faith be the meere gift of God it can be no reason of difference betweene the Elect and Reprobate on the part of the Elect and Reprobate why the one should bee chosen and the other refused for the Elect haue it not of themselues and the Reprobate haue it not at all because it is not giuen To referre election in this sense to faith as it is Gods meere gift is to make election to depend vpon Gods meere will who giueth faith to some and not to others which quite ouerthroweth the foundation of Arminianisme If they meane that fore-seene faith is in part or in whole a Worke of mans free-will by nature and not meerely a gift of God then their opinion dasheth directly on the rocke of Pelagius that Grace is giuen according to some merit of man that is as Saint Augustine expoundeth it De bono perseuer c. 19. Some good thought word or deed or the good will it selfe to receiue grace and faith when otherwise man might haue reiected or repelled it whereas the Apostle teacheth that it is God which discerneth one man from another that no man hath any good thing different froÌ„ another which he hath not receiued 1 Cor. 4. 7. Whereupon Saint Augustine concludeth in his Epistle to Sixtus and in his booke of Predestination of Saints Chap. 5. And in his Enchiridion ad Laurent cap. 99. That which putteth a difference betweene a beleeuer and vnbeleeuer making him to beleeue and not the other is a speciall grace giuen by God to the one and not the other and consequently that the separation of some men and taking them out of the masse of perdition is of Gods meere grace and not in regard of any different qualities in men A proud man might haue said saith that holy Father of Predestination of Saints chap. 5. against another man my faith maketh me to differ from thee my righteousnesse or the like which insolent words of a proud man rehearsed by Saint Augustine Greuinchouius is so impudent as to take vpon and patterne in himselfe saying Ego me discerno I discerne my selfe The good Doctor meeting with such thoughts and checking them saith What hast thou that thou hast not receiued from whom but from him who made thee differ from another to whom he hath not giuen that he hath giuen to thee and if thou hast receiued it namely that wherein thou differest from another Why doest thou boast as if thou hadst not receiued it Nothing is so contrary to the meaning of the Apostle as that any man should so glory of his owne merits or good workes as if he had wrought them to himselfe and not the grace of God to wit that grace of God which discerneth good men from bad not that which is common to good men and bad The maine conclusion of Saint Augustine in his Enchiridion is most direct to our purpose Sola gratia redemptos discernit à perditis Grace alone discerneth or differenceth the redeemed from the lost whom a common cause deriued from the beginning or root had vnited in one masse of perdition k This argument from disproportion deceiued sometime Saint Augustine till he better considered of the words of the Apostle Rom. 11. 5. So then there remaineth a remnant according to the election of grace It is impossible indeed to conceiue an election according to desert of some rather than others in a meere paritie there must needs be a disproportion in such an election but in an election of free grace there needs none there can be no such disproportion for if election be of workes then it is not of grace Here if the Appealer or any his friend shall difference his opinion from the Arminians by distinguishing the decree of election in which there is no respect had to faith from the execution in which all sides confesse respect is had to faith and perseuerance I answer that the Appealer hath shut the doore of this Sanctuary against himselfe and debarred himselfe from this defence pag. 61. saying I shall as I can briefly and plainly without scholasticall obscurities set downe what I conceiue of this Act of God or decree of Predestination setting by all execution of purpose After which Preface without any interruption of other discourse he deliuereth his opinion of election as is aboue rehearsed Of Free-will ARMINIANS THe Arminians differ from Orthodoxal Diuines about Free-will in two points 1. They teach Hag. Confer pag. 502. sequent That the will of man hath some operation of it selfe in the first act of our conuersion and doth cooperate with grace God giueth grace sufficient to conuert but doth not so determine the will but that it may out of it's freedome admit grace or not Their main reason is God doth not beleeue but wee therefore l we worke euen in our first conuersion otherwise the assent should bee Gods not ours 2. They teach that the will of man hath power to hinder and resist the worke of grace in his regeneration and conuersion Arminius in his Orat. to the States pag. 53. I beleeue according to the Scriptures that grace is not vis irresistibilis an irresistible force or power but that many doe m resist the holy Spirit Hag. Confer pag. 502. The question is whether grace which worketh in man faith and conuersion cannot be hindred but is an irresistible operation such as God vseth in raising the dead They alledge to proue â—hat man may resist grace Act. 7. 