Iohn 14. 16 17. Math. 28. 20. they leaue no roome for inmates especially for Sathan and vncleane spirits therefore these men here were not regenerated and truly sanctified Thirdly the vncleane spirit and his companions they enter in and dwell in these men here but this they neuer doe in the regenerate Saints of God For God hath hedged them about so that the diuell cannot come neere to touch them much lesse to dwell within them without Gods speciall permission Iob 1. 10. Math. 8. 31 32. They are armed with the whole armour of God so that the diuell cannot 〈◊〉 though hee assalt them Ephes. 6. 10 they keepe themselues and that wicked one toucheth them not 1 Iohn 5. 18. Therefore this place cannot bee vnderstood of true regenerate men Lastly the end of all regenerate men is farre better then their beginning their latter fruites are more and better then their first Psal. 92. 13 14 Numbers 23. 10. Rom. 6. 22. 1 Pet. 1. 9. Reu. 2. 19. Psal. 37. 37. But the end of those whom Christ speakes of here is like to theirs in the 2 Pet. 2. 21â—… it is 〈◊〉 their beginning therefore this Scripture cannot bee intended of godly and regenerate Christians but of hypocrites and wicked men and so it makes not any thing for your purpose If you object that they were swept and garnished therefore they were sanctified I answer that the text saith that they were empris swept and garnished Wherefore this place cannot be intended that they were garnished adorned and purified with the graces of Gods Spirit for then they had not beene empty then they had not beene fit to entertaine such vncleane and filthy spirits which cannot dwell but in polluted hearts and soules So that the meaning of these words is this that they were empty and voide of Christ and of the gifts and graces of his spirit that they were swept and garnished not with graces but with sinnes and vices the best ornaments of the Diuils tabernacle and those in which hee most of all delights Thus you see that this place on which our opposites doe much relie makes nothing at all against mee and comes not home vnto the point in question The fifth argument which may bee produced against me is collected from Iohn 5. 2. to the 11. and it is this If the regenerate Saints of God who are once ingrafted into Christ may not abide in Christ if they may beare no fruite and so be cast out into the fire to be burned then they may finally and totally fall from grace But the true regenerate Saints of God may not abide in Christ they may beare no fruite and so they may bee cast out into the fire to be burned for the words of Saint Iohn are Euery branch in mee that beareth not fruite hee taketh away Abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot beare fruite of it selfe 〈◊〉 â—…ide in the vine no more can yee except yee abide in mee If a man abide not in mee hee is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned If you abide in mee and my words abide in you you shall aske what you will and it shall bee done vnto you Which words do proue the Minor proopsition Therfore the true regenerate Saints of God may fall finally and totally from grace To this I answer that the Minor proposition is false and is not warranted by this place of Iohn For first you may perceiue two sorts of branches of which this Scrip-ture maketh mention First there are dead and withered branches branches which beare no fruite at all brances which haue a name they liue and yet are dead as the Church of Sardis was Reu. 3. 1. These branches though they made a shew of life vnto the world yet they had neuer any true and spirituall life and sap within them they neuer brought forth fruite and therefore they were neuer truly ingrafted into Christ. If a grift bee put into a stocke if it draw no sap no life and nourishment from the stocke if it grow not or if it beare no fruit but withereth away no man will euer say that this grift was well truly ingrafted into the stock so it is with those that are ingrafted into Christ if they grow and spring not or if they beare no fruite they were alwaies but dead branches they had no spirituall life within them they were neuer truly ingrafted into him Now of these branches Saint Iohn affirmes that they shall be cast out and withered that they shall be taken away and cast into the fire to be burned Secondly there are fruitfull and liuely branches which the Apostle opposeth to these other branches verse 2. and of these hee there affirmeth that his Father purgeth them that they may bring forth more fruite these branches they flourish like the palme tree and grow like a cedar in lebanon they flourish in the Courts of God they still bring forth fruite in old age they shall bee fat and flourishing Psal. 92 12 13 14. They neuer wither like these other branches neither doe they cease from yeelding fruit but they bring forth their fruite in their season and their leafe doth not wither nor fall away Psal. 1. 3. and Ier. 17. 8. So that this place of the Apostle is no more in substance but this hypocrites which were neuer the true liuing and fruitfull branches of Iesus Christ they shall wither and bee cut downe and cast into the fire for their vnfruitfulnesse like those trees that Iohn Baptist speakes of Math. 3. 10. and like the fruitlesse figge tree Math 21. 19. Luke 13. 6. to 10. But those that are the true and liuing branches of Iesus Christ they shall alwaies grow and flourish and bring forth more fruite continually their last workes shall be more then their first Psal 92. 12 13. Reu. 2. 19. Therefore this place makes wholly against you and not for you it warrants not your Minor proposition to bee true but proues it to bee false Secondly I answer that this Scripture here is not meant onely of the regenerate Saints of God but of the whole militant Church of God comprehending both the good and bad as appeares by the first verse of the chapter I am the true vine saith Christ and my Eather is the husband-man c. Now you know that the Church of God which is militant on the earth is compared to a vineyard and to a vine in diuers places of Scripture as Psal. 80. 〈◊〉 to 16. Isai. 5. 1. to 8. cap. 27. 2. 3. Math. 21. 33. to 42. and other places as it is in other places compared to a net which hath good and bad fish in it to a field which had tares as well as corne to a floore which hath chaffe as well as wheate and pure corne and to an house which hath vessells of honor and dishonor in it So
are branched into 4. generall heads First into the dâ—…ngerous consequencies in respect of the whole Trinity and Deity which are 13. First it would derogate from the honour of the Trinitie pag. 122. Secondly it would derogate much from the truth the promises and word of God pag. 123. Thirdly it would derogate much from the infinite goodnesse mercy and loue of God pag. 124. Fourthly it would derogate much from the omnipotencie and power of the Trinity and from the efficacie of the meanes of grace pag. 125. Fiftly it would derogate much from the infinite iustice and wisdome of God pag. 126. Sixtly it would much ecclipse the efficacie and vertue of Christs passion and intercession pag. 127. Seuenthly it would make the sweet and comfortable working of Gods Spirit in the hearts of the Saints to be but a meere imposture pag. 127. Eigthly it would rob the Lord of the heart the affection and the loue of all his Saints pag. 128. Ninthly it would rob the Lord of all his praise and glory pag. 129. Tenthly it would make men negligent in Gods seruice pag. 130. Eleuenthly it would rob God of the prayers of his Saints and make the Lords prayer to be but vaine and idle pag. 131. Twelfthly it would take away all absolute and irrespectiue predestination pag. 132. Lastly it would make men and not God the authors of their owne saluation pag. 133. Secondly into the dangerous consequencies in regard of the Saints themselues which are 6. First it would cause them to call Gods truth and promises into question pag. 134. Secondly it would depriue them of all true happinesse in this life and make them miserable men pag. 134. Thirdly it would depriue them of all 〈◊〉 ioy and comfort pag 135. Fourthly It would driue them to dispaire pag. 136. Fifthly it would make no difference at all betweene the godly and the wicked in this present life p. 141. Lastly it would breed a doubt whether God had alwayes a true Church on earth or whether there are any saued pag. 142. Thirdly into dangerous consequencies in respect of grace it selfe Which are 6. First it would cause men to vilifie and vnder-value grace p. 142. Secondly it would destroy the very nature and essence of true grace pag. 143. Thiraly it would vtterly abolish and take away all true and sauing faith pa. 144. Fourthly it would take away all certainty and assurance of saluation pa. 145. Fifthly it would take away and abolish the graces of loue to God and of ioy in the holy Ghost p. 146. Lastly it would make grace to bee no worke and fruite of the holy Ghost but a meere mor all perswasion and it would quite destroy the â—…ery kingdome of Grace which is in men pag. 147. Fourthly into the dangerous consequents in respect of the whole Church of God which are 2. First it would traduce condemne and sleight their doctrine and opinions pag. 147. Secondly it would reuiue those herefies which they had formerly condemned pag. 147. And into the dangerous consequences in respect of the Church of England Which are 4. First it will pull vp one maiue point and principle of that doctrine and religion which hath beene planted and established in our Church p. 148. Secondly it will giue our aduersaries occasion for to triumph ouer vs Ib. Thirdly it will be a meanes to bring in Poperie Arminianâ—…sme into our Church ibid. Fourthly it will breed diuisions and Combustions in our Church page 249. Eighthly into humane authorities which are of three sorts Fathers and Councells Protestant Churches and writers in sorraine parts and the Church of England p. 151. First for Fathers and Councells we haue for vs Dionysius Areopagiâ—…a pa. 152. Iustin Martyr p. 153. Irenaeus pa. 154. Clemens Alexandrinus p. 155. Tertullian pa. 159. Origen p. 159. Cyprian p. 162. Arnobius p. 163. Hilarie p. 163. Basil the Great p. 165. Ambrose p. 167. Epiphanius pag. 169. Câ—…rysostome p. 169. Augustine p. 171. Cyril pa. 173. Prosper p. 174. Chrysologus p. 175. Fulgentius p. 176. Gregorie the Great p. 178. Venerable Bede p. 179. Anselme pag. 181. Bernard p. 185. Bradwardyn p. 188. The Councell of Miliuitan p. 189. The Generall Councell of Africke and the Councell of Arausica or Orange p. 189. An answer to the Fathers that are obiected p. 193. 194. For Protestant Churches beyond the Seas we haue first their Authors whose names and workes are cited pag. 196. to 202. Secondly their seuerall Confessions Articles Resolutions and Synods wâ—…ich are cited p. 202. to 215. Thirdly for the Church of England pag. 215. wee haue first her learned Authors and Writers pa. 216. to 226. Secondly her Articles p. 226 to 235. where the obiection from the 16. Article is answered and the Article it selfe is expounded Thirdly her Homilies and Common prayer Bâ—…ke which make rather for vs than against vs p. 235. to 245. where the obiections from the Homilies are answered Fourthly an Argument to proue this present position here defended to be the receiued and resolued Doctrine of the Church of England p. 245. In this eighth part all the cauells of those who would haue the Error of the totall and finall Apostacie of the Saints to be the Tenet of all Antiquitie of all the German Protestants and of the Church of England are answered in their places And this is the whole summe and substance of the second generall part of this worke The third generall part of this worke which begins at pag. 253. containes the arguments which are made against this assertion here defended with the seuerall answers that are giuen to them where first you haue two obseruations commended to your consideration which serue to answer or at least to weaken all future arguments that are obiected which you shall finde pag. 253. 255. Secondly you haue the seuerall arguments which are obiected and the answers to them in their order The first argument is taken from Ezech. 18. 24. and 33. 12. 13. 18. it begins pag. 257. The second is from 1 Cor. 9. 27. pag. 264. The third from Heb. 6 4 5 6. cap. 10. 26. to 30. and the 2 Pet. 2. 21. pag. 287. The fourth from Math. 12. 43 44 45. Luke 11. 24 25. pag. 273. The fifth from Iohn 152. to 11. pag. 276. The sixth Phil. 2 12. pag 211. The seuenth from 2 Pet. 3. 17. pag. 283. 284. The eighth from 1 Cor. 10. 12. Heb. 3. 12. cap. 4. 1 11. and Rom. 11. 8. pag. 285. The ninth from 1 Cor. 16. 13. Phil. 41. Reu. 2. 25 26. pag. 288. The tenth from Iohn 8. 31. 1 Cor. 15. 2. 1 Chron. 28. 9. Gal. 69. Col. 1. 21. 22 23. 1 Thes. 3. 8. 1 Tim 2. 25. 2 Tim. 2. 21. Heb. 3. 6. 2 Pet. 1. 10. p. 290. The eleuenth from Heb. 10. 35. 38. pag. 296. The twelfth from Dan. 11. 35. pag. 296. The thirteenth from Prou. 24. 16. pag. 297. The fourteenth from 1 Cor. 8. 11. pag. 298. The fifteenth from 1 Tim. 5.
