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
immortall God to dye no not for a moment Of this nature also is the borne of God hee cannot fall away totally that is dye in his spirituall life no not for a moment for hee is borne of that Father the seede of that God remaineth abideth in him and neuer departeth from him which is immortall and cannot dye This truth that the borne of God are preserued from euer falling from grace is confirmed by many other cleare places of Scripture if time would permit to recite them Now this being so cleare a proofe if any places of Scripture seeme to be opposite they are so onely in sound not in sense For proofe the Scriptures are full of admonitions the onely proofes that they bring for their opinions against the positiue truth to take heede of falling away from the grace of God as Heb. 12. 13. So 1 Cor. 10. 12. He that think he standeth let him take heed lest he fall the like also of exhortation if any man be fallen as Ezech 18. and elsewhere all which places must not so be taken as if Gods children did at any time fall away totally from grace but they are as so many Preseruatiues and Antidotes as so many directions to keep Gods childe in his way they are a part of those meanes which God hath ordained to preserue vs in the way from falling Hereupon I remember Saint Augustine saith excellently alledgâ—ng these words Reu. 3. 11. Tene quod habes c. Hold that thou hast least another take thy Crowne now that these things are so spoaken euen to the saints that shall perseuere as if it were vncertaine that they shall perseuere they ought not to heare this otherwise to whom it belongeth not to bee high minded but feare Hence also it was saide to the Apostles If yee shall abide in me himselfe speaking it who knew full well that they would abide in him And by the Prophet If yee be willing and will hearken vnto mee when himselfe knew in whom he would worke euen to will And many such things are spoken for the vtility and profit of this secret least any should be puffed vp but that all euen thâ—se that runne well should feare So he Nothing can be added to it Againe when wee reade of any Apostates and such as make shipwracke of faith as 2 Tim. 2. Himeneus and Alexander and the like then haue recourse to that saying of Saint Iohn 1. 2. 19. where speaking of Antichristian reuolters saith They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had ben of vs they would no doubt haue continued with vs but they went out that it might be made manifest that they were not all of vs. For there is a common temporarie faith a commoÌ„ grace a common illumination whereof the Apostle speakes Heb. 6. from which men may fall away totally and finally as Iudas and Iulian and others but the sauing grace the iustifying faith which is proper to Gods elect is of the foundation of God which standeth sure vpon which they that are built shall neuer fall away as Aquinas in Rom. 8. ver 30. whom he hath iustified them he hath glorified To this purpose I remember a saying or two of Saint Augustine Fides Christi c. The faith of Christ the faith of Christian grace namely that faith which worketh by loue being put in the foundation permits none to perish And in another place Nic nos moueat c. Nor let it moue vs saith he that God doth not giue this perseuerance to some of his sonnes For there are some who because of a temporarie grace receaued are called of vs the sonnes of God and yet with God they are not so of whom Iohn speaketh They went out from vs but they were not of vs they were not of the number of sonnes no not when they were in the faith of sonnes For the sonne of promise perisheth not but the sonne of perdition Those were of the multitude of the called not of the small number of the elect And againe in the 9. Chapter reciting Christs words Si man eritis in verbo meo c. If ye abide in me then are yee my Disciples indeed he saith Therefore because they had not perseuerance as also being not Christs Disciples indeede so neither were they the sons of God indeed euen then when they seemed to be and were called so Therefore we call those both the elect Disciples of Christ and the soâ—â—â—s of God because they are so to be called whom being regenerate to wit sacramentally and in our account wee see to line godly but then they are indeede that which they are called if they abide in that for which they are so called But if they haue not preseuerance they are not truly called that which they are called and are not Thus we see Saint Augustine following the rule of Gods word hath truly laid downe the state of the perseuerance of Gods saints in faith and grace distinguishing all along betweene sauing grace and common temporary grace betweene iustifying faith and common historicall faith betweene the outward ordinarie calling of Christians and the inward effectuall calling betweene the externall regeneration and the internall betweene the sonnes of God in mens account or in appearance and those in Gods account and in truth And in this sense not otherwise is that to bee vnderstood which the Appealer vrgeth of all that are baptized of whom we professe wee beleeue that they are regenerate and in the state of grace who comming afterwards to liue lewdly and so to dye the Author by their example would proue both a totall and finall falling away from grace True it is that Baptisme is called regeneration but Sacramentally and so all children baptised are said to be regenerate and so generally wee beleeue they are saved while we iudge them to be in the state of grace in regard of the common sacred Ordinance of God which is alwayes effectuall if it be accompanyed with the effectuall and inward working of the Spirit of God and received by a saving faith wrought by the same Spirit I say all children duely baptized we beleeue to be made the members of Christ and heires of the kingdome of heaven and to be saved dying before the committing of any such sinnes as might giue vs occasion to judge and beleeue the contrary This is the pious faith of the Church and of Christians Yet though in our accompt many are called by receiuing the outward Ordinances of God and the externall ordinary meanes of salvation notwithstanding in Gods account few are chosen And the chosen are onely those that are truely saved in Gods account The Lord knoweth who are his As aboue Saint Augustine speaking of the impious after baptisme saith Fuerunt isti c. Such were of the multitude of those that bee called not of the small number of the Elect. Babylonius But Saint Aug as our Authour alledgeth him both
