or in his Appeale only that place of Phil. 2. 12. and of St. Augustine de Ciuit Dei lib. 11. cap. 12. excepted so much as mentioned in all that disputation and these two quotations are cited by Steuen Bishop of Winchester who did oppose the Protestants in that Disputation and not by Bucer and the other Protestants there present How then could the Protestants of Germanie yeeld to that position in this Diot which was not drawne into question there Indeed the question of the certainty of saluation was there controuerted and discussed and by the vnanimous consent of all the Protestants resolued and determined against Maluenda Billickius and the Bishop of Winchester who did oppose it and in the resolution and determination of this Controuersie if you will beleeue learned Zanchius in his Confession to the Senate of Argentine in this our point De perseuerantia sanctorum or the Disputation of Ratisbone it selfe our very assertion though it were not there particularly controuerted was yet de claro resolued for vs in this famous Diot in the name of all the Protestants in Germanie For in the Disputation of Ratisbon or Ralisbon pag. 41. Respons ad Replic 14. This is the expresse Resolution of all the Protestants in that Diot That true faith and a sinne that wastes the conscience are incompatible and that hee which liues by a true iustifying faith can neuer sticke in such a sinne So pag. 243. to 251. they proceed to proue this assertion and conclusion For say they those who haue this iustifying
infirmitie to his Saints and that for Christ their Mediators sake For so it is written That there is no condemnation to those which are in Christ Iesus Besides we beleeue teach and confesse that faith and saluation are preserued in vs and retained not by our owne workes but only by the Spirit of God Againe they beleeue and confesse that Predestination or the eternall election of God belongs only to the good and the beloued sons of God and this is the cause of their saluation For it procures their saluation and orders those things which belong vnto it vpon this predestination of God our saluation is so founded that the gates of Hell cannot subuert it And againe by this doctrine of predestination wee are assured that wee are elected to eternall life out of meere grace in Iesus Christ without any merit of our owne that no man shall take vs out of the hands of Christ and that we shall constantly perseuere vnto the end And a little after God in his eternall purpose hath decreed that he will defend all those whom he hath elected called iustified euen amids their many and sundrie infirmities against the diuell the world the flesh and lead them on guide them in his waies and if they chance to slide at any time that he will put vnder his hand that so they may receiue solid consolations in all their crosses and temptations be preserued vnto eternall life he hath decreed that he will finish that good worke which hee hath begun within them that he will confirme and finish it vnto the end Which doctrine of Predestination doth afford vs excellent consolation For how great a benefit of God is this that he hath beene so carefull of the conuersion righteousnesse and safetie of euery Christian and so faithfull to procure it that he hath deliberated and ordained before the foundations of the world were laid how he would call and bring vs to saluation preserue vs in it that hee should fence our saluation with such strong garrisons that hee should place our saluation in his eternall purpose which can neuer be deceiued nor altered as in a most defensed Castle and place it to bee kept in the Almighty hand of our Lord Iesus Christ out of which no man can pull vs. If the custody and safegard of our owne saluation were committed to our selues good God how easily should wee loose it for the infirmity wickednesse and corruption of our flesh how easily would it bee wrested and taken from vs by the trecherie and power of Satan and by the policie of the world Therefore Paul builds the certainty of our happinesse vpon the foundation of Gods purpose when he collects from this that wee are called according to Gods purpose that no man can separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And a little after Seeing our election to eternall life doth not depend vpon our virtues or righteousnesse but vpon the only merits of Christ and the good pleasure of our heauenly Father who cannot deny himselfe since that in his will and essence hee is immutable for this cause when his children doe disobey him and fall into sinne hee calls them to repentance by his word and makes the holy Ghost eflectuall in them by his word that they may returne into the way and amend their liues These and many such like sayings are to be found in this Lutheran Concordancie which giue sufficient testimonie that all the 〈◊〉 and Protestants in Germany concurre in judgement with vs that the true regenerate Saints of God can neither finally nor totally fall from Grace See more of this p. 488. 568. 569. 600 650. 661. 671. 781. Since Luthers and Bucers time and since this Concordancy was composed and the Diot of Ralâ—…sbon concluded This hath been the constant doctrine of the Lutheran and Protestant Churches that the regenerate Saints of God can neither finally nor totally fall from grace as appeares by those seuerall Catechismes which are publikely taught and receiued in these Churches and by those many learned Writers of those Churches whose names and workes I haue cited before Zanchius in his Confession in this particular point to the Senate of Argentine records it that many Churches many Vniuersities and great men throughout Germanie haue defended and confirmed this assertion and that this our Theses was publikely defended and approued in the Vniuersitie of Maspurge and afterward published in print by the said Vniuersitie as sound and orthodox The Diuines of the Vniuersitie of Leydon and the Professors of it on the 9. of December 1595 in the businesse of Cornelius Wiggerus declared their resolution to the States that the opinion of Wiggerus that the elect Saints of God might out of the liberty of their owne wills fall quite away from the couenant and grace of God was so contrary to the Scriptures and to the Confessions and receiued Catechismes of the Belgicke Church that they could not be reconciled neither could this his assertion bee taught in the Church of God without great hurt and scandall which resolution was subscribed by Iunius Trelcatius Gomarus Bastingius Vtengobardus and others as you may reade in the Conference at the Hage recorded by Bertius and Brandius and by Amesius in his Coronis to this conference pag. 361. 