them to his shâ—â—pe eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand My Father which gaue them me is greater than all and no man is able to plucke them out of my Fathers â—and I and my Father are one And Saint Peter said we are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation 1. Pet. 1. 5. And the Prophet Dauid sheweth by this reason that the righteous shall neuer fall totally away because Gods band euer supporteth them as Psal. 37. 24. Though he fall hee shall not bee vtterly cast downe for the Lord vpholdeth him with his band Which place Aquinas applies to the same purpose in Rom. 8. A fourth reason from the will of God Ioh. 6. 39. This is the Fathers will which hath sent me that all which he hath giuen me I should loose nothing but should arise is vp at the last day And this is the will of him that sent me that euery one which seeth the Sonne and beleeueth on him should 〈◊〉 euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day A fifth reason drawne from the efficacie of Christs prayer Ioh. 17. 20. and so to the end of the Chapter A sixth reason from the impossibilitie of seducing the Saints from Christ by Antichrist and false Prophets Mat. 24. 24. A seuenth reason from the perpetuall mansion and inhabitation of Gods Spirit in all the faithfull 1. Ioh. 3. 9. Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not that is not vnto death as chap. 5. â—6 For his seede remaineth in him and be cannot sinne because he is borne of God An eight reason from the infallibility of Gods knowledge of all his called Gods foundation 2. Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure hauing this seale The Lord knoweth them that are his whereupon Saint Augustine concl deth thus If the elect may perish and fall away then God may be deceiued But God cannot be deceiued therefore his elect cannot perish nor fall away And if at any time the elect doe exorbitate or decline out of the way vpon reproofe they are reformed and returne into the way from which they had digressed As Aquinas cites the glosse on Rom. 8. verse 28. Vsque adeo c. To such as loue God he doth so cause all things to cooperate for good as if any of them stray or straggle euen this also hee causeth to turne to their further good yea euen their sinnes cooperate to their greater good in causing them to walke more humbly and carefully A ninth reason is from the inseperable vnion betweene Christ and euery true beleeuer Christ himselfe expresseth this sweetly applying it as a speciall tye and token of the saints continuâ—ance in him Ioh. 17. 20. I pray not for these aloâ—â— but for them also which shall beleeue in mee thorow their word that they may all be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in vs. And that glory which thou hast giuen me I haue giuen them that they may be one euen as wee are one I in thee and thou in met that they may be made perfect in one So that as not a bone of his naturall body was broken so neither a bone of his mysticall body For he keepeth all his bones not one of them is broken Psal. 34 20. Not a haire of their head shall perish that are his members I will adde but one reasonâ—more of many vsed in Scripture to confirme the Doctrine of the Saints perseuerance and it is taken from Gods eternall election and effectuall vocation of his elect vnto eternall life As Rom. 8. 30. Whom he did praedestinate them he also called and whom hee called them he also iustified and whom hee iustified them hee also glorified This is such a golden chaine as all the Diuells of hell can neuer breake Christ vseth the same reason Ioh. 15. 16. Yee haue not chosen mee but I haue chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruite and that your fruite should remaine which place Saint Augustine sweetly applyeth to Gods eternall election whence springeth thâ— perseuerance of his elect whose fruite remaineth for euer As also the same Augustine applieth that other place to the Romans to the Saints perseuerance and onely to the elect Saints quoruÌ„ it a certus est numerus c. whereof the number is so certaine that none of them can perish no more than any of the reprobate can be saved And so hee concludes the Saints perseverance from the foundation of Gods eternall election and praedestination Quis c. What one could be ordained to eternall life but with the gift of persence raÌ„ce This is the Doctrine also of the Church of England Artiâ— 17. So then if God can breake his euerlasting covenant with his people if his sauing feare be such as to whom it is giuen it will not suffer them to depart from God if Gods loue in Christ to his owne be immutable and endlesse if Christs power and his Fathers be so great that none can plucke his elect out of his hands if it be the Fathers will that none of his elect shall perish but haue eternall life if Christs prayer for his elect cannot bee in vaine if it be