is pag. 141. transformed in mind renewed in soule regenerate by grace Discord Church of England HOmil of Saluation page 13. Because all men be sinners and breakers of Gods law therefore can no man by his owne acts words and deeds seeme they neuer so good bee iustified But of necessity euery man is constrained to seeke for another righteousnesse or iustification to bee receiued at Gods owne hands that is to say forgiuenesse of sins And this iustificatiō or righteousnes which wee so receiue of Gods mercy and Christs merits is accepted and allowed of God for our full and perfect iustification The faith in Christ which is within vs doth not iustifie vs for that were to account our selues to bee iustified by some act or virtue which is within our selues Art 11. Of the iustification of man We are accounted righteous before God onely by the merit of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ by faith not our owne workes Note in this maine point of Iustification That the Appealer differeth from the Church of England and consenteth to the Church of Rome in three remarkable particulars 1 In the signification of the word To iustifie which the Appealer and the Church of Rome take for making a man righteous The Church of England and the Protestants generally for accounting declaring or pronouncing a man righteous 2 The Church of England maketh Iustification to consist onely in forgiuenesse of sinnes The Appealer and Church of Rome not onely in forgiuenesse of sins but partly in it and partly in sanctifying graces infused 3 The Church of England teacheth That wee are not iustified by inherent righteousnesse or by any vertue within vs. The church of Rome and the Appealer hold That we are iustified by sanctifying and regenerating graces within vs whereby wee are transformed in minde and renewed in soule By renewing grace inherent in vs wee are sanctified but not iustified the confounding of Sanctification with Iustification as the Appealer and Papists doe is an errour of dangerous consequence as the learned well know Of Merit of Workes Harmony Church of Rome COunc. of Trent Sess. 6. can 32. If any man say That the good workes of a man iustified doe not truly merit increase of grace and eternall life let him be accursed Bellar. de iustifi lib. 5. c. 16. The workes of iust men proceeding frō charity are meritorious of eternall life ex condigno this is the common opinion of Diuines and it is most true Vasques in 1a. 2ae q. 114. disput 214. The good workes of iust men without any couenāt or acceptation are worthy of the reward of eternall life and haue an equall value of worth to the obtaining of eternall life Vasques disput 222. The workes of a righteous man doe merit eternall life as an equall reward or wages they make A man iust and worthy eternall life that hee may of desert obtaine the same Appealer APpeal pag. 233. The wicked goe to enduring of torments euerlasting the good goe to enioying of happinesse without end thus is their estate diuersified to their deseruing Answer to Gagg pag. 153. Merit of congruity is not commonly meant as scarce vouchsafed the name of merit Good workes are therefore said to bee meritorious are so vnderstood to be ex condigno which that a worke may so be these conditions are required that it bee morally good freely wrought by man in this life in the state of grace and friendship with God which hath annexed Gods promise of reward all which conditions I cannot conceiue that any protestant doth deny to good workes Discord Church of Engl. HOmily of Saluation 2. part page 17. Though I haue faith hope and charity repentance and doe neuer so many good workes yet wee must renounce the merit of all our said virtues and good deeds which wee either haue done shall doe or can doe as things that bee farre too weake and insufficient to deserue the remission of our sinnes Artic. 11. Wee are accoūted righteous before God onely for the merit of our Lord Sauior Iesus Christ by faith and not for our own works or deseruings Homil. of good workes To haue affiance in our workes as by merit of them to purchase to our selues remission of sinnes and eternall life is blasphemy Obserue reader that the Appealer ignorantly or fraudulently omitteth the proper conditions requisite to a meritorious act which are especially these 1 That the worke be properly our and not his of whom we pretend to merit 2 That it be opus indebitum a worke to which otherwise we are not bound 3 That it be some way profitable and beneficiall to him from whom wee expect our reward 4 That it haue some proportion and correspondence of congruity at least if not of condignitie to the reward expected All which conditions Protestants deny to bee found in our good works And therupon disclaime all merit These conditions the Appealer pretermitteth and from foure common conditions requisite to a good worke in generall he concludeth loosely and weakly That the Papists and wee agree in the doctrine of merit ex condigno of condignitie In his Appeale Chap. 11. by the advice as it seemes of the Approuer of his booke hee disclaimeth merit of condignity which in his former booke he seemed to approue But he saith little or nothing which may not well stand with merit of congruity Indeed hee lasheth Vasques for that wherein he differeth from other Papists but he retracteth not any where that his owne sentence namely The eternall state of men is diuersified to their deseruings Wherein hee crosseth the 11 Article and the words of S. Paul Rom. 6. The wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life Of Euangelicall Counsels or Workes of supererogation Harmony Church of Rome BEl de Monach. lib. 2. cap 7. An Euangelicall Counsell of Perfection is called a good worke not inioyned vs by Christ but shewed vnto vs not commanded but commended onely Ibid. cap. 8. It is the opinion of all