362. The Belgicke confession analized by Festus Hommius Artic. 29. 34. 35. and the Belgicke Catechisme Respons 1. 28. 32. 51 52 53 54. 58. 64. 76. and 126. and Bastingius in his Catechisme Exegisis ad Quaest. 45. 53. 54. concurre in this our present assertion The German Protestants and Orthodoxe Diuines haue from time to time defended it against the Rhemists as appeared by their seuerall 〈◊〉 at the Hage King lames in his Declaration against Vorstius informeth vs That all the Protestant Churches in Germanie had with open mouth complained against Arminius for maintaining of this heresie of the Apostacie of the Saints and those other assertions concurring with it The Church of Geneua hath alwayes maintained this assertion as I haue proued by her Confession and as it is euident by those Theses maintained and defended in her Vniuersitie Recorded in Theses Geneuenses Theses 27. de Fide Thes. 6. where our present assertion is publikely maintained and defended Indeed Mr. Mountague whom I may well stile the Father of lies so many forgeries and vntruths hath hee broached in this our present point hath recorded it that Iohn Deodate Minister of Geneua should tell him when he was with him at Eaton that the Church of Geneua did dissent from this and other priuate opinions of Caluin and Beza But his owne Dioceson Bishop Carlton in the examination of his Appeale hath taken him tardie in this informing vs that Deodate himselfe hath informed a Bishop of this kingdome in a Letter purposely written to him to cleere himselfe of this imputation that he neuer spake these words to Mr. Mountague neither
and disalowes of whom and what he will without controll Sure I am these Articles and the doctrine in them were approued and agreed vpon on all hands at the conference at Hampton Court though Mr. Mountague records the contrary The booke is yâ—…t extant which will auerre all that I say for truth and proue Mr. Mountaguâ—… a lyer and Impostor if not worse so that if Mr. Mountague had not had his face euen crusted and steeled ouer with more theâ—… audatious impudencie hee would not haue thus incouraged his readers See the booke Againe the Articles of Ireland Nomber 33. 38. confirmed by King Iaâ—…es vnder his broad Seale they are the very same with the Articles of Lambeth and contradictory to Mr. Mountagues collection from the 16. Article which proues that the Articles of Lambeth were neuer repealed by publike authoritie and that the 16. Article was neuer expoundâ—… in Mr. Mountagues sense by any publike authoritie for then King Iames would neuer haue confirmed these Articles vnder his broad Seale hee being such a King as did desire vnitie and peace as much or more in Church as in the Common-wealth The words of the Article of Ireland are these A true liuely iustifying faith and the sanctifying Spirit of God is not extinguished nor vanished away in the regenerate either finally or totally And againe All Gods Elect are in their time inseparablie vnited vnto Christ by the effectuall and vitall influence of the holy Ghost derived from him as from the head into euery true member of his mysticall body So that if you will interpret our 16. Article either by the Articles of Lambeth or Ireland Mr. Mountagues exposition must be false and strained But the best expoâ—…ition of the 16. Article will bee taken from the 17. Article which was composed by the same men at the same time and if you will expound it by this Article then farewell Mr. Mountagues false glosse vpon it For our 17. Article certifieth vs That they which be indued wiâ—…h so excellent a benefit as Predestination is are called according to Gods purpose by his Spirit working in due season and that they through grace obey the calling that they are iustified freely that they are made the sonnes of God by adoption that they are made like the Image of his only begotten Sonne Iesus Christ that they walke religiously in good workes and at length by Gods mercy obtaine euerlasting felicitie From which article Mr. Rogers Chaplaine to Archbishop Bancroft in his Analysâ—… on the 39. Articles allowed to be publike by the lawfull authoritie of the Church of England and not hitherto disallowed or called in hath raised this third proposition They which are predestinated vnto saluation cannot perish and from thence he inferres this Consectarie Wander then doe they from the truth which thinke that the very Elect totally and finally may fall from grace and be damned that the regenerate may fall from the grace of God may destroy the Temple of God and be broken off from the vine Christ Iesus which was one of Glouers errors of which exposition allowed by publike and lawfull authority Mr. Mountague cannot bee ignorant because the more is the pitty hee hath subscribed and read them often as himselfe informes vs. And therefore if you will beleeue the 17. Article or Mr. Rogers his Collection from it allowed by the lawfull authority of the Church of England as the doctrine maintained professed and protected in the Church of England Mr. Mountagues collection from the 16. Article must be false and contrary to the Articles and Doctrine of the Church of England and hee himselfe must in the meane time bee a scismaticall factious and seditious person and one that doth oppose the Articles and Doctrine of our