51. Yee stiffe-necked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares yee haue alwaies n resisted the holy Ghost And Matth. 23. 37. How oft would I haue gathered your Children as a Hen gathereth her Chicken vnder her wings and yee o would not APPEALER APpeal p. 84. It is supposed by some that the difference betweene the Pontificians and vs consists in this that the will of man concurreth and cooperateth with diuine grace in the first very instant and point of conuersion wee teach that the will of man doth not cooperate in the first point but in progresse of our iustification so Keckerman in his Systeme a better Logician than Diuine This Assertion of Keckerman he refelleth from pag. 85. to 89. and pag. 92. he insisteth vpoÌ„ the same reason with the Arminians If this were not so then faith and repentance were no the actions of man neither could man be said to beleeue and repent but the holy Spirit Appeale pag. 89. The Councell of Trent addeth that a man may resist the grace of God admit then first man hath m free-will against God Saint Steuen in terminis hath the very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you n resist nay fall crosse with the holy Ghost not suffering him to work the worke of grace in you And what said our Sauiour How often would I and thou wouldst o not If the Councell meant of stirring preuenting and p operating grace I thinke no man will deny it if of adiuuant subsequent and cooperating grace there is without question in
sed sine quo per liberum arbitrium perseuerare non posset Nunc vero sanctis in regnum Dei per gratiam praedestinatis non tantum tale adiutorium perseuerantie datur sed tale vt ijs perseuerantia ipsa donetur non solum vt sine isto dono perseuerantes esse non possint verumetiam vt per hoc donum non nisi perseuerantes sint Secondly from Gods dealing with the Angels that kept not their first estate but c. to his dealing with man after his fall no good president can be taken for it is certaine God prouided a Redeemer for man but none for them As the Angels sin was greater so their iudgement was more heauy and losse irreparable Neither is the consequence good from Adams losse of his estate of Innocency to the like possibilitie of the regenerates losse of their estate of Grace because God made no euerlasting couenant of peace with Adam before his fall as he did since with the regenerate in Christ the Peace-maker He made no such promise to Adam before his fall as he hath made to his Church since that Hell gates should not preuaile against her Adam had no Mediator before his fall to pray for his perseuerance in the state of Innocencie but the faithfull and truly regenerate haue the effectuall prayers of Christ the Mediator for their perseuerance in faith and grace I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy faith faile not And I pray that thou shouldest keepe them from the euill neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue on me through their word Thirdly Adam in Paradise stood by the power of his owne free-will and naturall integrity but the regenerate are now kept by supernaturall grace and the power of God through faith vnto saluation and therefore albeit Lucifer in Heauen and Adam in Paradise who stood meerely of themselues fell from their first estate it is no consequent that the regenerate may in like manner fall from their estate who stand not by themselues but by Christ and are supported by God Lastly this Obiection may be retorted against the Aduersary thus If the state of Creation and Redemption differ especially in this that men and Angels in the state of creation had power to perseuere if they would but not will and men in the state of redemption haue not only power but also will giuen them to perseuere and grace by which they cannot but perseuere then the argument drawne from the totall fall of Adam and finall of Lucifer to the totall and finall falling away of the regenerate maketh nothing for but strongly against the Aduersary But the state of Creation and Redemption differ especially in this that men and Angels in the state of Creation had power to perseuere if they would but not will and men in the state of Redemption haue not only power but also will giuen them to perseuere and grace by which they cannot but perseuere as hath beene proued Therefore the Argument drawne from the totall fall of Adam and finall of Lucifer to the totall and finall falling away of the regenerate maketh nothing for but strongly against the Aduersary ARMINIANS BERTIVS pag. 28. Of Saul what saith the Scripture 1 Sam. 9. 2. The sonne of Kish whose name was h Saul an elect and good man and there was not of the sonnes of Israel a good man beyond him Yet of him chap. 15. 