impossible for all Antichrists power and policie and lying wonders to seduce Gods elect if the perpetuall residence of Gods holy Spirit in his regenerate preserue them from sinning vnto death if Gods infallible knowledge of his owne cannot be deceiued but remaineth as a sure and sealed foundation if all things cooperate for their good and nothing can seperate them from the loue of Christ if Gods eternall election and praedestination of his to grace and so to glory cannot be frustrate then who dare be so bold as to affirme that the Saints may fall away either totally or finally from grace so fall short of glory Babylonius But my authour instanceth two examples of totall falling away from grace the one of King Dauid the other of the prime Apostle Saint Peter now if these did fall totally from grace at least for a time then is it possible for any in the state of grace to fall totally from that stateâ— and so come short of finall perseâ—â—rance And to proue thier totall fall he argueth thus 〈◊〉 â—ter fell now if he fell he must needs full totally or finally for Cedo tertium And saith hee if Dauids and Peters repentance had beene preuented by death they should haue perished eternally And you know that a supposition must necessarily imply a possibilitie of the thing supposed else it were absurd so that it was possible they might haue beene preuented by death before they had repented and so haue perished eternally As the Authour saith elsewhere * cap. 4. that it is possible for the fallen away to arise againe possible but not certaine and necessary Orthodoxus By mentioning this last
will in the state of nature hath such a vast disproportion to the grace of Christ as it hath no disposition at all vnto it This is a mystery hid from Nature a Transcendent far aboue the capacity of Natures reach To this grace nature is not bleareeyd but blinde not a sleepe but dead not lame but a senslesse stocke So that more then a slender mouing or stirring vp of I wot not what first grace I wot well no grace is requisite to set the will a foote to the setling of it in the state of grace of that grace I say of true iustification to which Romes first grace hath no more proportion then her free-will in her purâ—st naturalls But the grace whereof the Scripture speakes and the worke of it in mans conuersion is no such grace as Romes first grace for that is no other but the true and effectuall sauing iustifying and sanctifying grace of God the first act and worke whereof in the soules conuersion to God is not a faint and impotent mouing and stirring or awakening of the sleepy will which then begins to dispose it selfe to grace but it is a powerfull and effectuall worke vpon the will and the whole soule with euery faculty thereof and that not to the disposing vnto but to the present possessing of the state of grace and true iustification apprehended by sauing faith the free gift of this grace Besides this effectuall grace of God for mans conuersion the Scripture knows none Nor is the Scripture acquainted with such ieiune and faint termes as Rome vseth in setting forth the worke of grace in our conuersion The Scripture flyes in a more lofty stile to giue Gods grace the full prayse in the effectuall worke of our conuersion Ezech. 11. 19. I will giue them one heart and will put a new spirit within you I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will giue them an heart of flesh that they may walke in my statutes So Ezech. 36. 26 A new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you c. and cause you to walke in my statutes And this is as Augustine saith the taking away of our stony heart and the giuing of a heart of flesh when the Father is heard within and teacheth vs to come and draweth vs to his Sonne by giuing vs a sauing faith in Christ. By which places wee see what a noble and powerfull worke of grace is wrought in vs by Gods holy Spirit in our conuersion not a bare stirring vp or mouing or helping the old decrepit stiff-limd will of the naturall mans stony heart but a mighty remouing of it cleane away and insteed therof putting a new heart a heart of flesh a flexible and obedient heart and a new spirit into vs by the vertue and power whereof we are effectually inabled to walke in Gods statutes and to keepe them And this worke of grace where begins it but at the very first act of our effectuall calling and conuersion of our iustification and sanctification from our sinnes and against our sinnes As in the forecited place of Ezechiel Then will I sprinkle pure water vpon you and yee shall be cleane from all your filthinesse for a new heart will I giue you c so in Ieremy The Lord ioynes his grace and remission of sinnes together saying I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall bee my people For I will forgiue their iniquity and will remember their sinnes no more The Lord in the Gospell compares