Church in an audatious peremptorie impudent and dangerous manner All now that Mr. Mountague can say for himselfe is this That this exposition and Collection of his from the 16. Article and this doctrine of a totall and finall fall from grace was resolued of and auowed for true Catholicke ancient and orthodoxe by that royall reuerend honourable and learned Synode at Hampton Court and for proofe of it he sendeth vs to the Conference at Hampton Court published by warrant and republished by command But sure Mr. Mountague did neuer reade the booke or else he was purblinde when hee read it for there is no such thing within the booke All that is mentioned and recorded there touching the 16. Article is this Dr. Reynolds moued his Maiestie that the 16. Article the meaning of which was sound might be inlarged and explained with this or the like addition yet neither totally nor finally and that the 9. assertions Orthodoxall might bee inserted into the booke of Articles to which his Maiestie replyed that it was best not to stuffe the booke with all conclusions theologicall Vpon this Dr. Ouerall Deane of Pauls informed the King of what had passed betweene him and some other in Cambridge tâ—…ching our present question and concludes that notwithstanding those who were instified and called according to the purpose of Gods election might and did sometimes fall into grienous sinnes and thereby into the present state of wrath and damnation yet did they neuer fall either totally from all the graces of God to bee vtterly destitute of all the parts and seeds thereof nor finally from instification to which King Iames replyed that repentance in the elect of God after knowne sinnes committed is so necessary as without it there could not bee remission of these sinnes nor reconciliation vnto God This was all that was spoken either of this point or of the 16 Article and whether Mr. Mountagues glosse and exposition were not here condemned in expresse tearmes let all men judge But will you now know what was the true cause why Mr. Mountague did so grossely mistake I will informe you in a word and it worth your knowledge Mr. Mountague as he hath beene deceiued by that varlet Bertius in other things euen so he hath beene in this For hee transcribed this argument from our 16. Article out of Bertius in his Apostatia Sauctorum pag. 107. and for his Exposition of it and that it was so resolued on at the conference at Hampton Court he had it Verbatim from the Rhemists in their second Conference at Hage recorded by Brandius pag. 364. Alas good Mr. Mountague that you should be ouertaken thus that you should be driuen to such narrow shifts as to flie to Bertius and the Rhemists the very dregges and seumme of all Arminians for corrupt glosses expositions and collections vpon our Articles as if the Church of England did not vnderstand but quite mistake the genuine true and proper sense of her owne Articles or as if that Bertius and the Rhemists who are strangers to them vnderstood them better then the Church yea then the learnedest of the Church of England who composed them What doth this betoken but that Master Mountague like
these meanes of perseuerance I beate downe my body and bring it into subiection as God hath appointed mee to doe that so I may perseuere I cannot perseuere in grace but by these meanes these meanes I vse that so I may perseuere So that take the words and sense of Paul in this place as fauourable as you can for your selues yet they make not any thing for your purpose the most that you can truly collect from them is but this gaping and disioynted argument The Saints of God cannot perseuere in grace but by vsing the meanes Or The Saints of God doe vse the meanes to perseuere in grace Therefore they may fall from grace Paul could not bee saued Paul could not perseuere but by vsing the meanes to do it Therefore Paul might become a reprobate and fall quite away from grace How absurd ridiculous and false this argument is there is no man of vnderstanding but may judge For it makes the vse of the meanes to depriue men of the end and to make the end vncertaine where as the end is neuer certaine neither can it bee obtained but by vsing the meanes But you will say that the Saints of God doe not alwaies vse the meanes to perseuere in grace and therefore they may fall from grace I answer that the Antecedent is false and quite repugnant to this text which you alledge for Paul tells vs in this place that he did beate downe his body and bring it into subiection that so hee might not fall from grace and you argue and reason thus from this example Paul being a regenerate man did vse the meanes to perseuere in grace therefore regenerate men doe not alwaies vse the meanes to perseuere in grace as sound an argument as the former was Paul did vse the meanes to perseuere in grace therfore Paul might fall from grace Well then I will deale with you but as you deale with vs. You from this particular example of Paul would praeposterously collect a generall vntruth that Paul might fall away from grace and therefore other regenerate men might doe so to giue me leaue therefore from this particular example of Paul to collect this generall truth Paul did alwayes vse the meanes to perseuere in grace therefore all other regenerate men doe vse them to as well as hee and so your last objection is but false Thus you see that this place of Paul makes nothing at all against mee Giue mee leaue now but to retort it against you who doe object it and then you shall see how much it makes for me Those who alwayes use the meanes to perseuere in grace lest by any meanes they should proue reprobates at the last can neuer fall from grace But all such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ they alwayes vse the meanes to perseuere in grace lest by any meanes they should proue reprobates at the last as it is euident by this example of Paul Therefore they can neuer fall from grace Here you are put to this Dilemma either you must yeeld my Argument to be sound and good which ouer-turnes your false assertion or else you must giue such an answer to it as will vtterly defeate all the Arguments which you your selues can object against me from this place So that now I hope you will grant mee one of these two things that either this place makes not against me at all or else that it makes more or at least as much for me as it doth for your selues and so it is impertinent to your purpose The third Argument that may bee objected is collected from Heb. 6. 