11. we reade It repenteth me that I haue made Saul King for he is turned backe from following me Bert. ibid. ex Cypriano Epist. 7. i Salomon Saul and many others while they walked in the wayes of the Lord could haue held the grace giuen to them but departing from the ordinance of God grace departed from them APPEALER ANswer to Gag pag. 162. h Saul was at the first the childe of God called according to the election of grace not only temporall for the kingdome of Israel but also eternall for the heauenly kingdome In opinion of Antiquity thus he was and yet afterward he fell it is confessed totally all say eternally these say that maintaine iustifying faith cannot be lost Ibidem But if Saul were not of Gods children in grace indued with faith and the holy Spirit yet i Salomon was there is no question with them because he was a writer of holy Writ and wrote as he was inspired by God If they did not grant it the Scripture would euict it 2 Sam. 7. 12. yet Salomon fell as Saint Augustine and Saint Chrysostome are cleare for it at least temporally and totally too when he serued other gods h To the first instance in Saul we answer First with Melancthon that Saul seemed to be a faithfull man but the euent sheweth that he was an hypocrite He was indeed chosen to the Kingdome of Israel but not to the Kingdome of Heauen by the Appealers leaue there is no syllable in Scripture importeth so much hee was indeed indued with the Spirit of Gouernment and the Spirit of Prophecie but not with the Spirit of Regeneration for ought appeares in Scripture hee might be and as most thinke he was among those to whom that speech of our Sauiour might be applied Many shall say to me in that day Lord Lord haue we not prophecied in thy name c. then will I professe vnto them I neuer knew you Depart from me ye that worke iniquitie Secondly we answer The words alledged by Bertius 1 Sam. 9. 2. speake of the lineaments of his body and proper personage not of the inward vertues of his minde or graces of his soule There was not a goodlyer the text saith not a godlyer person than hee from the shoulders and vpward he was higher than any of the people To argue from stature to grace from the bodie to the soule from proceritie to sinceritie from a corruptible crowne to an incorruptible is scopam dissolutam facere to make a besome without a band or to make a rope of sands Lastly this Obiection may be retorted against the Aduersarie thus The gifts and calling by God of the regenerate are without repentance Rom. 11. 29. Sauls gifts and calling by God were not without repentance for the text saith 1 Sam. 15. 11. God repented him that he had made Saul King c. Therefore Sauls gifts and calling were not the calling and gifts of the regenerate i To the second instance in Salomon wee answer That Salomon was indeed a childe of God and is called the beloued of the Lord because the Lord loued him indeed 2 Sam. 7. 12. But we deny that he fell from grace either totally or finally Hee was a type of Christ a pen-man of the holy Ghost God threatned grieuously to scourge him for his sinnes yet promised withall neuer quite to cast him off His fall I confesse was grieuous but his repentance in his booke of the Preacher sheweth that the seed of God still remained in him as it doth in all
only in their liuing and manner of ceremonies But also in matters of faith Apolog. Church of Engl. c. 16. div 1. part 6. Wee haue gone from that Church which Christ who cannot err told so loÌ„g before it shold err Neither had we euer intended so to do except both the manifest assured wil of God opened to vs in his holy scripture regard of our owne saluation had euen coÌ„strained vs. Apol. Chur. of Engl. par 6 div 2. c. 20. We are fallen from the Bishop of Rome because the case stood so that vnlesse wee left him we could not come to Christ Apol. par 5. c. 15. d. 3. We haue renounced that Church wherein we could neither haue the word of God sincerely taught nor sacraments rightly administred and wherein there was nothing able to stay a wise man or one that hath coÌ„sideration of his own safety In this head touching the Church of Rome the Appealer directly contradicts the Church of England in these particulars The Church of England 1 The church of Rome holdeth not the same foundation 2 Hath erred in matter of Faith 3 Hath not the nature of the true Church 4 Must be left on paine of damnation 5 Is departed from the Primitiue and Catholike Church Appealer 1 The church of Rome holds the same foundation 2 Hath not erred in matters belonging to faith 3 Hath the essence being of the true Church 4 Ought not to be left on paine of daÌ„nation 5 Is not departed but holds coÌ„muinion with the Primitiue and Catholike Church Of Generall Councels Harmony Church of Rome BEllarm de concil Eccles. 