them into Christ that which inables men to take and to receiue Christ Iesus now it is not baptisme but faith only which doth this it is faith only that ingrafts men into Christ and makes them the sonnes of God Gal. 3. 26. Iohn 1. 12. it is faith only that brings Christ Iesus into mens soules Gal. 2. 20. Ephes. 3. 17. it is the hand of faith only that takes Christ Iesus that applies him and puts him on in Iesus Christ neither circumcision a◅aileth any thing nor vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue Gal. 5. 6. And therefore take this place of Paul how you will it proues not that all those that are baptized are truly regenerated If any other places of Scripture are obiected to the contrary the former answers will fully satisfie them Thirdly I say that this is not the doctrine of the Church of England and those words which Mr. Mountague hath cited out of the Common-prayer Booke doe not proue it For that which is saide of infants which are to bee baptized in our Common-prayer Booke in the forme of baptisme doubt not therefore but earnestly beleeue that Christ will imbrace them with the armes of his mercy that hee will giue them the blessing of eternall life and make them partakers of his euerlasting kingdome if you take it in the right sense it is no more in effect then this That it is Christs will and pleasure that infants should be baptized and that hee hath'a fauour and respect vnto them but that all infants that are baptized are in truth regenerated that it proues not Mr. Mountague indeed as if hee were not acquainted with the Liturgie and publike religious seruise of our Church vnlesse it were to correct it and to cauell at it for which hee taxeth and condemneth others who are lesse guilty then himselfe would haue the word in the preterperfect tence citing this word hath for wilt because he would wrest the words to his purpose but the words are in the future tense and are no more in effect then that which I haue said before Indeede the wordes after baptisme are in the preterperfect tence We 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 proue not that all infants which are baptized are by their very baptisme truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ because these words and so the others before baptisme are not generall and vniuersall but they are limited and restrained to one particular infant or those particular infants which are then to be baptized whose absolute and definitiue estate is only knowne to God and not vnto the Church Our Church out of charity because shee knoweth nothing to the contrary doth beleeue that euery particular infant that is baptized is regenerated that is sacramentally or because you will haue it so Mr. Mountague really and spiritually yet shee beleeueth not that all infants that are baptized are spiritually and truly regenerated by their baptisme and ingrafted into Christ that Mr. Mountague as well read as hee is in the Common-prayer Booke cannot shew mee If you now object that that which is true of euery indiuiduall is true of the whole species and therfore i◅ our Church beleeue that euery particular infant that is baptized is regenerated therefore that shee is of opinion that all are so I answer that the rule is false for there are many things which may bee saide and predicated truly or at least charitablie of Indiuidualls which are false of the whole species and cannot bee applied to it A man may say hee ought to say of euery particular and euery indiuiduall man in the world that hee may beleeue hee may repent and he may bee saued because hee hath no warrant to the contrary and hee cannot know whether God hath otherwise disposed of him yet a man cannot say that all men shall be saued that all men may beleeue and repent because it is contrary to the reuealed will and word of God So a man may and ought to say of euery particular infant which is baptized that hee is regenerated because he knowes not any thing to the contrary Indeede afterwards if hee see him liue a wicked and vngodly life he may then safely say that hee was not regenerated by his baptisme because his life and workes declare as much but yet no man can safely say that all that are baptized are spiritually really and effect ually regenerated because it is not so reuealed in the Scriptures This charitable opiniō then of the Church of England being restrained to indiuiduall particular infants and not extended and inlarged to all such as are baptized warrants not Mr. Mountagues collection from it That all infants which are baptized are truly spiritually and effectually regenerated Which answers likewise the words in the Catechisme for there the childe in the second answer answeres only for himselfe that by his baptisme not all that were baptized but I was made a member of Christ a childe of God and an inheritor of the kingdome of heauen that is I haue a right and title to all those by my baptisme if I will lay hold on them and take possession of them by faith my baptisme giues me a title to them but doth not giue mee actuall and full possession of them For these words in the Rubricke before the Catechisme That children being baptized haue all