that is stronger then hee And indeed this is the very cause of our ouer comming if we beleeue S. Iohn Because 1 Ioh. 4. â—… hee that is in vs is greater then hee that is in the world Therefore Gods constant loue is still to bee lookt vnto as the only cause of our safetie which keepes our wills by grace against these ouer-mightie enemies and wretched were wee if our wills were put to keepe themselues by grace For then if we were but as Adam these principalities and powers would prevaile with vs as with Adam especially having a body of sinne about vs which hee had not But the only cause of our standing against these principalities vnder whom Adam fell is the constant loue and purpose of God By that as S. Paul saith We are more then 2 Cor. 1. 21. conquerours and thence it is that Principalities and Powers cannot separate vs from the loue of God And as by this constant loue of God we are constantly and safely preserued from separation and Apostasie so let our constant saftie ever acknowledge this constant loue and purpose of God to bee the cause of it But both this safetie and the cause of this safetie the teachers of Apostasie doe denie so robbing God of the glory of mans stabilitie and robbing man of the safetie and stabilitie which hee hath from God Finally that yet wee may know our selues to be fully and finally safe the blessed Apostle is not contented to speake of safetie from separation and Apostacie onely in the present time but he denies Apostacie beth by future things and in the future time Nor things present nor things to come c. shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God Behold a finall and full perseuerance in safetie for things present cannot separate vs and things to come shall not be able to separate vs yea no other creature that is nothing can separate vs and therefore not the Arminians A third way by which our Church in this Article doth teach Certaintie of Saluation is this shee saith that the consideration of Election doth establish in the Saints a Faith of their saluation to bee enioyed through Christ. For the Saint finding in himselfe the mortification and vivification of the Spirit hence ascendeth vp to the knowledge view and consideration of his Election and from this constant Election hath a stable and sure Faith that hee shall enioy eternall saluation in Christ. Now from hence plainly issueth this argument That saluation is certaine whereof there is an established Faith But there is an established Faith of the Saluation of of the Saints Therefore the Saluation of the Saints is certaine The first proposition cleareth it selfe by its owne light For there is not an established Faith of vncertaine and fallible things but of certaine Yea if there were no other word but the word of Faith this Faith presumeth and pâ—…esupposeth a certaine and infallible truth for the obiect of it and consequently in this place a certaine and infallible saluation of the Saints The second proposition is raysed plainly out of the words of the Article For the consideration of Election is there said vpon the view of Sanctification to establish a Faith of Saluation to be enjoyed Wherefore I may conclude in the words of the ninth Article There is no condemnation to them that beleeue and are baptized Which the Article of Ireland thus resembleth Howsoeuer for Christs sake there be no condemnation Num. 34. to such as are regenerate and doe beleeue The first of which is a position of our Sauiour They that beleeue and be baptized shall be saued They Mark 16. 16. are not onely now in the state of Saluation but they shall hereafter be saued for hee that beleeueth shall not Ioh. 5. 24. see condemnation And the other resteth on the saying of Saint Paul who saith that to the Saints there is no condemnation For the Law of the Spirit of life which Rom. 3. is in Christ Iesus freeth a Saint from the law of sinne and death Now if a Saint bee free from death who can make him a bondslaue of death This were flatly to affirme that which the Apostle denyes both here and else-where Wee haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to Rom. 8. 15. feare againe but the spirit of Adoption by which wee cry Abba Father And if a sonne then no more a seruant Behold Saint Paul saith wee haue not receiued the spirit Psal. 46. 7. to feare againe who then dares to put vpon the Saints a spirit of bondage to feare againe and Saint Paul saith by the Spirit of God If a sonne then no more a seruant And how dares flesh and blood to say if a sonne yet againe a seruant But let vs stand fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free neither let vs againe be intangled with the yoke of bondage Let vs say with Saint Paul once a sonne and no more a seruant once a sonne and a sonne for euer And indeed Christ himselfe saith That a sonne abides in the house Ioh. 9. 35. for euer onely let vs remember that therefore we are deliuered from this feare and house of bondage That Luk. 1. 