2 Booke 2 Chap. Wee are bound by the Catholike faith to beleeue That Generall Councels cannot erre in faith or manners The like is affirmed by Gregory de Valentia Analys fidei Cathol lib. 18. Hosius de legit judicibus reruÌ„ Ecclesiasticarum Andradius Defence of the Councell of Trent in his Chapt. Of the authoritie of Councels Canus in his common places of Diuinity 5 Booke and the Romanists generally Campian rat 4. Concilia Duraeus in confut respons Whitak de Conciliis Appealer ANsw. to Gag page 48. To coÌ„clude The Church cannot erre neither collectiuè nor representativè Thus your Masters distinguish the terms of this question that goe workmanlike not like you clutteringly to worke so they so wee in the largest extent not erre at all Secondly not erre in points of faith for in matters of fact they coÌ„fesse error Appeale p. 124. Many things appertain vnto God which are not of necessity vnto saluation both in practice and speculation in these haply Generall Councells haue erred in those other none can erre Discord Church of Engl. ARticle 21. Generall Councels when they be gathered together for as much as they are an Assembly of men whereof all bee not gouerned with the Spirit and word of GOD they may erre and sometime haue erred euen in things appertaining to God Wherefore things ordained of them as necessary to saluation haue neyther strength nor authoritie vnlesse they may bee declared that they bee taken out of holy Scripture In this point touching the not-erring or infalliâ—itie of Generall Councels the Appealer howsoeuer by distinguishing of points fundamentall and accessory endeuoureth to difference his opinion from the Church of Rome and reconcile it to the Article yet in truth he faileth in both For first the Church of Rome holdeth all doctrines de fide determined by the Church to be necessary to saluation and consequently in the Appealers sense fundamentall points In particular she defineth the decisions of the Councell of Trent in the controuerted points betweene vs to be part of the Catholike Faith without which no man can be saued Pius 4 in Bullâ super formâ juram pag. 441. If therefore the Appealer maintaine as hee doth That Generall Councells cannot erre in matters fundamentall and necessary to saluation he holdeth consequently that they cannot erre in matter de fide Secondly his doctrine cannot stand with the Article of our Church for the Article both supposeth and proueth that Generall Councels may erre euen in points necessary to saluation It supposeth it in those words things ordained of them as necessary to salvation haue neither strength nor authority vnlesse c. For if Generall Councels could not erre in things necessary to saluation we might in such things safely rely vpon their authoritie without warrant of Scripture which the Article expressely denyeth If Generall Councels may iudge those things to be necessary to saluation which are not as the Article implyeth they may in like manner iudge those things not to bee necessary to saluation which are and so erre bothe wayes in the iudgement of points necessary and fundamentall And verily the reason annexed to the Article concludeth as strongly that Generall Councels may erre in fundamentals as in Accessory the reason is because Generall Councels are an Assembly of men whereof all are not gouerned by the Spirit and Word of God Now they who are not gouerned by the Spirit and Word of God haue and may erre euen in points fundamentall in asmuch as nothing can preserue a man from fundamentall error but the Spirit and Word of God whereby they are not gouerned as hath the Article Notwithstanding all this iarring and discord from the Article I find some harmony and concord in the close Appeale pag. 147. Detali Concilio saniore parte de coÌ„clusionibus in fide probabile est It is probable that in a Generall Councell lawfully called the sounder part cannot erre in conclusions of faith But this straine was not the Appealers but a learned Asaffs Of Iustification Harmony Church of Rome COunc. of Trent Sess. 6. c. 4. Iustification is a translation from the state in which a man is borne the sonne of the first Adam into the state of Grace and adoption of the sons of God by the second Adam Counc of Trent Sess. 6. c. 7. Iustification is not onely remission of sinnes But also sanctification and renouation of the inward man by the voluntary receiuing of grace and those gifts whereby a man of vniust is made iust Counc of Trent Sess. 6. canon 11. If any man say that A man is iustified onely by remission of sinnes excluding grace and charity which is shed into their hearts by the holy Spirit and is inherent in them let him bee accursed Appealer ANswer to the Gagg page 142. A sinner is then iustified when hee is made iust that is translated from state of Nature to state of Grace Answer to Gagg page 143. Iustification consisteth in forgiuenesse of sins primarily and grace infused secondarily Both the acts of Gods Spirit in man Answer to Gagg page 140. To iustifie hath a threefold extent First to make iust and righteous Secondly to make more iust and righteous Thirdly to declare and pronounce iust Page 142. Iustification properly is in the first acceptance A sinner is theÌ„ iustified when he is made iust that