was hee euer with him at Eaton nor is he of this opinion as he hath recorded it And therefore it is likely that the Church of Geneua is still of this opinion as shee was before and so Deodate hath declared in that Letter of his so that there is no doubt but that all the Protestant Churches in Germanie and other parts concurre in judgement and resolution with vs and haue not subscribed and assented to the Church of Rome against our present assertion as M. Mountague hath recorded But admit now that the Diot of Ratisbon hath assented to the Church of Rome in this our Thesis and that the Protestants in the German Churches had beene of opinion against vs heretofore which I haue proued to be false yet what reason hath Master Mountague to affirme that this is their receiued doctrine and opposition now Master Mountague and all the world knew very well that in the fifth Article of the Synode of Dort which was held in the years of our Lord 1618 and 1619. this very controuersie of ours That those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ can neither totally nor finally fall from grace was resolued by the vnanimous consent of the Deuines of Great Brittaine of the County Palatine of Rhene of Hassia of Heluetia of the correspondence of Weteran of Geneua of Breme of Emden and of all the Belgicke professors of Diuinitie assembled by lawfull authoritie who haue all subscribed their names vnto this Synode in testimonie of their vnanimous approbation of it and of this Thesis and position which wee doe here maintine and defend He knew that Vorstius Greuinchouius Bertius and others that opposed it were banished the Netherlands for it He knew that this doctrine and assertion was now fully setled and established by vertue of this Synode the Estates approbation of it in all the Belgike Churches and yet Master Mountague that he might doe the Arminians and the Church of Rome a fauour and wrong the Church of England to make her swallow a Popish and Arminian doctrine vnder the coulor of Protestanisme must 〈◊〉 passe by this Synode and the resolution of it in this point and not so much as mention it in his Gagge making the world belieue that the German Protestants had assented to the Church of Rome in this point of falling away from grace and that it is their positiue resolution doctrine and assertion now notwithstanding the Synod of Dort had resolued it to the contrary This is square and honest dealing Master Mountagne is it not If you had any grace or honestie in you you would haue publikely recanted it long agoe and haue made fewell of your bookes ere this which are so full of manifest and palpable lies forgeries Impostures and vntruths least they should record your impudencie your treacherie and your base and lying forgerie to posteritie Great reason had you to checke and blame your Informers in your Appeale for dishonesty slaunder iuggling legerdemaine forgery and the like when as you your selfe haue so superabounded in them all in this our particular point Well to spend no more time in this particular I will close and shut it vp with this sillogisme That which all the Protestant Churches and writers haue with one vnanimous consent in their seuerall Confessions Synodes Decrees Resolutions Catechismes Schooles and writings published established ratified defended and resolued must needes be the established receiued and resolued Doctrines of those Churches But all the Protestant Churches and writers beyond the seas haue with one vnanimous consent in their seuerall Confessions Synodes Decrees Resolutions Catechismes Schooles and writings defended published established ratified resolued this our present assertion That thoâ—…e who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ can neither finally nor totally fall from grace yea they haue banished and punnished such from time to time as haue opposed it as appeares by the premises Therefore this our present assertion here maintained must needes be the established receiued and resolued doctrine of all the Protestant Churches and writers beyond the seas The Church of England Thirdly as this hath beene the Doctrine of the ancient Fathers and of the Protestant Churches beyond the seas so it is the receiued positiue and resolued Doctrine of the Church of England and of the learnedst most iudicious Diuines which the Church of England euer bred Indeed Mr. Mountague who contradicts himselfe in most things contradicts both himselfe me in this particular For first he affirmes That the learnedst in the Church of England do affirme that faith once had may totally finally be lost or that men once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ may both totally and finally fall from grace Secondly hee affirmeth that this is the publicke doctrine which is publickely professed and established in the Church of England not deliuered according to ordinary tracts and lectures but deliuered publickely positiuely and declatorilie in authenticall records insomuch that none can be ignorant of it And for proofe of this hee cites the 16 Article the Conference at Hampton Court the booke of Homilies and the booke of Common prayers in which this doctrine is publickely positiuely and declaratorily deliuered Now that I may answer Mr. Mountague cleare all that which hee objects I will first of all proue that this assertion which I here maintaine is the receiued positiue and resolued doctrine and position of all the learnedst and most iudicious Diuines of England Secondly I will proue that it is the Doctrine of the Articles of the Church of England and that the 16. Article makes nothing at all against it but rather for it Thirdly that the bookes of Homilies and of Common prayers make nothing at all against it And lastly I will proue that it is the publike receiued establish and resolued doctrine of the Church of England For the first of these that this my present assertion to wit That such as are one truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a liuely faith can neuer finally nor totally fall from grace hath beene the receiued positiue and resolued doctrine of all the learnedst and most judicious Diuines in England I shall make it good by this argument If most of the learnedst and judicious Diuines of the Church of England haue from time to time not onely in the Schooles and Pulpet but likewise in their learned labours set forth by publike allowance and authority maintained propagated and defended this my present assertion and there be no Orthodox English Diuine that did euer publikely in the Schooles or in any writings of his set forth by publike approbation maintaine the contrary then it is certaine that this my assertion is the receiued positiue and resolued doctrine of all the learnedest and most judicious Diuines in the Church of England But most of the learnedest and judicious Diuines of the Church of England haue from time to time not only in the Schooles and Pulpit but likewise
a worthy argument I promise you Fourthly these words are spoken indefinitely to all but principally to such as were not yet conuerted and ingrafted into Christ as appeares by the conclusion of the second Homilie and they are but an exhortation to moue men to come in and obey God therefore they proue nothing against vs. Fifthly I say that these words which are cited by you are intended onely of hypocrites and barren Christians and such as haue but a dead faith which as the first Homilie of faith saith is no faith neither is it properly called faith For they are spoken of the vnfruitefull vyneard and of such as are barren in good workes of such as wholly neglect Gods seruice and order not their liues according to his example and doctrine in the number of which such as haue a true justifying and liuing faith doe neuer come as wee may see by the three Homilies of faith So that your argument from hence can bee but this hypocrites and barren Christians may fall finally and totally from grace therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may doe so too which is a grosse Nonsequitur Yea but Mr. Mountague obiects that those in the first Homilie are such as truly beleiue and such as beholding the face of Gods mercy in Iesus Christ are transformed into the same image c. I answere that it is true that they are called true beleeuers not because they haue any true justifying and sauing faith within them but because they are visible members of a true visible Church and haue a true historicall faith beleeuing the Scriptures to bee true they are such as beleiue the Gospell to be true which if they behold it as they ought to doe I pray marke this parenthesis which you haue purposely and cunningly omitted will transforme them into his image and make them partakers of his heauenly light and of his holy Spirit c which parenthesis implies that those true beleiuers so stiled here did not behold the Gospell and the face of Gods mercy in Iesus Christ and so they were not true beleeuers nor yet partakers of the Image of Christ and of the holy Ghost as they might haue beene had they beheld them as they ought So that the genuine sence of the words is onely this All those that are planted in the visible Church of God and haue the powerfull offer of Christ vnto them in the Gospell which is able to regenerate them and to make them partakers of the holy Ghost if they make a good vse of it if they neglect this Gospell and walke vnworthy of it God will surely depriue them of it What is this to true beleeuers to true regenerate men which haue bin transformed into the image of Christ by the Gospell what is this to a totall and finall fall from the true and sauing state of grace Secondly it is euident that these words are not spoken of such as are truly regenerated and made the sonnes of God for it is said of them that if they behold the face of God in Iesus Christ in the Gospell as they ought to doe it will fashion them in all goodnesse requisite to the children of God which words proue that these here meant are such as had not that goodnesse which is requisite to the children of God and therefore they are not the children of God Lastly the conclusion of this Homilie which followes vpon these words proues that those here spoken of are only such as liueing in the Church become notoriously vitious selling themselues ouer vnto sinne and that they were such as neuer were truly regenerated Lastly admit that those here meant were true beleeuers and such as had the grace of true and sauing faith within them yet the Homilie saith not that these do finally or totally fall from grace all it saith of them is this That God will beginne to forsake them and that â—…ee will take his word from them if they doe neglect it this God may doe he may beginne to forsake them and yet not vtterly forsake them hee may take away his word and yet not take away their faith and other sauing and habituall graces from them and therefore racke these words to the vtmost they will not proue that the true regenerate Saints of God do either finally or totally fall from grace As for the words of the second Homilie they are only spoken of hypocrites and wicked men not of the true regenerate Saints of God which appeares First because they are spoken of the barren and fruitlesse vyneard of such Christians onely as beare noe fruites now the true regenerate Saints and such as haue a true and liuing faith are alwaies fruitfull in good workes Ps 1 3. Ps 92 12 13 14. Ier 17 8. Math 3 8 cap 7 17 18 2 Cor 8 7. Ephes 3 18 19. Iohn 15 3 5. Phil 〈◊〉 17. Iames 2 14 18 22 26. this the three Homilies of faith doe likewise teach and those that are barren and vnfruitfull vnder the meanes of grace they are such as haue no true and sauing grace no liuing faith at all as the Scriptures and the Homilies forecited doe declare therefore those in the second Homilie are no true regenerate Saints of God Secondly they are compared vnto Saul aud Iudas aud to all the children of mistrust aud vnbeliefe now Saul and Iudas as I shall proue hereafter and the children of mistrust and vnbeleife were neuer truly sanctified and regenerated therefore neither were these in the Homilie Lastly the whole Homilie proues it which is purposely intended to wicked men planted in the visible Church and to such as were not yet come into â—…st nor regenerated by the Gospell and to no others â—…re is no mention of true regenerate men in the Homilie the substance of the Homilie and the whole summe of it is but this Brethren if you will not now obey the Gospell which is preached vnto you and come into Christ and bring forth fruites worthy of it you shall bee depriued of it and bee cast out of the Church Christ and his spirit shall neuer rule and raigne within you what makes all this to our present purpose surâ—…ly nothing at all Yea but saith Mr. Mountague these were truly justified for they wâ—…re in Christ and continued in him for a time I answere that they were so in outward shew to the eyes of men they were visible members of the visible Church and men could not discouer so farre as to see their hearts therefore in the judgement of men they were in Christ for a time but yet they were neuer truly ingrafted into Christ they had neuer any true life in him they were but like the Church of Sardis Reu 3 1. they had a name they liued and yet were dead they were alwayes dead and barren trees that neuer brought forth liuing and wholesome fruites they were but as Saul and Iudas who were neuer truly sanctified and regenerated as I shall
grace and inward not according to their sins and outward man and therefore God taking them away in the very act not in the habit and the trade of sin he will estimate and reward them according to their graces and their inward man according to the inward purpose bent and clination of their soules according to the constant course and practise of their liues and not according to that particular and priuate act of sinne in which they dye so that they doe not perish euerlastingly for this act of sinne but they are certainly receiued vnto life euerlasting Sixthly the theefe which neuer did repent in all his life before was saued on the Crosse euen at the last gaspe and period of his life therefore that God and Sauiour who was so mercifull to saue a sinner that neuer was a Saint at the very last gaspe will alwaies be so gratious so louing and compassionate as to saue a sinner at the last which was a Saint a friend a brother and a best beloued vnto him before Lastly to shut vp all in a word or two Admit that an actuall and particular repentance were required as a thing absolutely necessary to saluation of all the true regenerate Saints of God after any grosse and knowne sinne committed by them yet then I say that when God doth take away any of his Saints in the very act of sinne hee doth in that very instance which hee takes them in giue them such an actuall particular repentance as shall saue their soules for hee hath praedestinated them vnto euerlasting life and therefore hauing predestinated them vnto the end he doth likewise predestinate them vnto the meanes for to obtaine it Wherefore as it is altogether impossible for to depriue them of the end so likewise is it impossible to depriue them of the meanes which are annexed inseparably vnto it and therfore put the worst you can imagine yet we may safely say that God doth alwayes giue his Saints this actuall repentance euen in the very point and instant when he cuts them off which the Pseudolut herans and those that defend only a totall fall from grace without a finall doe confesse and teach And therefore notwithstanding all those sinnes they doe commit notwithstanding their lying in sinne for a time or their dying in sin I meane in the act not in the habit and trade of some particular sin without any actuall or particular repentance for that sinne of theirs they neither fall finally nor yet totally from the state of grace This is the maine and principall argument this is the very knot and hinge of the question and therefore pardon me good Reader though I haue beene so prolix and tedious in my answer to it The twentie fiue Argument or obiection that is made against me is That a true regenerate Saint of God may bee excommunicated therefore he may fall from grace I answer that the Argument doth not follow For though excommunication may seuer a Saint of God from the societie of the faithfull and the visible Church of God for a time to humble him for his sinne and to make him more circumspect in his carriage for the time to come yet it neuer doth dissect or cut him off from Christ nay it doth not wholly seuer and cut him off from being a member of the visible Church for then he ought not to be assayled or admitted into the visible Church againe vnlesse he were rebaptized and during the time of this his excommunication he should be no better and no more a Christian than a Turke or Heathen man neither of which can be admitted and therefore this excommunication if you take it in the true and primatiue vse of it not as it is now commonly abused and made a common proces vpon pettie and trifling occasions it only suspends men from being partakers of the priuiledges of the Church it neuer cuts them off from being members of it This is the opinion of Mr. Hooker in his third booke of Ecclesiasticall policie cap. 1. pag. 88. of Bishop Abbot in his answer to Mr Thompsons Diatriba cap. 16. of Mr. Caluin in the 14. booke of his Institutions cap. 12. section 9. 10. of Marlorat in his Exposition vpon the 1 Cor. 5. 5. And I know not any Diuines either Moderne or Ancient of any note or credite that doe affirme the contrarie and therefore your Argument followes not The twenty sixe Argument which may bee made against me is this All Infants which are baptized they are by this their baptisme truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ and yet we see that many of them doe afterwards fall totally and finally from grace Therefore those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuely faith may fall from grace The Argument is taken for granted and therefore the Antecedent is only to be proued This our Antagonists indeuour for to doe by Scripture and by the authoritie and Doctrine of our Church of England The maine place of Scripture which is alledged is that of Gal. 3. 27. As many of you as haue beene baptized into Christ haue put on Christ which they say is full in point And that this is also the Doctrine of the Church of England is proued by the forme of baptisme recorded in our Common prayer Booke where the Minister before baptisme reciting how Christ did blesse the little children that were brought vnto them and rebuke his Disciples for hindering such as would bring them to him doth from hence exhort the people in these insuing words Doubt not therefore but earnestly beleeue that hee will likewise fauourably receiue these present Infants that he will imbrace them with the armes of his mercie that hee will giue vnto them the blessing of eternall life and make them partakers of his euerlasting kingdome And againe when as the childe is baptized there is this forme of thanks-giuing there prescribed to vs. Wee yeeld thee hearty thankes most mercifull Father that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this Infant with thy holy Spirit to receiue him for thine owne childe by adoption and to incorporate him into thy holy congregation Which words doe fully proue that all such Infants as are baptized are truly regenerated and so the Antecedent is fully proued to bee true Because this is an argument in which our Antagonists doe much triumph and boast as if wee were not able to vndergoe the charge and vigor of it I shall indeauour to giue a full and satisfactorie answer to it in which I shall bee forced to bee somewhat large and tedious in respect of those many particulars which I am to giue an answer to I will reduce them vnto these foure heads First I shall denie that all Infants that are baptized are truly regenerated and inwardly ingrafted into Christ by vertue of their baptisme Secondly I shall affirme that the place of the Galathians proues it not nor yet any other têxt of Scripture Thirdly I shall
