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
whether he would vse his grace well and beleeue the Gospell or no and as hee saw a man affected so did praedestinate chuse or refuse him But the Analysis it selfe plainely according to the Article rectifieth this disorder and makes Iustification Sanctification and Glorification to flow from Praedestination so that Praedestination depends not on them Diuers be the effects of Praedestination but chiefely 7. Proposition it bringeth to the elect Iustification by Faith in this life and in the life to come Glorification alwayes a conformitie to the Image of the only begotten Sonne of God both in suffering here and inioying immortall glorie hereafter The heauenly wisedome of our Church in this point is so fully and plainely expressed by her selfe that shee needes not to bee iustified of her children yet ex abundanti I adde one or two Testimonies but first admonishing the Reader to take notice of the Doctrine of the Church of Ireland before set downe and withall to beware that hee thinke not two Doctrines to bee taught in these Churches but one Before Augustines time many great and worthy Doctor Field of the Church lib. 3. cap. 9. Prelates and Doctors of the Church not hauing occasion to enter into the exact handling of that pâ—…t of Christian Doctrine did teach that men are Predestinate for the fore-sight of some things in themselues And Augustine himselfe in the beginning of the conflicts with the Pelagians was of opinion that at the least for the foresight of Faith men are Elected to Eternall life which afterward he disclaymed as false and erroneous and taught that mans saluation dependeth on the efficacie of that grace which God giueth and not his purpose of sauing vpon the incerâ—…tainty of mans will This Doctrine of Augustine was receiued and confirmed in the Church against the Pelagians and Semi-pelagians Thus is our Doctrine the Doctrine of the Church vpon aduise and due examination the other Doctrine is the errour of those that had not duely entred into the exact handling of this point Now to follow an errour when the truth is vpon due tryall cleared and brought to light brings that sentence to passe which Vincent Liâ—…m cap. 11. Lirmensis pronounceth Absoluuntur Magistri condemnantur discipuli The Masters are freed and the Schollers are condemned For the one erred by infirmitie and wanting the occasion of not-erring the others erre out of more wilfulnesse and stumble in the day time hauing a faire occasion of not-erring of not-stumbling Doctor Fr White Deane of Carlile acknowledgeth the Doctrine of St. Augustine to bee the Doctrine of the Church of England in these words Although our Tenet concerning Praedestination bee no Reply to Fisher. pag. 275. other then Saint Austin and his Schollers maintained against the Pelagians Now Saint Austins opinion is presently to appeare in his owne words as defore it hath beene shewed by Doctor Field And in the point of Free-will we shall see that the most learned and iudicious King IAMES yeelds this consent by name to the same Saint Augustine Thus is there a perfect harmonie betweene this great King the Church of England and the Catholicke Church which that wee may more euidently see on the part of the Catholicke Church behold here what shee teacheth by her chiefe Fathers Doctors and Teachers THE DOCTRINE OF THE Catholicke Church concerning Election or Praedestination taught by the Fathers and subscribed by Doctors and Schoole-men NVm putatis ô Viri nos unquam haec in Scripturis Iustin Martyr Dial cum Tryph. Iud. intelligere potuisse c. Doe you thinke O men that wee could euer haue vnderstood these things in the Scriptures except wee had receiued grace by the will of God who willed that wee should vnderstand these things of which grace you being destitute that is the Iewes haue vnderstood none of them that it might be fulfilled which is taught by Moses They haue prouoked me by strange Gods c. And I will prouoke them by that which is no Nation Dialog cum Tryph. Nos elegit Deus c. And againe God Elected vs and was made manifest to them that sought him not Behold saith hee I am the God of a Nation which God anciently promised to Abraham when hee told him that he should be the Father of many Nations Elegit Deus non natura c. God did Elect not those Iraneuâ—… lib. â—… cap. 34. that are better by nature but those that are worse Id. lib. 3. cap. 33. Praedestinaâ—…it Deus