74. being deliuered from our enemies wee might serue God without feare In holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our liues Our safety is giuen vs mainly 1 Ioh. 3. 3. for an incouragement to holinesse For hee that hath this hope purgeth himselfe as God is pure And now that it may appeare that I haue not wrested a priuate sense out of these publike Articles let vs see whether the same truth hath not beene publikly taught by others There is a worke formerly alledged which hath this Title The Faith Doctrine and Religion professed and protested in the Realme of England and Dominions of the same expressed in thirtie nine Articles the said Articles analysed into propositions c. This worke was made by a Chaplaine of Doctor Bancroft late Archbishop of Canterbury and to his Grace Dedicated But it is well knowne Arch-bishop Bancroft did not fauour any Puritanicall or Schismaticall Doctrine neither is it to be thought that his Chaplaine would or durst offer any such vnto him Neither is it to be beleeued that he would be so shamelesse as to say to the same Arch-bishop in his Dedicatorie Epistle That these Propositions shee that is the Church of England publikely maintaineth if there had beene any Puritanicall Doctrine maintained in them Now this Writer hauing raysed a Proposition vpon these words of the seuenteenth Article constantly decreed he inferreth Wander then doe they from the truth which thinke That the Regenerate may fall from the Grace of God may destroy the Temple of God and be broken off from the 〈◊〉 Christ Iesus The same Doctrine is proued by other Articles more plainely and punctually vnfolding what was in the former Articles truly and really contained though not so manifoldly
c. To dye is to Id. cap. 10. loose the habilitie of life c. But this doth not happen to the soule for it is the breath of life neither to the Spirit for the Spirit is simple and cannot be dissolued and is the life of them that receiue him Partem aliquam spiritus eius sumimus c. We receiue Id. cap. 11. a part of his spirit vnto the effecting and preparing of incorruption by degrees accustoming to receiue and carry God in vs which the Apostle also called an earnest that is part of that honour which is promised to vs of God Qui credit in filium habet vitam aeternam c. He that beleeueth elemens Alexa. padag lib. 1. cap. 6. in the Sonne hath life eternall If then wee who haue beleeued haue life eternall what remaineth beyond the possession of life eternall Non es inquit amplius servus c Hee saith Thou art Idem Ibid. no more a seruant but a sonne If a sonne then also an Heyre through God What then wanteth to a Sonne when hee is an Heyre Qui credidit in nomine eius c. Hee that beleeued in his Ciprian de Orat. Dominiea name and is made the Sonne of God from that time must begin both to giue thankes and to professe himselfe the Sonne of God Scriptum est enim Iustum fide viuere c. It is written Id. de Mort. The Iust shall liue by Faith If thou art Iust and liuest by Faith If thou truly beleeuest in God why since-thou art to liue with Christ and art secure of the Lords promise dost thou not reioyce that thou art called by death vnto Christ Plus amare compellimur c. wee are inforced to loue the Id. ibid. more while it is granted to vs to know what wee shall bee and to condemne that which wee were Hilary dâ—… Triniâ—… lib. 1. Conscia securitatis suae ocio c. The soule knowing her owne safety resteth in quietnesse reioycing in her hopes so much not fearing death that shee accounteth it as the way to life eternall Chananeaiam ipsa c. The Chananitish woman being Ibid in Mat. c. 15 now saued by faith and CERTAINE of that inward Mystery and sure of her owne saluation Per spiritum sanctum datur c. By the Holy Spirit it is Basil. de spiritu cap. 15. giuen a restoring into Paradise a returne into the Kingdome of heauen a recouery of the adoption of sonnes a confidence of calling God Father a partaking of eternall glory and that I may say all at once to be in the fulnesse of all blessednesse both of this life and of those good things which are laid vp for vs in the life to come which in the meane time wee do enioy by FAITH beholding that Glory as in a glasse For if the EARNEST bee such how excellent is the Perfection Bene ait confido c. Hee saith well I am confident For Ambrose Serm. 15. confidence is the strength of our hope and an authority of hoping Therefore hope still and no man can make tâ—…ee ashamed of thy expectation Our expectation is life eternall Signauit nos dando spiritum c Hee hath sealed vs Id. in 2 â—…or 1. by giuing his Spirit to vs for an Earnest that wee may not doubt of his promises for if when wee were in the state of death hee gaue vs his Spirit it is not to be doubted but that to vs being made immortall hee will adde glory Non praeter spem esse debemus c. Wee must not bee Angust in Psal. 1â—…2 without hope yea wee may bee bold with great confidence because if hee be with vs on