Catholiques that there are many Euangelicall Counsels viz. of things aduised or counselled vnto but not prescribed nor commanded Appealer ANswer to the Gagg p. 103. What is meant by workes of Supererogation we may collect out of the texts of Scripture cited viz. That man in the state of grace and assisted by Gods grace may doe somethings counselled and not commanded I know no doctrine of our English Church against Euangelical counsels Appeale page 214. I doe beleeue there are and euer were Euangelicall counsels Discord Church of Engl. ARticle 14. Voluntary works besides ouer and aboue Gods Commandements w th they call workes of supererogation cānot be taught with our arrogancy and impiety for by them men doe declare that they doe not onely render vnto God as much as they are bound to doe but that they doe more for his sake then of bounden duty is required whereas Christ saith plainly When yee haue done all that are commanded vnto you say wee are vnprofitable
faith be the meere gift of God it can be no reason of difference betweene the Elect and Reprobate on the part of the Elect and Reprobate why the one should bee chosen and the other refused for the Elect haue it not of themselues and the Reprobate haue it not at all because it is not giuen To referre election in this sense to faith as it is Gods meere gift is to make election to depend vpon Gods meere will who giueth faith to some and not to others which quite ouerthroweth the foundation of Arminianisme If they meane that fore-seene faith is in part or in whole a Worke of mans free-will by nature and not meerely a gift of God then their opinion dasheth directly on the rocke of Pelagius that Grace is giuen according to some merit of man that is as Saint Augustine expoundeth it De bono perseuer c. 19. Some good thought word or deed or the good will it selfe to receiue grace and faith when otherwise man might haue reiected or repelled it whereas the Apostle teacheth that it is God which discerneth one man from another that no man hath any good thing different froÌ„ another which he hath not receiued 1 Cor. 4. 7. Whereupon Saint Augustine concludeth in his Epistle to Sixtus and in his booke of Predestination of Saints Chap. 5. And in his Enchiridion ad Laurent cap. 99. That which putteth a difference betweene a beleeuer and vnbeleeuer making him to beleeue and not the other is a speciall grace giuen by God to the one and not the other and consequently that the separation of some men and taking them out of the masse of perdition is of Gods meere grace and not in regard of any different qualities in men A proud man might haue said saith that holy Father of Predestination of Saints chap. 5. against another man my faith maketh me to differ from thee my righteousnesse or the like which insolent words of a proud man rehearsed by Saint Augustine Greuinchouius is so impudent as to take vpon and patterne in himselfe saying Ego me discerno I discerne my selfe The good Doctor meeting with such thoughts and checking them saith What hast thou that thou hast not receiued from whom but from him who made thee differ from another to whom he hath not giuen that he hath giuen to thee and if thou hast receiued it namely that wherein thou differest from another Why doest thou boast as if thou hadst not receiued it Nothing is so contrary to the meaning of the Apostle as that any man should so glory of his owne merits or good workes as if he had wrought them to himselfe and not the grace of God to wit that grace of God which discerneth good men from bad not that which is common to good men and bad The maine conclusion of Saint Augustine in his Enchiridion is most direct to our purpose Sola gratia redemptos discernit à perditis Grace alone discerneth or differenceth the redeemed from the lost whom a common cause deriued from the beginning or root had vnited in one masse of perdition k This argument from disproportion deceiued sometime Saint Augustine till he better considered of the words of the Apostle Rom. 11. 5. So then there remaineth a remnant according to the election of grace It is impossible indeed to conceiue an election according to desert of some rather than others in a meere paritie there must needs be a disproportion in such an election but in an election of free grace there needs none there can be no such disproportion for if election be of workes then it is not of grace Here if the Appealer or any his friend shall difference his opinion from the Arminians by distinguishing the decree of election in which there is no respect had to faith from the execution in which all sides confesse respect is had to faith and perseuerance I answer that the Appealer hath shut the doore of this Sanctuary against himselfe and debarred himselfe from this defence pag. 61. saying I shall as I can briefly and plainly without scholasticall obscurities set downe what I conceiue of this Act of God or decree of Predestination setting by all execution of purpose After which Preface without any interruption of other discourse he deliuereth his opinion of election as is aboue rehearsed Of Free-will ARMINIANS THe Arminians differ from Orthodoxal Diuines about Free-will in two points 1. They teach Hag. Confer pag. 502. sequent That the will of man hath some operation of it selfe in the first act of our conuersion and doth cooperate with grace God giueth grace sufficient to conuert but doth not so determine the will but that it may out of it's freedome admit grace or not Their main reason is God doth not beleeue but wee therefore l we worke euen in our first conuersion otherwise the assent should bee Gods not ours 2. They teach that the will of man hath power to hinder and resist the worke of grace in his regeneration and conuersion Arminius in his Orat. to the States pag. 53. I beleeue according to the Scriptures that grace is not vis irresistibilis an irresistible force or power but that many doe m resist the holy Spirit Hag. Confer pag. 502. The question is whether grace which worketh in man faith and conuersion cannot be hindred but is an irresistible operation such as God vseth in raising the dead They alledge to proue â—hat man may resist grace Act. 7. 