this cloud is ouer it sends forth new rayes of grace It is the soule of the soule which euen in the middest of extream fainting of the soule yet remaines intire without diminution by the aqua caelestis of Gods neuer failing mercy actuates euery faculty of the soule afresh to the atchieuing of greater workes It is the ship of good hope which when couered with waues sets prayers to awaken Christ asleepe in it who by and by stilleth the storme or sends his Angel as to Paul to assure him that none in this little barke of ours shall perish but safely arriue vpon the hony hauen of Melita euen that true hony-flowing land of Canaan It is a fire which while raked vp vnder the dead ashes of deepe contrition though it seeme dead yeelding neither light nor warmth to our weake senses yet it is but fostered for a new fire that though heauinesse for sinne may indure for a night yet ioy of faith commeth in the morning feeding it selfe with the fewell of new works of obedience flaming forth in a holy conuersation The faithfull man as Dauid as Peter may be ouertaken with a dead sleepe of faith but awakened by grace his soule is inlightned that hee sleepes not in death but as the Sunne arising reioyceth as a gyant to runne his course with greater alacritie and vigor Thus wee see the fruite of sauing faith may be for a time suppressed yet the roote not supplanted the act of it may be suspended yet the habit not lost it may be ecclipsed to our sense yet his light not lessened or his course stayed it may bee in a dead sleepe yet liue faint yet not faile sicke yet not to death weather beaton yet not wracked languish yet not perish Babylonins But the famous Schollar Doctor Ouerall alledged by the Authour late Deane of Pauls and Bishop of Norwich held that a man might fall from grace into the very state of damnation and so remaine vnder Gods wrath till hee did recouer Yea that he auouched this to his late Maiestie and what concertations hee had with other Doctors in the Vniuersitie about it Orthodoxus If we take vp all the Appealer faith vpon trust without further examination wee shall recken before our host for hee playes the shuffler egregiously Nor will he I perceiue to saue his owne stake sticke to pawne the best credit of the most famous of our Church for the security of his most shamelesse slaunders of the truth And if we had not all the better euidence to conuince him he would carry it away hand smooth with downe right daring Pardon my zeale hearein I cannot but be moued when not only Godscause and glory then which nothing ought to be more precious vnto vs but also the credit of our learned and reuerend Fathers is so traduced But the summe of the Conference before the Kings Maiestie at Hampton Court now newly published in print will tell vs the plaine truth of the matter And that we may not with the Appealer falsifie the truth in dealing by halfes I will giue you the intire words of that worthy Deane and reuerend Bishop as they are set downe in the 42 page of that booke Namely that whosoeuer although before iustified did commit any greeuous sin as adultery murther treason or the like did become ipso facto subiect to Gods wrath and guiltie of damnation or were in state of damnation quoad praesentem statum vntill they repented adding hereunto that those which were called iustified according to the purpose of Gods election howsoeuer they might and did sometime fall into greiuous sinnes and thereby into the present state of wrath and damnation yet did neuer fall either totally from all the graces of God to be vtterly destitute of all the parts and sccde thereof nor finally from iustification but were in time renued by Gods Spirit vnto a liuely faith and repentance and so iustified from those sinnes and the wrath curse and guilt annexed thereunto whereinto they are fallen and wherein they lay so long as they were without true repentance for the same Doe we not see plainely here how hee distinguisheth betweene a common iustification in regard of the externall and ordinary meanes of the Word and Sacraments and the true and reall iustification according to Gods purpose yet in the first he maketh no mention of a totall falling away Or if the Appealer will contend that so much is implyed we will not contend for that for such as are not truely and really iustified according to Gods purpose but onely according to the externall vocation no maruaile if they both totally and finally fall away But for those that are iustified according to Gods purpose to wit the elect and praedestenate vnto life he saith expresly that though they may and doe fall into greiuous sinnes yet they neuer fall either totally or much lesse finally from the grace of God but are in time renewed by Gods Sririt vnto a liuely faith and repentance A golden speech which all the Apealers chimicall counterfeit Philosophers stone cannot so easily transmute into his base copper alcumy coyne how brauely and boldly soeuer he braze it on according to his rule Caluâ—niare audacter aliquid barâ—bit To conolude this point of perseuerance in true grace it stands firmely built vpon sure grounds and euident reasons set downe in the Scriptures such as no wit of man or deuill can ouerthrow For the purpose one reason of the elects perseuerance in grace vnto glory is taken from the nature of that holy feare which God puts in the hearts of all his faithfull ones as Ier. 32. 39 40. where the Lord saith I will giue them one heart and one way that they may feare me for euer c. And I will make an euerlasting couenant with them that I will not turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me So here is a double reason of the Saints perseuerance first on Gods part He will not turne away from them to doe them good and that by an eternall couenant And secondly they shall not depart from him Vpon which words Saint Augustine saith Quod quid est aliud quam talis actantus erit timor meus quem dabo in cor coruÌ„ vt mihi perseueranter adhareant which what is it else but that my feare which I will put in their hearts shall bee such and so great that they shall perseueringly cleaue vnto me A second reason is alledged Ioh. 13. 1. drawne from the immutabilitie and eternity of Christs loue to his elect saying Hauing loued his owne which were in the world he loued them vnto the end * And as the Apostle saith The gifts and calling of God are without repentance A third reason of the Saints perseuerance is taken from the power of Christ and of the Father Ioh. 10. 28. where Christ saith I giue vnto