earth by charity wee are also with him in heauen Hee is below by the compassion of charity wee are aboue by the hope of charity For wee are saued by hope But because our hope is certaine though saluation be to come it is so spoken of vs as if it were already done Tribulatio est enim nostra in presenti seculo c. Our Id in Psal. 123. suffering is in this life and our hope in the life to come and except in the sufferings of this life the hope of the life to come did comfot vs wee should perish Our ioy brethren is not yet in performance but in hope But our hope is as certaine as if the thing were already done Diuers other places haue beene allready cited out of him of Finall perseuerance I referre the Reader particularly to his booke De Bono Perseuerantiae de Correptione gratia Where among many other sentences approuing the Perseuerrance of the sonnes of God hee saith cap. 9. Nullus eorum c. None of them being changed from good into euill doth end his life Exempta est a morte anima c. That soule is freed Prosper in Psal. 114. from death euen though shee bee compassed with mortall flesh which of vnbeleeuing is made beleeuing and besides that perfit eternall rest from all labours which the death of the Saints precious in the eyes of the Lord doth obtaine the soule which is deliuered from the death of infidelity hath also her rest in this life euen that soule which ceaseth from the workes not of righteousnesse but of iniquity Such a soule which is now aliue vnto God and dead to the world and is diligently buried in spirituall indeauours not resting in an idle but a quiet tranquility of humility and meek nesse she accounteth as now possessed whatsoeuer with an vndoubted hope she patiently expecteth Neque vsque eo solum c. Neither is the grace of Christ â—…irill Alex. Comment in Esa. lâ—… 3. the Sauiour of vs all onely so farre extended toward vs but in good hope the possession of the Kingdome of heauen lasting and eternall life and the absence of all euill which vseth to affect with griefe are likewise added For it is written of the Saiuts euerlasting ioy is vpon their heads Probi viri cùm munduÌ„ possideant cor c. Good men hauing a pure heart became the receptacles of the comforter as Id. in Ioan. lib. 9. cap. 44. it is possible to men in this life and they do know that they shall enioy great and wonderfull rewards For they shall bee sanctified of the spirit and they shall be made partakers of all good things and the basenesse of bondage being cast off they shall be adorned with the dignity of adoption of the sons of God which Paul sheweth saying Because yee are sonnes God hath sent the spirit of his son crying Abba Father Non accepistis spiritum seruitutis c. You haue not receiued the spirit of bondage c. For hee cannot bee a iust man in the sight of God who serueth him not for loue but for feare Which place I alledge because the fallers from Grace by teaching this falling from Grace do teach men a Doctrine by which
men must bee continually in seruile feare and to this very end they abusiuely alledge Bee not high minded but feare and Worke out your saluation with feare and trembling In Scriptura sacra aliquando c. In the holy Scripture Id. in Iob. lib. 16. cap. 2. sometimes the gift of the Holy ghost is called an Earnest because thereby our soule is strengthned vnto the Certainty of inward hope Well therefore it is said by Paul Who hath giuen vs the Earnest of his Spirit For to this end haue wee receiued this Earnest that wee may hold a Certainty of that promise which is made vnto vs. Mandatum Dei si timore fit poenoe c. If the commandement Anselme in Rom. 8. of God be done by the feare of punishment and not by the loue of righteousnesse it is slauishly done and therefore not done For that fruite is not good which doth not proceede from the roote of loue c. Wee haue receiued the Spirit of Adoption whereby wee call God our Father For the veryspirit of God himselfe giueth witnesse to our spirit that is hee makes our spirit to know and vnderstand that wee are the sonnes of God Habes homo huius arcani Indiceâ—… spiritum c. O man Bernard Ep. 107 thou hast the iustifiing Spirit for a Teacher of this secret in the same witnessing to thy spirit that thou also art the Sonne of God Take knowledge of the counsell of God in thy Iustification c. For the present Iustification of thee is both a reuelation of Gods counsell and a certaine preparation vnto future glory Aliquis non potest c. A man cannot haue that friendship Aquinus 1. 