of true beleeuers to this end that they may not fall away from him is a certaine meanes to preserue true beleeuers in the faith else God should faile in his end But the feare here enioyned is that feare which God promiseth to put into the hearts of true beleeuers to this end that they may not fall away from him Ierem. 22. 40. Therefore the feare here inioyned is a certaine meanes to preserue true beleeuers in the faith and consequently a strong argument for the perseuerance of Saints in faith and grace as it is vrged by Saint Augustine in his booke de Perseuer Sanctorum cap. 2. I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me What is it else then to say the feare shall be such and so great that they shall for euer cleaue vnto me z To the places alledged Iohn 15. 2 5. we answer First there is a double insition or ingraffing into Christ externall when a man is made a member of the visible Church by the hearing of the Word and participation of the Sacraments internall when a man by sanctifying grace and sauing faith is made a member of the inuisible Church They who haue the outward insition only into the true Vine Christ Iesus may be cut off but they which haue the inward as well as the outward insition cannot be cut off and wither as a branch for Non est corpus Christi reuerâ quod non er it in aeternum That is not Christs true body which shall not abide for euer neither by the like reason is that a true branch which abideth not for euer in the Vine August de Doct. Chri. lib. 3. cap. 32. Which reason of S. Augustine is confirmed by Saint Gregory in his description of the Church in his Comment on the Canticles Christus sanctam Ecclesiam de sanctis in aeternum permansuris extruxit Christ hath built his Church of Saints which shall for euer perseuere Secondly as there is a double insition into Christ so there is a double profession of faith a naked and bare profession without practise of a holy life or fruit of good workes or a profession ioyned with practise a faith working through loue bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit By the barren branches cut off and withered Theophylact on these words alledged vnderstandeth those who make a naked and bare profession Saint Cyril in his tenth booke vpon Iohn Those who haue faith without loue and good works such a faith S. Iames in his second Chap. calls a dead faith but the faith by which the iust man liueth is a liuing faith working by loue Galat. 5. 6. and bringing forth fruit with patience Luke 8. 15. Thirdly the words in me Iob. 15. 2. may be either referred to the word Vine and the meaning is euery branch existent or ingraffed in me that beareth no fruit but leaues only of a bare profession shall be taken away or the words in me may be referred to bearing of fruit and the meaning is euery professour of Religion or member of any Congregation that beleeueth not in me and beareth not fruit in me to wit the fruits of the Gospell by my grace shall be cast forth as a dead branch and wither for as it is in the fift verse Hee that abideth in mee and I in him the same bringeth forth fruit for without me yee can doe nothing If the words be taken in the former sense they are meant of Hypocrites within the Church if in the latter of Iewes or Pagans without the Church who beare fruit that is doe morally good workes or doe by nature the things contained in the Law Rom. 2. 14. but because they doe not these things in faith their good workes are no better than splendida peccata sins hauing a luster or shew of vertue as Saint Augustine Take the words in either sense they belong not to regenerate persons and true beleeuers who are so ingraffed into Christ that they abide in him by faith and beare fruit in him through faith Lastly this Obiection may be retorted against the Aduersarie thus No branch that beareth fruit in Christ shall be taken away but purged that it may bring forth more fruit as it followeth in the second verse vrged by the Aduersarie But euery true beleeuer is a branch that beareth fruit in Christ Matth. 13. 23. Rom 6. 22. Therefore no true beleeuer shall be taken away but purged that he may bring forth more fruit ARMINIANS BERTIVS pag. 26. Beleeuers may make shipwrake of faith 1 Tim. 1. 19. some hauing put away a good cōscience cōcerning a faith haue made shipwracke Ibid. 1 Tim. 4. 1. In the latter times some shall depart from the a faith giuing heed to seducing spirits APPEALER APPEALE pag. 160. 1 Tim. 1. 19. Holding faith and a good conscience which some hauing put away cōcerning a faith haue made shipwracke Ibid. Nor was it onely for those times but foretold of succeeding ages 1 Tim. 4. 1. In the latter daies some shall depart from the a faith a To the places alledged out of Timothy wee answer First that they are fully answered by the distinction aboue mentioned ad literam y namely of a two-fold signification of the word faith which is sometimes taken for the saith which we beleeue that is the word of faith or doctrine of the Gospell as Galath 1. 