51. Yee stiffe-necked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares yee haue alwaies n resisted the holy Ghost And Matth. 23. 37. How oft would I haue gathered your Children as a Hen gathereth her Chicken vnder her wings and yee o would not APPEALER APpeal p. 84. It is supposed by some that the difference betweene the Pontificians and vs consists in this that the will of man concurreth and cooperateth with diuine grace in the first very instant and point of conuersion wee teach that the will of man doth not cooperate in the first point but in progresse of our iustification so Keckerman in his Systeme a better Logician than Diuine This Assertion of Keckerman he refelleth from pag. 85. to 89. and pag. 92. he insisteth vpoÌ„ the same reason with the Arminians If this were not so then faith and repentance were no the actions of man neither could man be said to beleeue and repent but the holy Spirit Appeale pag. 89. The Councell of Trent addeth that a man may resist the grace of God admit then first man hath m free-will against God Saint Steuen in terminis hath the very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you n resist nay fall crosse with the holy Ghost not suffering him to work the worke of grace in you And what said our Sauiour How often would I and thou wouldst o not If the Councell meant of stirring preuenting and p operating grace I thinke no man will deny it if of adiuuant subsequent and cooperating grace there is without question in
of the Apostasie of Saints Edit Lugduni Anno 1615. pag. 12. Demand the first There is no absolute Election and b pag. 25. Absolute Predestination granted it was necessary to remoue the whole Scripture to settle that head or doctrine Arminius in the forecited Declaration pag. 33. Out of this doctrine to wit of absolute solute Predestination it c followeth that God is the Author of sinne And this may bee proued by a foure-fold Argument 1. Because this Doctrine layeth it downe that God precisely hath decrâ—ed to demonstrate his glory by punishing or punitiue iustice and mercy sauing some men and damning others which but by d Sinne entring into the world neither was nor could be done c. Arminius respons ad Artic. 10. It would be easie for mee to conuince the opinion of some of the brethren of Manichâ—isme and Stoicisme We protest to the whole world that by our aduersaries e Manicheisme and f Stoicisme or fatall necessitie is â—rought into the Church The Embleme of their booke of the Acts of the Synod of Dort hath this triumphant title Destructo fato or the 〈◊〉 of Fate Ex Act. Syn. Dordrac in Peror Bert. epist. Dedic before his booke of the Apostasie of the Saints There are who flie Pelagianisme not seeing that they plainly side with the Manichees Hee citeth these words as out of an Epistle of Casâ—ubon but forged by himselfe Hag Conference set out by Bert. pag. 90. This absolute Decree openeth a gate on this side to a g dissolute life on that side to h desperation APPEALER APPEALE to Caesar pag. 58. In all which passage to wit of the seuenteenth Article there rehearsed both concerning Gods decree and execution of that decree is not one word syllable or apex touching your absolute necessary determined irresistible irrespectiue decree of God to call saue and glorifie Saint Peter for instance infallibly without any consideration had of or regard to his faith obedience and repentance Appeale to Caesar pa. 54. Nothing is by mee ascribed to your side and to your Doctors but an absolute and irrespectiue decree concerning man in vtramque partem I brought no inferences to presse you withall such as are commonly and odiously made against you by opposites whose virulent inuectiues though too true imputations I vsed not I did not charge you with making God the Author of sinne That the reprobate are iâ—cited on and prouoked to sinne by God That God was the Author of Iudas treason and the like Appeale pag. 68. I neuer yet read of any prime preuious determining decree by which men were irrespectiuely denied grace and excluded from glory vnlesse from damned e Heretiques or f Stoâ—call Philosophers Appeale pag. 30. Against that absolute irrespectiue necessitating and fatall decree of your new Predestination Appeale pag. 60. I must confesse my dissent through and sincere from the faction of Noâ—â—lising Puritans c. but in no one point more than in this their h desperate doctrine of Predestination in which as they delight to trouble themselues and others in nothing more so I professe I doe loue to meddle nothing lesse I haue not I did not desire nor intend to declare my opinion in that point a Edit Lugduni Batau ex officina Tho. Basson 1512. b Positâ Praedestinatione illâ absolutâ necessarium fuit totam scripturam loco mouere vt illud caput adsereretur c It no way followeth See Caluines Preface of his booke of Diuine Predestin and first booke of Institut 17. Chap. Beza against Castellio Peter Martyr in his Comment on the 1. Chap. of the Epistle to the Romans Zuinglius in his Sermon of Prouidence Abbot Prelect of the Author of sinne Paraeus Answer to Bellaâ—mine second booke of the state of sinne and losse of grace chap. 4. and diuers others d God decreed the permission and disposing of sinne which he fore-saw vpon his permission would be hee did not decree the effecting or existence of it that it should be Saint Augustine fully answereth these and the like Arguments in his booke de Corrept Grat. cap. 10. We freely confesse that which we most rightly beleeue that the God and Lord of all