26. yet he was not of the promised seed hee was borne after the flesh and not after the spirit Gal. 4. 28 29 30. Simon Magus was baptized as well as any others and yet he was not regenerated hee was still in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquitie Acts 8. 13. to 25. hee was not an heire and childe of promise All are not Israell which are of Israell neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children but in Isaac shall thy seed be called That is they which are the children of the flesh those are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed Rom. 9. 6 7. 8. The promises of God and the couenant of God belong onely to the sons of faithfull Abraham to the children of the promise and the righteous seed which are only the elect of God and such as the Lord our God shall effectually call Acts 2. 39. Tit. 1. 1. and Rom. 4. 11 12 13. 16. 24. Now all those that are baptized they are not the elect of God they are not the righteous seed or children of promise they are not within the new couenant of grace and therefore they haue no fruite not benefit no true regeneration and incision into Christ by their baptisme I will contract this reason into this Syllogisme If all those that are baptized are not of the true Church and body of Christ if they are not within the new couenant of grace if they are not the promised seed and the elect of God then all that are baptized are not regenerated and ingrafted truly into Christ by their baptisme For as Circumcision was so Baptisme is nothing else but a seale of the new Couenant and of the righteousnesse of faith and so it doth regenerate and ingraft none into Christ but by estating of them in this new Couenant of grace Now none can bee estated into this Couenant but such as are within it such as are the righteous seed the heires of promise the true Israell the true Church and body of Christ and the elect of God because the Couenant belongs to none but them and none can haue any benefit by the Seale that haue not an interest and share in the deed and Couenant it selfe But all those that are baptized are not of the true Church and body of Christ they are not within the new couenant of Grace they are not the promised seed and the elect of God as I haue proued Therefore all that are baptized are not regenerated and ingrafted truly into Christ by this their baptisme Lastly the Scriptures are expresse in it that many are circumcised outwardly in the flesh who were neuer circumcised inwardly with the spirit in the foreskin of their hearts Deut 30. 6. Ier. 9. 26. and Rom. 2. 28 29. that many are outwardly baptized and washed with water which are not inwardly baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire nor washed with the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the holy Ghost Math. 3. 11. 1 Pet. 3. 21. and 2 Pet. 2. 3. And therefore all these places of Scripture which speake of this inward baptisme of the Spirit are onely attributed and appropriated to the elect and beleeuing Saints of God and to no others and not to all that are baptized as you may see Math. 3. 11 Acts 2. 38 39. Rom. 6. 2. to 7. Gal. 3. 26 27. Titus 3. 5. 1 Pet. 3. 21. Iohn 3. 5 6 7 8. Ephes. 5. 25 26 27. 2 Tim. 2. 19. Ezech. 36. 26 27. Marke 16. 16. and Col. 2 11 12. Which will giue an answer to all the Fathers which are objected to the contrary Who when they say of Baptisme that it is the death and expiation of sinne the cause of regeneration and renouation the way of heauen the regeneration of the soule the grace of adoption and the like they say not that it is so to all that are baptized outwardly but to the elect and chosen of God and to the faithfull in Christ Iesus Neither doe they speake it of the outward baptisme of water but only of the inward baptisme of the Spirit which is proper only to the elect of God And that all that are baptized are not regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by this their baptisme but only the elect of God and such as are true beleeuers it is euident by the expresse words and testimonie of the Fathers of Tertullian lib. de baptismo of Hilarie Com in Math. Canon 10. of August cont Donat. lib. 5. cap. 24. de vnitat Ecclesiae cap. 19. and of Hierome Com. in Gal. lib. 2. vpon the words of Paul Gal. 3. 17. And of this opinion is Peter Lumb lib. 4. Dist. 4. cap. 3. Caluin Iustit lib. 4. cap. 15. sect 15. 17. 22. cap. 16. sect 9. Marlorat Exposit in Acts 2. 38. in Rom. 2. 25. in 1 Cor. 12. 13. in Gal. 3. 27. and in 1 Pet. 3. 21. Iohn Frith a martyr in his treatise of Baptisme Hooker lib. 5. of Eccles. Pol. sect 58. 59. 63. 64. Dr. Abbot Bishop of Salisburie In Thomps Diatr cap. 7. Dr. Benefield de Perseuer Sanctorum lib. 1. cap. 14. Zanchius Bucer Melanthon Beza Dr. Francis white Iewell Willet Master Fox all other Orthodox Diuines both of our owne and other Protestant Churches are of the same opinion and I know not any Father or orthodox writer that holds the contrary yea this is the expresse doctrine of our owne 27. Article and it is Mr. Rogers his obseruation in his second proposition raised from this Article and therefore we need not for to question it But now you will object that the holy Ghost doth alwaies accompany the Sacraments and workes effectually in them if there be no impediment on our parts but now in all infants that are baptizad there is no impediment to hinder the effectuall working of the holy Ghost and therefore the holy Ghost workes effectually in them to regenerate them I answer that it is true that the holy Ghost doth alwaies accompany the word and Sacraments yet not as an effect but as a concomitant of them where men are fitted and prepared to receiue them in a godly faithfull and religious manner the holy Ghost doth alwayes worke effectually by them when as they meete with such persons and subjects as are capable to receiue them in a gratious holy manner but where men are not fitted and prepared to receiue these Sacraments and meanes of grace there the holy Ghost doth not accompany them as we may reade at large Ezech. 2. 5. Math. 13. 4. to 10. 18. to 24. 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. Heb. 4. 2. c. 6. 7. 8. Now all infants they are not fitted and prepared to receiue the meanes of grace or the Spirit of grace which should regenerate them because they want faith and knowledge to receiue them and apply them and therefore in respect of this impediment Baptisme doth not worke effectually
THE PERPETVITIE OF A REGENERATE MANS ESTATE Wherein it is manifestly proued by sundry arguments reasons and authorities That such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a liuely faith can neither finally nor totally fall from grace It is also proued that this hath beene the receiued and resolued Doctrine of all the ancient Fathers of all the Protestant Churches and writers beyond the seas and of the Church of England All the principall arguments that are or may be obiected against it either from Scripture or from reason are here likewise cleared and answered By WILLIAM PRYNNE Gent Lincolniensis PSAL. 125. Verse 1. They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion which cannot be remoued but standeth fast for euer Fulgentius de Praedestinatione ad Monimum Gratia praeuenis impium vt fiat iustus subsequitur iustum ne fiat impius Praueniselisum vt surgat subsequitur eleuatum necadat LONDON Printed by WILLIAM IONES dwelling in Redcrossestreete 1626. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD GEORGE BY THE Diuine Prouidence Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Primate of England and one of his Maiesties most Honourable Priuy Councell MOST Reuerend Father in God it hath pleased the dispenser and giuer of all honour and preferment out of his especiall prouidence to aduance your Grace next to our gratious and Dread Soueraigne to the highest place of rule and dignitie in this our Church whereby you are farre ingaged to patronize the truth of God and the established and resolued Doctrines of our English Church Which when I had well considered it moued me to consecrate these first fruites of my studies to your Grace which are nothing else but a iust though weake and meane defence of a principell and ground of that religion which hath beene long established and setled in our Church till some factious and nouellizing spirits if not worse were so bold and impudent of late for to disturbe it The men and meanes by which this truth hath beene disturbed and drawne into question are not vnknowne I suppose vnto your Grace and therefore I neede not to informe against them All that I shall say of them is only this that they are now so potent and so politique that if they are not speedily and carefully preuented by your Grace they are like to quell at least to cloud that glorious truth and Gospell which hath shined so bright so plentifully and comfortablie among vs for so long a season with the dismall the dangerous and pernitious mists of Poperie and Arminianisme Their bookes you know which are fraught with dangerous and hurtfull errors and so much the more dangerous because they are sweetned cloathed and guilded ouer with the name and countenance of the Doctrine of the Church of England are printed and reprinted sold openly and dispersed publikely without controll and the pious wholsome and Christian labours of all such as would confute them by reason of those meanes which they haue made can either finde no license for the presse or if they chance to come vnto the presse by stealth or otherwise they are either quelled and smothered in it before they come vnto their birth or else they are called in and quelled before they can bee published and dispersed for to cleare and vindicate the truth so that by the supportation and propagating of the one and the discountenancing and suppressing of the other that truth of God which wee haue hitherto professed is like to be betrayed Shall these factious scismaticall and hereticall spirits bee so industrous to establish and to vent their Errors and to quell the truth and shall not wee be as diligent and couragious to defend it shall they with all their might and maine plant Poperie and Arminianisme nay Pelagianisme Atheismie in our Church and shall wee sit still with foulded hands with silent tongues and stupified hearts and not labour to withstand them Alas where is our loue where is our zeale to God and to his cause where is our ancient courage for the truth that wee are now so cold and frozen that we are now so much ashamed of that glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ which hath flourished so long among vs and hath made vs a mirror and a spectacle of Gods mercies vnto all the world that now wee dare not or at least wee will not defend and take its part that we dare not to contend and struggle for it but that we suffer it so willingly to bee surprised and betrayed as if wee were more willing to be rid of it then any longer to inioy it Certainly this want of courage for and loue vnto the truth as it is a sure syntome that iniquitie doth abound among vs so it may iustly cause the Lord to bring a famine and scarcitie among vs not of bread only which now is very likely to befall vs but euen of the word of God which is farre worse yea it may prouoke him and that deseruedly to giue vs vp to strong delusions to beleeue lies that we all may be damned because wee would not receiue the loue of the truth that so wee might be saued O therefore let mee now beseech your Grace that as in former times you haue so now you would take heart and courage for the truth You haue many incouragements many inforcements and ingagements for to doe it For your incouragement you haue the Lord of hosts and the almightie King of heauen for to take your part you haue the votes and prayers of all true hearted Christians you haue all the aide and assistance that heauen and earth can yeeld vnto you O feare not then the face or frowne of man whose breath is in his nostrells feare not the power or the malice of any that oppose the truth for wherin are they to be accounted of the Lord of hosts is with you the God of Iacob is your refuge man therefore cannot stand before you For inforcements and incouragements to be zealous and couragious for the truth you haue very many You are called to defend and to support the truth the very nature and qualitie of your function and the very dignitie of that place and person which now you doe sustaine doe euen ingage and binde your Grace to be couragious and zealous for it God hath committed his truth Gospell to your trust and hath giuen it you in charge to propagate and defend it God and our Gratious Soueraigne haue committed the care and custodie of this our Church to your charge and they haue giuen you more ability and power and so more cause for to defend the truth and doctrine that is established and setled in it then to other men and therefore they will require and expect from your Grace to whom so much is committed much more then they can or will from any other O therefore as you tender the glory and honour of the God of heauen the defence of Christ and of his cause and Gospell the
peace and safetie of this our Church which is committed to your charge as you tender your owne honor and reputation with God man or that great account which you must shortly make to God of that great stewardship of his which is committed to you if you â—…ender the good and comfort of your owne soule both here and hereafter if you would haue Iesus Christ to owne you and not to bee ashamed of you at the last when hee shall come in the glory of his Father with all his holy Angells if you would not bee cast with those other fearefull ones into that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone for euer take heart and courage for the Lord of hoasts and for his truth and cause which now are likely to miscarie Suffer not his word and truth to bee betrayed and suppressed by scismaticall factious and Antechristian spirits for want of supportation and defence but since the eyes of God and man are cast vpon you execute stirre vp and act that place and power which God and man haue giuen to you to the quelling of heresy and scisme to the extirpation of Poperie and Arminianisme which are now flowing in so fast vpon vs that they doe euen threaten a sodaine inundation and deluge to vs to the subuersion of the kingdome of Satan and Antechrisâ—… to the maintaining and inlarging of the kingdome of Iesus Christ and to the establishing of that glorious truth and Gospell which hath flourished and shined so long among vs to the admiration and mirror of our friends and to the griefe and enuy of our aduersaries Let not feare and cowardice let not flesh and blood or any other impediment whatsoeuer daunt your courage or coole your loue and zeale to Christ or to his cause but be willing to denie your selfe to part with all for him who hath euen denied himselfe and parted with his life and all for you And here I would intreate your Grace to pardon this my boldnesse and my rudenesse with you which though modesty and manners might caâ—…e mee to forbeare yet piety and zeale to God and to his truth and loue to this my Mother Church together with the necessity and extremitie of the times hath made me guilty of it I hope not faulty in it and withall I humblie consecrate these Firstlings of my studies being nothing else but a iust defence of a comfortable and Orthodox point of faith which hath long beene setled and established in this our Church and in all reformed Churches beyond the seas which if your Grace will but vouchsafe to Patronize and shelter they shall not feele they will not feare a totall or a finall 〈◊〉 Now the God of all Grace so beautifie and adorne your Grace with all the graces of his Spirit so fill and replenish you with zeale with fortitude and courage for the truth and so firmely settle and establish you in the glorious and happy estate of true and sauing grace that neither your Grace nor yet that truth and Gospell which 〈◊〉 now inioy may euer feele a finall totall or a partiall fall Your Graces in all humble submission and respect WILLIAM PRYNNE TO THE CHRISTIAN READER CHristian Reader when as I had well considered with my selfe the great danger and combustion that was likely to befall our Church and State by reason of some dangerous points of Pelagianisme Poperie and Arminianisme which some factious and nouillizing spirits haue lately broched and set on foote among vs as the receiued positiue and resolued doctrines not only of the Scriptures Fathers and Protestant Churches in forraine parts but likewise of the Church of England I supposed that I could not performe a better peece of seruice to God or to our Church and State then to cast in my Mite among the rest and to indeauour according to my poore ability to stoppe the streame and current of these late reuiued and new minted Errors which by reason of the learning fame and greatnesse of their Patrons and the deprauation of mans nature which is alwayes more propense and prone to Error then to truth and holinesse are like to threaten a generall and vniuersall deluge to our Church and State if authority preuent them not in time Vpon this I resolued to put my penne to Paper and thereupon I selected and culled out from among the rest this hereticall and pernicious Error Of the totall and finall Apostacie of the Saints from grace to combate and to grapple with The reasons which moued me to single out this one aboue all or any of the rest were these First because this Error is most of all insisted and stood vpon and is more peremptorily maintained and dâ—fended then any of the rest and therefore requires the speediest and the strongest opposition Secondly because this Error by reason of a misreported confereÌ„ce hath drawne more disciples and parties after it than any of the rest it hath found more Patrons of late among vs than any other Error that I know and therefore I thought that I should doe the greatest good in opposing and suppressing the most infectious and spreading Error Thirdly I made choyce of this aboue the rest because it was a part of Pelagianisme heretofore and it is but a point of pure Popery and Arminianisme now and therefore I presumed that I might with greater boldnesse and audacitie and with lesse offence to any aduenture to refell it especially since those who now defend it produce no other reasons arguments answers or authorities than those which the Pelagians Papists and Arminians haue framed and collected to their hands before without any new addition of their owne Fourthly I made choyce of this to vindicate the Church of England the Fathers Scriptures and Protestants in forraine parts from the false calumnies of those who would make all these the Patrons of this Error when as they haue all with one vnanimous consent condemned censured and refuted it yea and resolued against it as against a dangerous and hereticall position Fifely I made choyce of this because the sound confutation of it will ouerthrow the whole frame and fabricke of Arminianisme it will likewise out off a great part of Poperie and it will in effect suppresse and quite subuert the most of all those Errors Which haue beene lately broched among vs. For if this totall and finall Apostacie of the Saints bee once proued to be but an Error then the doctrines of Vniuersall Grace of Free-will of Election from the fore-sight of saith that such men as were neuer elected to saluation haue true saith that the number of the elect is vncertaine that the sinnes of the Saints doe cut them off from Christ that all these who are baptized are regenerated that the Sacraments conuey grace alike to all ex opere operato that there are some sinnes which are not mortall in their owne nature that men ought to doubt and that they cannot be certainely assured of their owne saluation without some