23. Now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed Rom. 10. 8. This is the word of faith which we preach the hearing of faith Galat. 3. 2. A great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith Act. 6. 7. And in this sense Oecumenius taketh the word faith in the first place aboue alledged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith I vnderstand faith in doctrine by conscience a godly conuersation or a good life And that it is to be so taken in the latter place it is euident by the words following 1 Tim. 4. 1. Giuing heed to seducing spirits and doctrine of deuils Faith opposed to error and doctrine of deuils is the true doctrine of faith which we beleeue and preach Sometimes the word faith is taken in Scripture for the faith by which we beleeue that is the inward grace or habit of faith as Rom. 3. 28. Iustified by faith without the deeds of the Law And Rom. 4. 5. His faith is counted for righteousnesse Rom. 5. 1. Being iustified by faith we haue peace with God This distinction is not new coyned by nouelizing Puritans but stamped by the ancient Fathers and goes for current among the Schoole-men Saint Augustine in his thirteenth booke of the Trinity chap. 2. deliuers it in these very termes There is a difference betweene the faith quae creditur and quâ creditur And Lombard lib. 3. distinct 23. taketh the same from Saint Augustine saying Fides est interdumid quod credimus interdum estid quo credimus Secondly we answer that as there is a temporary faith so there may be a good conscience for
their Head is not common to all And againe Saint Augustine Christ is put on sometimes vsquâ— ad Sacramenti perceptionem as far as to the receiuing of the Sacrament sometimes also vnto sanctification of life Atque illud primum bonis malis potest esse commune â—oc alterum proprium est bonorum piorum The first is common to good and bad the other is proper to the good and godly Saint Austines hands are supported by Chrysostome and Ierome as Moses were by Aaron and Hur. Saint Chrysostome Many are baptized with water which are not baptised with the holy Ghost they seeme to be the sons of God in regard of their Baptisme but indeed they are not the sonnes of God because they are not baptised with the holy Ghost Saint Ierome Si quis hoc corporeum quod oculis carnis aspicitur aquae tantum accipit lauacrum non est indutus dominum Iesum Nam Simon ille Magus acceperat lauacrum aquae verum quia Spiritum sanctum non habebat indutus non erat Christum Et haeretici vel hypocritae hi qui sordidè victitant videntur quidem accipere baptismum sed nescio an Christi habeant indumentum If any man receiue only the visible lauer of water he hath not put on Christ c. From these and many other the like testimonies of the Ancient Fathers I infer that the foundation of this argument is sandy and sinking Although the inward grace ordinarily accompany the outward signe and we ought to beleeue by the iudgement of Charity that all who are baptised are truly regenerate yet iudicio veritatis as Iunius distinguisheth that is by the iudgement of precise and infallible truth all are not so as the Fathers speake roundly and plainly Now as in the iudgement of Charity we are to beleeue that all that are baptised are regenerate so by the same iudgement we are to beleeue that though they fall into grieuous sinne and sometime come to a fearefull outward end God notwithstanding giueth them grace to repent at the last gaspe and consequently they fall not away finally Inter sacrum saxum inter pontem fontem misericordia Lastly this Obiection may be retorted against the Aduersarie thus If Baptisme may not be reiterated then the grace of regeneration cannot be totally lost But Baptisme may not be reiterated Therefore the grace of regeneration cannot be totally lost The consequence of the maior is thus made euident A man that hath lost the grace of regeneration totally is as if he neuer had been regenerated and therefore must be borne again if borne againe againe baptised because the signe and the thing signified or as they make it the cause and proper effect cannot be seuered if then the effect to wit regeneration be lost and must be reproduced the proper cause as they say the necessary condition and seale as we say must be againe put If regeneration may bee had the second time without Baptisme why not at first which the Aduersaries absolutely deny pressing farre that text Vnlesse a man be borne againe of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen It is a thing vnconceiueable that the shadow should be more permanent than the substance the Baptisme of water than that of the holy Ghost If then a regenerate man lose totally his regeneration and be as if he had neuer beene regenerate he is as if he had neuer beene baptised This reason may be further confirmed when this question is propounded