holy Spirit He hath sent the spirit of his Sonne into our hearts by which we cry Abba Father Gal. 4.6 But to make it more evident it may bee demonstrated by these reasons First those that be married to Christ for ever cannot fall away from faith and grace but all the Elect and children of God are such I will marrie thee unto myselfe for ever in righteousnesse in judgement and in compassion I will marrie thee in faithfulnesse Hos 2.19 20. Of which union and neerenesse by marriage when the Apostle speaks he saith that the Church consisting of his Elect are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Ephes 5.30 Secondly they are branches of Gods owne planting therefore not to bee plucked up Ioh. 15. They build their houses upon the rocke Christ therefore they cannot bee overthrowne Matth. 7. Thirdly they are of his Church therefore the gates of hell cannot prevaile against them Matt. 16.18 Fourthly though they fall yet they cannot bee cast off for the Lord putteth under husband Psal 37.24 His left hand is under my head the right hand of the Lord embraceth me saith the Spouse Cantic 2.6 The devill comes to strike my head but the hand of the Lord is under my head to steale away my soule but the right hand of God embraceth me Aug. in Psal 121. saith Augustine Fifthly Christ did pray for his Church that their faith might not faile Luk. 22.32 And hee was heard in that which he prayed I know thou hearest me alwayes Ioh. 11.42 But that was onely for Peter No Bellarmine himselfe saith That Christ prayed mediately for the other Apostles Mediatè pro alus Atostolis nec si lùm pro perseveramià Apostolerum sed omnium electorum Bellaâ—m DeRoman Pentâ—sdtb 4. cap. 3. Rogavi nè deficiat fides tua intelligamus ei dictum qui adificatur super Petram Aug. De Corrept grat lib. cap. 12. nor onely for the perseverance of the Apostles but of all the Elect. I pray not for these alone but for all that shall beleeve in me thorow the world Ioh. 17.20 Yea and aske Augustine I asked that thy faith faile not we may understand it spoken to him that is built on the Rocke he prayed therefore he was heard nay he sits now making continuall intercession for us Rom. 8.34 Sixthly they that abide in Christ and Christ in them cannot utterly fall and perish but such be all they that are justified by faith for they eat his flesh and drinke his bloud and therefore Christ is in them and they in him as our Saviour speakes Ioh. 6.56 Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him Lastly There is one reason unanswerable from 1 Ioh. 3.9 Whosoever is borne of God sinneth not nor can he sinne But all reprobates doe sinne and can sinne therefore reprobates were never borne of God which is not meant of every sinne for there is sinne in the most holy If any man say he hath no sinne he deceiveth himselfe 1 Ioh. 1.8 but it is to be understood of such sinne whereby any man doth wholly fall backe into the power of the devill wholly into falshood and iniquity But they fall from grace make shipwracke of faith and must needs fall from God wholly into Satans power But unto this Bellarmine answers where he disproveth the exposition of Ambrose Bernard and Augustine He cannot mortally sinne so long as he is borne of God Non pâ—tell lâ—thalitèe peicare quamdiu natus est ex Deo Aug. De Iustist lib. 3. cap. 15. Hierome Contra Pelagion lib. 1. pag. 268. So Hierome in his Dralogue taking leave to change the causall particle because into a conditionall how long But Saint Iohn shewes that Bellarmines quamdiu so long as is as much as nothing for his purpose is to teach that a maâ— once borne of God can never bee given over wholly to serve sinne and Satan the reason because he is borne of God Excellently the same Apostle chap. 5.18 we know that if a man be borne of God the wicked toucheth him not The devill may throw his darts and shoot his arrowes which may wound and hurt him sore but cannot touch him that is not lay so fast hold on him as to take him with him to death to hell So that a childe of God sinding himselfe in the state of grace may with comfort meditate upon these Scriptures Iob. 4.14 whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never be more a thirst but it shall be in him a well springing and growing to eternal life Matth. 24.24 There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets to deceive if it were possible the very elect Ioh. 10.28 Mysheepe heare my noice and I give unto them eternall life and they shall never perish nor shall any plucke them out of my hands Rom. 8.38 39. I am perswaded not grounded upon extraordinary revelation but upon the death of Christ vers 32. On Gods free justification vers 33. On Christ intercession vers 34. Phil. 1.6 I am perswaded of this thing that he that hath begunne this good worke in you will also peforme it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will perfect it untill the day of the Lord lesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.5 The elect are kept by God through faith unto salvation If you list to heare the judgment of ancients in this point marke the disputation of Augustine a Si quispiam clecterum sereat tum fallitur Deus at nemo electorum poit quia non fallitur Deus Aug de Gratta Cerrept cap. 7. If any of the elect perish then God â— deceived but none of the elect perish because God is not deceived b Si quispiam dicterum pereat tum vitio humano vincitur Deus c. If any of the Elect perish then God is over come of hâ—m inevice but none of the Elâ—â—l perish because God is over come of nothing So Gregorie c Aurum quod pravis Diabcli persuasion but sternt potest ut â—â—tum aurum ante ecules Dei nâ—â—q am c. 