2. quest 65. art 5. with God which is called Charity except hee haue a Faith by Which he beleeueth that there is such a Society and Familiarity of Man with God and do hope that himselfe pertaines to this Society Now how certaine and infallible this hope is let himselfe also speake Hope goeth Id. 2. secudae q. 18. art 4. on to her end by way of Certainty as partaking Certainty from Faith which is in the knowing Faculty Bradwarden proues Perseuerance to be a free gift of God unto man and therefore not of man to himselfe by Gods Bradwarden de de causa Dei lib. 2. cap. 14. Grace which first position is the very ground of infallible Perseuerance and the latter of falling away and hee inferres Propter haec huiusmodique moâ—…iua c. For these and the like motiues it seemes more probable to mee and more agreeable to reason and Catholicke Doctrine that Perseuerance is not giuen to merits but is freely giuen of God according to his free Grace free Praedestination and free Purpose as the first working grace that iustifieth a sinner Non peccat videlicet ad mortem c. Hee doth not sinne Fâ—…rus in 1. Ioa. 5 vnto death but this hee hath not of himselfl but from this that hee is regenerated into a Sonne of God by Faith and Baptisme for this regeneration doth preserue him For by Faith hee is made the Sonne of God by Faith he is clensed from sinne by Faith hee is preserued in the obtained righteousnesse by Faith hee ouercomes the world the flesh and the Deuill and by Faith hee riseth againe after falling and therefore Satan cannot touch him Hee may indeede dare to tempt the godly So likewise hee durst to tempt Christ Yea sometimes hee driues iust men vnto a fall as wee see Dauid and Peter But FINALLY as in Christ hee could haue nothing so neither can hee preuaile ouer the Saints For none can take Christs sheepe out of his handes Wherefore going to his Passion hee recommended all those that beleeued in him vnto his Father A heartie desire for the conversion of those that hold the finall a version and falling of the Saints AS themselues hold that they may depart from fundamentall Truths vnto fundamentall Errours so I wish that they may also depart from fundamentall errors whereof this seemes to be one That Christ Iesus the Sonne of God is not that Rocke which preserueth the Church that is built on him that the gates of Hell cannot praeuaile against Her THE GROVNDS OF ARMINIANIS ME Naturall and Politicke NAture is a ground of Arminianisme but it is corrupted Nature euen that Nature by which wee are the children of wrath Neither is Nature the fountaine Eph 2 and spring of it by a large common way as the Gal. 5. 20. flesh is generally the mother of haeresies but by a more peculiar inward and deepe generation There are two euills that by mans wretched fall are deepely grounded and intermingled with the very principles and rootes of man and as farre as man is man so farr and so deepe their venome and infection doth enter The one is Prede and evill that by the fall hath so throughly soked and pierced into the foundations of man that man naturally desires to stand by himselfe and to bee a selfe-vpholder which is no other then that miserable perferment which the Divell at the beginning promised to mankind in their first parents That they should bee as Gods For it is God onely Exod. 3. 14. whose Name is I am it is God onely that is a selfevpholder and standeth of himselfe and it is by the stabilitie of God alone that all other things are established from whose establishment as much as the wills of the Creatures are freed so much they are in danger Yea this substantiue and selfevpholding estate is to corrupted Nature a very plausible and desirable thing and man exceedingly desires with the prodigall sonne to haue his portion put by his Father into his one hands euen to haue Gods grace deliuered over to the keeping of Mans Freewill But the miserable consequence of this in that prodigall sonne plainely appeared when hee had gathered all Hee went into a Luk. 15. 13. farre countrey and there wasted all his substance with riotous living Mans will will not keepe the grace of God but will forfite and spend it as Adam our common Father did at the beginning neither may it be hoped that the sonne with a great portion of corruption should stand in that state of fredome wherein his Father newly comming from the hands of God his maker would fall Therefore it is the true safety of mans will to bee held by God rather then to be left free to hold God to bee established by grace rather then to establish grace in it selfe to bee apprehended by God rather then to bee left free whether it will apprehend God or no. Surely the Diuell is as strong as euer if not more strong by being more cunning and man being lesse strong because more corrupt his fall cannot bee but more certaine Therefore if the Diuell and his spirituall wickednesses powers Eph. 6. 19. and principalities must bee resisted and ouercome wee haue need of the whole armour of God yea wee