4 5 6. c. 10. 26. to 30. 2. Pet. 2 21. it is no more but this in substance Those that haue beene once inlightened those that haue receiued the knowledge of the truth those that haue escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord Iesus Christ those that haue tasted of the heauenly gift of the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come and those that haue beene made partakers of the holy Ghost may fall away from grace and neuer bee remoued againe as appeares by the fore-quoted places Therefore such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ may finally and totally fall from grace To this I shall giue a double answer First I shall denie the Argument which followes not For those which you mention in the Antecedent are only Hypocrites and such as neuer had any truth of grace and so your argument is no more in substance but this Hypocrites such as haue no truth of Grace may fall from the outward shewes of grace therefore true regenerate men and true beleeuers may fall from the truth of grace Now that these places of Scripture here alledged and so consequently your Antecedent which is grounded on them are meant only of hypocrites and such as neuer had any truth of grace within them I proue it by these insuing reasons First because there is nothing mentioned or recorded in any of these three places which are objected but that which is common to hypocrites and carnall men as well as to the regenerate Saints of God For first hypocrites and carnall men which neuer had any truth of grace may bee so farre inlightned as to know the truth of God and the mysteries of saluation Yea they may yeeld an assent vnto them and beleeue them to be true yea they may doe many things and goe very farre in the outward practice of Gods word and yet be hypocrites and carnall men still as we may see by these seuerall Scriptures and examples Numb 23. 10. Deut. 5. 28 29. 2 Chron. 25. 2. Psal. 50. 16 17. Math. 7. 21. 22. cap. 13. 5 6 7. 20 21 22. Luke 11. 44. 47. Marke 6. 20. Acts 19. 15. cap. 24. 25 26. Prou. 12. 13. Secondly Hypocrites and carnall men may escape the pollutions of the world that is they may auoide all grosse notorious and open sinnes of which the world takes notice as drunkennesse whordome couetousnesse pride oppression deceite theft murther and the like they may haue a very faire outside and yet their hearts and soules may be polluted and not cleansed from their filthinesse Luke 11. 44. Math. 23. 25. 27. and 2 Pet. 2. 22. Thirdly Hypocrites and carnall men they may bee made partakers of the holy Ghost that is of the ordinary and common gifts and graces of the holy Ghost as knowledge illumination the gift of tongues preaching and prophecie the gift of healing and of working miracles the gifts of temperance sobrietie justice meeknesse affabilitie fortitude and such like morall and common vertues and yet they may not be regenerated by the peculiar by the sauing and sanctifying graces of Gods Spirit as appeares by Math. 7. 21 22. 1 Cor. 12. 4. to 12. and cap. 13. 1 2 3. Fourthly hypocrites and carnall men they may taste of the good word of God and of
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
nothing impeach the truth of this our assertion The seuenteenth obiection against this present assertion is drawne and collected from Psal. 27. 9. 11. Psal. 51. 11. Psal. 71. 9. and from other places and prayers of this nature and it is but this in substance The regenerate Saints of God doe alwaies pray to God not to hide his face from them not to put them away in his anger not to leaue them nor forsake them not to cast them off at last nor to take away his holy Spirit from them Therefore they may fall from grace or else these prayers would bee but vaine and idle I answer that the argument followes not and the reason which you alledge for to confirme it is but friuilous First because that prayer is a chiefe meanes to preserue the Saints of God from Apostacie and backsliding and to confirme and settle them in the state of grace therefore the vse of prayer cannot imply a falling from grace This is no good argument The Saints of God do vse the meanes to peâ—…seuere therefore they may fall from grace because the Saints cannot perseuere in grace but by vsing of the meanes and the vse of the meanes is the cause of perseuerance not of Apostacie this is your argument in effect The Saints of God doe vse prayer to God which is a meanes of perseuerance therefore they may fall from grace What a ridiculous and absurd argument this is let all men judge The perpetuall care of God ouer his Saints his euerlasting loue towards them his continuall presence with them together with the guidance and direction of his Spirit are the chiefest causes why the Saints of God do thus perseuere in grace which though God hath promised vnto them freely and will be sure to make them good vnto them yet hee will haue them for to pray vnto him for the accomplishment and performance of them that so they may bee thankfull to him for them that so they may prise them at an higher rate and ascribe the glory of them vnto him Therefore their prayers vnto God to haue these promises accomplished and made good vnto them cannot imply a finall or a totall fall from grace Secondly The argument followes not nor yet the reason which is alledged because it makes the promises of God vncertaine euen in respect of God himselfe God hath promised not to leaue nor yet forsake his children Deut. 31 5. Iosh. 1. 