〈◊〉 Meral lib. 31. as 13. That gold which by the wicked perswasions of the devill may be stricken downe like dirt never was gold in Gods account had sanctitie as it were before men they lose but in Gods accourt they never had it Lombard likewise speaketh to the same purpose d Noâ— potest 〈◊〉 que 〈…〉 praedeâ—â—tur non 〈◊〉 tur Loâ—â—b lib. 1 distinct 40. Both cannot bee true that one should bee predest inate and not saved So Aquinas e Serepti in libro viti deâ—â— non 〈◊〉 Aqeâ—n 1. 〈◊〉 21. Art 3. 〈…〉 24. Those that are written in the book of life câ—â—not be blotted out Espencaeus on 2 Tim. allowes that of Augustine of catechizing the simple chap. 11. f Ex Je usal m â—stâ non erat qui serâ—it Objections against perseverance grounded on Scriptures answered Out of that Ierusalem
the true nature and condition of the corne as Abbatus against Tompson chap. 6. 4. Hypocrites and unbeleevers are so like to Gods elect and faithfull children that no man can distinguish them but God and amongst men they are accounted branches of Christs owne planting though they be not such It is the position of Gregorie c Aurum quod pravu Diabel persuasionibus sterni sient lutli poterit aurum antè oculos Dei nunquam fuit habitam quesi sanctitatem ante oculos hominum videntur omittere sed eam ante ocules Dei nunquan habucrunt Greg. Moral l. 34 c 13. Gold which is so by the wicked perswasions of the Devill may be trampled on like dirt which before Gods eyes was never gold had sanctitie as it were before mens eyes they seem to lose but before the eyes of God they never had it The which agreeth with that of S. Augustine d Sunt silt Dâ—i qui nendum sunt nobis sunt qua dicuâ—tur si â—à nobis neâ—a â—en sant Deo Aug. deco rep grat cap â— There are sons of God who are not yet so to us there are who are called the sons of God of us but yet are not so to God Of the former there is mention Ioh. 11.52 that he should die not onely for the Nation but together the children of God which were scattered of the other there is mention 1 Ioh. 2.19 They went out from us but they were not of us They be branches secundùm praesent em yustitiam non secandùm praescientiam according to present righteousnesse not according to fore-knowledge saith Ambrose 5. The faith of Gods children hath his degrees it is subject to shaking and may bee so hid and covered that it yeeld no comfort like the soule in a trance like the Sunne in an eclipse like a fire or candle under a a bushell like the Moone under a cloud I beleeve Lord helpe mine unbeleefe Peters faith is shaken but not lost Theophylact. in Luc. 22. Bellarm. de Rom. Pont. lib. 4. c. 3. Radix fidei in Petro vixit saith Theophylact. And Bellarmine quite contradicting himselfe saith That Christ in his ptayer for Peter obtained a twofold privilege The one Vt sidem nunquam amitteret that hee might never lose his faith which hee proves by the testimony of Augustine De corrept grat cap. 8. of Chrysostome Hom. in Mat. 38. of Theophylact. on Luk. 22. of Prosper Aquitanicus Of the calling of the Gentiles Booke 1. Chap. last These grounds being laid I come to the proposition viz. Man justified or man that hath true faith and grace can never finally nor totally fallaway can never perish eternally Note That no man ever hath sanctifying grace or justifying faith but the elect onely and the elect being once called can never fall and this you may safely build on these grounds 1. Vpon the immutabilitie of God Mal. 3.6 I am God and change not His purpose is unchangeable He changeth his workes Mutat opera non mutat consilium Aug. cons lib. 1. cap. 4. hee changeth not his counsell His gifts and graces are without repentance Rom. 11.29 and faith is the gift of God Now unlesse he that hath faith and grace should persevere then his gifts were not without repentance and it is a trifling cavill to say That God doth not deprive them of faith but they cast away faith Dcum non eripere sed bominem abjicere sidem For no man can cast away faith unlesse God withdraw his grace which he doth not from any of the elect For they are all kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 And therefore saith God Ier. 32.40 I will make with my people an everlasting covenant that I will never turne away from them to doe them good but will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me I have loved thee with an everlasting love Ierem. 