vs to haue a good will And as the Church teacheth vs this Doctrine by Articles so doth shee also teach and confirme it by practice For in her Liturgie shee plainely acknowledgeth both the slauery of the Will vnder sinne and the effectuall power of grace on the Will Concerning the bondage of the Will vnder sinne it is said in a Collect The frailtie of man without thee cannot but fall And in the Catechisme Know this that thou are not able to doe these these things of thy selfe nor to walke in the Commandements of God and to serue him without his speciall Grace And concerning the efficacie of Gods grace on the Will in turning and changing it the Church directly makes it the foundation and ground-worke of diuers prayers yea in expresse tearmes she acknowledgeth Gods effectuall power on the Will to bee the ground of a prayer for the King Almightie and euerlasting God wee be taught by thy holy word that the hearts of Kings are in thy Rule and Gouernance and that thou dost dispose and turne them as it seemeth best to thy godly wisdome In which words Gods effectuall power on the Will is laid as the ground and now see the prayer built vpon it which is of the same substance Wee beseech thee so to dispose and gouerne the heart of our most gracious King and Gouernor that in all his Thoughts Words and Workes hee may euer seeke thy Honour and Glory There is also another for the King in the Letany That God would so replenish him with the Grace of his Spirit that hee may alway incline to his Will and walke in his Way In which prayers our Churâ—…h both obeyeth the Scripture and performeth her dutie but on the other side it is considerable whether that Doctrine bee not a kinde of Betraying and Disloyalty that denies these prayers by denying the effectuall power of God on the will of man For how can he pray for the efficacy of Gods power on the will of his Soueraigne that beleeues no such efficacie of Gods power to be at all on the Will Againe the efficacie of Grace is yet more generally acknowledged by our Church as wee may see in these patternes taken out of her Liturgy By thy speciall Grace preventing vs thou dost put into our mindes good desires Againe Lord wee pray thee that thy Grace may preuent and follow vs and MAKE vs continually to be giuen to all good workes And againe O God forasmuch as without thee wee are not able to please thee grant the working of thy mercy may in all things direct and rule our Hearts But omitting diuers others I adde these following to shew that the efficacie of Grace doth not onely moue our wills to good but establisheth vs in goodnesse Giue vs grace that we be not like children carried away with euery blast of vaine doctrine but firmely to be established in the truth of the holy Gospell To which prayer in these times especially it will not be amisse to say Amen Againe Almighty God which doest MAKE the mindes of all faithfull men to bee of one Will grant vnto thy people that they may loue the things which thou commandest and desire that which thou doest promise that among the sundry and manifold changes of the world our hearts may surely there be fixed where as true Ioyes are to be found To conclude the Letany is a president of diuers patternes one while praying for the King That his heart may be ruled in the Faith feare and loue of God and another while That the Church may be ruled and gouerned vniversally in the righs way And againe that God will bring into the way of truth all such as haue erred and are deceiued Now these prayers while they begge of God that good desires may bee put into the heart that hearts may bee disposed and turned by God c. they doe plainely acknowledge the efficacy of Gods grace on the wills and hearts of men For when they begge that Gods Grace may worke such effects they acknowledge such effects to be the proper and kindly workes of Gods Grace THE DOCTRINE OF THE Catholicke Church concerning FreeWill and Gods effectuall Grace PErdidit nos liber a Voluntas c. Free-will hath vndone Tatianus Assirius Orat. Coâ—…t Gentes vs and we who were Free are now brought into bondage and sold by sinne Spiritus Sanctus assuâ—…scit c. The Holy Spirit vseth Ireneus lib. 3. cap. 19. to dwell in Man-kinde and to dwell with Men WORKING the will of God in them Quando rogamus ne in tentationem veniamus c. Cyprian de Orat. Dom. When wee pray that we doe not goe into Tentation we are admonished of our owne infirmitie and weaknesse by this prayer lest any man should insolently extoll himselfe lest any man should proudly and arrogantly ascribe any thing to himselfe c. Dei est inquam Dei omne quod possumus inde viuimus inde pollemus c. Idem epist prima It is Gods I say it is Gods All that wee can doe Id epist. 1. thence we liue and thence is our strength Retributione bonitatis ac pietatis paternae c. The Id. epist. 