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
Suffer me also to obserue another saying in the very entrance of that worke Repertus est c. There is found one Bartius a false teacher of Leyden who was not afraid to set forth a booke execrable in the very Title of it OF THE APOST ACY of the SAINTS a man as it seemes of the Schoole of Arminius whom also the Vorstian liberty of Prophecying that is a licenciousnes that growes mad against wel established Religion hath transported and perswaded him that out of one inch of Noueltie most vaine desire of singularity he should depart from the receiued sentence of our Churches Wherin it may evidently appeare in what contrarietie to the Doctrine of our Church standeth or rather falleth this Apostacy and falling away of the Saints Augustine saith not That no man can be sure of perseuerancet Doctor Fulke c. But of perseuerance he affirmeth ca. 12. De Correp gra To the first man which in that good wherein hee was made right had receiued that hee might not sinne that hee might not dye that hee might not forsake that good an ayde of perseuerance was giuen not whereby it should come to passe that he should perseuere but without which he could not perseuere by Freewill But now vnto the Saints praedestinated by the grace of God vnto the kingdome of God not onely such an ayde of perseuerance is giuen but such that euen perseuerance it selfe is giuē to them not only that that they cannot perseuere without this gift but also by this gift they are not but perseuerant For he not only said without me yee can doe nothing but also he said Yee haue not chosē me but I haue chosen you and haue appoynted you that you may goe bring forth fruit and that your fruit may abide By which words he shewed that hee had giuen them not onely Iustice but perseuerance in it For when Christ so appointeth them that they go and bring forth fiuite and that their fruit should abide who dare be bold to say peraduenture it shall not abide All Christians therefore ought to be assured that they shall remaine in the Vine keepe his Commandements and such like conditions as be required of them For as S. Augustine saith He that maketh men good maketh them also to perseuere in good Answ. to the Rhemist Testa See more there vpon Rom. 8. Hee held of the Angels somany as he was pleased and Doctor Field suffered them not to decline and goe a side with the rest and raised vp and severed out of the masse of perdition whom hee would among the sonnes of men The Angels now confirmed in grace and those men whom in the multitude of his mercyes he deliuered out of the State of condemnation and reconciled to himselfe do make that happie societie of blessed ones whom God hath loued with an euerlasting Loue. This Societie is more properly named the Church of God then the former consisting of men and Angels in the state of that integritie wherein they were created in that they which pertaine to this happy company are called to the partitipation of Eternall happinesse with the calling of a more mightie potent and preualing grace then the other For whereas they were partakers onely of that grace which gaue them power to attaine vnto and continue in the perfection of all happie good if they would and then In tanta faelicitate non-peccandi facilitate in so great faelicity and facility of not offending left to themselues to doe what they would and to make their choise at their owne perill These are partakers of the grace which winneth Infallibly holdeth Inseperably and leadeth Indeclinably in the wayes of eternall blessednesse Without which efficacy of Grace winning Infallibly holding Inseparably and leading Indeclinably no man euer attained to saluation of which who so is partaker shall vndoubetly be saued Of the Church Lib. 1. cap. 3. cap. 17. Doct Ioh. White This holy reuerend and greatly learned man in his Way to the Church hath a Digression with this Title Digres 41. Intreating of Praedestination Freewill as the Protestants hold them and shewing that their Doctrine concerning thosepoints doth neither make God the author of sin nor leade men to becareles of their liues c. And indeede he excellently proues what he vndertakes in this Digression In another we reade thus Perseuerance in good beginneth not in the will but in Gods protecting Grace that vpholds the will from desisting whence it followes that to euery new worke the will needes a new Grace as Organs giue sound no longer then while the bellowes are blowing Against this our Aduersaries teach that a iust man when himselfe will can practise any Righteousnesse internall or externall by doing good workes and keeping Gods Law neither needes he ordinarily a new Grace to excite him but onely to helpe him And in case of falling into sin when it is said the will cannot cooperate to rise againe the meaning is that it cannot do◅ it so easily And this he calls An impious blasphemy and sauouring of Pelagianisme Digress 42. The Title of another Digression 43 is this Prouing that Gods children without miracles or extraordinary Reuelation may be and are infallibly assured that they haue grace and are in the