31.3 and Whom he loves he loves to the end Ioh. 13.1 The second is laid downe by Calvin Inflit. lib. 3. c. 24. whosoever have true faith are elected before all time as Rom. 8.30 Whom he predestinated them he called whom he called them he justified and all the elect are committed by God the Father to the keeping and protection of God the Sonne All that the Father hath he gives unto me Ioh. 6.37 O Father thine they were and thou gavest them unto me Ioh. 17.6 Now if you make question how he keepes them see vers 12. All that thou hast given mee I have kept and not one of them is lost And Ioh. 6.37 All that commeth to mee from the Father I cast not away In this respect hee is called the true Shepherd that will suffer no man to plucke his sheepe out of his hands that gives his sheepe eternall life and will not suffer them to perish Ioh. 10.28 In Gen 31. Iacob saith to Laban that he had not wasted his substance but if any thing were rent and torne he made it good So doth Christ the good Shepherd if any of Gods sheepe bee stollen and lost hee redeemes them againe by his owne life laid downe for them If any be dead hee is like to the Pelican which as Augustine affirmeth In Psal 102. spils her owne bloud to heale them Nay there is not one whom God the Father hath commended to the keeping of God the Sonne but he will shew him to his Father and bee accountable for their soules at the day of judgement For hee will raise them up at the last day Ioh. 6.39 The third upon the sealing of this assurance unto mens consciences The Covenant is not only made Gen. 17.7 but also sealed and we have an earnest penny in this life Hee hath sealed us and given us the earnest of his spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 1.22 Grieve not the spirit by which yee are sealed Ephes 4.30 The foundation of God remaineth sure 2 Tim. 2.11 After yee beleeved yee were sealed with the spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance Ephes 1.13 Consider the word it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as Chemnitius observes Exam. Concil Trident. part 1. signifies a pledge a seale a caution which stands for a part of the payed price and whereby there is credit made of the summe remaining to be paid To note that in regard that God unto all the elect hath made a promise of a Kingdome hee stands thereby indebted to them and because it is long a comming and Satan still urging them to doubt for the peace of their consciences and quietnesse of their mindes he hath left them a pawne and pledge so that hee hath not onely made a Covenant but hee hath set to his seale not onely so but he hath bound it with an oath that we might have strong consolation Heb. 6.18 nononely so but hee hath giuen us a pawne and that of no small value for it is his
of quantitie but proportion yea for other mens sinnes And the Trent Councell g Sicut Christus passione sia satesecit pro peccatis ita nos satisfanendo patimur pro peccatis As Christ by his suffering satisfied for our sinnes so we by satissying suffer for our sinnes And yet when the Fathers speake dogmatically they affirme no such thing h Nec Deo benis factis placemur nec pro peccatus satu facimus Cypr. act Clerum plebem Ep. 8. Neither please wee God by our good deeds neither satisfie for our sinnes saith Cyprian And the Schoole-man himselfe faith thus i Baptizato non est injungenda satisfactio hoc enim est injuriam sacere Christi morti passioni c. Sum. 3. quaest 68. art 5. Satisfaction must not be enjoyned him that is boptized for this is to wrong Christs death and possion as if that were not a full and sufficient satisfaction for the sins of the baptized And Chrysostome speaking of Peter k Lego lachrymas satisfactionem non lego Chrysain Luc. 22. I read teares satisfaction I read not I need no more but that of the Apostle 1 Ioh. 2.1 If any man sinne wee have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ and hee is the propitiation for our sinnes Or that of the Prophet Hee hath taken upon him the iniquitie of us all Isa 53.6 Or that of Paul He was made sinne for us c. 2 Cor. 5.21 Yea but saith l De Purgat lib. 1. cap. 11. Bellarmine If Christ satisfied for everre fault and punishment how comes it to passe that after sinne remitted in Christ we endure so many miseries and in the end die aut cur infantes baptizati aegroti moriantur or why are infants baptized sicke and die I answer him out of * Tract in Ioh. 124. Augustine 1. For the demonstration of deserved miserie 2. For the exercise of necessary patience 3. For the mending of unstable life so that it is castigatio non damnatio medicina non poena a chastisement not a condemnation a medicine not a punishment 4. For the demonstration of the workes of God But why is the punishment longer than the fault Hee answereth in the same place lest the fault should be thought small therefore when the fault is finished the punishment remaines My Conclusion is that of the Psalmist Psal 49.6 7 8. Though a man have multitudes of goods yet no man can red eme his brother nor pay a ransome to God it costs more c. There bee two other points The one from what Christ delivers that is intimated in this sinne death I will take onely the third By what Christ doth deliver from sinne and death Christ by his death upon the crosse hath delivered us from sinne and the curse Doct. A thing that was presigured in the Sacrifices for sinne in the time of the Law but was fulfilled in Christ when