and as one who neuer had as yet any truth of sauing grace within him but likewise as a friend vnto Arminians and the Church of Rome and as an open and professed enemie to the grace of God and to the Doctrine of our Church if any of you will be so bold as to take vp this challenge this present Treatise or if not this another shall make it good against him so as the peace of this our Church bee not disturbed by it But if that your assertion be the positiue Doctrine of our Church as perchance you doe pretend it for to be how then doth it appeare to be so Sure I am our Articles our reuerend and learned writers our Religious professors and our Diuinity Schooles our reuerend Ministers throughout the Kingdome haue alwaies cryed it downe till now as blasphemous Papisticall and heriticall and there is not one approued writer of our English Church that did euer dare as yet to publish it vnto the world as sound and orthodox or as the Doctrine of our Church And if it be the Doctrine of our Church why do you not ioyne issue on it and put it to the tryall why do you not answer and refute but only labour to suppresse the workes of those who doe oppose it and challenge it as vnsound Indeede the truth is this you know your cause is bad you know that this your Doctrine is but false and counterfeite and quite repugnant to the Doctrine of our Church and therefore you dare not put it to the tryall for feare it should be proued to be false you dare not go about to proue our position to be vnsound or to giue an answer vnto such as haue defended it all your labour is to quell it and to suppresse not to answer the workes of such as haue defended it And why is this let Lactantius relate the cause Timeut ne à nobis reiucti manus dare aliquandò clamante ipsâ veritate cogantur Obstrepunt igitur et intercedunt ne audiane et oculos suos opprimunt ne lumen videant quod offerimus quum neque cognoscere neque congredi audent quià sciunt se facilè superari Et idcircò disceptatione sublata pellitur è medio sapientia vi geritur res You know you are not able for to answer and therefore you labour to suppresse our workes thinking to carry away the cause by force and pollicy and to suppresse the truth before it shall be able to come vnto a just legall tryall But remember that Intercipere scripta et publicatam velle submergere lectionem non est Deos defendere sed veritatis testificationem timere this is not to confute but to suppresse the truth this it not to confirme and proue but to condemne and marre your cause That gold which dreads the touchstone is but counterfeite that felon who refuseth his tryall doth but confesse himselfe guilty and that doctrine which hates the light and will not come vnto it which would establish it selfe by force and policy and not by truth and honest dealing it doth but discouer it selfe to be euill false and counterseite Whiles therefore you labour to suport your haerisie by force and pollicy and by suppressing of the truth you doe but daube with vntempered morter and marre it whiles you make it Wherefore giue ouer now for very shame your sinester and disloyall practises of which the world takes notice though you thinke not of it peruert not any longer the godly and religious intent of our gratious Soueraigne to a wicked and irreligious end and make not that an instrument to suffocate curbe the truth of God and Doctrine of our Church which hee intended should support inlarge and â—…uccor them How euer take this instruction from an ancient Father Nulla lex vetat discuti quod prohibet admitti Or if the saying of a Pope will please you better let Leo tell you thus much for your learning Quae patefacta sunt quaerere quae perfecta sunt retractare et quae sunt definita coâ—…ellore quid aliud est quam 〈◊〉 adeptis gratiam non referre et ad interdictae arboris cibum 〈◊〉 probos appetitus mortiferae cupiditatis extendere I know not whether you will I am sure you may apply it You see now how scandalous how sleight how false and forged all these your accusations are you see they are but shifts for to euade and colours to oppose the truth and such as doe professe it and defend it they are but meere impostures and pretences whereby the diuill and your owne deceitfull hearts doe labour for to blinde your eyes and to keepe you still in darkenesse to stupifie your hâ—…arts and consciences and so to set you in opposition against all gâ—…ace and goodnesse that so they may depriue you of your soules at last Consider therefore these wiles and pollicies of Satan and looke vnto the end of all your actions Consider who and what it is that sets you now on worke to slaunder and traduce the Saints of God and to oppose his truth and know that it is not the God of peace and vnion the God of grace and truth but the very Diuill himselfe the very spirit of Antechrist and the enemy of all grace and goodnesse who out of some carnall wicked sinister and by respects hath put you on this seruice aske but your owne brests and the secret whisperings of your owne consciences and they will tell you so And therefore though I haue spoken somewhat sharply to you before to make you know your selues the want of which knowledge if Lactantius may bee credited is the cause of all your Errors so now I doe euen beseech you by the mercies of God and by the death of Iesus Christ your Sauiour who died for you that you should no longer liue vnto your selues but vnto him that now you would lay downe your armes of rebellion and vomit vp your bitter hatred malice and dispite against all grace and goodnesse and such as doe excell in piety and holinesse that so you may with all meeknesse of spirit and humility of heart and minde submit vnto this comfortable and holy truth which here I offer and expose vnto you which will be the onely joy the onely comfort and safety of your soules If you will but seririously consider it and ponder it in your hearts and desire God to sanctifie and blesse it to you if you will but reade it with meeke and quiet spirits with indifferent and impartiall mindes and with an earnest desire to finde out the truth it may bee it may rectifie your judgements and reforme your liues it may bee it may doe you good and saue your soules But if you will shut your eyes and will not see if you will stoppe your eares and will not heare or if you will harden your hearts not consider If you will proceed for to oppose and persecute the Doctrine and the
11. 12. pag. 300. The sixteenth from 2 Cor. 6. 1. and 1 Cor. 15. 2. pag. 301. The seuenteenth from Psal 27. 9 11. Psal. 51. 11. Psal. 71. 9. pag. 302. The eighteenth from Gal 5. 4. pag. 304. The ninteenth from Prou 30. 8. 9. pag. 305. The twentieth from 1 Thes. 5. 19. pag. 306. The twenty one from 2 Iohâ—… 8. pag. 307. The twenty two from Psal. 119. 176. pag. 309. The twenty three from 1 Cor. 6. 15 16. pag. 310. The twenty foure That a regenerate man may fall into a grosse knowne and scandalous sinne and lye in it for a time or dye in it without repentance therefore he may fall from grace pag. 312. The twenty fiue That a regenerate man may be excommunicated and therefore he may fall from grace pag. 342. The twenty sixe That infants which are regenerated in their baptisme may fall from grace and therefore true regenerate men pag. 343. where that place of Gal. 3. 27 and the words obiected out of the Common prayer booke are answered and the vse the efficacy and the end of baptisme are declared The twenty seuenth argument is from examples pag. 364. which are of three sorts The first of Adam and the Angells pag. 365. The second from whole Churches pag. 368. as the Church of the Iewes pag. 369. The Church of the Galathians pag. 370. The Churches of Ephesus Smyrna Thyatira and Pergamus pag. 372. The third from particular Saints as the second and third ground pag. 383 those in Iohn 2. 23 24. pag. 375. The Disciples who went backe from Christ Iohn 6. 66. pag. 377. Dauid pag. 378. Peter pag. 385. Iudas pag. 391. Solomon pag. 393. Saul Aâ—…a Ioash Simon Magus the Elders of the Church of Ephesus Demas Hymenens Alexander those of Math 24. 24. and the rest of whom Paul Peter and Iude haue prophecied that they should depart from the faith pag. 393. 394. The twenty eighth and last argument is from the incâ—…cies of this our assertion pag. 394. which are three First it would make men presumptions bold to sin pa. 395. Secondly it would make men negligent and sloathfull in Gods seruice pag. 399. Thirdly it would make men proud arrogant pag. 403. And this is the substance of this third generall part The fourth last part of this worke consists of two profitable vses drawne from this assertion pag. 406. The first is a vse of exhortation to incite stirre vp all men to seeke prise the state of grace which is so permanent pag. 406. The second a vse of exhortation to the true Saints of God to comfort and reioyce their soules in the consideration of the perpetuity of their state of grace pag. 408. And thus you haue the compendium summe substance of this Treatise THE PERPETVITIE OF A REGENERATE MANS ESTATE WHEREIN IT is proued by sundry arguments reasons and authorities That such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuely faith can neither Finally nor Totally fall from grace c. IT is the expresse voyce and testimony both of the Spirit and the word of God that in the latter times and ages of the world there shall be some false teachers in the Church which priuily shall bring in damnable haeresies and pernitious doctrines euen denying the Lord that bought them and bring vpon them selues swift damnation Yea the same Spirit and word of God doe testifie that as there shall bee such false teachers in the world so likewise that there shall be many who departing from the faith and turning their eares from the truth shall giue heed to their seducing and erronious spirits and follow their pernitious wayes and doctrines insomuch that wholsome doctrine and the very way of truth itselfe shall be euill spoken of I would to God these prophecies and praedictions were not so truly and experimentally fulfilled in these last and euill daies of ours wherein we may truly say that there are some false teachers crept in among vs who priuily haue brought in damnable doctrines vnder the spetious pretence and coulour of the doctrine of our Church almost to the deniall of that Lord which bought them to the seducing of many ignorant and vnstable soules and to the scandall and reproach both of the word and way of truth Who and what those persons and these doctrines 〈◊〉 I need not for to mention the publicke fame hath made them so notorious that it would be altogether idle and superfluous for me to point and chalke them out Wherefore passing by the perâ—…ons I shall onely single out one pestilent and pernitious doctrine which they doe maintaine to wit the Totall and finall Apostacy of the Saints the which I here intend for to incounter not with the weake and feeble armes of fleshly wisdome but with the all conquering and all-subduing sword of the Spirit the word of God Now that I may not fight as one that beats the ayre nor trouble you with a long discourse to little purpose before I come to grapple with the aduersaries I will briefly and perspicuously relate the state and substance of that controuersie which is betweene vs. The question and controuersie 〈◊〉 selfe is onely this Whether those that are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liâ—…ely faith may either finally or totally fall from grace For the full and cleare vnderstanding of which you must take notice of two distinctions the first concerning regenerate men and such as are in thâ—… state of Grace the second concerning Grace it selfe Of regenâ—…rate men and such as are in the state of Grace there are two sorts The first are such as are regenerated and inuested into the state of Grace onely in outward shew and in the bare opinion of men but not in sincerity and truth these they are not within the question for though they make an outward shew and flourish of Grace vnto the world yet they had neuer any truth of sauing Grace within them and therefore we grant that such as these may both finally and totally fall away from that hypocriticall and superficiall shew of Grace the which they made The second sort of regenerate men are such as are regenerated in sinceritie and truth and not in outward shew onely such as haue really the seeeds and habits of true and sauing Grace within them of these onely is the present question and of these wee doe affirme that they can neither finally nor totally fall from Grace For Grace it selfe which is the second thing you must obserue that it hath a double acception in the Scriptures First it is taken for the free loue and mercy of God in Christ Iesus secondly it is taken for the graces which are wrought in men by the holy Ghost in this latter sense onely and not in the former is Grace taken in our present question Now these Graces of Gods Spirit they are of two sorts First there are ordinary and common Graces
girdeth their loines with a girdle He leadeth Princes away spoiled and ouerthroweth the mighty Hee remoueth away the speech of the trusty and taketh away the vnderstanding of the aged He powreth contempt vpon Princes and weakneth the strength of the mighty He increaseth the nations and destroyeth them hee inlargeth the nations and straitneth them againe He taketh away the heart of the chiefe of the people of the earth and causeth them to wander in a wildernesse where there is no way Iob 12 13 to 25. If our wills were in our owne powers not in Gods alone why then doe we dayly pray to God thy kingdome come thy will be done on earth as it is in heauen and leade vs not into temptation but deliuer us from euill this prayer were but vaine idle if our wills were our owne if God had no kingdome and power ouer vs to sway and rule vs as he pleaseth If our wills are free if wee may cast away that grace which God hath giuen vs and hath likewise couenanted to preserue it in vs why then doe wee call the Lord our God our King our Master and our Gouernour and why doth the Scripture certifie vs that our soules our spirits and our selues are not our owne but Gods and that it is God onely that worketh in vs both the will and the deede of his good pleasure 1 Cor 6 29. and Phil 2 13 Certainely if God be God Lord and King ouer vs as hee is if our hearts our wills and all our wayes are in his hands to dispose of them at his pleasure as wee must needes confesse they are vnlesse wee will turne Atheists and deny his Diety then when as God himselfe doth absolutely promise and vndertake to preserue and keepe 〈◊〉 Saints from falling and to establish them so that they shall not nor cannot for euer be remoued this their slight and supposition if they continue faithfull or vnlesse they will themselues must needes be false and idle or else you must of necessity grant that those whom God himselfe hath promised to keepe from falling and to establish so that they can neuer possible be remoued may fall away from grace which doth not onely falsifie the Scriptures and the promises of God but likewise pull God out of heauen and either make him to be no God at all or else sets man aboue him which is blasphemous and atheisticall Lastly If this their answere to the absolute promises and texts of Scriptute which we alledge against them were once admitted to be true then marke what dangerous consequents would follow vpon it First it would be a meanes to shake the very foundations principals and pillars of religion For if a thing which is absolutey true be not absolutly true which is the very summe and substance of all their answeres if that which God hath promised to establish for euer to keepe from falling and departing from him may notwithstanding fall and come to ruine if it will it selfe and that it is safe onely if it continue or as long as it continues then marke what a ready way they make for Atheists and Infidels to delude all those fundamentall truths which are deliuered and set downe in Scripture For if I were an Atheist and an Infidel and they should come to conuert or confute me by the Scriptures or by reason If they should now produce any argument or text of Scripture to proue that there were a God to proue that there were a Christ or an holy Ghost or to proue that there were a Church or to proue any such fundamentall truthes I would shift them of with this sleeuelesse answere of their owne true it is that there is an eternall God there is a Christ and an holy Ghost there is a Church of God if they continue or as long as they continue and then I would inferre as they do vpon this answere but they doe not continue and therefore they are not What answer could they giuâ—… me if this their owne cuasion would hold water and goe for câ—…rrant certainely none at all Yea but they will obiect that the Scripture saith that the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are eternall and that the Church of God continueth and abideth for euer and therefore this answere if they continue or as long as they continue is very repugnant And doth not the Scripture say as positiuely that the righteous shall neuer be remoued that they shall stand fast for euer that their faith and graces shall neuer faile that the holy Ghost shall abide with them for euer that they shall neuer faile or perish Where then I pray you stands the difference If this answer of theirs bee repugnant and contradictorie in the one why should it not bee so in the other to Yea but God is eternall in his owne Nature and so in this there is a difference And is not grace an immortall and incorruptible seed a treasure which neither rust nor moth can corrupt nor theeues breake through and steale the Scripture I am sure stiles it so Yea Christians themselues that are once illuminated with the spirit of Grace they are immortall through grace the second death shall haue no power ouer them and they shall die no more Reu. 20 6. and Rom. 6. 10 11. Therefore if Christians are immortall and euerlasting by Grace and if that Grace which we haue now by Christ be of an incorruptible nature as well as God is eternall if it be absurd to suppose that God may not continue and abide for euer or to say that he is eternall vnlesse hee will himselfe it must likewise be absurd to suppose that Grace which is immortall and incorruptible that the Saints of God who shall stand fast for euer and cannot be remoued may notwithstanding cease to be and fall from grace and perish So that you see plainely that this euasion of theirs if it were admitted would vtterly subvert and ouerturne the very grounds principles and foundation of Religion Secondly if this their shifting answer should be admitted it would make the word of God but a meere nugation a meere tantologie a vaine absurd and idle thing a thing meerely repugnant and crosse vnto it selfe Absolute things must then be conditionall plaine things will become obscure expresse and absolute promises must bee suspended vpon vaine and idle suppositions mens graces then should alwaies increase and never faile and yet they should be lost and faile the Saints then should neuer fall perish or be remoued and yet they should fall quite away from grace they should perish and bee remoued they should not bee able to deparâ—… from God and yet they should depart the Scriptures in which there is no iarre at all should then bee full of contradictions or nugations Yea Scripture would become no Scripture truth no truth God no God if this their shift anfwer and euasion should be admitted to be true And therefore wee reiect this