5. 1 Sam. 12. 22. and Heb. 13. 6. hee hath promised them not to cast them off Iob. 8. 20. Isay. 41. 9. 1 Sam. 12. 22. and Iohn 6. 37. and that his spirit shall abide with them for euer Iohn 14. 16 17. doe their prayers therefore vnto God make these promises of God vncertaine in themselues and doubtfull whether they shall bee performed by that God of truth and faithfulnesse that made them to them God forbid for this would bee nothing else but to make God a lyar and to make him subiect vnto change and ficklenesse in whom there is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning I am 1. 17. I would demand but this question of you who presse this argument whether your praying vnto God for his presence and spirit doe imply that God will not giue them to you If it doth how then can you pray in faith without doubt and waâ—…ering beleeuing that you shall receiue the thing you pray for It is impossible for any man to pray in faith if his prayer vnto God did imply an incertaintie in Gods persormance of the thing hee prayes for and so it should bee impossible for any man to haue any fruite or benefit by his prayers because they are not made in faith So that if this were true your prayers must needes be faithlesse and fruitlesse and all these gratious and comfortable promises of God concerning the hearing and answering of your prayers would bee of no effect or truth If it doth not implie thus much that God will not grant the things you pray for how then will this your Argument follow or stand good If the prayers of the Saints to God not to cast them off not to forsake them or depriue them of his presence or his Spirit doe not implie that God will caâ—…t them off forsake them and withdraw his Spirit from them then you can collect nothing at all against me from these prayers no not so much as a possibilitie of falling from the state of grace Wherefore if you will but recollect your senses and weigh but this your Argument in an vpright ballance you cannot but acknowledge and confesse it to be ridiculous false and idle and nothing to the present purpose The eighteenth objection that may bee made against me is collected from these words of Paul Gal. 5. 4. Christ is become of none effect vnto you who euer of you are iustified by the law ye are fallen from grace The Saints of God may fall from grace in seeking to be justified by the law therefore they may fall away from grace I answer that the Antecedent is not warranted by this place which you alledge for the scope of this place and of this whole Epistle is nothing else but to disswade the Galathians from seeking iustification and righteousnesse by the Law and to seeke justification only by faith in Christ. So that this place alleaged is nothing else but a dehortation and no more in sense then this Those that seeke to be justified by the law shall haue no benefit by the death of Christ and therefore beware how you seeke to be justified by the law What is this to our purpose Surely nothing at all Yea but you will say that the Galathians fell from grace Well I grant it But from what grace was this surely the grace of God offered vnto them in the Gospell or the grace of the Gospell which is not here in question but not the true and sauing graces of Gods Spirit they fell from the doctrine of grace in cleauing to the law not from the Spirit and habit of grace by cleauing vnto sinne The greater part not all the Galathians fell from the Gospell to the law but that the true regenerate Saints of God which were among them did so to that they fell away from the state of Grace this place is not sufficient for to proue it though you racke and wrest it to the vtmost The nineteenth obiection may be drawn from that prayer of Agur. Pro. 30. 8. 9. Giue me neither pouerty nor riches feed me with food conuenient for mee left I be full and denie thee and say who is the Lord or lest I be poore and steale and take the name of God in vaine Plentie or pouertie may make a regenerate man to fall from grace as appeares by this prayer of Agur. therefore regenerate men may fall from grace I answer first that plenty or pouertie may cause regenerate men to fall from grace if God should leaue them to themselues
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
affirme that it is not the Doctrine of the Church of England and that these words of the Common prayer Booke doe not warrant it And lastly if all these faile me I shall denie the Argument and proue vnto you that it followes not and that though the Antecedent and the Argument were both true yet that they are both impertinent to our present purpose For the first of these that all Infants that are baptized are not by their very Baptisme truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ but only Sacramentally I shall make it good by these subsequent reasons First because the Sacraments doe neuer conuey any inward and spirituall grace which may truly regenerate and ingraft men into Christ but where there is the hand of faith for to receiue them and that grace which is conueyed by them This is euident by Mark 16. 16. not he that is baptized only but he that beleeueth is baptized shall bee saued but hee that beleeueth not though hee be batized shall bee damned therefore it is not baptisme of it selfe but faith which doth regenerate and saue men So Acts 8. 36. 37. When the Aethiopian Eunuch demanded of Philip behold here is water what doth hinder mee to be baptized Philip returnes him this answer If thou beleeuest withall thine heart thou maist intimating that his baptisme without faith would doe him no good at all that it could not regenerate him nor yet conuey any grace into his soule So Gal. 3. 26 27. Yee are all the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus for as many of you as were baptized into Christ haue put on Christ. It was the Galathians faith and not their Baptisme which made them the adopted sonnes of God for in Christ Iesus neither circumcision auaileth any thing no nor yet Baptisme which succeedeth it neither vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue Gal. 5. 