things who made all things exceeding good and fore-saw that euill things would arise out of good and knew that it more appertained to his most omnipotent goodnesse to draw good out of euil than not to suffer euils to be hath so ordred the life of men and Angels that in it first he might shew the power of their owne free-will and then the benefit of his grace and iudgement of his iustice And in his Enchiridion ad Laurentium cap. 11. God being most exceeding good would not by any meanes suffer any euill to be in his workes but that he is also so omnipotent and good that he can and doth worke good euen out of euill e As Iulian the Pelagian often in his bookes vpbraided Saint Augustine with Manicheisme so doth Arminius and the Appealer following the Pelagians step by step lay the same imputation vpon the orthodox defenders of Predestination But the imputation is most false for the Manichees held two soules in a man one good another bad and ascribed good and euill not to the free-will of man but to those two soules We with the holy Fathers teach but one soule in man and referre good and euill to Free-will but so that the will of it selfe is free to euill but is not neither can sithence the fall of Adam be free vnto good till God hath freed it by his grace according to the words of our Sauiour in Saint Iohns Gospell Chap. 8. 36. But if the Sonne make you free you shall be free indeed And of Saint Paul Rom. 6. 18. Made free from sinne c. f A stale obiection long sithence answered by Saint Augustine in his second booke cap. 5. ad Bonifac. Wee maintaine not Fate or fatall necessity vnder the name of grace but if it please some men to call the omnipotent will of God vnder the name of Fate we seeke indeed to auoid prophane nouelty of word but wee will not contend about words To which answer of Saint Augustine we may further adde that the beleefe of Christians touching the falling out of all things according to the determinate counsell of God Act. 2. differeth from the Stoicke Fate or Fatality in foure things 1. The Stoicks subiected God himselfe to Fate Iupiter though he most desired could not free Sarpedon we subiect Fate that is the necessitie of things to Gods most free-will 2. They vnder the name of Fate vnderstood an eternall fluxe and necessary connexion of naturall causes and effects we teach that all natural and second causes had their beginning in the Creation neither is there such a necessary and absolute depeÌ„dance of effects from their naturall causes but that God can and often doth suspend those effects and miraculously worke beside aboue nay against nature 3. The Stoicks by their Fatality took away all contingencie wee admit
eternall life and that the terrifying threats vsed by the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures are to this end to stirre vp the elect to watchfulnesse and diligence motiues they are to and meanes of perseuerance not arguments at all to proue the Saints Apostasie u To the place of Matth. 12. 44. we answer First we ought not to ground any doctrine of faith vpon a meere parable or allegory because as Saint Augustine in his booke de Doctrinâ Christianâ deliuereth it All those points which belong to faith and manners are plainly deliuered in the Scriptures Secondly we cannot aâ—gue strongly from corporall possession or dispossession to spirituall as a Lunaticke man so a man possessed with the Deuill in body may be yet in the state of grace in his soule and in like manner as a man that is cured of his frensie or lunacie may be yet an vnsanctified man so a man out of whom the Deuill is cast from tormenting or possessing the body may be yet an vnregenerate man although I grant our Sauiour seldome or neuer cured any mans body but first he healed the soule as some Interpreters haue obserued yet no necessary consequence can be drawn from the health or sicknesse of the body to the health or sicknesse of the soule Neither is it said here that the vncleane spirit was cast out by Christ nor by any other but that he went out of himselfe and returned againe and therefore this possessed person can be no fit embleme of a truly regenerated and iustified man out of whom the Deuil is powerfully cast out and the party is no way vnder him or in his power but led by the spirit of God Rom. 8. and wholly deliuered from the power of Satan Thirdly the meaning of the Parable is as appeareth by our Sauiours application that as the latter state of that man out of whom the Deuill first departed and afterward returned with seuen worse than himselfe was worse than the former so it should be with the wicked Iewes out of whom the vncleane spirit had gone out for feare of the Law but now was returned againe vnto them through their refusall of the Gospell and despiting the Spirit of Grace Thus Saint Hilary Ierome and Bede expound the Parable and their Exposition is euidently grounded vpon our Sauiours words vers 45. Euen so shall it be also vnto this wicked generation As it is particularly applied by our Sauiour to the Iewes so it may be to any Nation out of which the vncleane spirit departeth for a while or is driuen away by the preaching of the Gospell if it be empty of good workes and giuen to the pleasures of this world like the lodging of the vncleane spirit which he found empty swept and garnished The vncleane spirit will enter with seuen worse that is the Gospell shall be taken away from them and the Kingdome of Grace for the abuse of it and they shall be brought into worse bondage of the Deuill then before according to Saint Peter 2 Epist. 2. 