77. Lord by the Retribution of his goodnesse and Fatherly kindenes rewardeth in vs that which himselfe hath wrought and honoureth that which himselfe hath perfected For it is of Him that we overcome and that the enemie being subdued we doe attaine to the victorie of a most mightie combate Quicquid à nobisrectè geritur c. Wee must take Basil de viâ—… Solit cap. 17. heed that whatsoeuer is well done of vs our soule doe ascribe the causes of our vertue vnto the Lord ascribing NOTHING to our owne POWER Vt decor animae fiat efficax c. That there may â—…l in Psa. 29. be Beautie in the Soule and a power effectuall vnto those things that are necessary there is need of Divine Grace Anima omnis humana maligno seruitutis iugo c. Id. in Psal. 4â—… Every Soule of man is subiect to the miserable yoke of bondage vnder the common Enemie of mankinde and being deprived of the Freedome of her Maker she is carried away captiue by reason of sinne Quaniam igitur humana natura à boni iudicio fraude Gregorius Nyllenus de Orat. Douâ—…ica inducta aberrauit c. Because humane nature being seduced by subtiltie erred from the true iudging of good and inclined our Will to the contrary all mischiefe inuaded the life of man and brought it into the power thereof c. Because we were incompassed and inthralled by this tyrannie being brought into bondage of death by the incursions of our affections and perturbations as it were by certaine executioners and enemies therefore doe wee rightly pray That the Kingdome of God may come vpon vs. For wee cannot otherwise put off nor avoide the wicked Power of corruption vnlesse the quickning power in steed thereof doe get
noâ—… seuerally expressed Neither were these Articles commonly called the Articles of Lambeth approued by obscure priuate or Schismaticall persons but by chiefe Fathers of this Church in Eminence and Authoritie Iohn Arch-bishop of Canterbury Richard Bishop of London Richard elect Bishop of Bangor Doctor Whitaker and other most learned Diuines In these Articles we finde the points of Free Election Finall perseuerance and certainty of Saluation embraced by the Fathers of our Church and particularly in these which follow The cause which moued God to praedestinate some to life was not the foresight of their Faith or of their Perseuerance or of their Good workes or of any thing else which is to be found in men praedestinate but Gods meere good will and pleasure A true liuely and iustifying Faith and the Spirit of God which sanctifieth is neither finally nor totally extinct in the Elect it failes them not it forsakes them not A man truly faithfull that is A man indued with a Faith that iustifieth may bee assured by Faith of the Remission of his sinnes and of his eternall Saluation through Christ. And now if I should vndertake to bring forth the sayings of those Doctors and Fathers of this Church that haue taught the Perseverance of the Saints and Regenerate and the Certainty of Saluation ensuing this certaine Perseuerance multitude would ouercome me and exceed the bounds both of this worke and the Readers patience And yet it is also almost an equall difficultie to shew any number that haue publikely without the cry of the Countrie maintained the contrary Doctrine That is the Apostacy of Saints and the Mortalitie of the Immortall seed of God And though some would faine seeke shelter vnder the shadow of Dr. Ouerall yet hee doth not only leaue them open to stormes but his owne drops doe fall downe and batter them For in the Great Famous and Royall Conference at Hampton Court hee is recorded thus to say for Totall and finall Perseuerance Those which were called and iustified according to the purpose of Gods Election howsoeuer they might and did sometimes fall into grieuous sinnes c. Yet did neuer fall either TOTALLY from all the graces of God to bee Vtterly destitute of all the parts and SEEDE thereof not FINALLY from iustification But to set some bounds vnto boundlesse abundance and to auoide both tedious multiplicitie and meere penurie I will bring forth some few of our Doctors as a patterne of the rest Men that cannot be accused for want of skill to know the Doctrine of our Church noâ—… I thinke of dishonestie that they should want will to shew it and most of them were dead before late questions and dead men are commonly very vnpartiall Iudges The Councell of Trent even that sinfull Counsell in Doctor â—…abington Bishop of Worcester one Canon saith thus c. And in a third Canon thus If any man shall say with a firme Certainty that he shall haue that great gift of Perseuerance to the end vnlesse he hath learned it by some speciall 〈◊〉 let him â—…ee accursed Vnto which three wicked Canons c. Where this Reuerend Father sheweth it to be the Doctrine of Trent and withall a wicked Canon which teacherh this Doctrine that a man cannot be certaine of finall perseuerance Expâ—…s on the Crâ—…ed Againe By the spirit of Adoption and effects of Gods grace agreeable wee may haue certaine knowledge that we shall inherite Gods kingdome which none shall doe but they that continue to the end and were appointed vnto it before the beginning of the world Ibid. When it pleaseth him to adde that Hee abideth for euer that is the Holy Ghost Ioh. 14. 