c. God Predestinated the first naturall man that he should be saued by the spirituall man And hee proues his saluation to be necessaey Cap. 38. Neque ad hoc pretijs aut ambitu c. Neither is there Cyprian 〈◊〉 Mors. need of money industry and mans hand that mans chiefest dignitie or power should be gotten by some excellent worke but it is the free and ready gift of God As freely as the Sunne shineth the Fountaine watereth the showre moystneth so doth the heauenly Spirit Powre it selfe into vs. Iacobus Apostolus docuis c. Iames the Apostle Athanaesius Cent. Arrian 4. hath taught Of his owne will begate hee vs by the word of truth therefore of all the regenerate yea and of all that by creation were generated it is the will of God by the word of God that doth create and regenerate whatsoeuer pleaseth him Quoniam animarum Medicus c. Because the Physitian Hillary in Psal. 48. of soules came not to call the iust but sinners to repentance therefore hee ORDAINED that whatsoeuer was worst in euery company should bee soonest CALLED The worst of all men that inhabite the earth were the Heathen and they are preferred first to be Called Non volentis c. Perseuerance is not in him that Ambrose in Psal. 118. Serm. 10. willeth nor in him that runneth For it is not in the power of man but in God that sheweth Mercie that thou shouldst be able to accomplish that which thou hast begun Et si longe est à peccatoribus salus c. And againe Though saluation befarre from the wicked yet let 〈◊〉 Serm. 20. no man despaire because many bee the Mercies of God Those that by their owne sinnes are perishing by the Mercie of God are freed I will haue mercie saith he on whom I will haue mercie He hath appeared plainely to them that sought him not he hath called those that fled from him Non eliguntur Paulus c. Paul and those which are Hierrme ad Ruffin lib. 1. like him are not Elected because they were holy and vnspotted but they are Elected and Praedestinated that in their liues afterward in good-workes and vertues they might be holy and vnspotted But though before this time the Fathers had not clearely discouered nor deliuered the Doctrine of Praedestination it ought to be no preiudice to the Doctrine For What need is there that we should bee driuen to Austin de praedest
Sanct. cap. 14. search the workes of those who before this Haerisie viz. of Pelagius arose had no necessitie to busie themselues in this question so difficult to bee resolued which yet surely they would haue done if they had beene enforced to answer this kinde of men Yet he also sheweth that this Doctrine was euer at least impliedly in the faith of the Church Let him say that the Church had not at all times De bono perseuer cap. 23. in her Faith the truth of this Praedestination and Grace which now with more diligent care is defended against the new Haeretickes let him I say affirme this that dares to say that shee did not at all times pray or that she did not sincerely pray both that vnbeleeuers might beleeue or that beleeuers might perseuere His owne opinion is to be found in many of his works wherefore I onely produce one or two places for patternes De his quibus poenam seueritas iusta decreuerat c. Out of those to whom the seueritie of Iustice adjudgeth De praedest gra cap. 13. punishment according to the vnexpressible Mercy of his secret dispensation he chose out vessels which he might fit vnto Honour both deliuering some from wrath to come by a free calling and leauing other to the sentence of Iustice. Miseretur scilicet magna bonitate c. Hee hath Enchirid. al Laurent cap. 99. Mercie with Goodnesse hee hardneth without iniustice so that he that is freed may not boast of his merits neither he that is damned may complaine of any thing but his merits For Grace alone differenceth the Redeemed from the Lost whom one common cause deriued from the roote had vnited together in one masse of destruction Praedestinationem Dei nullus Catholicus c. The Praedestination Prosper ad capit Gall. capit 1. of God no Catholicke doth deny Now the faith of Praedestination is established by manifold authorities of the holy Scriptures yet vnto it it is not lawfull to ascribe any of the sinnes of men who came to their pronenesse vnto sinne not by Gods creation but by their first Fathers transgression From the punishment whereof no man is freed but only by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ prepared and Praedestinated in the eternall