20. If after they haue escaped the pollution of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ they are againe intangled therein and ouercome the latter end shall be worse with them than the beginning for it had beene better for them not to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse than after they haue knowne it to turne away from the holy commandement deliuered vnto them This was the case of the Kingdome of Congo which for a time embraced the Gospell but afterwards perceiuing that it restrained their carnall libertie and no way permitted pluralitie of wiues they cast off the yoke of Christ and enthralled themselues againe to Satan But it is not so with those that are truly regenerate for to them his yoke is easie and his burthen light Lastly this obiection may be retorted against the Aduersaries thus This Parable is meant of a wicked generation Matth. 12. 45. an euill and adulterous generation vers 39. a generation of vipers vers 34. such as the Scribes and Pharises were who in this Parable are reproued by our Sauiour But the regenerate children of God are not a wicked adulterous or viperous generation but a chosen generation a royall Priest-hood an holy nation a peculiar people 1 Pet. 2. 9. Therefore this Parable is not meant of the regenerate children of God * To the place of Saint Luke 8. 13. and Mat. 13. 20. we answer First the heart of a man truly regenerated is not compared to a stony ground for God by regenerating grace takes away our stony heart and giues vs an heart of flesh Ezek. 36. 26. Secondly a temporary faith is not of the same nature with a iustifying faith a temporary faith hath no root Matth. 13. 22. and Luke 8. 13. a iustifying faith hath a temporary faith beareth no fruit but a iustifying faith beareth fruit Matth. 13. 23. and Luke 8. 15. Those who beleeue the Gospell meerely out of temporary hopes because godlinesse hath the promise of this life they receiue the word with ioy while they thriue and gaine by it but when there ariseth trouble and persecution for the Word they are offended and fall away but those who ground their faith vpon the promises of a better life their faith like gold 1 Pet. 1. 7. being tried in the fire is made much more precious and found vnto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ beleeuing with ioy vnspeakable and full of glory receiuing the end of their faith the saluation of their soules vers 8. Their faith differeth from the faith of Hypocrites and Temporizers in the cause and kinde their ioy in the degree and both in the continuance Lastly this obiection may be retorted against the Aduersarie First thus They who are compared vnto the good ground are not meant here by stony ground But truely regenerate Christians and beleeuers Luke 8. 15. and Matth. 13. 23. are compared to good ground Therefore they are not here meant by stony ground Secondly thus That faith which is distinguished from a iustifying faith in this Parable cannot be taken for the faith of a true regenerate Christian But the temporary faith is distinguished in this Parable from a iustifying faith Therefore the temporary faith cannot be taken for the faith of a true regenerate Christian and consequently the Appealer and Arminians are in this their allegation mistaken Of Falling away from Grace ARMINIANS BERTIVS of the Apostasie of Saints pag. 26. Apostasie is described by the phrase to wax cold Mat. 24. 12. And because iniquitie shall abound the loue of many shall x wax cold Bertius pag. 34. The Apostle fore-seeing that the conuerted Gentiles might be bewitched with that opinion That they could not be cut off from the Church warneth them that they wax not proud against the Iewes but that they learne by their example that it may come to passe that they also may bee cast away Rom. 11. 19. They were broken off
of true beleeuers to this end that they may not fall away from him is a certaine meanes to preserue true beleeuers in the faith else God should faile in his end But the feare here enioyned is that feare which God promiseth to put into the hearts of true beleeuers to this end that they may not fall away from him Ierem. 22. 40. Therefore the feare here inioyned is a certaine meanes to preserue true beleeuers in the faith and consequently a strong argument for the perseuerance of Saints in faith and grace as it is vrged by Saint Augustine in his booke de Perseuer Sanctorum cap. 2. I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me What is it else then to say the feare shall be such and so great that they shall for euer cleaue vnto me z To the places alledged Iohn 15. 2 5. we answer First there is a double insition or ingraffing into Christ externall when a man is made a member of the visible Church by the hearing of the Word and participation of the Sacraments internall when a man by sanctifying grace and sauing faith is made a member of the inuisible Church They who haue the outward insition only into the true Vine Christ Iesus may be cut off but they which haue the inward as well as the outward insition cannot be cut off and wither as a branch for Non est corpus Christi reuerâ quod non er it in aeternum That is not Christs true body which shall not abide for euer neither by the like reason is that a true branch which abideth not for euer in the Vine August de Doct. Chri. lib. 3. cap. 32. Which reason of S. Augustine is confirmed by Saint Gregory in his description of the Church in his Comment on the Canticles Christus sanctam Ecclesiam de sanctis in aeternum permansuris extruxit Christ hath built his Church of Saints which shall for euer perseuere Secondly as there is a double insition into Christ so there is a double profession of faith a naked and bare profession without practise of a holy life or fruit of good workes or a profession ioyned with practise a faith working through loue bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit By the barren branches cut off and withered Theophylact on these words alledged vnderstandeth those who make a naked and bare profession Saint Cyril in his tenth booke vpon Iohn Those who haue faith without loue and good works such a faith S. Iames in his second Chap. calls a dead faith but the faith by which the iust man liueth is a liuing faith working by loue Galat. 