17. this comforteth beyond the reach of either penne or Heart For hereupon it followeth that saâ—…sure is our saluation with him in that 〈◊〉 ioyfull kingdome that wee cannot fall from it finally For this blessed Spirit is the pledge of our inheritance whereby we are sealed vnto the Day of Redemption Hee therefore abiding with vs foreuer needs must wee be sure of that whereof he is a pledge and an earnest giuen which is the very peace of God that passeth all vnder standing O sweet office therefore of a blessed Spirit And O thrice blinded men with darknesse of Rome that will reach vs to doubt of our Saluation Wee haue this Spirit 〈◊〉 a pawne and the promise of his abode for euer with vs though the times may come through grieuous temptations that wee may not thinke so for a while Ibid. Where Finally Hee that is the Holy Ghost is lost he neuer was by Sanctifying grace Ibid. Whence issues a plaine conclusion wheresoeuer the Spirit was by Sanctifying Grace there he is not finally lost As for the Blisse and Glory of Heauen though yet wee Doctor Abbot Bishop of Saâ—…isbury know it not yet wee know that God hath giuen to vs the interest and Title of it already and by Faith doe stand assured through the Spirit that hee will in due time giue vs the full sight and fruition of it And a little after out of S. Austin De praedest Sanct. cap. 17. Hee calleth and iustifieth none but whom hee hath praedestinated vnto glory and therefore it followeth that hee giueth them perseuerance for the attainement of the said Glory Certaintie of Saluation against D. Bishop The same S. Austin saith to his hearers If there be in you faith which worketh by loue even now yee belong to them that are praedestinated called iustified Now sith the faithfull by S. Austens iudgement doe belong to them that are praedestinated called iustified it followeth by Saint Austins iudgement that they are to be assured that they belong to them that shall be glorified and therefore shall certainely perseuere because whom God hath praedestinated called iustified them he hath glorified as the Apostle saith and therefore doth S. Austin will the In Psal. 148. faithfull man to beleeue that he shall liue for euer But I need not to insist much on particular sentences of this Right Reuerend and learned Father of our Church seeing he hath whole Discourses of The Certainty of Saluation and of the Perseuerance of Saints to which I would rather remit the Reader that hee may quench his thirst in the Fountaine it selfe Only I aduertise him that in the Epistle Dedicatorie to His De persâ—…n Sanctorum Maiestie then Prince of Wales there is a complaint of some of our Divines that following the by-paths of Arminius Dogmate etiannum destruant Articulos Religion is quos prius proprià manu confirmarunt Wherin this Reverend Bishop sheweth vs that Arminianisme wherof falling from saint-ship or the grace of regeneration is a part is the way to destroy the Articles of Religion And if a Minister write Arminianisme he writes against those Articles which he hath confirmed by his owne subscription writing So vpon the matter the same hand writes forward backward for and against the same things yea contrarily and against it selfe
Nauies Wee neede no other Religion no other vnity to prevaile against him hereafter then that wherein wee haue miraculously preuailed against him hertofore The same God of truth and peace will defend vs in the same Truth and the same Peace And I doubt not but the heart of the Parliament is to this Truth and Vnity and fully resolued to passe by that path vnto all due seruice and fit supply that may tend to the strength of HIM who is called in the Scripture The breath of our Nostrills and to the confusion of His and our Enemies Amen AN ADVERTISEMENT CONcerning the Allegations I thinke it fit to cleare the pertinencie of the Allegations which perchance by some may be misconceived First in the point of praedestination I thinke those since Austen are most of them without exception and speake to the poynt it selfe which is a free choice of some from the whole corrupted Masse they being like the rest when they were chosen but made to differ by choosing Those before Austen if they bee not so full and punctuall Austen himselfe there alledged doth excuse them yet I doubt not but they do shew a difference of men made by the meere grace and pleasure of God Secondly in the point of Freewill I thinke the maine point of supposed freedome is this An indifferency or aequilibriousnes of the will no way partially inclined but aequally able to incline it selfe any way In this freedome the will is imagined of some to bee set by a generall sufficient grace whereby it is freely able to bleeue or not to beleeue to receiue the grace of saluation or to resist it And in this opinion the will it selfe is the fountaine of receiuing saluation and grace doth not phisically and effectually moue the will to an assured receiuing of it but the will freely moues it selfe yea moues grace toward the receiuing of it Yet further some do not only put freewill where there is a state grace but even there where is onely the state of nature and vnregeneration and to this end they peruert the place of Paul To will is ready with mee but there wantes power to effect it by reason of the loade and chaynes of sinne which hinder the affecting For here they say St. Paul spake of himselfe as hee was vnregenerate though it cannot bee denyed but Saint Paul was regenerate when hee spake it yea hee sayes in the same place that hee serued with his mind the Law of God which no vnregenerate man doth Rom 8. 