6. Baptisme without faith is in effectuall it may wash and purifie the body but it can neuer wash purifie regenerate and cleanse the soule vnlesse it bee accompanied with faith which workes by loue and with true repentance For it is faith only that purifieth the heart Acts 15. 8. it is Repentance and not Baptisme that doth wash away our sinnes Baptisme without repentance it cannot doe it therefore Peter Acts 2. 36 37 38. doth joyne them both together For when his auditors that were pricked at the heart demanded of him what they should doe Hee answers them thus Repent and bee baptized in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and yee shall receiue the gift of the holy Ghost If Baptisme without repentance had beene sufficient to haue regenerated them and purified them from their sins Peter would neuer haue aduised them for to repent withall for that had beene superfluous but his joyning of repentance and baptisme thus together intimates that the one is not effectuall without the other It is faith only that doth iustifie vs and ingraft vs into Christ Rom. 4. 3. 5. cap. 5. 1. 2 Cor. 13. 5. Gal. 5. 6. and Ephes. 2. 8. it is faith onely that doth make the Sacraments effectuall to regenerate vs and ingraft vs into Christ this I am sure is the doctrine of our Church Now all those Infants which are baptized no nor all those that are baptized at their ripe yeares be they Anâ—…baptists or such as are newly conuerted to the faith they haue not this grace of true sauing and justifying faith within them and therefore they are not truly regenerated by their baptisme As it is said of the word of God Heb. 4. 2. that it profited them not because it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it So I may say of Baptisme that it regenerates not all Infants because all haue not faith that doe receiue it Secondly all Infants that are baptized are not truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by their very baptisme because this would make the Sacrament of baptisme effectuall to all that doe receiue it which cannot be First because that this would make baptisme to bee quite different from all the other ordinances of God and meanes of grace For the Sacrament of the Lords Supper it profits not all alike to all vnworthy communicants it is the cause of damnation it is a cause of grace to none but such as doe receiue in a worthy manner so the word of God though it be the sauour of life vnto life to some yet it is the sauour of death vnto death to others that doe heare it 2 Cor. 2 16. So it is of all the other meanes of grace whatsoeuer they are not effectuall to worke grace in all and therefore Baptisme cannot doe it There is the same reason of all Gods ordinances where one of them is effectuall all of them are effectuall where one of them is ineffectuall there all of them are ineffectuall to for else there should be a great confusion and jarring in the ordinances of God a man should then bee saued by one ordinance of God suppose by Baptisme and damned by another by the vnworthy receiuing of the Lords Supper or by the vnprofitable hearing of the word of God which the God of order peace and vnion can neuer suffer There is a sweet harmonie and mutuall agreement betweene all the meanes of grace and ordinances of God they alwayes goe hand in hand together they all worke within the same sphere and compasse one of them is no larger then the other where one is effectuall there the others are or at least may be to Wherefore since the other ordinances of God are not effectuall to regenerate and to worke grace in all no more can Baptisme doe it Secondly Baptisme cannot regenerate all alike because circumcision which was a type of Baptisme did not doe it All those that were circumcised with the outward circumcision of the flesh were not circumcised with the inward circumcision of the heart and spirit whose praise is not of man but of God Rom. 2. 28 29. therefore all those that are outwardly baptized with water are not inwardly baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire Baptisme is come in the place of circumcision and therefore it must be of the same effect as circumcision was and so it is For as there was an outward circumcision of the flesh which was common to all and an inward circumcision of the heart which was proper only to the elect of God so there is an outward Baptisme or putting away of the filth of the flesh only which is common to all but saues none and an inward baptisme of the Spirit which is the answer of a good conscience towards God this is the Baptisme which doth regenerate and saue men of which all that are baptized are not partakers but only such as are elected to saluation Thirdly all that are baptized are not alike regenerated by their baptisme because this would take away the libertie of Gods Spirit which breatheth when and where it listeth
17. 8. and Heb. 6. 19. but the faith which these two grounds had it had no roote at all Math. 13. 5 6 21. Luke 18. 13. it was such a faith or credulity rather which was setled in the vndâ—…rstanding but was not rooted and grounded in the heart and spirit therefore it was no true liuely justifying and sauing faith Fifthly because the faith of these two grounds is put by way of 〈◊〉 and opposition to that of the 〈◊〉 and good groâ—…nd these two temporary sorts of hearers are 〈◊〉 and distinguished from the fourth sort who did with honest and good hearts not only heare the word of God but keepe it to and bring forth fruite with patience which the others did not The text it selfe makes a kinde of speciall difference betweene the faith of the one and of the other and therefore their faith could not bee true because it is distinguished and put in opposition to the faith of the fourth ground But if all this will not giue you satisfaction I answer that the difference in this parable is only intended and meant of hearers not of beleeuers the parable informes vs that there are foure seuerall sorts of hearers not foure different sorts of beleeuers Now of all these foure sorts of hearers there was but one sort of them that were true beleeuers for in the other three sorts the word preached did not profit them and why was this because it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it Heb. 4. 