counsell of God before the foundation of the world Piâ constantique doctrinâ abundanter probauit Auggustinus Id. ad excerpt Genis Resp. ad Dub. 9. c. Augustine by a godly and constant Doctrine abundantly proued that Praedestination was to be preached to the Church in which Praedestination is the preparation of Grace and Grace is to be preached in which is the effect of Praedestination and the fore-knowledge of God wherein hee fore-knewe before all ages on whom he would conferre his gifts Of which preaching whosoeuer is an impugner he is a most open defender of Pelagian pride Imò nouerunt non solùm Romanam c. They know Prosper ad Ruffin that not only the Romane and Africane Church and all the sonnes of promise through all the parts of the world doe agree with the Doctrine of this man Augustine as in the whole Faith so in the confession of Grace In his Epistle to Possessor a bishop of Africke seeking Homesda Bishop of Rome counsell of him concerning the reading of the bookes of Faustus That the Catholike Church doth maintaine the Doctrine of Saint Austine and particularly name his writing to Hillarius and Prosper in which the Doctrine of Free Praedestination is maintained and defended Haec si ita sunt vt haeretici iactitant c. If things Petrus Diaconus de incar gra Christi goe so as the Heretickes boast then haue they comprehended the vnsearchable and incomprehensible iudgements of God c. And the Scriptures deceaues vs which saith that the iudgements of God are incomprehensible But we beleeuing them to be incomprehensible doe affirme that out of one masse of perdition some are saued by the goodnesse and grace of God and others are forsaken by his most iust and secret Iudgement Deus qui hominem condidit c. God who made man Fulgentius de Incar gra in fine by his Praedestination fore-appointed to whom hee would giue the gift of illumination to beleeue and the gift of perseuerance to profit and persist and the gift of glorification to raigne who no otherwayes performed in Deed than he hath ordained in his vnchangeable Will The truth of which Praedestination by which the Apostle witnesseth that we are Praedestinated in Christ before the foundations of the world if any man refuse to receaue with the beleife of the heart or to speake with the confession of his mouth if before the last day of this present life hee doe not cast off the stubbornesse of his error whereby he rebelleth against the true and liuing God it is plaine that hee doth not pertaine to their number whom God in Christ freely chose and Praedestinated before the foundation of the world Nemo ergo perscrutari appetat c. Let no man bee Gregory the great Moral in Iob lib. 29. cap. 15. earnest to search why one is chosen when another is reiected or why one is reiected when another is chosen because the face of the deepe is couered and Saint Paul himselfe witnesseth that his iudgements are vnsearchable and his wayes past finding out There is a two fold Praedestination either of the Isidore Hispalensis Seut lib. 2. cap. 6 Elect vnto rest or of the Reprobate vnto death Both are done by the iudgement of God so that hee euer causeth the Elect to follow heauenly and inward things and by forsaking the Reprobate he suffereth them to follow earthly and outward things Beda expoundeth the ninth to the Romanes in the sense and sentences of Saint Austin and therefore concurreth in the same Doctrine of Praedestination Praedestinatio non solùm bo norum est c. Praedestination Anselme de Concor praesc pradest is not only of good but it may be said also of euill as God is said to doe the euill which hee doth not because he permits it For he is said to harden a man when he doth not soften him and to lead into tentation when he doth not deliuer Therefore it is not vnfit that hee should thus Praedestinate while he doth not amend euill men nor their euill deeds But yet he is said more specially to foreknow good things because in them he makes that they be and that they be good but in the euill things he makes but their being not the euill of their being Nonergo ideo misertus est Deus c. God did not Idem in Rom. 9. take mercie on Iacob because hee willed and runned but therefore Iacob willed and runned because God had mercie on him Let it be sufficient for thee who yet liuest by Faith and not seeing perfectly but knowing only in part to know and beleeue that God doth saue none but
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