why Baptisme is but once to be administred and the Lords Supper often It is most vsually answered because a man is borne but once but is fed often The edge of this argument cannot be turned by the Aduersarie vnlesse he can shew more Regenerations in Scripture then Baptismes or any new Regeneration without a new lauer any new Couenant without an authenticall instrument and new seale r To the reason drawne from mortall sinne in the regenerate we answer First if mortall sinne be taken for such sinne as deserueth of it selfe eternall death all sinne is mortall if by mortall sinne such sinne for which a man is bound ouer by God and sentenced to eternall death no sinne in the Elect is mortall for how grieuous soeuer they sinne the seed of God remaines in them which in time will bring forth repentance and repentance saluation In the interìm betweene their sinne and the renued act of their repentance God suspendeth but he reuoketh not his pardon of their sinnes he is angrie with them and they indeed haue forfeited their estate in his grace and fauour and title to the Kingdome of Heauen but God will not take the forfeit they lose the sense and present fruit but not the state of iustification Habituall repentance they haue alwayes and shall haue the Act if the sinne be such for which habituall repentance and the continuall asking of a generall pardon for all sinne will not suffice A tender hearted father though his sonne prouoke him very farre so that hee chastise him with many stripes yet will hee hardly be brought to disinherite him yet if a father could God will not for if euer sonnes then heires if euer iustified then glorified The Apostle will make good the Consequence if the Spirit in our heart make good the Antecedent Lastly this Obiection may be retorted thus Nâ— Ordinarie and small sinnes doe put the regenerate out of the state of grace All ordinarie and small sinnes are in their owne nature mortall Therefore some sinnes in their owne nature mortall doe not put the regenerate out of the state of grace Or thus Peter committed a most grieuous and hainous sinne Peter was not thereby vtterly excluded from the grace of God Therefore a man may commit some most grieuous and hainous sinne and not be vtterly excluded from the grace of God The like may be said of Dauid of which aboue The first proposition is in the Gospell the second is in the Homily of Repentance Sir Thomas Moore hauing tracked Gallus in the Ancient Poets from whom he secretly had borrowed many verses and bragged much of the genius and spirit of Ancient Poësie wittily thus plaieth vpon him in the Epigram saying Thou Gallus hast the very spirit of the Ancient Poëts for thou makest the selfe-same verses that they made before Vatibus idem animusque verè spiritus idem Qui fuit antiquis est modo Galle tibi Carminanamque eadem versusque frequenter eosdem Quos fecêre illi tu quoque Galle facis Doubtlesse if the Appealer neuer read Arminius or Bertius as he seemeth deeply to professe I may say truly of him as he did of Gallus that he hath the very spirit and soule of Arminius and Bertius for he deliuereth not only the same â—enents but he vseth the selfe-same Authorities Scriptures Fathers and Reasons and for the most part in the same words All which Arguments common to them
he alleadgeth this sentence in approbation thereof and commendation of the Author moderate men saith he ibid. on both sides confesse this controuersy may cease hee should haue said luke-warme men on both sides Secondly he resteth on this passage as being a full answer to the Popish obiection concerning the visibility of the Church Thirdly in other places of his booke Appeale page 113. and 139. and 140. he affirmeth in his owne words as much in effect as he here coteth linguâ Romanâ out of Cassander but fide Graecâ His words are page 113. I am absolutely perswaded and shall be till I see cause to the contrary that the church of Rome is a true though not a sound church of Christ as well since as before the Councell of Trent a part of the catholike though not the catholike church which wee doe professe to beleeue in our Creed In essentialls and fundamentalls they agree holding one faith in one Lord. And p. 139 Rome is and euer was a true church since it was a church And page 140. the church of Rome is a true church ratione essentiae and being of a church not a sound church euery way in their Doctrine Vt Marci Antonij de Dominis discipulum possis agnoscere I know well the mint where these new tenents were coined the Appealer shewes himselfe a tractable and respectiue Prebend to his late Deane following him pene ad aras neere to the Romish Altars That his Deane after his relapse into Popery in the last booke containing his poenitendam poenitentiam et retractandam retractationem his repentance to be repented of and retractation to bee retracted renouncing the true religion which he had defended laboureth to cleare the present church of Rome from the imputation of