the state of a naturall man vnregenerate to a house possessed by a strong man This strong man is Satan the spirit that ruleth in the children of disobedience such as all vnregenerate are who in that state are dominered ouer and captiuated of the tyrant Diuel at his will Who then shall binde this strong man and dispossesse him of his house and strong hold euen the heart of a naturall man vnregenerate Surely none but a stronger then he euen Christ. And is this done so slightly as by stirring vp the will by some first grace No more but so The strong man will not so easily forgoe his hold He must bee driuen out by strong hand When the Disciples could not by all their delegated power Christ must be faine to put to his immediate power authority to driue the Diuel out A sinner vnregenerate is as Peter fast asleepe and fast chained in the dungeon And to free him did the Angel no more but with a iogge awake him How fell his chaines so easily of How came the prison dores open How the iron gate leading into the citie to open of it owne accord Surely here was no small power vsed Nay the vnregenerate is like Lazarus fast bound and lying dead in the graue And is it so easie a matter to raise him vp to giue him life and to free him from the bonds of death But you hath hee quickned who were dead in trespasses and sinnes wherein once yee walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the ayre the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom also wee had our conversation in time past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind c. Eph. 2. 1 c. Our will being then captiuated chained imprisoned in the dungeon of death kept and possessed by the strong man the Diuel are we so easily freed Saint Chrysostome amplifieth this by an excellent comparison or two All men saith hee before sinne as once in Adams loynes before his fall haue free will to follow the Diuels will or not but when once by sinne wee haue captiuated our selues to his workes wee cannot now free our selues But as a ship the rudder being broken is carried whither the tempest will so man having by sinne lost the helpe of divine Grace doth not that which himselfe willeth but which the Divell willeth and vnlesse God with a strong hand of mercy loose him hee shall abide in the bonds of his sinnes even vnto death And in the same place he compareth mans will before sinne namely in the state of Adams innocency to a free people or stare in whose power and election it is to chuse what King they will but hauing once chosen him whom they best like it is not now in their power vpon any dislike to depose him againe although hee tirannize ouer them neuer so much none can free them from this grieuous bondage but onely God So it being once in the power of mans will in the free state of innocency to chuse a King God or the Diuel hauing once by consent of sin made choise of the Prince of darknesse who tyrant-like ruleth in the children of disobedience it appertaines now onely to the mightie power and infinite goodnesse of God to set
passe wee to the last Chapter touching the Synod of Dort It is but short wherein the Authour saith The Synod of Dort is not our rule And Priuate opinions no rule Doth he not herein say truely Orthodoxus Why then should his owne priuate peruerse opinions be reputed as the rule of the Church of England For it is true no doubt that no Synod or Councell much lesse any priuate mans opinion is the rule of our faith Yet all Synods and Councels so farre forth as their Decrees are grounded vpon the Scriptures we are to imbrace and reuerence But of all other passages in the Appealers Appeale I muse at none more then this his eleuating and slighting the Synod of Dort And what spirit trow we is that man of or possessed with that stands so much for the Councell of Trent and so little esteemes the Councell of Dort I wot well the Synod of Dort is an aduersary to his Arminian Pontifician opinions and therefore no maruaile if he beare it no great good will But considering next vnder God the prime and principall mouer of that Synod his late Excellent Maiestie of eternall memory yea how He promoued it what Princely and prouident care what liberall cost He was at to adorne the Synod with some of the choicest and solidest Diuines that He had in His Kingdome what a zealous desire Hee had by that meanes to quench those fiery flames of dissention blowne by the factious spirits of Inâ—endiaries which threatned the ruine of those neighbour reformed Churches the tayles of which smoking firebrands are not altogether quenched but begin to reuiue hauing for want of vent till now lyen smoathering euen in our Church of England the smoake whereof hath blinded a great many and now the flames threaten to burne moe what a religious care He tooke to establish true religion and to abolish that Arminian roote of bitternesse springing vp and