seuerall Conferences at Hage recorded by Brandius and Bertius haue concurred in the contrary assertion I confesse that Iacobus Arminius in Apolog aduers Artic quosdam Theologicos Respons ad Artic secundum in Examinatione Praedestinationis Perkinsis that Conradus Vorstius in amica collatione cum Piscatore sect 108 that Nicholaus Greuinchouius and Bertius in his Hyminaeo desertore sine de Sanctorum Apostasia and others of the Arminian crew to whom Master Mountague is much beholding haue beene of this opinion That faith once had may be lost againe But that any sound and orthodox Protestant Diuines were of this opinion in any of their decisions writings or resolutions that I neuer heard or read of as yet But will you know now who are Master Mountagues Protestant Diuines who haue so much opposed our present assertion and consented to the Church of Rome in the totall and finall losse of faith once had Surely they must and can be no other but those whose reasons arguments and quotations both out of Scriptures and Fathers Master Mountague hath ttanscribed in his Gagge for he intimates as much himselfe Now what Diuines are these Surely I must needes informe you who they are because they are worth the knowledge his two chiefe Diuines they are Bellarmine and Bertius the one a Cardinall and cheise pillar of the Church of Rome the other the strongest pillar and stoutest Champion of the Arminian faction It may be hee hath praid in some ayde from the Rhemists but I can assure you that all his quotations that are there cited are transcribed either out of Bellarmine in his 3. booke de Iustif cap. 14. or out of Bertius in his Hymeneo disertore siue de Apostasia sanctorū and most of them especially the quotations out of the Fathers are not to be found in any other Writer but in Bertius only Are these your Protestant Diuines Mr. Mountague were there no other Protestant Diuines from whence to fetch resolutions decisious but from these or can you bee so strangely impudent as to grace these two notorious and famous men the one knowne for the greatest Papist the other for the chiefest Arminian that euer was with the stile of most Protestaut Diviues no meruaile then is these men bee your Protestants that you stile all others that dissent from them not Protestants but Caluinists Puritans and Nouellers and that you stile this doctrine of the totall finall perseuerance of the Saints a Puritan Doctrine Wherefore good Reader take this short Nota with thee in the by that all M. Mountagues Protestants are none but Papists and Arminians and all his Puritans Nouellers and Caluinists whom hee so much lasheth none but sound and Orthodox Protestants who assent not to Arminius and the Church of Rome and what must Mr. Mountague be then in the meane time Surely a Papist or Arminian if not both or worse then both But I passe this ouer and come to the second thing which is to proue the totall and finall perseuerance of the Saints in the state of Grace to bee the receiued and approued doctrine of all Protestant and reformed Churches beyond the Seas by their seuerall Articles and Confessions and by their Synods which haue so resolued it That this is the receiued and approued doctrine of their Articles and Confessions it is euident and plaine First by the latter Confession of Helvetia Artic. 9. Because that the strength of the flesh and reliques of the old man are not of such great force in the regenerate that they can wholly quench the worke of the Spirit therefore the faithfull are called free yet so that they do acknowledge their infirmity and glory no whit at all of their Free-will So that by the expresse words of this Confession the regenerate Saints of God can neuer fall totally from grace because the strength of the flesh and reliques of the old man are not of such great force in the regenerate that they can wholly quench the worke of the spirit So Artic. 10. of the same confession The Saints are chosen in Christ by God vnto a sure end and Artic. 15. Wee who are once justified are not only cleansed from sinne and purged and holy but also indued with the righteousnesse of Christ yea and acquitted from sinne death and condemnation finally we are righteous and heires of eternall life And Article 16. True faith is the meere gift of God because God of his power doth giue it to his elect according to measure and therefore it is called the faith of Gods elect This faith doth pacifie the conscience and doth open vnto vs a free accesse to God it doth keepe vs in our dutie which wee owe to God and to our neighbour and doth fortifie our patience in aduersitie and it doth bring forth good fruites of all sorts c. By this it is euident that our assertion is the positiue doctrine of the Helu◅◅◅◅tian Church So is it also of the Bohemian as it is manifest by the 6. Article of their Confession which saith That true faith doth alwayes lift vp him that hath it and assures him that in and for Christ he assuredly hath and shall haue for euer eternall life according to his true promise which hee confirmed with an oath saying Verily I say vnto you hee that beleeueth on me hath eternall life For whomsoeuer God doth iustifie to them he doth giue the holy Ghost and by him hee doth regenerate them as hee promised by the Prophet saying I will giue them a new heart and I will put my Spirit in the middest of them that as before sinne had reigned in them to death so also grace might reigne by righteousnesse vnto eternall life through Iesus Christ. Now they that attaine to this iustification by Christ our Lord are taught to take vnto themselues true and assured comfort out of this grace and bounty of God to inioy a good and quiet conscience before God to be certaine of their owne saluation ond to haue it confirmed to them by this meanes that seeing they are the sonnes of God they shall also after death in the resurrection bee made heires The French Church doth likewise concurre with vs in our assertion in the 21. and 22. Articles of their confession which say That true faith is giuen only to the Elect not that they might once only be brought into the right way but rather that they might bee forward therein vnto the end because that as the beginning is of God so is also the accomplishment Therefore it is so farre that faith should extinguish the desire to liue well and holily that it doth rather increase and kindle it in vs whereupon good workes doe necessarily follow with which the confession of Belgia artic 23. 24. doth fully agree The Confession of Saxonie Artic. 3. 7. 9. concurreth with vs For it testifieth vnto vs. That the Error of doubting is altogether heathenish that it doth abolish the Gospell and take away all true
and liuely faith they are the sons of God the Spirit of God doth moue them to those things which are holy and right that so they may not wittingly commit any things to the contrary much lesse perseuere in them notwithstanding oft-times out of the weakenesse of the flesh they sin doe not according to faith but yet they neuer commit those sins which waste the conscience nor those which doe forth-with exclude them from the kingdome of God which reason they doe backe likewise with this Syllogisme drawne from the Scriptures Hee that beleeueth that Iesus is the Christ is borne of God 1 Ioh. 5. but hee that is borne of God the same Apostle in the same Epistle testifies cap. 3. that hee doth not sin neither can hee sin therefore â—…ee who doth truly and liuingly beleeue the Gospell of Christ can abide in no sinne which doth waste the conscience For euery one who commits such a sin as this hath neither seene nor knowne God Wherefore seeing that this Diot hath resolued that such a one as hath true faith cannot commit such a sinne as doth waste his conscience but only sinnes of infirmitie which doe not cast men wholly from the state of grace it hath likewise by this resolued against Mr. Mountagues assertion that faith once had may bee both finally totally lost againe so they haue not consented to the Church of Rome in this as hee most falsely doth affirme Againe this whole Diot haue with one vnanimous consent resolued it that all such as haue true faith both may and must be assured of their saluation because that God hath vndoubtedly promised eternall life to all such as are iustified doe 〈◊〉 beleeue in him which promise hee will punctually vndoubtedly performe in the time which hee hath promised because that Christ doth call elect all his not to a temporarie kingdome grace or life but to an eternall because that God himselfe will inable them cause them for to perseuere because this liuing iustifying faith is in it selfe eternall life those that haue it euen from the first time of their hauing of it haue euerlasting life because this faith is preserued in those that haue it not by their owne power or might but by the very power of God of the holy Ghost because this faith is of an incorruptible of a growing increasing and neuer failing nature as you may reade from pag. 461. to 538. Therefore by this expresse resolution vpon these pregnant and sure grounds which doe all proue our assertion to the full it is most euident and apparant to all the world that this famous Diot and so all the Protestants in Germanie who assented to it and were present at it haue resolued and determined That the state of true and sauing graece that true and liuely faith once had can neither finally nor totally be lost againe How base how trecherous and perfidious then is Mr. Mountague who would thus traduce this noble Diot and all the German Protestants in recording it vnto the world that they assented to the church of Rome in this that faith once had might bee lost againe when as they did expresly resolue it to the Contrary Well Mr. Mountague I must needs speake plainly to you and let all the world iudge whether I doe amisse in it or no as in many other things touching this particular controuersie so especially in traducing and abusing of this famous Diot you haue shewed your selfe a base an impudent a lying and seditious Varlet and a man vnworthy to liue in any Protestant Church or Christian Common-wealth and I will euidence and proue it by these 4. particulars First in that you traduce corrupt and falsifie the judgement of a whole Protestant Synod Secondly in that you traduce and falsifie it in such a manner saying that all the Protestants in Germany assented to the Church of Rome in this Diot at Ratisbon in this point of falling finally and totally from grace as if all the Protestants in Germany were turned Papists Thirdly in that you do it to this end to bring in Popery and Arminianisme into our Church to make the world beleeue that Popery and Protestanisme are all one and that Protestants haue heretofore alwayes yeelded and submitted to the Church of Rome in matters of Doctrine and therefore they should doe so now and so the end of this your falsification of this Synod is but to perswade all Protestants to turne Papists at least in this particular point Fourthly in that you would father the base bratts of that Arminian Bertius vpon this Protestant and famous Diot that so his dangerous workes might be countenanced approued and receiued as sound and orthodox vnder the name and colour of this Diot For if it please Mr. Mountague to remember himselfe those Scriptures reasons and authorities of Fathers which he citeth in his Gagge cap. 20. as the reasons arguments and grounds which moued Bucer and the Diot of Ralisbon to assent to the Church of Rome in this point of falling from grace as they are not to be found in the disputation of Ralisbon wherein the contrary was resolued so all and euery one of these Scriptures reasons and Fathers Clemens Romanus a meere suppositions and forged Writer only excepted were transcribed out of this Bertius his Apostatia Sanctorum where they are all and only to bee found Now hee who professing himselfe to be a Protestant and receiuing so many fauours from our Church shall putposely traduce and falsifie such a generall and famous Synod or Diot as this in such a base and infamous manner and that to such dangerous sinister and wicked ends as these how ill hee doth deserue of God and man especially of this our Mother Church whom hee doth labour to corrupt and seduce by this his jugling let all men judge But to passe this ouer which the loue I owe vnto the truth and to my Mother Church could not suffer mee to smother or conceale I will now proceed to giue you some farther and cleare euidence to proue the totall and finall Perseuerance of the Saints to be the doctrine of the Protestant Churches beyond the Seas Concordia Lutherana which was agreed vpon and resolued and set out by the consent of all the Protestants in Germanie against those who did oppose the Augustine Confession informes vs that this was one Article of the Protestants beleife touching justification which they did both teach and confesse That albeit true beleeuers and regenerate men were liable to many infirmities and spotts euen to their death yet that they ought not for to doubt either of the righteousnesse imputed vnto them by faith or of eternall saluation but that they ought firmely to resolue that God is reconciled to them in Christ according to his sure word and promise And though there bee much infirmitie in the Saints which makes them to complaine with Paul yet God doth neuer impute this