7. Now these places which shew the power and efficacy of Grace on the will not leauing it in an aequilibriousnesse and indifferency to all wayes but inclining it certainly and effectually one way these I thinke are pertinent to disproue the supposed freedome of will which rather moueth grace then is moued by grace They disproue the kingdome of the will ouer grace and do proue the Kingdome of God in grace on the will Againe those places which shew the power dominion and tyranny of Lust and the Law of sinne on the will they are also pertinent to disproue the same supposed freedome of will For they shew the mighty and effectuall power of sinne on the wil in the Captiuity of the will vnder the Law of sinne For where there is a Captiuity there cannot bee this imaginary Freedome Againe this very Captiuity of the will vnder Concupiscence necessarily inferreth a subiection of the will in Regeneration vnder effectuall and raigning Grace as profound Bradwarden excellently gathers in the place alledged vpon this point of Free-will For the strength of Concupiscence must be connterpoysed in the will at least by an aequall strength of grace wherefore if Concupiscence haue so much power to incline the will from God to the Creature surely Grace in the conuersion of a sinner must haue so much power as to incline the will to the Creator from the Creature If it bee sayd That some of the Fathers do speake somwhat more largely for freewill in other places that moues mee litle The one may bee the sayinges of preiudice the other of Iudgment the one may proceede from an opposition to the Manichees the other from a single and irrespectiue consideration And it is acknowledged generally that before pelagins there was an inconvenient largenesse in many speaches concerning Freewill Sure I am that seemes most to come from the Spirit that attribute especially in first motions vnto God lest glory to man and most to God And the Dictates of the Spirit should onely bee of Authority in points of Diuinity Lastly for the point of Certainty of Saluation I know there is a two fold Certainty Thinges are certaine in themselues or they are certaine to vs And places that affirme either of these concerning the Salvation of Saints do also affirme a finall Perseuerance of Saints For if our saluation bee certaine in it selfe our perseuerance without which there is no saluation is also certaine And if our saluation bee certaine to vs our perseuerance without which there can bee no saluation is also certaine to vs. And howsoeuer some may perchance obiect other places of the Fathers that from temporall desertions great falls of the Saints and finall Apostalyes of temporary beleeuers Matt. 4. 16. 17. do seeme to intimate a generall possibility of falling from grace yet it is worthy to be noted that among and amid these doubts which humane frailty suggesteth the voice and testimony of the Spirit breatheth forth that layes hold on heauen as an vndoubted inheritance inferring now in these Saints as before in St. Paul If sons then heyres and he yâ—…â—…exed with Christ. And one tesstimony of this Spirit of Truth is of more worth then all the doubts of humane frailty True it is and wee acknowledge it that the best Saints are sometimes terrified with their owne great infirmityes Gods temporall desertions and the fearfull falls of others And in these agonyes they say Is Psal. 77. 8 c. his mercy cleane gone for euer doth his promise faile for euermore But withall being receiued by the Spirit they acknowledge This is mine Infirmity Gods way is high spirituall in the sanctuary with his strength hee redeemeth his people And euen this very terror of the Saints from which some would make an obiection against Certainty of saluation is an answere to another obiection made against the same Certainty For these terrors serue for a remedy against that carnall security which they doe vsually obiect against Spirituall Certaintie To summe vp all these Doctrines into a chaine and connexion of blessednesse while God of his free mercy chuseth some to saluation from others aequally wrapped in one masse of corruption while by effectuall Grace hee rules in their hartes and wills and lastly while hee dwelles continues his kingdome in them by an immortall seed keeping and leading them infallibly 1. Pet. 1. â—… Rom. 11. 36. Luk. 2. 13. to saluation Man is safe being kept by the power of God vnto saluation and all the glory of Mans saluation is giuen to God And then let all the world listen to the musicke of heauen resounding in this Doctrine Glory be to God on high and peace on earth And let all the people say Amen