spreading abroad wherewith many were defiled which one act of His Maiestie shall no lesse eternize His name then the most famous and vnparalleld actions Hee atchieued in all His Princely gouernment this I say strikes me with an exceeding wonderment that the Appealer would euer suffer himselfe so farre to be transported with the spirit of contradiction as to fall foule vpon such a learned Synod a Synod of Protestants a Synod of many reformed Churches and which if nought else might haue most moued him a Synod assembled managed concluded by the most auspicious Peace-making spirit zeale wel-wishes and prayers of His late Maiestie yea and to fill vp the measure of his all-daring hardinesse to presume to thrust this booke in the name of An Appeale vnder the protection of our most Excellent patrizing Caesar here I am at a stand What so to disrepute the Synod of Dort O spare it either speake not at all of it or reuerently and honorably at least for the thrice noble religious zealous louer of the truth King IAMES He that so honoured that Synod imbraced those orthodox conclusions of it as that He aduanced those to Ecclesiasticall honours whom Hee had selected and sent to represent the Church of England Which also by the way addes to my wonderment that the Appealer should and that vnder the name of the Church of England dare to oppose the Councell of Dort if he had considered that his late Excellent Maiestie did vnderstand no other but that all the conclusions of that Councell did consent with the Doctrines of the Church of England as also the representiue Church of England as they were of the number of the primest and actiuest Agents in that Synod so with the rest they were the first still in order who by their subscriptions sealed vp their vnanimous assent to all the Conclusions Or can the Appealer taxe the incomparable judgement of that famous King of ignorance either in the choise of that representatiue Church of England or in the state of the Doctrines of it Farre be it His Maiestie knew as well the true state of the Doctrine of the Church of England as the most and greatest Scholars in England that I may not disparadge his Excellency so much as to say He knew it better then the Appealer himselfe And if I might pin my faith vpon any mans sleeue or referre the judgment of the Doctrine of the Church of England to my one man I would haue chosen His Maiestie as the â—â—pire oracle of it before any man liuing And yet He that professed protested writ wrought studied liued and dyed in the maintenance of that one truth wherein by His auspicious vnanimity the Church of England and the Councell of Dort haue confented according to the rule of faith Gods word shall He He I say His sacred ashes be raysed vp againe and by an Appeale be vrged to recaut His former profession to reuerse His iudgment to cancell or to bâ—râ—â— His bookes which no antiquity no iniury of time no elementary flames shall euer be able to abolish I might better appeale to those who were so happy as dayly to heare the wisdome of that our Salomon euen at His ordinary repast They can testifie what zealous protestations He made for the truth and with what vehement derestation He had of the contrary As for instance how did He abominate those that writ de apostasia Sanctorum Which very title of Bertius His Maiestie often in His pious zeale professed His indignation against as a blasphemous doctrine And as in His vsuall and ordinary discourse at table and at other times He shewed His Princely diuine spirit in refuting and refelling all the vanities of Popery and Pelagian Arminianismo so at His death He protested His owne constancy and finall perseuerance in that truth which He had formerly professed All this I say duely waighed I am still in a muse what should imbolden infatuate rather the Appealer to insert any such passage as the depressing and deprizing the Synod of Dort in his Appeale Yet doing so he is not more guilty of ingratitude towards our late Caesar as also of ignorance that I may not say starke folly in addressing this his Appeale to our present Caesar. Doth not the Appealer remember that Hee is the Son the onely Son of such a Father Yea a Son of that naturall and pious affection to His Father as all can witnesse with me Hee might well be a Princely myrrour of filiall piety to many Sonnes whose naturall affection commonly descends rather then ascends Nor only the Sonne the onely Sonne the most naturally and graciously pious Sonne but the very viue and expresse image of such a Father inheriting not onely His Fathers Kingdomes Crownes but which is the Crowne of all and more precious then all His Kingdomes His vertues and graces His wisdome His iudgment and aboue all His religion yea His loue care and zeale in maintaining the same This religion Hee first suckt in with His Nurses milke therein also bred brought vp vnder a religious