2. therefore it is certaine that the three first sorts of hearers had no faith at all as you surmise they had neither can there be foure sorts of true belâ—…euers as you would hence collect for as there is but one God one Lord one spirit and one body so there is but one faith one kinde one sort and speciâ—…s of true beleeuers who are not different and many but all one in Christ. Ephes. 4. 3 4 5. 1 Cor. 12. 12 27. Rom. 15 5 6. 1 Cor. 1. 10. cap. 10. 17. 2 Cor. 13. 11. Phil. 1. 27. cap. 2. 2. Col. 3. 15. and therefore this Scripture being only meant of seuerall kindes of auditors and not of seuerall kindes of beleeuers makes nothing at all against mee The second example is of those Iohn 2. 23 24. Those that 〈◊〉 in the name of Christ when as they saw his miracles had true iustâ—…fying faith But these fell from grace for Iesus did not commit â—…imselfe vnto them for hee kâ—…ew all â—…en therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may fall from grace I answer that these had not true justifying and liuing faith within them which is euident by these reasons First because this faith was wrought only by the sight of miracles without the preaching of the Word and it was no more but a beleife that Christ was the true Messiah but true liuing justifying and sauing faith as it is alwaies a fruite of the spirit of God Gal. 5. 22. so it is alwaies wrought by the word of God Rom. 10. 14 15 27. whence it is stiled the word of faith Gal. 3. 2. and 1 Tim. 4. 6. therefore this beliefe which was wrought meerely by miracles without the word and spirit of God could be no true justifying and liuing faith Secondly these men could be no true beleeuers because the text saith that Iesus did not commit himselfe vnto them because hee knew all men and needed not that any should testifie of man for hee knew what was in man that is Christ knew them to be but hypocrites he knew their hearts were not vpright towards him and therefore he would not trust himselfe with them Now will any man dare to say that those whom Christ himselfe knew to be hypocrites that those to whom Christ would not commit himselfe were true beleeuers that they had true and sauing faith within them if hee doth as our Antagonists doe what is this but to make Christ ignorant of the estates of men and to make our selues more skilfull in discerning of mens hearts then hee Well marke these words of the Euangelist First he saith that Christ did not commit himselfe vnto them therefore they had no true faith therefore they were no true beleeuers For Christ is so farre from not committing of himselfe to true beleeuers that hee doth euen inhabit and dwell in their hearts by faith Ephes 3. 17. and 2 Cor. 13. 5. Secondly hee saith that the reason why Christ did not commit himselfe vnto them was because hee knew all men that is hee knew them to be hypocrites as most interpreters expound it if they were hypocrites and not sound at hart then they were no true beleeuers for true faith it purifieth the heart it makes it syncere and vpright and purgeth it from all hypocrisie Acts. 15. 9. Math. 23. 26. and 2 Cor. 2. 17. If you now object that they beleeued in his name therefore this phrase implyeth that they had true faith I answer that this phrase in this place for the reasons formerly giuen declares no more then this that they had an historicall faith that they beleeued him to be the Christ and not that they did rely and trust vpon him or take him for their Lord and Sauiour and in this very sense it is taken Math 7. 21. 22. Iohn 6. 2. 14. cap. 11. 40 41 48. cap. 12. 42 43. cap. 5. 44 Iames 2. 19. and so haue all interpreters agreed it vpon this place But admit that these Iewes here mentioned had true faith Then I deny your Minor that they fell away from it againe the text saith no such thing that they fell from grace and you can produce no other text of Scripture to proue that these particular Iewes which Saint John here mentions fell away from grace or faith it is your owne imagination and surmise wherefore let these bee true beleeuers or no true beleeuers this their example proues nothing against mee The third example is that of Iohn 6. 66. Many of Christs Disciples went backe and walked no more with him but these had true faith therefore those who haue true faith may fall from grace I answer that the Minor is false for Christ himselfe informes vs. ver 26 27. That these Disciples which departed from him did seeke and follow him not for his doctrine or his miracles or for that meate which indureth vnto euerlasting life but onely because they did eate of the loaues and were filled and therefore when he exhorted them to eate his flesh and drinke his blood that is to feed on him in their hearts by faith this very thing did so much offend them that they departed from him which makes it cleare that they had no faith at all for then they could not haue taken scandall at an exhortation vnto faith Yea Christ himselfe doth certifie vs verse 64 that those who departed did not beleeue and it appeares by Peters answer verse 68 69. that the reason why they did depart was only this