heresie because as he saith the wiser and learneder Ministers of the church of England teach that the church of Rome doth not erre in any fundamentall articles of faith In defectu credendi haeresis est non in excessu haereticus est censendus qui in fide deficit aliquid quod scriptum est non credendo non is qui in fide superabundat plus quam scriptum est credendo Heresie consists in the defect not in the excesse of beleeuing and he is an Heretike who is deficient in his faith by not beleeuing something that is written not he that superabounds in his faith by beleeuing more then is written This errour as I am informed spreads farre like a Gangreane therefore most needfull it is it be lookt to in time It is true that the Church of Rome holdeth if not all yet most of the fundamentall and positiue articles with vs. It is true also that most of their errours are by way of addition Yet whosoeuer from hence will conclude that the Church of Rome is not hereticall or erreth not in any point necessary to saluation grossely mistaketh the matter as will appeare to any whose iudgement is not forestalled by the demonstration of these two conclusions 1 That Heresy or damnable Errour may be as well by adding to as taking from the Orthodoxe faith 2 That the Church of Rome erreth not onely in excesse or beleeuing more then is needfull but also in defect and beleeuing lesse The first is thus demonstrated Whatsoeuer errours are alike forbidden in Scripture vnder the same punishment are alike damnable Errors by adding to and detracting from the Orthodoxe faith are alike forbidden in Scripture vnder the same punishment Therefore errours by adding to and detracting from the Orthodoxe faith are alike damnable The first proposition is cleare by it owne light The assumption or second proposition is deliuered expresly in holy Scripture Deut. 42. Ye shall not adde vnto the words which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it Proverb 30. 5. 6. Euery word of God is pure adde thou not vnto his words lest he reproue thee Galat. 1. 18. If we or an Angell from heauen preach vnto you beside that which wee haue preached vnto you let him be accursed Reuel 22. 18. For I testifie vnto euery man that heareth the words of the Prophesie of this Booke If any man shall adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this book And if any man shall take away from the words of the booke of this Prophesie God shall take away his part out of the Booke of Life and out of the holy City and from the things that are written in this Booke Secondly thus Whatsoeuer things alike destroy the nature of faith are alike damnable Errours by addition and detraction alike destroy the nature of Faith Therefore errors by addition and detraction are alike damnable The first proposition is vnquestionable The assumption I declare thus Faith is of the nature of a rule or certaine measure to which if any thing be added or taken away it ceaseth to be that rule Cùm credimus saith Tertullian nihil desideramus ultra credere prius enim hoc credimus non esse quod ultra credere debeamus Fides in regulâ posita est nihil ultra scire est omnia scire When we beleeue we desire to beleeue no more for wee first beleeue this that there is nothing more we ought to beleeue Faith is contained in a rule to know nothing beyond it is to know all things Virtue is in the meane vice as well in the excesse as in the defect In our body the superabundance of humours is as dangerous as lacke of them as many dye of Plethories as of Consumptions A hand or foot which hath more fingers or toes then ordinary is alike monstrous as that which wanteth the due number To vse their owne similitude A foundation may be as well ouethrowne by laying on it more then it will beare as by taking away that which is necessary to support the building Thirdly thus The errours in faith and religion of the Samaritans Malchamites Athenians Galatians Ebionites Nazarites Quartadecimans Manichees and Nestorians were damnable But all these seuerall errours were errours of addition Therefore errours of Addition are damnable The first proposition will not bee gainesaied For all these errours are branded as hereticall or damnable either by the Spirit of God in Scripture or by the catholike christian Church The Assumption will appeare in the suruay of those particular errors The Samaritans feared the Lord and serued their owne Gods The Malchamites worshipped and sware by the Lord and sware by Malcham The Athenians worshipped the true God by the name of THE VNKNOWNE GOD and withall worshipped Idols The Galatians Ebionites Nazarites and Quartadecimans beleeued the Gospell yet retained also and obserued the legall ceremonies But now after ye haue knowne God or rather are knowne of God how turne ye againe to the weake and beggerly elements whereunto ye desire againe to bee in bondage saith Saint Paul of the Galatians Ebionitae ceremonias adhuc legis retinent pauperes interpretantur et vere sensu