state of saluation There we reade in the Digression it selfe The manner how we know wee haue grace and shall be saued is by the meanes of the holy Ghost whose worke it is to assure vs I thinke then it is the euill spirits worke to take away this assurance the which he doth first by producing in vs the effects of sauing Grace and Praedestination which i◅ the constant reforming of our life within and without Whereupon it followes that he which giues himselfe effectually and stedfastly to a godly life may infallibly bee secured thereby of his Saluation because God whose promises are infallible hath promised saluation to all such Where the Reader may note That the constant Reformation of our life is an effect of Praedestination and a worke of the Spirit Now if this constant Reformation be wrought in vs by the spirit and is giuen to vs as a fruite of Gods constant Decree of Praedestination how can wee fall away for a constant Reformation and falling away cannot stand together But here we see Gods Spirit giues vs a constant Reformation of life and therefore falling away is excluded A little after Stapleton confesseth that S. Paul pronounceth the same certainty of other mens saluation that 1 Cor. ◅ 40. Rom. 8. 38. ◅ Tim. 4. 8. he doth of his owne And therefore we may haue assurance of Grace and Perseuerance as well as he had For in diuers places he shewes that he was assured of Gods spirit and Grace and eternall life You shall heare what the Auncient Fathers say touching this matter Macarius saith Although they are not as yet entered into the whole Inheritance prepared for them in the world to come yet through
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
for the profession of the Gospell that now hauing gotten the vpper hand of your miseries you would not suffer the followers of Arminius to make your actions an example for them to proclaime to the world that wicked Doctrine of the Apostasie of the Saints It is all worthy of deepe consideration and among if not aboue the rest 1. The opinion that this great and wise King had of this Doctrine of The Apostasie of the Saints Hee saith of a booke so intituled The Title â—…re enough to make it worthy the fire And he callâ—… him Hereticke and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that published this booke The booke also Hee termeth A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Apostasie of the Saintâ—… And by his Ambassadour He calls it That wicked Doctrine of the Apostasie of the Saints 2. What agreement this booke and Doctrine had with the Doctrine of the Church of England Here of the King saith Hee was shamelesse to maintaine in his letter to the Arch bishop that the Doctrine contained in his booke was agreeable with the Doctrine of the Church of England And againe A letter wherein he is not ashamed as also in his booke to lye so grossely as to auow that his Heresies contained in the said booke are agreeable with the Religion and profession of our Church of England 3. The dangers that arise from this kinde of Doctrine Arminius left behinde him a distraction in the State And you cannot expect any other issue thereof then the curse of God infamy throughout all Reformed Churches and a perpetuall rent and distraction in the whole Body of your State 4. The councell that was both taken and giuen hereupon It was high time to bestirre our selues when as this Gangreene had not onely taken hold on our neerest Neighbours but did also begin to creepe into the bowels of Our owne Kingdome And For these respects therefore haue Wee cause enough very hartily to request you to root out with speed these Heresies and Schismes which are beginning to bud forth amongst you I may adde hereunto the Doctrine of the Articles of the Church of Ireland which fitly may here be inserted as both looking to King Iames vnder whose Authority and protection it came forth and was maintained and looking to the Doctrine of the Church of England since it were an intollerable and impudent iniury to the wisdome and religious knowledge of those times to say that betweene them there was not a harmonie All Gods elect are in their time inseparably vnited vnto Article of Ireland Num. 33. Christ by the effectuall and vitall influence of the Holy Ghost deriued from Him as from the Head vnto euery true member of his Mysticall Body A true liuely iustifying Faith and the sanctifying Num. 38. Spirit of God is not extinguished nor vanisheth away in the Regenerate either finally or totally THE DOCTRINE OF THE Church of England for Certaintie of Saluation THe Church of England teacheth the certaintie of Saluation and she hath done it so constantly and and generally that it will be very hard to produce any one of her Sonnes that durst before very late dayes to affirme and defend to the contrary by any publike worke and writing Shee hath taught this Certaintie by her owne Articles Shee hath re-enforced it by an exposition of Her Articles it hath beene explained and enlarged by Articles of Lambeth it hath beene taught by Her most eminent Sonnes the Reverend Fathers the Bishops of this Church and the Professors of Divinitie