deserat atque ita extrà Christi Fidem pereat Metonymia effecti Pro quo mortuus est Quippe qui mortuus est pro omnibus credentibus For what is is this being interpreted but to affirm that true Beleevers even such for whom Christ dyed may fall away so as to perish Nor doth the gloss of Mr J. Deodat as his Englisher presenteth it upon §. 22. 1 Cor. 8. 11. look any other way PERISH i. e. saith he shall be in danger of wounding His Conscience mortally and whereas before through tenderness of Conscience He abhorred any thing that drew neer to Idolatry He may peradventure use Himself to it to THE SHIPVVRACK OF HIS SALVATION He that is dead is in no danger of being wounded mortally but He who being alive is in this danger is in a possibility at least of suffering accordingly Nor can any Person be said to make shipwrack of that of which He never was possessed nor yet to be in danger hereof Nor doubtless was learned Junius otherwise minded when He delivered Himself in these words If there were no possibility that a righteous man or Beleever might fall away neither would the Apostle have made this Hypothesis or supposition nor would He have inferred so grave or weighty a saying upon the Supposition nor would He have applyed this saying to the Hebrews to whom He wrote in the cause which was now in hand b Si non posset furi vt justus vel credens aliquis deficeret neque Hypothesin hanc facturus esset Apostolus neque ex Hypothesi tam grave pronunciatuÌ„ allaturus neque ad hanc causam quae agitur hoc dictum Hebraeis quibus scribebat accommodaturus Junius in Parallel ad Heb. 6. 4 5 6. These Passages also from the same Author are no slender evidences of the Propension of His Judgment the same way Nothing at all shall he wanting to us on the Lords part if we be not wanting unto our selves c A Domino nihil planè defuturuÌ„ est modò ne nobis deficiamus ipsi Idem in Parall ad Heb. 3. 6. And again Christ requires onely one condition from us viz. That we abide in Him and be circumspect and attent to keep our selves from all sin and unbelief even as He promiseth that He will abide in us d Christus postulat à nobis unicaÌ„ conditionem nempe vt maneamus in ipso circumspiciamus attendamusque nobis ab omni peccato infidelitate quemadmodum ipse in nobis spondet se mansurum esse Ibid. ad Vers 12. In the former of these sayings He clearly suspends the Perseverance of the Saints and the continued collation of the Grace of God which is absolutely necessary hereunto upon the care and faithful endevors of men for the obtaining of it In the latter with like clearness He makes their Perseverance Conditional and requires circumspection and watchfulness in the Saints in order to their abiding in Christ notwithstanding His Promise of abiding in them hereby plainly declaring that He understands this Promise of Christ in a sence Conditional and not Absolute Mollerus upon Psal 51. 12. commenteth that David lâ—st the Holy Ghost by His sin and was deprived of His Gifts So that He departing from or not governing David His Heart became polluted with Wickednesses of all sorts Therefore He prays that a clean Heart might be again created in Him which the Apostle Acts 15. calls an Heart purified by Faith viz. from sin and the guilt thereof that so He might have right thoughts of God might truly acknowledg God without Hypocrisie or Simulation but might come unto Him call upon Him beleeve on Him fear obey Him a David amiserat Spiritum Sanctum per peccatuÌ„ privatus erat Donis Itaque ipso discedente aut non regente Davidem cor statim pollutum est omnis generis sceleribus Ideò petit rurâ—ùm in se creari cor mundum id quod Apostolus dicit Act. 15. purificatum Fide à peccatis scilicet reatu vt rectè sentiat de Deo veré agnoscat Deum sine hypocrisi aut simulatione sed accedat ad eum invocet eum credat in eum timeat eum obediat ei c. c. This Text needs no Commentary I might here add the Testimony and Consent both of former Councils §. 23. and Synods as likewise of the Confessions of many late Reformed Churches But because others have prevented me in both as viz. the forementioned Gerard. Joh. Vossius in the former c Hist Pelag. l. 6. Thesi 12. and P. Bertius in the latter d Hymenaeus Desertor pag. 105 106 c. I chuse rather to desire the Reader desirous of satisfaction in either to consult these Authors respectively then to imbulk our present Discourse with transcriptions which are of so ready an inspection elsewhere Onely for a taste I shall here present the Reader with a few lines out of the Confession of the Reformed Churches of Saxony wherein they professedly give the right Hand of fellowship to us in the Doctrine held forth in our present Digression When it is said saith this Confession that sins remain in the regenerate it is necessary that a difference he made For from that saying Luk. 11. He goes and takes unto Him seven other spirits worse then Himself and they entering in dwell there c. and such like sayings it is manifest that some REGENERATE PERSONS grieve and shake or dash the Holy Spirit out of them ARE AGAIN CAST OFF BY GOD AND BECOME GVILTY OF THE WRATH OF GOD AND OF ETERNAL PVNISHMENT And Ezek. 18. it is written When a righteous man shall forsake His righteousness and shall commit iniquity He shall dye therein And when the unrighteous shall forsake His unrighteousness and do righteousness He shall live therein Therefore there is a necessity of putting a difference between such sins which remain in holy men during this mortal life but do not expel or drive the Holy Ghost out of them from such other sins for which a man becomes AGAIN LIABLE TO THE WRATH OF GOD and to Eternal Punishment And PAVL Rom. 5. distinguisheth between sin reigning and not reigning And elsewhere He saith If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if by the Spirit ye shall mortifie the deeds of the flesh ye shall live e Quum dictum sit in rena tis manere peccata necesse est tradâ— discrimen Nam ex dicto Lucae 11. Vadit assumit septem alios spiritus nequieres se ingressi babitant ibi c. similibus dictis manifestum est aliquos renatos contristare excutere Spiritum sanctum ruâ—sus abjici a Deo ac fieri reos iâ—ae Dei aeternarum poenarum Et Ezek. 18. scriptum est Quum recesseâ—it justus a justicia sua fecerit iniquitatem â—â—riâ—tur in ea cum recesseris impius ab impietate sua fecerit justiciam vivet in ca.