5. 6. and bringing forth fruit with patience Luke 8. 15. Thirdly the words in me Iob. 15. 2. may be either referred to the word Vine and the meaning is euery branch existent or ingraffed in me that beareth no fruit but leaues only of a bare profession shall be taken away or the words in me may be referred to bearing of fruit and the meaning is euery professour of Religion or member of any Congregation that beleeueth not in me and beareth not fruit in me to wit the fruits of the Gospell by my grace shall be cast forth as a dead branch and wither for as it is in the fift verse Hee that abideth in mee and I in him the same bringeth forth fruit for without me yee can doe nothing If the words be taken in the former sense they are meant of Hypocrites within the Church if in the latter of Iewes or Pagans without the Church who beare fruit that is doe morally good workes or doe by nature the things contained in the Law Rom. 2. 14. but because they doe not these things in faith their good workes are no better than splendida peccata sins hauing a luster or shew of vertue as Saint Augustine Take the words in either sense they belong not to regenerate persons and true beleeuers who are so ingraffed into Christ that they abide in him by faith and beare fruit in him through faith Lastly this Obiection may be retorted against the Aduersarie thus No branch that beareth fruit in Christ shall be taken away but purged that it may bring forth more fruit as it followeth in the second verse vrged by the Aduersarie But euery true beleeuer is a branch that beareth fruit in Christ Matth. 13. 23. Rom 6. 22. Therefore no true beleeuer shall be taken away but purged that he may bring forth more fruit ARMINIANS BERTIVS pag. 26. Beleeuers may make shipwrake of faith 1 Tim. 1. 19. some hauing put away a good cōscience cōcerning a faith haue made shipwracke Ibid. 1 Tim. 4. 1. In the latter times some shall depart from the a faith giuing heed to seducing spirits APPEALER APPEALE pag. 160. 1 Tim. 1. 19. Holding faith and a good conscience which some hauing put away cōcerning a faith haue made shipwracke Ibid. Nor was it onely for those times but foretold of succeeding ages 1 Tim. 4. 1. In the latter daies some shall depart from the a faith a To the places alledged out of Timothy wee answer First that they are fully answered by the distinction aboue mentioned ad literam y namely of a two-fold signification of the word faith which is sometimes taken for the saith which we beleeue that is the word of faith or doctrine of the Gospell as Galath 1. 23. Now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed Rom. 10. 8. This is the word of faith which we preach the hearing of faith Galat. 3. 2. A great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith Act. 6. 7. And in this sense Oecumenius taketh the word faith in the first place aboue alledged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith I vnderstand faith in doctrine by conscience a godly conuersation or a good life And that it is to be so taken in the latter place it is euident by the words following 1 Tim. 4. 1. Giuing heed to seducing spirits and doctrine of deuils Faith opposed to error and doctrine of deuils is the true doctrine of faith which we beleeue and preach Sometimes the word faith is taken in Scripture for the faith by which we beleeue that is the inward grace or habit of faith as Rom. 3. 28. Iustified by faith without the deeds of the Law And Rom. 4. 5. His faith is counted for righteousnesse Rom. 5. 1. Being iustified by faith we haue peace with God This distinction is not new coyned by nouelizing Puritans but stamped by the ancient Fathers and goes for current among the Schoole-men Saint Augustine in his thirteenth booke of the Trinity chap. 2. deliuers it in these very termes There is a difference betweene the faith quae creditur and quâ creditur And Lombard lib. 3. distinct 23. taketh the same from Saint Augustine saying Fides est interdumid quod credimus interdum estid quo credimus Secondly we answer that as there is a temporary faith so there may be a good conscience for
indeed he standeth not as those that killed the Apostles did thinke that they did God good seruice Iohn 16. 2. The Pharisie thought that he was rather iustified than the Publican yet he was not Saint Paul thought he had done a worke acceptable to God and aduantagious to the true Church when he persecuted the Saints and made hauocke of the Church The heart of man is deceitfull aboue all things as it deceiueth others so sometimes our selues also Wee may conceiue that we are highly in Gods fauour and a great way toward heauen when yet indeed we are cast backe or stand at a stay It is therefore a speciall point of wisdome to examine our spirituall estate and proue whether we are in the faith or no that is whether we stand indeed or thinke onely that we stand for he that thinketh only that he standeth and hath no sure footing nor ground of his perswasion may fall and that irrecouerably Thirdly He that standeth may fall yet not totally or finally A man may fall and yet not bee hurt by his fall a man may be hurt and that dangerously by a fall and yet not die of that hurt Iustus cadit non tamen excidit The righteous falleth seuen times a day Si cadit quomodo iustus si iustus quomodo cadit If he fall how is he righteous if righteous how doth he fall Saint Ierome answereth sed iusti vocabulum non amittit qui semper per poenitentiam resurgit He loseth not the name of righteous who as often as he falls by sinne riseth againe by repentance Epist. 44. Lastly this Obiection may be retorted against the Aduersarie thus None of those whom God preserues from being ouercome in temptation can fall totally or finally Those whom Saint Paul aduiseth to take heed lest they fall are such whom God preserues from being ouercome in temptation in the next verse 1 Cor. 10. 