who are trusted by her to deliver her true thoughts and Tenents in Divinitie to her children And wee see that it hath also beene sealed vp and settled in Articles of the Church of Ireland betweene which Church and the Church of England to make a contraritie and opposition is a thing of extreame danger and absurditie And first for her owne Articles In the Article of Praedestination our Church teacheth the Certaintie of Saluation diuers wayes One way by making Saluation to depend on such a constant and sure Election that it bringeth the Elect constantly to Salvation A constant Decree of Election brings the Saints constantly assuredly through the way of Saluation vnto the wayes end even Salvation it selfe This constant bringing of the Elect to Saluation wee may finde in these words God hath constantly Decreed by his Counsell secret to Article 17. vs to deliuer from Curse and damnation those whom hee hath chosen in Christ out of Man-kinde and to bring them by Christ to euerlasting Saluation From hence is it plaine and easie to argue Those whom God hath constantly Decreed to bring to Salvation they are constantly and certainly brought to Saluation But here God hath constantly Decreed to bring his Elect to Saluation Therefore the Elect of God are constantly and certainely brought to Saluation And that this bringing to Salvation is not in the wayes end only but in the way it selfe the particulars by which the Elect are brought to Salvation plainly shew which are to follow in the next consideration But here by the way let vs note that this bringing to Salvation by a constant and certaine Decree carries with it a certaine and assured Salvation even by the confession of the Enemies of it For in this very respect because it induceth a certaine and constant Salvation they reiect it as that which crosseth their inconstancie and mutabilitie of Salvation This Doctrine of certaintie crosseth their doctrine of Incertaintie and therefore their doctrine of incertaintie crosseth and reiecteth this doctrine of Certainty For well they know that it must be a certaine Saluation which is wrought and brought to passe by a constant and absolute Decree of Election Therefore to plant this Apostacie and that men though Elected may haue leaue to fall from Saluation if they will they make an Election which followâ—…th a man vpon the condition of his sore-seene perseverance So that as in the doctrine of our Church a constant Decree of Election constantly bringing to Salvation must needs withall giue a finall perseverance in the state of grace their Doctrine not enduring this constant perseuerance and saluation issuing from a constant Decree of Election haue deuised an Election that waites vpon man to see whether hee will giue to himselfe finall perseuerance by his owne Free-will An Election by which no man is actually Elected vntill hee be no man that is vntill hee be parted the soule from the body But as I said before our Doctrine may be knowne to be a Doctrine of Certaintie that doth oppose and reiect this falling away because the fallers away doe oppose and reiect it there being indeed an incompatibility betweene a constant Decree that brings men constantly to Saluation and a dependant and contingent Decree that waites on mans vncertaine Will to see whether his will will finally perseuer and so bring his owner to Election A second way by which our Church teacheth the certaintie of Saluation in this Article is this Because shee sayeth the same grounds
the earnest which they now receiue they are as certaine of it as if they were already crowned and reigning c. Bernard saith who is iust but he that returneth loue to God who hath loued him which is done when the Spirit by Faith REVEALETH to a man the eternall PVRPOSE of GOD concerning his FVTVRE SALVATION Dr. Reynoldes was a man indifferently well esteemed by some for his learning in the place where he liued and not accused by any that I knew for not being orthodoxe in any point of the Doctrine of our Church Yet Salomons saying is true That the Race is not to the swift c neither is fauour stil to men of skill wherfore as when a Countrey-Gentleman would borrow money in this Citie though his estate be neuer so great in the Countrey yet commonly hee must hauea Citizen bound for him that is knowne to the Cittie so since Doctor Reynoldes though well knowne for his learning in the place where he liued yet perchance may faile to haue trust among some men I must take leaue to get a surety for him euen one that is liuing and whose wordes I thinke will be taken in the Citie The man whome I produce to giue his word for Dr. Reynoldes is Doctor Francis White Deane of Carlile I haue already indeede produced him for a witnesse but now I produce him for a surety yea since he can here be a witnesse also let him be both a witnesse and a surety First therefore I take him as a witnesse of Perseuerance in that which I formerly cited out of him That our Tenet concerning Praedestination is no other then what Saint Austen and his Schollers maintained against the Pelagians Now it may plainly appeare by diuers of Saint Austens workes that