lusteth but in vaine which is contrary to that of the Apostle John greater is he that is in you speaking as it is clear of the Spirit of God unto true Believers then he that is in the World a 1 Joh. 4. 4. meaning Satan and all his auxiliaries Sin Flesh Corruption c. If it be demanded but if the Spirit of God in true Believers be greater §. 25. and stronger in his lustings then the flesh in his how commeth it to passe that in the spirituall duel the flesh so frequently prevaileth I answer the reason is because the spirit acts not at least to the just efficacy of his vigor and strength but onely when his preventing or first motions are entertained or seconded with a suâ—eable concurrence by the hearts and the wills of Men through a deficiency or neglect whereof he is said to be grieved or quenched i. e. to cease from other actings or movings in Men. This truth is the ground of these and such like sayings in the writings of Paul If ye through the spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the body yee shall live For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God b Rom. 8. 13 14. Believers doe then mortifie the deeds of the Body by the Spirit when they joyne their wills unto his in his preventing motions of grace and so draw or obtaine further strength and assistance from him in order to the great and difficult work of mortification In respect of which concurrence also with the Spirit in his first and more gentle applications of himself unto them they are said to be led by the Spirit as by their comportments with him in his higher and further applications they become filled with the Spirit according to that exhortation of the same Apostle to the Ephesians but be yee filled with the Spirit c Eph. 5. 18. i. e. follow the Spirit close in his present motions and suggestions within you and you shall he filled with him i. e. you shall find him moving and assisting you upon all occasions at an higher and more excellent and glorious rate But this by the way However by that which hath been now said it clearly appears that the reason why Believers are so frequently overcome by the lustings of the flesh notwithstanding the contrary lustings of the spirit within them before their foile is not because the flesh hath more strength to lust then the spirit but because they the Men Believers have more will to hearken unto and to goe along with the flesh in her lustings then with the Spirit in his it being the Law or Property of the Spirit not to advance or goe forward in his exertions of Himself when he is deserted and forsaken in his way by the wills of Men. It is true after such desertions of him in his motions by the wills of Men He doth not alwayes wholly and for ever desert them but most frequently returns againe in his motions and excitements unto them Onely in His first applications unto Men after He hath been so deserted by them as hath been said He doth not I conceive begin where He left but where He began first of all my meaning is that He doth not move or act in them at any such high or filling rate as at which He wrought or was ready to worke when He was forsaken but according to the line or proportion of His preventing motions which generally are of a cooler and softer inspiration then His subsequent But thus we see it an apparant error to say that true Believers never sin with their whole wills or fulnesse of consent which yet might be made more apparant by the consideration of Davids case in and upon His committing of those two great Sins Homicide and Adultery For doubtlesse had there been any reluctancy of will or renitency of Conscience or of the spirit within Him when He committed the former of the two Adultery He would not have added the second Murther so soon after to it Again had there been any such Reluctancy or Renitency in Him as we speak of when He perpetrated either the one abomination or the other doubtlesse He could not have digested both the one and the other without any remorse or self-condemnation for so long a time together as passed between the acting of His said sins and the time when the Prophet Nathan was sent from God unto Him to awaken Him unto Repentance Which space of time by the best calculation of Divines was ten Moneths at the least a Per decem minimùm menses distulit Deus correctionem Quod ad eos Sanctos attinet perpetuò agerent in sordibus nisi Deus potenti Verbo eos educeret Quòd ex tanto spacio intelligi potest quo David ad Deum non est conversus isto peccato irretitus non emerserit P. Martyr in 2. Reg. c. 12. ver 1. From the consideration of which distance of time between Davids Sin and His Repentance P. Martyr makes this observation that the Saints themselves being once fallen into sin would alwayes remaine in the pollution of it did not God by his mighty Word bring them out of it Which saying of his clearly also implies that the Saints many times Sin with their whole wills and full consents because were there any part of their wils bent against the committing of the Sin at the time when it is committed they would questionlesse return to themselves and repent immediately after the heat and violence of the lust being over by reason of the satisfaction that hath been given to it Therefore 2. To that which was alledged from Rom. 7. 19. to prove the contrary §. 26. viz. that the Saints never sin with their whole wills or full consent I answer 1. That when the Apostle saith the evill which I would not that I doe His meaning is not that He did that which at the same time when He did it He was not willing either in whole or in part to doe but that He sometimes did that upon a surprizall by temptation or through incogitancy which He was not habitually willing or disposed in the inner Man to doe But this no wayes implies but that at the time when He did the evill He speaks of He did it with the full and intire consent of His will Or if we shall affirme that the contrary bent or motions of His will at other times is a sufficient proof that when he did it the evill we speake of he did it not with his whole will or fulnesse of consent and so make this doing of evill or committing of Sin without fulnesse of consent in such a sence a distinguishing Character between Men regenerate and unregenerate we shall bring Herod and Pilate yea and probably Judas himself into the List or Roll of Men Regenerate with a thousand more whom the Scriptures know not under any such Name or relation as viz. all those whose Judgements