because they did not beleeue that Christ had the words of eternall life neither were they sure that hee was that Christ the sonne of the liuing God For the Disciples which did beleeue this did continue with him euen for this very cause because they did beleiue it so that this example is impertinent because they were no true beleeuers The fourth example is from Dauid Dauid was a true regenerate man and Saint of God But hee fell from grace by committing adultery and murther For first hee prayes to God to create a new heart and to renew a right spirit within him Psal. 51. 10. Secondly hee was a murtherer and therefore had no eternall life abiding in him 1 Iohn 3. 14 15. Thirdly hee was guilty of adultery which disinherits men of heauen 1 Cor. 6. 10 Gal. 5. 21. and Ephes. 5. 5. Fourthly he lay long in these sinnes without repentance therefore a true regenerate man and Saint of God may fall from grace as Dauid did To this I answer that the Minor is false and that Dauid did not fall totally nor finally from grace in committing of these sinnes which I proue by these reasons First because it is not recorded in the whole booke of God that Dauid fell from the state of grace true it is it is recorded how he fell into these sinnes and I beleeue it to bee true because the Scripture tells me so but that Dauid fell totally from grace in committing of these sinnes the holy Ghost hath not recorded it it is but a bare collection of our Antagonists and therefore it is not to be beleeued Doubtlesse if Dauid had fallen totally or finally from the state of grace in committing these his sinnes the holy Ghost who hath recorded his sinne and life would haue recorded this his fall vnto vs since then the holy Ghost hath not recorded this his fall it is a point of arrogancie and strange presumption for our Antagonists so confidently to determine that Dauid fell away from the state of grace when as the Scriptures doe not warrant it Secondly it is euident that Dauid fell not away from the state of grace when as hee lay in these his sinnes because in the midest of these his sins which he fell into out of infirmitie and not out of any precogitated malice his heart was vpright towards God and the whole bent and frame of his heart was turned towards him for God himselfe testifieth of him that hee was a man after his heart Acts 13. 22. that hee went fully after the Lord. 1 Kings 11 6. and that his heart was perfect with the Lord. verse 4. and therefore since that God himselfe hath giuen such Elogies and testimonies of him it cannot stand together with them that Dauid should fall quite away from grace though hee fell into these sinnes Thirdly it is euident and plaine by Psal. 51. 11. for there hee prayes to God in his penitentiall Psalme which was penned when as the Prophet Nathan came vnto him and informed him of his sinnes of murther and adultery Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me If Dauid then immediately vpon the sight of these his sinnes did pray to God not to take away his holy spirit from him it is certaine then that hee had the spirit of God abiding in him notwithstanding these his sinnes else hee would haue prayed thus to God restore and giue me thy holy spirit ô Lord and not Lord take not thy holy spirit from me if then the spirit of God were still within him then certainely hee was not fallen totally from the state of grace Yea but saith Hunnius and some other of our Antagonists the spirit of God which hee lost by these his sins was now restored to him and therefore he prayes to God not to take it away from him not because hee lost it not before but because it was now restored vnto him againe I answer that this is but a meere cauill and an idle conceite not grounded on the Scripture For if Dauid had lost the Spirit by this sinne or if God had restored it to him againe no doubt but the Scripture would haue mentioned it and Dauid himselfe would haue expressed or at least haue intimated it in this Psalme of his which wee see hee doth not doe Againe if Dauid had lost the Spirit of God by these his sinnes I would demand of our Antagonists when this holy Spirit of God returnes vnto him againe whether before or after his repentance or in the very act of his repentance If before his repentance then Dauid was in the state of grace and not in the state of damnation before hee did repent which you your selues deny If after his repentance that cannot bee for repentance is the worke of the holy Ghost and vnlesse Dauid had had this holy Spirit of God he could not haue repented thus yea then Dauids prayer had beene in vaine for how could hee haue prayed vnto God not to take away his holy Spirit from him if he had it not as yet restored to him for when he penned this Psalme he did but begin he had not fully finished his repentance for these sinne therefore the holy Spirit of God was not restored to him after his repentance If it were restored vnto him in the very beginning and act of his repentance from whence doth that appeare sure I am there is no ground in Scripture for to warrant it and if it were so then it follows that the Spirit of God may bee restored vnto men before their actuall repentance which you denie because the very beginning of repentance or a thought to repent is no perfect actuall repentance no such repentance as you require to regaine the Spirit and the state of Grace And therefore seeing that the Scripture informes vs that the holy Ghost abides and dwells in mens hearts and soules for euer Iohn 14. 15. 16 and 1 Iohn 1. 20. 27. we may safely say that the holy Spirit of God was neuer taken away from Dauid but continued in him still Againe to what end should this prayer of Dauid serue if God had now restored his Spirit to him He had as yet committed no such sinne since the restitution of the Spirit to him as might cause God to depriue him of it and therefore this prayer of his was not so fitting to the purpose in this sense therefore we must take it in the apâ—…st sense and as Dauid did intend it Dauid he was affraid left God should depriue him of his holy Spirit for those sinnes which he had committed against him before and this was the cause and ground of this his prayer now therefore this his prayer and the whole Psalme hauing reference only to his former and not to his future sinnes it must needs follow that this prayer of Dauid extendeth meerely to the Spirit which hee had before his sinnes committed and not to the Spirit newly restored to him