the Praedestination taught by Saint Austen gaue to the praedestinaite an infallible perseuerance a perseuerance by which a Saint could not but perseuere And that I may not send away my Reader presently to reade or buy the workes of Saint Austen let him but looke backe to the allegation of Doctor Fulke and there he shall plainly see that which here I tell him so that thence will arise a plaine Argument The Tenet of our Church concerning Praedesti nation is the Doctrine of Saint Austen But the Doctrine of Saint Austen teacheth a Praedestination that giues a sure and infallible Perseuerance Therefore the Tenet of our Church teacheth a Praedestination that giues a sure and infallible Perseuerance Neither may aman dare to meddle with any thing but the Conclusion for the former proposition is guarded by Doctor White and the second by Saint Austin and Doctor Fulke But Doctor White comes somewhat nearer and RePly to Fisher. Proues that A member of Christ and the Catholicke Church in the Creede which consists of the true members of Christ can neuer fall away vnto damnation and therefore must needs be possessed of finall perseuerance That Church or the Catholicke Church in the Creede hath the remission of sinnes and life eternall and passeth not to Hell Ioh. 10. 28. Aug. de Doctr Christi lib. 3. cap. 32. Againe The testimonies of St. Austen obiected by the same Aduersary which are that the Catholicke Church is the Body of Christ whereof he is the Head and that out of this Body the holy Ghost quickneth no man make altogether against himselfe For none are vitall Members of Christs mysticall Body but Iust and Holy persons And it is the same Fathers Doctrine Impii non suntreuera corpus Christi wicked persons are not in Deed Veritie the Body of Christ. And in another place In corpore Christi non sunt quod est Ecclesia quoniam non potest Christus habere membra damnata They are not in Christs Body because Christ CANNOT haue DAMNABLE members Thus are Christs members sure of Salvation because safe from damnation they cannot be damned therefore they must be saved and I thinke that they will not deny that finall perseverance is an inseparable companion of Salvation And now wee come to another place in the same worke which though it begin in Witnessing yet it ends in Suretiship It that is still The Catholicke Church in the Creede is the Church builded upon the Rocke against which the gates of Hell shall not preuaile either by Herisie Tentation or Mortall sinne Matt. 16. 18. Matt. 7. 24 And if it bee a meere fancie to hold this then Gregory the great with many ancient Father were fantasticks for teaching in this manner Which to make good there are many citations adioyned Aug de Ciâ—…it Dei lib 20. cap 8. Nunquam ab illo ecclesia sed vcetur praedestinata electa ante constitutionem mundi Origin Trac 1 Mat Vnumquodque peccatorum c. portae sunt Inferorum Vna Inferorum porta vocatur scortatio Câ—…mmultae sunt neque recenceri numero possint Inferorum portae nulla porta Inferorum valet aduersus petram aut Ecclesiam quam Christus super illam aedificat Gregor Morall lib. 28. cap. 6 Sanctam EcclesiaÌ„ de Sanctis in aternum perman suris constructam nullis huius vitae persecutionibus superandam Ipse super quem â—…dificata est euidenter ostendit cum ait Portâ—… Inferi non praeualebunt aduersus eam Ambr in Luc lib. 2. cap. 3. Bern in Cant serm 7â—… Dr. Raynold de Script Eccles. Thess. 4 confirme the same at large Thus are we referred to Doct. Reynolds by this learned man and therefore we may safely passe on to see what hee sayes Neither is this Reference meerely generall and learge but punctuall to this very poynt of the finall Perseuerance of the Saints A more generall commendation hee hath besides of this same worke when he sayes The aduersaries haue made no Reply to Doctor Reynoldes Theses Neither are any endued with sanctification but those whome God hath Elected that they should bee Saints And to true Sanctification Iustification concurreth But God Iustifieth onely the Elect and Iustifiing Faith by which the Hearts are purified is the Faith of the Elect of God The wicked are not beeleeuers in the Apostolicall vse of that word For whosoeuer beeleeueth shall bee saued and the end of Faith is the saluation of the soule And howsoeuer they may bee called beeleeuers for a profession of faith or for a temporary Faith yet they are not redeemed as those which are grounded on Christ For those that are Redeemed are made Kings and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God which is the Prâ—…per prerogatiue of Saints And they that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did vp on Christ haue built houses grounded vpon the Roâ—… which shall neuer fall Thes. 4. which is the very same wherevnto D White referred the Reader The 〈◊〉 Doctrine of Finall perseuerance 〈◊〉 againe confirmed in the Apologie of these Thesâ—… Master Hooker As Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more power ouer him so the iustified man be ing allyed to God in Iesus Christ our Lord doth as necessarily from that time
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