13. But God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you are able but wil with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to beare it Therefore those whom Saint Paul aduiseth to take heed lest they fall cannot fall totally or finally f To the place alledged Phil. 2. 12. we answer First that the argument drawne from the feare of Gods Saints hath beene before refuted and retorted in the handling that text of the Apostle Be not high-minded but feare Secondly we answer Feare is not here opposed to religious confidence but to carnall security and presumption The trembling here commanded is an awfull reuerence and filiall trembling not a seruile affrighting this feare and trembling is not only ioyned with assured hope that God will worke both the will and the deed in them that so feare vers 13. but also with ioy Psal. 2. 11. Serue the Lord with feare and reioyce with trembling Feare cannot be here taken for a distrustfull feare or a feare of being damned but of a sollicitous and watchfull feare for this were no good consequence God worketh in you the will and the deed therefore feare that is doubt and distrust your saluation but vse all diligence to make your election sure and be carefull to stirre vp God his grace in you and to call on him continually in all humblenesse of minde for the assistance of his Spirit without which you can neither doe nor will any good This grace and assistance of his Spirit God promiseth to none but to the humble and such as tremble at his word Esay 66. 2. Why doth the Apostle say saith Saint Augustine worke out your saluation with feare and trembling and not rather with securitie if God worke it vnlesse because in regard of our will without which we cannot well worke it may soone come into mans heart to esteeme that which he doth well to be his owne worke and say I shall neuer be remoued therefore he who gaue power to his will turned his face for a while froÌ„ him that he which said so might be troubled quoniam ipsis est ille tumor sanandus doloribus Because that swelling pride is to be healed with very sorrowes of a troubled minde Lastly this Obiection may be retorted against the Aduersarie thus None in whom God worketh both the will to perseuere and deed can fall totally or finally In those whom Saint Paul here aduiseth to worke out their saluation with feare and trembling God worketh both the will to perseuere and deed Philip. 2. 13. Therefore those whom Saint Paul here aduiseth to worke out their saluation with feare and trembling cannot fall totally or finally ARMINIANS BERTIVS pag. 28. The Scriptures relate this to haue come to passe in the Angels Iude 6. And the Angels which kept not their first estate but left their owne habitation he hath reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darknesse vnto the iudgement of the great day Ibid. In our first Parents for Adam being holy created after Gods owne image yet was by his wife drawne to fall yea and the craftic serpent deceâ—ued his holy wife 2 Cor. 11. 3. Idem pag. 30. That which befell the blessed Angels and Adam and Eue in the state of innocencie that may befall any Saint now but it is certaine the holy Angels fel and our first Parents therefore any Saint may forsake his owne righteousnesse APPEALER ANswer to Gag pag. 161. Thus Scripture speaketh plaine Their reasons from Scripture are euident Man is not likely in state of grace to be of an higher g alloy than Angels were in state of Glory than Adam Was in state of Innocencie For Grace is but a conformity thereto and no conformitie exceedeth the Architype At most it is but an equalitie thereto and equals are of the same proportion Now if Adam in Paradise and Lucifer in Heauen did fall and lose their Originall estate the one totally the other eternally what greater assurance hath any man in state of Proficiencie not of Consummation g To the instance in Lucifer and Adam we answer First that though man in the state of Proficiency be not simply in an happier estate and better then Adam in Paradise much lesse then Lucifer in Heauen yet he may haue and hath a greater assurance of his estate then they had Saint Augustine confidently affirmeth That the grace which was giuen by the second Adam exceeds that which was giuen to the first Adam in that it was more powerfull Haec potentior est in secundo Adam prima est enim quâ sit â—t habeat homo iustitiam si velit secunda plus potest quâ sit vt velit tantumque velit tanto ardore diligat vt carnis voluntatem contraria concupiscentem voluntate Spiritus vincat And againe Primo homini qui in eo bono quo factus fuerat rectus acceperat posse non peccare posse non mori posse ipsum bonum non deserere datum est adiutorium perseuer antiae non quo fieret vt perseueraret
bitter scoffe at the practice of our Ecclesiasticall Courts Howsoeuer if the Appealer had onely trod a little awry either in the high path of popery or by-path of puritanisme I for mine owne part would haue borne with it and that in respect of his otherwise commendable parts and profitable paines in the Church but when he halteth downe right betweene two religions none that desireth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to walke with a right foot can endure him And doth he not limpe nay doth he not halt downe-right doth he not weare a Linsie-woolsy garment Answer to Gagg page 13. and 14 Truth is of two sorts amongst men manifest and confessed truth or more obscure and involved truth In his quae apertè posita sunt in Scripturis inveniuntur illa omnia quae continent fidem morés que vivendi spem scilicet charitatem Plainly deliuered in Scripture are all those points which belong vnto Faith and Manners Hope and Charity to wit