things necessary for their saluation the meaning is no more but this That ba◅tisme without faith knowledge lou◅ and actuall repentance is sufficient for to saue such children as dye before yeares of discretion because God will not require impossibilities at their hands and such conditions which they were not able to performe Or else that children by their baptisme are admitted into the Church and haue an interest in all those priuiledges and means of grace which are necessary to saluation what is this to purpose that all infants that are baptized are spiritually and truly regenerated Yea but the Rubricke saith that if they dye before actuall sinne they shall bee vndoubtedly saued That is such infants as are baptized and dye before actuall sin are saued because our Church knowes nothing to the contrary shee knowes not whether God hath otherwise disposed of them But yet it is not there recorded that all infants that are baptized are regenerated and saued or that such infants which fall away from the sacramentall grace which they receiued should haue beene saued if they had died before actuall sinne Wherefore in any wise mans judgement that hath his wits and senses about him there is nothing in the Booke of Common-prayers to warrant this assertion That all such a◅ are baptized are truly and spiritually regenerated it is only Mr. Mountagues false and brainsicke conceite who torments and rackes our Common prayer Booke to defend his Error
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
which are common to wicked men as well as to the Saints of God as prophecie learning the knowledge and interpretation of Scripture and tongues the working of miracles the discerning of spirits extraordinary skill in any art mysterie or science an heroicall valient and Kingly minde and spirit of which we may reade in the 1. Cor 12. 1 to the 12. Exod 35 30. to the end of the chapter Iudgees 14 19 cap 15 14 15. 1 Sam. 11 6 and cap. 16 13 14. Of such ordinary Graces as these this question is not intended for these may be both finally and totally lost Secondly there are sanctifying sauing and peculiar graces of Gods holy Spirit which are proper only to the elect children and saints of God such as are faith loue hope sauing and experimentall knowledge peace of conscience ioy in the holy Ghost and the like of which wee may reade Gal 5. 22 23. of these onely is our present question Now in these sanctifying sauing and peculiar graces there are two things to bee considered first there are the seedes and habits of these graces of which this question is only intended secondly there are the degrees the sence and feeling the acts and effects of these graces which are not within the verge and limits of our question As for the seedes and habits of the graces we hold that a truâ—… regenerate man can neither finally nor totally fall from them but as for degrees the sense and feeling the acts and effects of these sauing graces we hold that a regenerate man may fall from them and loose them for a time So that the question that is now to be disputed of is no more but this Whether those that are true beleeuers those that are once truly regenerate and grafted into Christ by a true and liuely faith and not only in outward shew may fall finally totally from the very seedes and habits not from the degrees the sense the acts and effects of the sauing sanctifying and peculiar graces and not of the ordinary and common graces of Gods holy Spirit wrought in their hearts and soules In this question there are three different opinions Some there are that hold that those that are once truly regenerated and put into the state of sauing grace may fall totally from the very seedes and habits of their graces but yet not finally that is they may so farre loose the very seedes and habits of these sauing graces for a time that there shall not be so much as any remainders of them left behinde insomuch that they neede a new insition and ingrafting into Christ againe but yet they hold that they can neuer fall finally from grace because that God hauing praedâ—…stinated them vnto life eternall and foreseeing this their fall doth alwaies out of his mercy raise them vp againe that so they may not perish finally but haue euerlasting life Others there are that hold that the true regenerate Saints of God and members of Iesus Christ may fall from the very seedes and habits of sauing grace not onely totally so as vtterly to loose these seedes habits of sauing grace for a time but finally to so as to loose them for euer and to perish euerlastingly in their sinnes Others they hold that the state of grace is such a permanent setled and well grounded estate that the seedes and habits of true and sauing grace are so rooted and fixed in the hearts and soules of all those in whom once they are begun in truth that they can neither totally for a time nor finally for euer fall from the state of grace or vtterly loose the seedes and habits of these sauing and peculiar graces that are within them The two first of these opinions I am now to refute as false wicked damnable and erroneous and the last opinion only will I maintaine as sound and orthodox Now because