these I say who were vndoubtedly the learnedest in the Church of England in their times haue hitherto bin reputed so without controll haue with one vnanimous and joynt consent in these their seuerall writings and records in which they doe and shall for euer liue defended and maintained the Totall and finall perseuerance of the Saints as the Orthodox positiue and undoubted truth and as the receiued and resolued doctrine of the Church of England opposing confuting reiecting and condemning the contrary assertion as haereticall wicked blasphemous and athiesticall and as quite repugnant and crosse to the receiued and established doctrine of our Church But now it may be obiected that it is true that the learnedest in the Church of England haue heretosore maintained desended this our present assertion as sound and orthodox and as the receiued doctrine of our Church but doe the learnedâ—…st in the Church of England maintaine and defend it now in any of their workes and writings I answere yes Doctor Benefelde Lady Margarets Lecturer in the Vniuersitie of Oxford as learned and profound a Scholler as any in the Church of England in his two bookes de Perseuerantia sanctorum being nothing else but two publike Lectures which he read in the Diuinitie Schooles at Oxford Doctor Prideaux now regious Professor of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Oxford a man as famous for his learning as any in our Church in his Lecture de Perseuerantia sanctorum and in his Sermon intituled Ephesus backsliding Doctor Ames a famous and renowned Scholler now a Professor of Diuinitie in the Netherlands in his Coronis ad Collationem Hagiensem Article 5. Doctor Francis White whom some report to be dyed blacke of late one of the greatest Gamaliels in our Church in his reply to Fisher pag 52 53 54 81 84 87 102 167 168 200. Doctor Carlton the reuerend Bishop of Chichester Doctor Dauenat Bishop of Salisbury Doctor Samuell Ward Doctor Thomas Goade and Doctor Balcanquall in the fifth Article of the Synod of Dort at which they were present and to which they haue subscribed their names and in the Examination of Mr. Mountagues Appeale composed by Bishop Carlton to which they haue also annexed a Protestation touching the Synod of Dort so touching our particular point which is resolued in the one and defended in the other Mr. Wotton in his defence of Mr. Perkins in the point of the certaintie of saluation Mr. Bolton in his Discourse of true happinesse to passe by Mr. Ronse Mr. Burton Mr. Yates and others who haue answered Mr. Mountague and haue written particularly of this our present controuersie all these I say who are the learnedest at least as learned as any in our Church haue defended and maintained this our present assertion as sound and orthodox and as the doctrine of the Church of England in these their seuerall records neither is there any English Diuine but Mr. Mountague that did euer publish and record the contrary This cloude of witnesses which I haue here recorded together with many oâ—…hers which I might haue mentioned is sufficient for to proue that the learnedest in the Church of England not onely heretofore but likewise at this present time concurre and iumpe with vs in this our assertion that true grace once had can neuer be totally nor finally lost againe Mr. Mountague himselfe though hee records the contrary is so ingenious as to conâ—…esse that many in the Church of England reputed learned haue concurred in opinion with vs but yet withall hee auerreth that those who hold the contrary are their superiours both in learning authoritie so that in his opinion no learned men indeede no man of place or note in this our Church but onely some meane obscure men who are reputed learned but are in truth illitterate were euer of his opinion that true faith once had could not be totally nor finally lost againe But whether those men whom I haue formerly mentioned were obscure men or no or whether they were illitterate dunces men only reputed learned or whether they are not more eminent in place learning dignity and piety then Mr. Mountague or any of his Abettors let all men judge Hauing now sufficiently proued by many testimoâ—…ies that the learnedest in the Church of England haue assented to vs and that they haue maintained this our assertion as the resolued doctrine of the Church of England I will now in the second place examine whether there are any learned in the Church of England who either did or do oppose it as Mr. Mountague hath auerred it For my owne part I must confesse ingenuously that I neuer heard or read of any English orthodox Protestant Diuine that did euer oppose or contradict our present assertion in any worke or writing of his set forth by publike authoritie Indeed Mr. Bradwell in his detection pag. 89. and Mr. Rogers iu his third proposition on the 17. Article records the doctrine of a totall and finall fall from grace to bee one of Glouers errors but whether Glouer were one of the learnedest in the Church of England of which Mr. Mountague speakes or whether he hath left this error of his vpoÌ„ any authenticall and approued records that I know not sure I am that this doctrine of his which Mr. Mountagne would father vpon the learnedest of our Church is but a branded error and that vpon record I must confesse that Iohn Breyerly a Priest in his reformed Protestant Printed at 〈◊〉 in Laâ—…cashire 1621 pag 79. hath recorded this to be the Tenet of Mr. Harsnet now Bishop of Norwich and he quotes his sermon at Paules Crosse in the margent for to proue it where in this error of the totall and finall Apostacie of the Saints together with some other Arminian points were deliuered by him If the Bishop of Norwich then be one of Mr. Mountagues learnedest number who oppose this our present assertion I answer first that Mr. Harsnet was long since conuented for his Sermon and forced to recant it as haeriticall and erronious and therefore since hee hath recanted it as an error heretofore I doubt not but he doth disclaime it as an error now Secondly I answer that vpon this Sermon the controuersies that arose vpon it the Articles of Lambeth which do resolue this for vs that the true regenerate Saints of God can neither finally nor totally fall from grace were composed and by the appointment of the whole Vniuersitie of Cambridge Mr. Wotton was appointed to confute Mr. Harsnets Sermon as haereticall the next Sunday following and therefore by the voyce of the whole Vniuersitie of Cambridge and by the resolution of the reuerend Bishops and learned Diuines assembled at Lambeth who were farre more learned then Mr. Harsnet this totall and finall Apostacy of the Saints was branded for an error and so not the receiued Tenet of the learnedest in the Church of England Thirdly I answere that this Sermon of Mr. Harsnets was neuer
proue hereafter Sixthty I answere in your owne words that admit that these places are meant of true regenerate men yet these Homilies being no dogmaticall decisions but popular sermons and Godly exhortations may sometimes hyperbolize out of a rhetoricall straine and stretch some sayings beyond the vse and practise of the Church and so euery word in these homilies is not strictly litterally to be insisted on but we must giue thē a faire gentle construction Seuenthly these words here mentioned are but exhortations and preseruatiues to keepe men from falling from God therefore they doe not necessarily imply that men may fall from God all they imply ineuitablie is but this that men cannot stand fast in grace cleaue close to God but by vsing of the meanes they doe not imply that regenerate men will not vse the meanes or that they may fall from grace and the vse of the meanes doth not imply an incertaintie in obtaining of the end Lastly which answeres all that can bee obiected All the comminations and threates in these Homilies are conditionall so that take them as they are most aduantagious to you and as spoken to the true regenerate Saints of God yet all the argument that you can extract and juggle from them is but this If the true regenerate Saints of God neglect Gods word and become vnfruitefull they shall bee cast of and be giuen vp to the power of the diuell Therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may finally and totally fall from the state of grace a learned Nonsequitur following the Antecedent as much as darknesse doth the Sunne and all one And therefore Mr. Mountague and all others if they were not obstinate admitting these Homilies to bee dogmaticall decisions containing in them the doctrines and resolutions of our Church which Mr. Mountague himselfe denies must needs acknowledge that these Homilies and so by consequence the Church of England makes not against my present assertion but rather for it then against it As for the argument drawne from the Common prayer booke that infants after baptisme fall from that state of grace which they haue receiued in their baptisme therefore true regenerate men which are ingrafted into Christ by faith may fall from grace I shall answer it fully in another place All that I shall say of it here is this that though you would ground your argument on the words of the common Prayer Booke to make a flourish of it to the world as if it were your owne yet the truth is this you had it from the Rhemists from Mr. Thompson Eckardus Bertius Aegidius Hunnius Zacharias Mathesius and other Arminians or else from Bellarmine who doe presse this argument and relie vpon it as much as Mr. Mountague doth Which Argument Mr. Mountague knowes to haue beene oft-times answered both by Byshop Abbot in his Animad in Thomps Diatr cap. 7. by Dr. Benefield in his booke de Persen Sanctorum lib. 1. cap. 14. by Dr. Prideaux in his sixth Lecture by the Whole Synode of Dort in the 5. Article and by diuers others and hee knowes it to be but a meere nonsequitur admitting the Antecedent to be true and yet that he might deceiue the ignorant and the ouer-credulous hee makes no bones to publish it as an Orthodox and inuincible Argument Alas Mr. Mountague what is become of your honestie in the meane time who would thus deceiue both God and Man yea and your owne Mother Church by charging her with such a damnable and pernicious Tenent doctrine and assertion and that vpon such weake and ridiculous grounds as these I haue now sufficiently proued The totall and finall Apostacy of the Saints from grace not to be the receiued and resolued doctrine of the learnedest in the Church of England nor yet of the Articles Homilies or Common prayer booke of our English Church and so by consequence I haue acquitted the Church o◅ England of this pernicious doctrine which Mr. Mountague would scandalously lay vpon it I will now in the fourth and last place proue the totall and finall perseuerance of the Saints to be the established resolued and receiued Doctrine of the Church of England and that by this vnanswerable Argument That assertion doctrine and position which is ratified and confirmed by the 17. Article by the Articles of Lambe◅h and Ireland and agreed vpon by the royall Synode of Hampton Court That assertion Doctrine and position which the learnedest in the Church of England haue with one vnanimous consent not only published and taught in their seuerall parishes Cures but likewise publikely maintained and defended in the Schooles in both our Vniuersities from time to time and in their learned writings set forth by publike authoritie and approbation as the established and receiued Doctrine of the Church of England must needs be the receiued established and resolued Doctrine of the Church of England But this assertion Doctrine and position That such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuely faith can neither finally nor totally fall from grace is ratified and confirmed by the 17. Article by the Articles of Lambeth and Ireland and agreed vpon by the royall Synod of Hampton Court and the learnedest in the Church of England haue with one vnanimous consent not only published it in their seuerall Parishes and Cures but likewise publikely maintained and defend◅ it in the Schooles in both our Vniuersities from time to time and in their learned writings set forth by publike authority and approbation as the established and receiued Doctrine of the Church of England all which I haue already proued in the premises Therefore it must needs be the receiued established and resolued Doctrine of the Church of England Yea but Mr. Mountague in his Appello Caesarem affirmes the contrary True he doth so but is Mr. Mountague a Pope that he cannot erre or lie or that our Church of England should bee included in his brest alone or are Mr. Mountagues words such Gospell that men must of necessity beleeue them because hee speakes them Perhaps they may be so with some with mee they are not nay they shall not bee But if there are any who are so much deuoted to Mr. Mountague that they will pinne their faith vpon Mr. Mountagues sleeue and beleeue none else but he Let them consider but these three things which I will not only propound but proue vnto them The first ◅his That as Mr. Mountague hath all hee hath excepting that of our Homilies touching our present controuersie out of that arch Arminian Bertius and that Arch Papist Bellarmme so hee hath this among other things that this doctrine of a totall and finall fall from grace is the receiued doctrine of the Church of England They are Bertius his words in his booke de Apostata sanctorum pag. 107. In his Preface to the same booke and in his Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury as you may see in King IAMES his
established doctrine of our Church is yet the doctrine of the Church and I am ready to recant In which words as Mr. Mountague hath vsed a pretty sleight to keepe off men from writing or speaking against him lest they should come within the compasse of these two hatefull names Puritan and Papist so he hath discouered himselfe egregiously vnto the world and that in these particulars First hee hath discouered himselfe to be a meere Roman Catholicke in heart what euer he professe in words in hauing his beliefe and faith not grounded on the word of God but on the Church Hee beleeues only as the Church beleeues and not otherwise let come what will the Churches faith shall still bee his If our Church will owne this doctrine of his then hee will defend it then hee will teach it if our Church will not owne it then hee will disclaime it and recant it not because that this his doctrine is in it selfe true or false but meerely because it is the doctrine of the Church Now for any man thus to tie and pinne his faith vpon the Church and vpon that only what is it but to bee a professed Romane Catholicke Secondly by these his words hee hath discouered himselfe to be but a meere temporizer a meere Proteus and Chamelion a meere Neuter and a man of all religions as time and place shall serue and so a man of no religion or grace at all Let the Church of England not owne this doctrine of a totall and finall fall from grace Mr. Mountague will forthwith disclaime it though hee himselfe hath affirmed it to bee the doctrine of the Scriptures Fathers and of the learnedest in the Church of England So that his Tenets and religion shall bee alwayes altered and changed with the times and seasons And will you my Brethren receiue this for a sound and orthodox truth and as the receiued doctrine of the Church of England when as Mr. Mountague himselfe is as ready to disclaime it as to owne it will you suspend and pinne your faith your judgement and religion vpon Mr. Mountagues sleeue whose religion is but a meere Weather-cocke that is altered and turned about with euery blast and change in Church or State and who hath yet no other positiue or resolued religion in him but only this to be of no religion or of any religion as the times shall serue O hazard hazard not your soules vpon such vncertainties but rather sticke and cleaue to such who will sooner loose their liues and all they haue then bee remoued from this present truth which none of our Antagonists will dare to doe in defence of these their Errors And now seeing I haue made it manifest vnto your soules and consciences by vndeniable proofes and testimonies against the forgeries of Mr. Mountague and his Abbettors that this assertion of the totall and finall perseuerance of the Saints is not only the positiue established and resolued doctrine of the Scriptures but likewise of the ancient Fathers of all the Protestant Churches beyond the Seas and of this our Mother Church of England ô then if you tender the glory honour and authority both of the God and word of truth which shall judge you at the laâ—…t if you reuerence and respect the authority of the ancient Fathers and of all the Churches of God or if you tender the peace the good and welsare of this your Mother Church be willing to submit and yeeld vnto the truth What if Mr. Monntague what if men of greater worth and place then hee oppugne and contradict this truth what if carnall men of great abilities and parts who are no more able to judge of this our present assertion then blinde men are of colours because it is a sensible and experimentall a spirituall and heauenly truth which is principally testified and reuealed to the soules of men by the inward operation of Gods Spirit and is not subject vnto carnall reason doe publish this as a sound and orthodox truth That the true regenerate Saints of God may Apostatize and fall both totally and finally from grace are not the Scriptures and the word of God are not the Fathâ—…rs and the Churches of God and thoâ—…e many godly learned and famous writers which I haue cited who haue farre transcended them euen in parts learning of better credit and repute with you then they If not then farwell all religion let Poperie and Arminianisme let herisie and Atheisme rule and sway the world But if the Scriptures if the Fathers if all the Churches of God and all those worthies which they haue produced haue any estimate or credit with you then striue contend and stirre no more in this our present controuersie nor yet in any other that depends vpon it but willingly subscribe to this most orthodox sound and comfortable assertion of ours which is the only proppe and pillar of a Christian soule and the only thing which makes men liue and die with joy and comfort which they haue all ratified and resolued with one vnanimous and joynt consent That those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuely faith can neither finally nor totally fall from grace AN ANSWER TO THE Arguments which may be objected HAuing thus as I suppose sufficiently and fully proued the truth of this position That those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuely faith can neither finally nor totally fall from grace By vnanswerable proofes and Arguments there is nothing now remaining but that I should giue a satisfactory answer to all such Arguments and texts of Scripture as either are or may be objected to the contrarie and then I doubt not but that this truth will bee so cleere and euident in the hearts and consciences of men that they shall neuer dare for to resist it or oppose it more Now that I may the better answer and cleere those Arguments which shal be obiected I would first of all intreate you to take speciall notice of two things which I shall propound vnto you which will take off all future objections that are made against me and giue a finall determination to the point in question The first thing I would wish you to obserue is this That there is no place or text of Scripture which doth either expressely positiuely or totidem verbis say or else by way of necessarie and vndeniable consequence proue That a true regenerate man and one that is truly ingrafted into Christ can either finally or totally fall from the state of grace but that all the Arguments which are objected from the Scriptures are nothing else but bare inferences and wrested Collections contrary to the true scope and meaning of the places There is not any of our Antagonists that can shew me any expresse absolute and positiue text of Scripture which doth either in expresse words or by way of necessary sound and ineuitable consequence confute this Doctrine of the