hee was offered upon the crosse so that he is the only Sacrifice for sinne as the Prophet speakes Isa 53.10 Therefore saith the Apostle He tooke the writing that was against us or the bill of debts which we owed unto God and nayled it to his crosse that is cancelled it and spoyled principalities and powers and triumphed over them upon the same crosse Audiat hoc haereticus qui Christum horntuem regat audiat Christianus Christum tam despicatum prose sactum and at peccator quid meritus sit hemo quam miser brmo quid passus Deus homo Let the heretique heare this who denies Christ to bee man let a Christian heare that Christ was made so despicable for his sake let a sinner heare what man deserved how miserable man is what God and man suffered saith Ferus He must dye betweene heaven and earth to note that he was Mediatour betweene heaven and earth Secondly on a tree because he would expiate sinne committed in eating the fruit of a forbidden tree Thirdly with hands reached out to shew that the way to his heart and mercifull love was open Fourthly with his feet nayled to the tree to shew that hee would not depart till wee were fully redeemed much like the Apostles phrase It pleased God by him to reconcile all things to himselfe and to sit at peace through the bloud of his crosse both things in heaven and things in earth Col. 1.20 Sangats Clristi est clavis Parad si litier Epist ad Dardonum I end with that of Hierome The bloud of Christ is the key of Paradise Marke yee here the nature of sinne Vse all the water in the sea cannot wash it the bloud of buls cannot wash it Hebr. 10.4 It is a passionate speech of Micah Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my selfe before the high God shall I come with burnt offerings and calves of a yeere old will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or ten thousand rivers of oyle shall I give my first borne for my transgression even the fruit of my body for the sinne of my soule Micah 5.6 7. No no all the gold of Ophir cannot ransome it all the Fullers sope in the world cannot cleanse it all the water of Iordan cannot wash it all the fig-leaves in the garden cannot cover one sinne there is no salve but one and the ingredientrare The bloud of the Sonne of God Consider yee that make so small a reckoning of sinne it had beene better that you had never beene borne or that your mother had tyed a mill-stone about your neckes and drowned you in the sea than to dye with one sinne unwasht unpardoned How then dare yee be so bold to act that which can so hardly be pardoned or run on still upon score which can so hardly be paid or thinke that sinne to be light and small which cast the Sonne of God into so many fits and agonies which caused him to utter so many passionate prayers Let this cup passe from me which drove him to that holy despaire My God my God c. and at last put him to a shamefull and ignominious death 2. Vse 2 If our sinne were so great and Christ so good as to die for it that we might live then can we doe no lesse than spend in his service our whole life acknowledge our selves his in all dutie and service So the Apostle wisheth us 1 Cor. 6.21 Yee are bought with a price an high Price the Son of God bought with a price an invaluable and inestimable price the life of Iesus Christ with a price not corruptible as silver and gold but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe undefiled 1 Pet. 1.18 and what is the inference therefore glorifie God both in your bodies and in your soules He endured paine in his body whipping spitting scourging buffeting thornes nailes speares paine in his soule My soule is heavie unto death Matth. 26.38 therefore glorifie him in thy soule and thy body let thy hand feed
At Ephesus see the storie Act. 19. In the house of Nero see their salutation Phil. 4.22 The more it is opposed the more God makes it to thrive and prosper Post Martyres floresâ—â—t Ecclesia Chrysost de patient Iob Homil 4. Cruciate damnate torquete at â—â—â—ite nos exquisitior quaeque crudelitas vestra est sectae illecebra quoties a vobis metimur totics plures essicimur nam sanguis Christiano um semâ—n Ecclesiae est Tertull. Apologet ad Calcem Hence is that of Chrysostome After the Martyrs the Church flourisheth And Tertullian Afflict condemne torment but waste us everie one of your more exquisite crueltie is an allurement of our Sect as oft as we are mowed of you so oft are wee made the more for the bloud of Christians is the seed of the Church Onely Gods hand and power is seene in the planting of it when it is planted onely his hand is seene in the preserving and delivering of it It is the Prophets speech Isa 59.16 The Lord saw that there was none to helpe therefore his arme did save it and his hand brought salvation unto it In the dayes of Elias when they brake downe the Altars killed the Prophets and Elias onely was left then did the Lord alone preserve it In the time of the Arrian heresie when there was but Athanasius against the whole world so Constantius the Emperour and Liberius the Pope Theod. Eccles hist lib. 2 ca. 16. Hee kept Ioseph in Aegypt Ionah in the belly of the whale Israel in the deepe sea and