these two first opinions of a totall and a finall fall from grace are so wraped and included one within the other and haue so neere affinity one with the other that the same arguments and answers serue to defend them both and most of the arguments that serue to ouerthrow the one of them doe serue likewise for to subuert the other to auoide prolixity and tedious repetitions I will ioyne them both together and oppugne them both by maintaining this sound Orthodox and comfortable assertion which defeates them both That those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuely saith can neither finally nor totally fall from grace Infinite and many are the arguments which I might produce to proue this Orthodox and sound position which for order method and perspicuity sake I shall now reduce to seuen generall heads The first sort of arguments shall be taken from God himselfe the second from Christ the third from the holy Ghost the fourth from regenerate men themselues and from those priuiledges which they doe inioy the fifth from the Angells the sixth from the very nature of true and sauing grace and the seuenth from those many dangerous absurdities and consequences which else will necessarily follow vpon the contrary assertion First from God himselfe there are ten arguments which may be deduced to proue the totall and finall perseuerance of the Saints The first thing in God is that which makes for the finall perseuerance of all such as are once truly regenerated to wit Gods eternall purpose and immutable decree whereby hee hath elected and praedestinated all such as are truly regenerated and ingrafted into Iesus Christ by a true and liuely faith vnto eternall life From which eternall purpose and decree of God I haue this argument which neither hath already beene neither shall hereafter be once fully answered Those who by Gods eternall purpose and immutable decree are praedestinated and ordained to eternall life can neuer finally fall from grace But all those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a tâ—…ue and liuely faith are by Gods eternall purpose and immutable decree praedestinated and ordained to eternall life therefore they can neuer finally fall from grace The maior proposition that can not be denyed for Gods eternall purpose and immutable decree cannot bee altered or changed this purpose of God according to election it shall stand firme for euer Psal 33 11. Rom 9 11. As he hath purposed so shall it stand and none shall disanull it Isay 14 24 27. this foundation of the Lord it abideth sure hauing the seale of God annexed to it 2 Tim 2 19 therefore it can not bee changed If you obiect that of the 2 Pet 1 10. where the Saints are exhorted to make their calling and election sure therefore their election is not so sure but it may be altered I answere that this Scripture hath not reference or relation to the calling and election themselues as they haue relation vnto God for election and vocation in themselues and as they haue reference vnto God they are
needs dwell too because it is a fruit of the spirit and it can not be seuered from the spirit Rom. 5. 5. Gal. 5. 22. Ephs. 3. 16 17. 1 Iohn 3. 16. therefore the true Saints of God can neuer cease to loue the Lord habitually because the holy Ghost the spring and fountaine of this loue doth alwaies dwell within them Thirdly this loue of the Saints to God is a grace which God bestowes vpon them out of his loue and which is preserued in him by his loue and therefore if they should cease to loue the Lord the breach would be on his side not on theirs for they can neuer cease to loue him but where God doth first giue ouer to support their loue to him God must first withdraw this grace from them or else they could not giue ouer for to loue him so that if there could bee any totall or finall breach betweene God and his Saints the defect should be in God who hath vndertaken to preserue them in his loue and not in the Saints which defect on Gods part can neuer be admitted If you obiect that they giue God the cause of breach and so the defect is not in God but in themselues I answere that God hath vndertaken to preserue them blamelesse and without offence hee hath vndertaken to preserue them from sinne 1 Thes. 5. 23 24. Ezech. 36. 27. ler. 32. 40. 2 Tim. 4. 18. Isay 46. 3 4. câ—…p 27. 3. therefore though the sinne be theirs when as they doe commit it yet if it make a totall breach betwixt God them the breach will be first in God in not preseruing of them from this sinne according to his promise and not in them in committing of it Lastly true loue is of a permanent and constant nature if it be set vpon a constant permanent and immutable obiect Let a man loue any thing truly for it selfe as long as the thing continues and the cause for which hee loues it his loue can neuer cease Let a man loue any man truely for his virtues or his graces as long as he continues vertuous and gratious he can not cease to louehim now God as hee is all and onely amiable so he is alwaies amiable there is neuer any change at all in him wherefore those that doe once truly loue him for himselfe cannot but loue him still and so the answere to this my argument is but false and idle I haue been the larger in refuting of this answere because I shall haue occasion oft times for to referre you to it hereafter I now proceed to other arguments The fifth thing in God which doth yeeld vs an argument for to proue our conclusion is the gratious mercy and goodnesse of God in which there are foure things to be considered First the freenesse of it it is voluntary and of free grace it is not wrested or merited by vs from God Exod. 33. 