Rom. 14. 13. verse 20. is no more in substance and sense but this That stronger Christians must so much respect the weaker as that they must not giue them any just occasion of scandall or offence to wound and vexe their consciences to breed any sâ—…rupels or doubts in them to weaken their loue to God to discourage them in the practise of religion or to prouoke them vnto any sinne and not that scandals can make weake Christians in whom there is any truth of grace begun to Apostatize or to renounce the faith or to fall finally or totally from grace for this these scandals cannot do they cannot cause any of the true sheepe of Christ any that truly feare the Lord or belong vnto the â—…old of Christ to fall from grace or to depart from God and perish Iohn 10. 28. Ier. 32. 40. and 1 Iohn 2. 19. To answer this obiection in a word I answer that there is a double perishing the one in respect of such as giue the scandall and offence the other in respect of such as doe receiue it A weake brother may vtterly perish in respect of those that giue the scandall and offence that is they may doe as much as in them lies to cause him for to perish and to renounce the faith and therefore God will take it as ill at their hands as if hee had actually perished for it is onely Gods mercie which supports him and not their scandall that offends him that keepes him from Apostacie therefore God is as much offended with them as if they had perished in good earnest But yet such a brother doth neuer actually perish in respect of himselfe he doth neuer actually Apostatize and fall from grace This place proues on ely that hee may perish in respect of him that giues the offence but yet not actually in respect of himselfe and therefore it makes not against me The fifteenth obiection is that of the 1 Tim. 5. 11 12. The yonger widowes refuse for when they haue begun to waxe wanton they will marry hauing damnation because they haue cast off their first faith From whence this argument may be framed Regenerate men may cast off their first faith and so bee damned for it therfore they may fall away from the state of grace To this I answer first that the Antecedent is false and is not warranted by this text For Paul speakes not here of true regenerate men and of such as were really ingrafted into Christ but of young petulant and wanton widowes whose light and vnchast behauiour doth euidently proue that they had no grace or faith at all within them So that your argument hence can be no more but this Young petulant and wanton widowes may fall from grace therefore such as are once truly regenerated may doe so to which is no good consequent Secondly I answer that faith in this place doth not signifie the grace of true justifying and sauing faith but that vow of chastitie and perpetuall widdowhood which widdowes vsed for to make in former times when as they had their vse and place in thâ—… Church of God as appeares by the very sense and scope of the place Againe damnation in his place signifies only blame or reproofe or an Ecclesiasticall censure or punishment as excommunication or the like which was vsed to be inflicted vpon delinquents in this kinde and not eternall condemnation of soule and body in hell or the state of damnation So that the true and proper sense of the place is no more but this Widdowes that breake the vow of chastity either by marrying againe or by incontinency are to bee blamed and censured by the Church for breach of this their vow because they are an occasion of scandall and reproach vnto the Church What maket this to a totall or finall fall from grace Surely nothing at all and therefore I passe it ouer without any further answer The sixteenth objection is this A man man receiue the grace of God in vaine and beleeue in vaine as appeares by the 2 Cor. 6. 1. and 1 Cor. 15. 2. Therefore hee may fall from the state of grace I answer first that if you take the grace of God for the habituall graces of Gods Spirit and beleife for true and sauing faith then the Antecedent is false and is not warranted by these places of Scripture which are quoted but if you take grace for the word of grace and the offer of Christ to men in the Gospell and beliefe for an historicall and common faith as they are taken here by the Apostle then the argument is false and followes not Now that this place of Paul is meant onely of the word of grace and of the offer of grace to men in the Gospell and not of the habituall graces of Gods Spirit it appeares by the coherence and dependancie of the 2 Cor. 6. 1. vpon the 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. God hath committed vnto vs the word of reconciliation Now then wee are ambassadors for Christ as though God did bee seech you by vs wee pray you in Christs steed bee yee reconciled to God wee then as workers together with him befeech you also that yee receiue not the grace of God in vaine which proues that this is onely meant of the offer of grace and Christ to men and not of the habit and seed of grace it selfe So that your argument from hence can bee no more but this Men may heare the word of God in vaine therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may fall from the state of grace a strange in consequent For that of the 1 Cor. 15. 2. vnlesse yee haue beleeued in vaine it is not meant of a true liuing sauing and justifying faith but of an historicoll fruitlesse dead and in-effectuall faith or beliefe which did neuer truly regenerate transforme the heart and soule of those who did injoy it This doth fully appeareby the opposition Antithesis in the samâ—… verse By which yee are saued vnlesse yee haue beleeued in vaine so that sauing faith is here put in opposition to this vaine beliefe which proues that this vaine beliefe was no true and ustifying faith So that your argument from hence must be this Men may loose a vaine and ineffectuall faith therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may fall from the seeds and habit of true justifying faith Secondly I answer that these two places proue nothing for your conclusion admitting that they were meant of true habituall grace and faith for the one of them is but a meere exhortation the other a bare exception and condition neither of them is absolute and positiue So that your argument from them can bee but this The Saints of God are exhorted not to receiue the grace of God in vaine and they shall bee saued vnlesse they beleeue in vaine therefore they may fall away from grace which is but an idle consequence and rather deserues to be derided then answered So that this objection doth
7. Psal. 66. 9. Ps. 121. 3. to the end Psal. 125. 1 2. Isai. 26. 3. Ier 32. 40. Iohn 10. 28 29. 〈◊〉 17. 11. 2. 〈◊〉 4. 7. 13. 19. Col. 2. 10. 19. c. 3. 3 4. Phil. 1. 6. 1 Thes. 5. 23 24. 2. Tim. 4. 18. 1 Pet. 4. 19. Iude 1. 24. and Ier. 31. 9 10. all comfortable and excellent places worth your reading therefore they cannot fall from the state of grace though Adam and the Angels did whose graces and persons were kept and preserued only by themselues and not by God Secondly that grace which Adam and the Angels had it was their owne they had free will and libertie to dispose of it at their pleasure they were Lords ouer that grace the which they had their grace had no Lordship and kingdome ouer them It is now farre otherwise in the graces of the Saints for their graces they are not their owne nor yet their persons but their graces and their persons they are Christs their graces they all flow and spring from Christ and they are but stewards not owners of them Yea their graces they are aboue their wills they haue a Lordship and kingdome in their soules they are not Lords but subiects to their graces Grace doth rule and dispose of them not they of grace see Gal. 5. 16. 17. 18 25. Rom. 8. 5. 14. Ezech. 36. 27. 1 Cor. 3. 23. cap. 6. 19 20. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. cap. 10. 4. 5. cap. 13. 8. Acts 4. 20. and Col. 3 15. all expresse to this purpose therefore they cannot lose nor yet cast out their graces as Adam and the Angels did Thirdly that grace which Adam and the Angels had it had no promise of perpetuitie and perseuerance annexed to it and therefore it is no great wonder though they fell from grace but the graces which the Saints of God haue now they haue the promises of perseuerance and perpetuitie annexed to them as you may see by all those gratious promises which I haue formerly mentioned therefore their graces cannot faile therefore they cannot fall from grace though Adam and the Angels did Fourthly that grace which Adam and the Angells had it had neuer the benefit of Christs intercession Christ neuer prayed for it that it might not faile but the graces which the Saints now haue they had the benefit of Christs prayer whiles he was on earth and they haue the benefit of his euerlasting intercession now he is in heauen Luke 22. 32 Iohn 14. 16. cap. 16. 26. cap. 17. 11. 15. 21 23. 24. Rom. 8. 34. Heb. 2. 17. cap. 4. 14 15 16. cap. 7. 25. and cap. 9. 24. therefore they cannot faile though Adam and the Angels did Fiftly that grace which Adaâ—… and the Angels had they had it not by Gods immutable decree and purpose they had it only out of his prouidence and fore-sight and not from his eternall election and predestination and therefore they might fall from it But the regenerate Saints of God they haue their graces from Gods immutable and eternall purpose and decree and by vertue of their eternall election and predestination Rom. 8. 29. 30 cap. 11. 7. Acts 13. 48. Eph. 1. 4 5. cap. 2. 10. 1 Thes. 5. 9 10. 2 Thes. 2. 13 14. 1 Tim. 6. 12. 2 Tim. 1. 9. cap. 2. 19. 21. Titus 1. 1. 2 Cor. 2. 5. and 1 Pet. 1. 2. therefore they cannot fall from grace though Adam and the Angells did Sixtly that grace which Adam and the Angells had they had it of meere free gift it was not merited and purchased for them by Christ and therefore they might lose it But the graces of the Saints they are a purchased possession they are purchased by Christ himselfe at the hands of his Father that so they might be sure to all the seed Christ who hath purchased them for them will preserue them in them and therefore they cannot fall from grace though Adam and the Angells did Lastly that grace which Adam and the Angells had it was no grace but nature it had its rise and being from themselues and was incident vnto their natures therefore they might lose it and fall from it as they did But the graces which the Saints of God haue now they are transcendent and aboue nature they stand not in the wisdome or nature of men but in the power of God 2 Cor. 2. 5. 2 Pet. 1 4. they haue their rise from heauen and from the mightie power of God Ephes. 1. 19 20. cap. 3. 20. and Rom. 15. 13. not from humane nature they are part of the diâ—…ine nature and they flow from Iesus Christ and the holy Ghost the spring and fountaine of all grace Iohn 1. 16. cap. 4. 14. cap. 7. 38 39. Gal. 5. 22. Ephes. 1. 23. and Col. 2. 9. 19. These graces which the Saints haue now are of a more diuine heauenly permanent and spirituall nature then that naturall grace which Adam and the Angells had and they flow from such a head and spring of grace which neuer failes which is neuer drawne drie And therefore though Adam and the Angells fell from grace yet you see for all these reasons that it followes not that therefore the regenerate Saints of God should fall as well as they How euer the question is not of naturall grace or of that grace which Adam and the Angells had whether that may be lost for that was no more but common nature and nog grace but whether true justifying and sauing grace may be lost and so this Argument is nothing to the purpose or the thing in question The second sort of examples are of whole Churches which haue fallen from grace from which this argument is framed If whole Churches haue fallen totally and finally from grace then much more may priuate and particular Saints fall so too But whole Churches haue fallen totally and finally from grace Therefore priuate and particular Saints may fall so too For answer to this argument I must first distinguish of this word Church first it is taken in a large and generall sense for all such as make an outward profession of Christ whether they are good or bad secondly it is taken properly and strictly for the whole company of the elect and chosen Saints of God and for them onely in which sense it is vsed in our Creed Secondly I must distinguish of this word whole Church for sometimes it is taken vniuersally for all and euery one that is included and comprised within the Church other times it is taken for the Major and the greater part only and not for euery indiuiduall and particular member If you take now the whole Church in the largest sense for euery visible and particular member of the Church both good and bad or if you take the whole Church in the stricter and more proper sense for the company of the elect and chosen Saints of God then the Minor proposition is false because none of the elect and chosen Saints oâ—… God
can either totally or finally fall from grace But if you take a whole Church for the greater part of a visible Church for those who are members of a visible Church and yet are but goates tares and chaffe and no members of the true and holy Church of Christ then the sequell of the Major proposition is false and no more in substance then this If hypocrites and wicked men may fall from the shew and shadow of grace then the true regenerate Saints of God may fall from the very habits and seed of true and sauing grace which is but a meere Nonsequitur True then it is that all those of a whole Church which are notregenerated which are farre the greatest number may Apostatize and fall from the doctrine of grace but yet the true regenerate Saints of God in such a Church doe neuer fall from the habit and state of true and sauing grace and therefore both the Major and the Minor proposition in that sense as they are propounded are false and vnsound Thus much for the generall The first example of any particular Church that is objected against me is the Church of the Iewes The Iewes who were partakers of the fatnesse of the roote and Oliue tree Christ Iesus were broken off and fell from grace Rom. 11. 16. to 25. therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may fall from grace I answer first that the Antecedent is false for the roote and Oliue tree which the Apostle speakes of is not Christ but Abraham and the Patriarkes So Chrisostome Bede Anselme Theodoret Haymo Caluin Peter Martyr Beza Pareus Willet Hyperius and most of those that coment on this place and therefore it followes not that because the Iewes might be broken off from Abraham and be depriued of the promises and couenant made to him and to his seed that therefore the true beleeuers may be broken off from Christ. Secondly admit that Christ himselfe and not Abraham is the roote and Oliue tree here mentioned and that some of the Iewes were broken off from him yet I answer that those Iewes and branches which were broken off were such as were neuer truly ingrafted into Christ but only in common reputation ond in outward shew which is euident by the same chapter First because it is said ver 7. that such as were blinded and broken off were such as were neuer elected Secondly because it is said vâ—… 〈◊〉 that they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through vnbeleefe if then those that were thus broken oâ—… were not elected if they were vnbeleeuers it is certaine then that they were neuer truly ingrafted into Christ because they neuer had any true and liuely faith Thirdly though the greatest part of the Iewes did Apostatize and so were broken off yet the 2. 5. 7. and 17. verses of this chapter certifie vs that all the elect and chosen Saints of God that were among them all the true Israell of God belonging to the election of grace did still continue in the stocke and roote and were not broken off they did not fall from grace none but the counterfeite and superficiall branches were broken off the true and liuing branches did still continue So that this example makes wholly for vs not against vs. The second example is taken from the Galathians The Galathians they were true beleeuers and the true regenerate Saints of God For they receiued the Spirit of God they began in the spirit and suffered many things for Christ Gal. 3. 2 3 4. yea they were all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus and they all had put on Christ ver 26. 27. But yet they fell from grace they ended in the flesh they disobeyed the truth and turned from the Gospell to the law and so made Christ of no effect vnto them Gal. 1. 6. cap. 3. 1. 3. cap. 4. 9. and cap. 5. 2. 4. 7. Therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may fall from grace For answer to this example I say sirst that all the Galathians to whom Paul wrote were not regenerated because there was neuer yet any Church on earth I meane any visible Church neither shall there euer be any where all the members of it are regenerated for Christ himsele hath certified vs that there shall be chaffe as well as wheate goates as well as sheepe good fish mixed with bad continually in his Church euen to the end of the world Math. 13. therefore it must needs bee so in these Churches of Galatia to whom Paul wrote If you object that Paul saith that they were all the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus Gal. 3. 26. therefore they were all regenerated I answer that the meaning of these words of Paul is not to shew vnto vs that all the 〈◊〉 were then in the 〈◊〉 of regeâ—…eration and justification and if it were so it would make quite against you not for you for if they were in this estate when as Pâ—…l wrote vnto them then they were not fallen from grace as you pretend but Pauls meaning there is onely this That all such as are the regenerate and adopted sonnes of God in Christ they are so onely in regard of faith it is faith onely that makes them so and not the workes of the law which is euident by the very scope of the place so that this place proues not that all the Galathians were truly regenerated And so the Major proposition that all the Galathians were regenerated iâ—… false Secondly I answer that all those Galathians who were regenerated did perseuere in grace and did not turne away from the Gospell to the Law and that such as did Apostatize vnto another Gospell were such onely as had receiued the Gospell but not the grace of Faith and such as neuer were regenerated I would aske but this question of our Antâ—…gonists whether all the Galathians or onely the greater part of them fell from grace If all then they were no Church when as Paul did write vnto them for there cannot be a Church but where there are some faithfull ones continuing in the state of grace If all of them did not fall from grace then who were those which did fall away Who were they which did continue did the true regenerate Saints of God fall away and the hypocrites onely continue or did the hypocrites fall away and the true regenerate Saints of God continue If any fell away they were certainly the hypocrites and such as had no truth of grace within them for the true regenerate Saints of God they cannot bee seduced they cannot depart from God and they goe not out from the fold and flocke of Christ. Math. 24. 24. Ier. 32. 40 1 Iohn 2 19. and Reu. 3. 12. If any did continue they were certainly the faithfull Saints of God for hypocrites and wicked men they hold not out but as the chaffe before the winde they are blowne away Psal. 1. 4. and Math. 3. 12. Therefore if that the outward face only of the Church