my Fathers Commandments and abide in his love 336 17. 2. As thou last given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him 116 117 c. 17. 3. And this is life eternal that they know thee the onely true God and him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ 40 41 17. 12. those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost but the Son of perdition 252 17. 15. I pray not that but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil 246 17. 21 22. That they All may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us 245 246 20. 31. But these things are written that ye might beleeve that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that beleeving ye might have have life c. 397 398 Acts 4. 27 28. For of a truth against thy Holy Childe Jesus both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel were gathered together For to do whatsoever thy hand and counsel determined before to be done c. 14 15 c. 5. 4. Whilest it remained was it not thine own and after it was sold was it not in thine own power 13 7. 60. lay not this sin to their charge 245 13. 46. but seeing ye put it from you and judg your selves unworthy of everlasting life lo c. 491 15. 8. And God which knoweth the heart bare them witness giving them the Holy Ghost c. 362 17. 28. For in him we live and move and have our Being 2 3 c. 23. 1. Men and Brethren I have lived in all good Conscience before God until this day 355 23. 4. Revilest thou Gods High Priest 443 27. 24. and lo God hath given thee all them that sail with thee 307 27. 31. except thesE abide in the ship ye cannot be safe 9 307 184 225 Rom. 1. 19. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God c. 507 1. 20. to the intent they should be without excuse 502 1. 21. Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God c. 507 2. 4 5. not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee unto Repentance But after thy hardness and impenitent heart thou treasurest up c. 188 410 2. 6. Who will render to every man according to his work 244 3. 3. For what if some did not beleeve shall their unbelief make the Faith of God of none effect 359 3. 19. that every mouth may be stopped 502 5. 7. Yet peradventure for a good man some will even dare to dye 287 5. 15. But not as the offence so also is the free gift For if through the offence of one many be dead much more the Grace of God and the gift by Grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many 110 111 515 516 5. 16. And not as it was by one that sinned so is the gift For the judgment was by one to condemnation but the free gift is of many offences unto justification 493 494 c. 5. 18. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life 108 109 c. 516 517 c. Rom. 5. 19. For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous 516 517 c. 6. 2. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein 261 6. 9 10 11. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more Likewise also reckon your selves to be dead indeed unto sin c. 262 263 7. 12. Wherefore the Law is holy and the Commandment holy and just and good 287 444 7. 19. but the evil which I would not that I do 61 326 327 8. 13 14. but if ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God 325 8. 24. but Hope that is seen is not hope 317 8. 28 29 30. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose For whom he did foreknow he did also predestinate c. Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called c. 207 208 c. 50 8. 31. If God be for us who can be against us 340 8. 34. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again who also c. 248 249 c. 9. 11. that the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of Works but of him that calleth 462 9. 15. for I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy 68 9. 21. Hath not the Potter power over the clay 68 11. 26. And so all Israel shall be saved as it is written There shall come out of Sion a Deliverer that shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. 227 228 11. 29. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance 152 153 c. 11. 33. O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledg of God! How unsearchable are his Judgments and his ways past finding out 427 43 14. 15. Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ dyed 121 122 14. 23. For whatsoever is not of Faith is sin 496 1 Cor. 1. 8 9. Who shall also confirm you unto the end that c. God is faithful by whom ye were called c. 187 235 4. 15. For though ye have ten thousand Instructors in Christ yet have ye not many Fathers for c. 266 331 5. 5. to deliver such an one unto Satan 361 362 6. 15. shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot 328 c. 7. 32 33. He that is unmarried careth for the things of the Lord But he that is married careth for the things of the world how c. 264 8. 11. And through thy knowledg shall the weak Brother perish for whom Christ dyed 124 9. 27. lest by any means when I have preached unto others I my self should be a cast-away 62 279 280 315 316 377 10. 12. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall 310 10. 13. But God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but c. 238 310 12. 12. so also is Christ 458 2 Cor. 1. 22. Who hath also sealed us and given us the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts 256 257 2. 15. For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish 216 428 506 5. 14 15. For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judg that if one dyed for all then were all dead And that he