when there was none to save then the arme of the Lord brought salvation unto them Which may serve First Vse 1 to comfort us in all our distresses because our Lord and Master is sufficiently able of himselfe to defend and save us who will see his sonnes and children in the fire but would pull them out if hee were able Secondly if God be all-sufficient of himselfe then will he finde out meanes sufficient to helpe and to doe his children good though man perceive it not Thirdly if all-sufficient then God can save the lives of his people when all meanes are against it He can make the den of Lions to bee a castle and a lodge for Daniel I come to the third For him are all things Doct. God in all his workes of election reprobation creation preservation had a respect to himselfe and proposed his glorie as the end of them all God made all things for himselfe even the wicked for the day of wrath Thus the foure and twentie Elders Apoc. 4.11 Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glorie and honour for thou hast created all things for thy wills sake When God chuseth a people hee respects his owne glorie The Lord set them up to be a pretious people unto himselfe and made them higher than all the Nations whom he made in praise in name and in glorie Deut. 26.18 19. In the discomfiting of enemies hee proposeth his owne glorie For this cause have I appointed thee that I might shew my power in thee and declare my name thorowout all the world Exod. 9.16 If he raise Lazarus the end is his glorie Said not I unto thee that if thou didst beleeve thou shouldest see the glorie of God Ioh. 11.40 He did intend his glorie in everie thing that hee did and hath glorie from everie thing that he made even by that which is evill for he turnes evill to good and brings good out of it as out of the evill of sinne a five-fold good out of the evill of punishment a manifold good So that both in good and evill he intends and from both good and evill he gets honour and glorie to himselfe I shall make the use when I come to the dutie of returning thankes and to the person to whom glorie is due To him be glorie for evermore Amen This is the Doxologie describing to whom the glorie of creation preservation election doth belong It containes first the Quid what is to be returned Secondly the Cui to whom it must be returned to him Thirdly the Quamdiù for evermore Fourthly the seale set to this acknowledgement and recognition Amen I begin with the Quid what is to be returned glorie my purpose is not to speake of an acknowledgement of the glorious nature and attributes in God but of mans study to get glorie unto God here among men onely this Conclusion I cannot passe That God lookes to receive glorie from everie thing that he hath made Doct. Thus the Prophet Isa 43.7 Everie one of them shall bee called by name for I created them for my glorie And hee hath chosen his elect to the praise of his glorie Ephes 1.12 The heavens must declare his glorie Psal 19.1 The creation of the world must set out his glorie Rom. 1.20 All the creatures must set forth his glorie because he made them Gen. 1. Preserves their being Act. 17.28 Feeds them Psal 147.9 But man especially is bound to this dutie of glorifying God because he not onely made him preserves seeds him but being dead quickened him being lost sought him being Satans prisoner ransomed him not with bloud of buls and and goats but of Christ And what use makes the Apostle Therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in your soules 1 Cor. 6.20 I come to a second viz. Man should never doe any thing Doct. whereby hee may not gaine some glorie unto God Thus the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.31 Amongst many hee is principally to aime at Gods glorie in these three 1. His actions 2. His speeches 3. His calling His actions are of three kindes naturall civill religious The naturall are such as are common to men with beast as eating drinking sleeping recreation yet in man all these must be moderated by reason that wee erre not in excesse or defect or manner of using them The Apostle hath mentioned two whereof we should be most carefull that wee dishonour not God to wit eating and drinking Here I must quarrell with two sorts of people who dishonour God so much in these two First they dishonour him in eating so did the people of Israel when they required meat for their lust Psal 78.19 And therefore while the flesh was yet betweene their teeth before it was chewed Gods wrath was kindled against them as Numb 11.33 Secondly they dishonour him in drinking as those Isa 5.11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drinke that continue untill night till the wine inflame them I come to the third which is our calling We must make choyce of such callings whereby we may gaine glorie unto God Doct. For a calling is a particular kinde of life imposed upon man by God for the common good and in everie calling two things must be considered the Author and the end The Author of everie honest and lawfull calling is God So the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.17 As God hath called everie man so let him walke The end of every