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
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
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