of Galatia if the greater part of them onely if the chaffe of them if the Goates and not the wheate and sheepe among them fall away this example proues nothing at all against me All that this example proues if you racke it to the vtmost is only this that men may fall from the word the doctrine and Gospell of faith but not that they may fall from the grace of faith The third example is taken from the Churches of Ephesus Smyrna Thyatira and Pergamus these they lost their first loue and fell from grace Reu. 2. 4 5. therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may fall from grace I answer that neither of these Churches fell from grace though they fell into some sinnes for which the Lord reproues them by Saint Iohn For it is there said of the Church of Ephesus verse 2 3. that shee had workes and labour and patience that shee could not beare them which were euill that shee had tried them which saide they were Apostles and were not and shee found them to be lyars that shee had patience and that shee had laboured for Gods name sake and had not fainted of which God tooke speciall notice and God himselfe tells her that hee had but somewhat to say against her all that was in her was not out of order she was not generally faulty something only was amisse and what was that she had lost not her loue but her first loue that is shee had lost the degrees the zeale the heate and feruencie of her loue her loue was not so intense so hot so zealous and so ardent as it was before but yet the habit of her loue was still remaining in her shee had loue in her still though not in that degree as shee had it before yet she had it in such a degree that shee hated the deedes of the Nicholitans whom God hated and shee could not beare them which were euill verse 3 6. which shee could neuer haue done if this habit and grace of loue had beene vtterly extinguished and abolished in her and therefore because that all things in her were not amisse because there were many graces and good things in her of which God tooke speciall notice it is most certaine that she was not fallen totally nor finally from the state of grace The same answer may serue for all the other Churches for they had all workes charity seruice faith patience they did hold fast the name of Christ and not deny his faith and their last workes were 〈◊〉 then their first versâ—… 9. 13 19. and of this God himselfe takes speciall notice and can you thinke that these Churches which had these things in them were fallen quite from grace Can any Church or person haue all these graces in them and yet be fallen totally from the state of grace Credat 〈◊〉 Apella non ego others may beleeue it if they will but men of any judgement cannot doe it because it is a plaine contradiction that a man should bee fallen totally from grace and yet haue many graces in him still So that these examples proue nothing at all against mee Yea I may boldly say they are vnanswerable proofes and euidences for mee For say I if these Churches of God when as they fell into those sinnes for which God reproues them did not fall totally from the state of grace as it is manifest they did not then it is plaine that the Saints of God doe neuer fall from grace for if they fall not from the state of grace by falling into sinne they fall not from it by any other meanes and so they fall not from it at all So that these maine examples and proofes on which you doe rely they are the strongest euidences that make against you Thus much for the second sort of examples The third sort of examples are taken from some particular Saints of God and these are many in number First the examples of the second and third ground are produced against vs. The second and third ground they had true grace and faith but they fell away from grace Math. 13. 5 6 7 20 21 22. Therefore the true regenerate Saints of God may fall from grace I answer that the Major is false for though they did receiue the word with joy for a time yet they had no true and sauing grace at all within them as is euident by these reasons First because they neuer came to that maturity and ripenesse as to bring forth fruite there was only a blade and outward shew of grace within them there were only the buds and leaues but not the fruites of faith in them now faith without fruits and workes is but a dead and empty faith yea no faith at all 1 Thes. 1. 3. Iam. 2. 14 17 26. Secondly because the faith the which they had it did not altar and change it did not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 their hearts it made them not good and firtle groâ—…nd they were but stonie and thornie ground still the word the which they did receiue it wrought no chang or alteration in them they were still the same they were before Now how is it possible that such as were neuer changed and regenerated such as continued in their carnall and old estate being as bad as euer such in whose hearts there was no alteration and renouation wrought that they should haue true grace or faith within them For true grace and true faith they doe regenerate transforme and alter men they purifie and 〈◊〉 their hearts and soules and make them new men and new creatures Rom. 12. 2. Acts. 15. 9. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Ephes. 4. 22 23 24. Gal. 5. 24. and Col. 3. 9 10. and therefore these two grounds could haue no true and sauing grace or faith because they were not thus truly regenerated purified and transformed into good ground but continued stonie and thornie as they were before Thirdly because it is said of one of the groundes that afflictions and temptations made the seeds that was sowen in it to wither away and of the other ground that the thornes and weeds sprung vp and choaked the seede that was sowen in it Now this is the propertie of true justifying and sauing faith that it makes men to abide the triall and to hold out in times of persecution affliction and temptation Iam. 1. 12. and 1 Pet. 1. 7. that it ouercomes the world and the cares and troubles and temptations of it 1 Iohn 5. 4 5. and therefore these two grounds which were ouercome of temptations persecutions and afflictions and of the cares the pleasures and riches of this world had no true justifying and sauing faith within them Fourthly because that true justifying and liuing faith of which only our question is intended is alwaies rooted and grounded in the soule so that it can neuer wither nor yet be rooted and weeded out as we may reade at large Ephes. 3. 17. Col. 1. 23. cap. 2. 5. 7. 1 Cor. 15. 58. Ier.
faile finally so neither did it faile totally as you surmise Secondly I answer that this prayer and speach of Christ as will plainly appeare by the context had reference principally to this very act of Peters deniall Christ had prayed for him that euen now when as Sathan did seeke to sift him as wheate in tempting of him to denie his Master that euen in this particular temptation his â—…aith might not faile in his heart though it did in his mouth So that this speach and prayer of Christ hauing reference to this very act of Peters deniall of him that his faith might not so much as faile in it you cannot without great wrong to Peter but greater iniury to Christ affirme that his faith did totally faile at this particular time and so this your replie is vaine and friuolous Secondly it is manifest that Peter did not fall totally from grace in denying Christ because he did it onely out of feare and infirmitie and not out of malice or infidelitie hee did it being forced to it by carnall feare and not with a full consent hee denied him onely in the flesh and in the tongue and not in the heart and soule Now all will grant that sinnes of infirmitie and not of malice That sinnes committed by the flesh against the consent and approbation of the spirit and the inward man doe neuer cast a man wholly downe from the state of grace or else none could stand in the state of grace so much as for one houre such a sinne was Peters as all the Fathers and others doe agree therefore this sinne of his though it were great and grieuous yet it could not wholly depriue him of the state of grace Thirdly it is euident that Peter fell not totally from the state of grace because one act of infidelity cannot destroy an whole habit of grace especially being in such a nature as Peters was For Peter here did not denie that Iesus was the Christ and Sauiour of the world hee did not denie that he was God equall with the Father hee did not denie any thing touching his Deity or humanity or which did crosse any Aâ—…ticle of faith he onely denies that he was personally acquainted with Christ or that he was one of his companions or followers and will you say that such a deniall of the personall knowledge of Christ as this did vtterly destroy that habit and seed of grace and faith which was in Peters heart when as he did beleeue in his heart that Iesus was the Christ the Sonne of the liuing God when as this was no sinne of infidelitie but of feare and did onely argue not want of faith but want of courage in Peter will you make this one acte of cowardice in Peter to abolish and destroy the very seed and habit of his faith especially since he had no sooner denied Christ with his mouth but he presently bleeds for it at the heart Certainly if you doe it it is a signe you want the grace of charity who judge so harshly of other mens sinnes and yet thinke so lightly of your owne Fourthly it is euident that Peter fell not totally from the state of grace by this his sinne both by his cariage in and after this his sinne For as Peter shewed his faith and loue to Christ in following him to the high Priests pallace when as all the other Disciples fled away so his vnwillingnesse to forsake Christ euen then when as he was suspected to bee one of his friends and followers which might haue brought him into danger did shew that hee did still affect and loue him in his heart euen then when as he denyed that he knew him with his mouth I would demand but this question of our Antagonists who doe so much presse this Example whether Peter euen at that very time when as hee denyed with an oath that he knew not Christ did not beleeue on him and relie on him as on his onely Lord and Sauiour in his heart If he did so as it is more then probable that he did by Iohn 6. 67 68. Math. 16. 16 17. and Luke 32. 32 33. and by this his action here in that he did not leaue him or forsake him then it is certaine that his faith did not vtterly saile him that the habit and seed of grace and faith were still within him and so he fell not from the state of grace If he did not thus if he did not relie vpon him for saluation but disclame him for his Sauiour let our Antagonists then proue the contrary by the Scriptures that I am sure they cannot doe and therefore I am not bound to beleeue their bare assertion for it Againe Peters cariage after this his sinne comâ—…itted proues that he did not totally fall from grace for no for had the Cocke crowen but hee presently remembers the words which Iesus spake vnto him and hee went forth and wept bitterly Iâ—… Peter had fallen totally from the state of grace by this his sinne if he had had no habit no seed and no remainders of grace left in him when as he had denyed Christ it had beene impossible for him to haue beene so apprehensiue and sensible of his sinne as now he was No sooner had he committed this sinne of his but presently the Cocke crowes no sooner had the Cocke crowen but forthwith he remembers the words of Christ and was deeply affected with this sinne of his Hee gâ—…eth out and weepes bitterly his repentance followes so soone â—…on his sinne that if his faith and ancient graces had not continued in him no new infused grace could haue come betweene his sinne and his repentance and therefore Peters carriage both in and after his sinne committed doth proue that he did not fall totally from grace by this his sinne Fistly I would demand this question of our Antagonists whether the other Disciples did not fall from graâ—…s well as Peter for they denyed him in deeds in flying from him hee denyed him but in words in saying that he knew him not If the other Disciples fell from grace in flying from him where then was the Church of God in what persons was it then existing if they fell not from grace in flying from him then neither Peter in denying of him Sixtly the Scriptures make no mention at all that Peter in denying Christ did fall from grace strange then that our Antagonists should so confidently affirme it vnlesse they haue it by some spetiall reuelation Is not this a strange kinde of presumption in men to determine and judge of other mens estates in such a resolute and peremptorie manner without a ground in Scripture for it is not this a kinde of folly and arrogancie in them to censure and judge of other mens estates which they neuer were acquainted with and in the meane time to neglect to sâ—…arch and trie their owne Sure I am the Scripture makes no mention that Peter fell from grace by this his sinne therefore
is not true because that most abuse it I tell you nay the abuse of things that are true and good doth neuer take away the truth the vse and goodnesse of them and therefore these your cauills against our present assertion are but false and idle And that you may know them to be so in truth looke but vpon the liues of those who are assured of this their totall and finall perseuerance and vpon the liues of such as doe oppose it and then the controuersie will be ended Who more mâ—…eke and humble who more diligent and painfull in Gods seruice who more vigilant and watchfull against all kinde of sinne than those who are assured in their hearts that they shall neuer fall from grace Who more proud ambitious and arrogant who more negligent and sloathfull in Gods seruice who more prophane and dissolute in their liues who more fell and bitter enemies against the power and practise of religion then those who most violently oppose our present position Shew mee but one man among the whole packe of our Antagonists in whose life the power of godlinesse and the truth of grace shines forth shew mee but one among them who is diligent and carefull in Gods seruice who is holy in all his waies and righteous and just in all his workes shew mee any one among them that excells in piety in grace and holinesse that is zealous and earnest sor the Lord of hoasts and forwards to aduance his glory and inlarge his kingdome certainely there is not one such man among them to be found and therefore their very liues and actions do proue their doctrine and these their cauells and obiections to be false I haue now by Gods gratious assistance waded through the depths and fords of this great and weighty controuersie and that as syncerely indifferently and impartially as possiblie I could God who knowes the very secret turnings of my heart can testifie that I haue not concealed baulked or omâ—…ted any materiall or substantiall thing that might make for mee or against me And now I hope that I haue so fully proued and confirmed this orthodox and comfortable assertion That those who are truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ can neither finally or totally fall from grace from Scripture Fathers Councells and all Protestant Churches and Diuines and so satisfactorily and plainly answered the principall and chiefe objections from Scripture and from reason that haue or can be made against it that there are none but obstinate or ignorant readers but will subscribe vnto it And here I could very fitly and I would as willingly set vp my rest and take my farwell of this truth But because it is pitty that so sweet a Theses and position should passe without some comfortable and vsefull application I will giue you one salute or two with it at parting for manners sake and so Adieu If this then be the estate and condition of all those that are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ that they can neuer finally nor totally fall from grace how should this cause vs for to prise and estimate the state of grace and regeneration which is now so vnderualued and slighted of the world It is the part of wise and vnderstanding men to prise and purchase such estates as they are alwaies sure to inioy now there is no estate no purchase in the world so sure and stable as the state of grace Friends goods riches honours morrall virtues all worldly possessions and heritances whatsoeuer they are alwaies subject to change and alteration they haue their periods and their ends they are or may be lost but the state of grace and regeneration is such a good such an honour such an estate inheritance and poâ—…session as neuer can be lost no affliction no temptation no crosse or chance no man or diuell whatsoeuer can rob depriue or dispossesse those of it who doe but once in truth inioy it It is such a Diuine and heauenly treasure that no moth or canker can corrupt it nor no theefe purloine it hee who doth but once inioy it is made an happie man for euer after He hath such a firme fixed sure and stable felicitie as all the powers of hell can neuer shake he hath the very earnest the very beginnings of heauen whiles he is on earth and hee shall be sure to inioy the whole ere long and yet how few men are there in the world who doe estimate and prise this state of grace Many are there in the world who are so farre from prising it that they doe vtterly abhorre contemne and vilifie it and all such as doe in truth inioy it Most men doe so vnderualue it as to preferre their riches their pleasures and their honours which are subiect to a thousand changes farre before it All men doe so much debase it as not to prise it at its true and proper worth But now let me request you Christian Readers to estimate and value it according to its price and worâ—…h to preferre it farre before all treasures that the world affords For this estate of grace is such a treasure such a possession and inheritance as will still remaine within you to comfort strengthen and support your selues euen then when all things else will quite forsake you When troubles trialls and temptations come when stings and prickes of conscience when pangs of sicknesse and of death shall come vpon you as they will surely come ere long then what will all your worldly inheritances and possessions what will all your honours friends pleasures and riches doe then they will all forsake you then they will leaue and faile you altogether they will not nay they cannot comsort you or doe you good But if you haue once this state of grace begun within you this will neuer faile you nor forsake you at your need this will still abide within you and beare you company in all distresses When you are in any asfliction or distresse this will succour comfort and support you that you sinke not vnder it when you are assaulted by the diuell this will ayde and succour you that he shall not gaine a conquest ouer you when you are cast downe and humbled in yonr soules in the sense and feeling of your sinnes this will comfort and cheere vp your hearts and raise you vp againe When you lie a dying on your death-beds and you haue none to helpe and comfort you then this will strengthen pacifie comfort and reioyce your soules Grace will neuer leaue you hopelesse helplesse nor comfortlesse it will not leaue you nor forsake you till it brings you safe to heauen where there is no end of ioy and happinesse O then if you tender the wealth the good the ioy and comfort of your soules make out for this estate of grace if that you want it imploy and bend your mindes and thoughts to get and purchase it and rather part with all you haue then be without it And as for you