And accordingly I doe know no obscurity vpon these I know none of these controuerted inter partes The Articles of our Creed are confessed on both sides and held plaine enough The controuerted points are of a larger and inferiour alloy of them a man may bee ignorant without any danger of his soule at all A man may resolue or oppose this way or that way without perill of perishing for euer c. It is most euident in this place that the parties he speaketh of are the Papists and we for there are no other haue any triall in this Chapter or matter of debate By partes in many other places of his booke he vnderstandeth Papists and Protestants and here he cannot meane any other but the Gagger and his complices on the one side and the Protestant Church on the other side as the antecedents and consequents doe manifest Now if the differences betweene the papists and vs are of such an inferiour alloye that little reckoning is to be made of them because they adde nothing to or take nothing from the summe of sauing knowledge how much haue all the reformed Churches in Christendome to answer at the dreadful Tribunall of Christ for making so great a rent in Christs seamlesse coat vpon so small occasion If the controuerted points be like herbe Iohn in the pot that may be in or out without perill at all why haue all our Prophets sithence Luther at least cryed Mors in ollâ mors in ollâ Death in the pot O blessed Martyrs who sithence the beginning of Reformation haue watred the seed of the Gospell with your blood put off your long white robes and garlands and put on sackcloth and ashes for you dyed vpon no good ground you shed not your blood in zeale but spilt it in folly Martyrs you may be of schisme or obstinacy or indiscretion but not of faith if those points you suffered for belonged not at all to faith Diffido oculis meis identidem interrogo an legerim an viderim I suspect mine eyes I question my Copy I demand of my selfe againe and againe Is it possible a Diuine of no inferiour alloy should vtter such an incredible paradoxe wee dissent from the Church of Rome about Christ and his offices the foundation of faith the Scriptures the rule of faith the Church the subiect of faith the Sacraments the seales of faith iustification the proper effect of faith and good workes the fruit of faith nay wee contest about the very nature and essence of faith And are none of these matters of faith doe none of these belong to faith or manners If our debates are de tribus capellis about the fringe not the Spouse coat about the barke and not the body of Religion then hath not the Church of Rome erred in matter of faith and if she hath not then the Church of England hath erred in charging her with error not onely in matter of ceremony and discipline but also in matter of faith Art 19. If the Church of England hath erred in this Article the Appealers false oathes must needs be answerable to his degrees and preferments for so oft hath he sworne to that Article among the rest But he yeeldeth vs a reason The Articles of our Creed are confessed on both sides and held plaine enough on both sides hee might say on all sides and hands For the Arrians in Polonia the Antitimitarians in Transiluania the Nestorians in Greece the Anabaptists and Socinians in the Netherlands doe all rehearse the Articles of the Creed and hold them plaine enough Let him peruse al the bedrol of heretikes condemned by the Church of God in all ages drawne by Irenaeus Epiphanius S. Augustine Philastrius Alfonsus a Castro and others and he shall hardly pitch vpon any sort of Heretickes that directly either denyed or articled against the Articles of the Apostles Creed And will he say none of these erred in matter of faith but all were and are in regiâ viâ the high way to heauen If hee answer that the heretickes though they professed the Articles of the Apostles Creed totidem verbis in the very words yet they denyed or depraued the sense and brought in damnable errours by consequence ouerthrowing those foundations of our faith Our reply is at hand As the greater part of ancient heretickes so at this day the Papists confesse the Articles of the Creed and hold them plaine truth but they misinterpret them and by consequence shake if not quite ouerthrow diuers of them Either they or we misinterpret those three articles especially concerning the Catholike Church the Communion of Saints the forgiuenesse of sinnes to which their great Champion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reduceth all the controuersies betweene our Church and theirs And for vndermining the articles of our Creed by consequences and maintaining repugnances to them thâ— Romish Pioners are not farre behind the ancient enemies of our faith Manes and Vorstius doe not directly impugne the article touching God the Almighty Creator nor Marâ—ion Arrius Apollinaris Eutiches Nestorius and Socinus the article concerning Christ the Redeemer nor Macedonius and the Pneumatomachi the article concerning the holy Ghost but they held such doctrine which was not comportable with those articles And how the Romish doctrine of Invocation of Saints and Angels may stand with the first article rightly expounded I beleeue in God and their doctrine of Iustification by inherent righteousnesse with the second and in Iesus Christ and of transubstantiation with the article of Christ his Incarnation and Ascension and of a Catholick visible Romish Church vnder one visible Head with that I beleeue the holy Catholicke Church and of vncertainty of saluation with those I beleeue the remission of sins and life euerlasting I desire to bee enformed by the Appealer which I could neuer yet bee by any Romanist Vpon this most false and deceiueable ground that the differences inter partes are not in matters de fide hee buildeth two most dangerous assertions that a man may be ignorant