19. Hosea 14. 5. Iohn 3. 8. Rom. 9. 15. 19. and Ephes. 1. 5 6. Secondly it is permanent and constant it indures for euer and admits not of any totall change or interruption Psa. 103. 17. Psa. 100. 5. Psa. 118. 4. Psa. 136. Psa. 138. 8. Isay 51. 8. and cap. 54. 8. 10. Thirdly it is infinite there is an infinite store of it which is neuer drawne dry Exod. 34. 6 7. Psa. 103. 8. Psal. 130. 7. Micah 7. 18. 2 Cor. 1. 3. Ephes. 2. 4. cap. 3. 16. and 1 Tim. 1. 14. Fourthly God is ready and willing to impart it to his children vpon all occasions it is his chiefest delight and ioy for to dispence the riches and treasures of his mercy to his Saints Ezech. 18. 23. cap. 33. 11. Micah 7. 18. Math. 11. 28. cap. 23. 37. 2 Cor. 5. 20. 1 Tim. 2. 4. and 2 Pet. 3. 9. from this mercy of God thus considered I frame this fifth argument Those who are partakers of the free permanent constant sure euerlasting in finite and abundant metcies of God and haue these mercies of God readily freely and bountifully imparted vnto them vpon all occasions its impossible for them either finally or totally to fall from grace but all those who are once truely regenerated and in grafted into Christ are partakers ofthese mercies of God and they haue these mercies of God readily freely and bountifully imparted to them vpon all occasions and times of neede therefore its impossible for them either finally or totally to â—…all from grace The Maior proposition cannot be denyed the Minor only rests to be proved in these particulars first that the mercyes I meane the saving and spirituall mercyes of God are permanent constant and perpetuall Secondly that all those who are truely regenerated and are the true members of Iesus Christ are partakers of these mercies For the first of these it is euident by Isay 55. 3. where Gods spirituall mercies to his children are stiled the sure mercies of Dauid the seed of grace which is sowen in the hearts of all regenerate men is an immortall seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. a seed that remaineth and an vnction that abideth in them 1 Iohn 2. 20. 27. cap. 3. 9. the Saints of God they haue Iesus Christ and the holy Ghost who shall abide and dwell in their hearts and soules for euer Iohn 14. 16 17. Eph. 3. 17. 1 Iohn 3. 24. cap. 4. 4. Gal. 2. 20. they haue a Kingdome which cannot bee shaken Heb. 12. 28. a faith which cannot faile Luke 22. 32. a ioy which no man can spoyle them of Ioh. 16. 22. and charity which shall neuer cease 1 Cor. 13. 8. they haue mercies which indure for euer Psal. 103. 17. Gods mercies to them are permanent constant and perpetuall it cannot be denied Secondly that all those that are once truly regenerated ingrafted into Christ by a true liuely faith are partakers of these mercies it is most euident For all those that are borne of God all those that are within the câ—…uenant of grace all those that are the true sheepe and members of Iesus Christ they are partakers of these mercies which appeares expressly by Isai. 55 1. 3. cap. 4. 5 6. cap. 27. 3. Rom. 4. 16. Marke 16. 16. and Act. 2. 38 39. almost euery page in Scripture hath some thing in it that will proue it now all those who are truely regenerated and ingrafted into Christ they are borne of God they are the members and sheepe of Christ and within the couenant of grace and therefore it is certaine that they haue such permanent constant and euerlasting mercies as those and so can neuer finally nor totally fall from grace Can any one so much as thinke that God who hath proclaimed himselfe to be a God of grace and mercy a God delighting in mercy 〈◊〉 to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth 〈◊〉 mercy for thousands fâ—…rgiuing iniquitie transgressions and sinnes that God who doth not desire the death of any sinner but rather that he should repeâ—…t and be saued
Exod. 22. 12. 14. Numb 14. 13. ver 18. Ezech 20 8 9 14 22. 44. Leuit. 10. 3. Psa 29. 1 2. 1 Tim. 1. 17. Iude 25. Reu 4. 11. and Reu. 5. 13. if therefore it stands vpon Gods honour and glory to preserue his Saints in that estate of grace which he hath giuen them it cannot be that euer they should loose it or fall from it because God should then loose his honour and his glory which hee will not doe Men will not loose their honour and their glory if they can preserue it much lesse will God therefore the Maior must be granted Now for the Minor that all such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ are in such an estate of grace as God in his honour can not but preserue them in it and that it will not stand together with his honour that euer he should suffer them for to fall quite from it it is most euident and plaine For how can it euer stand with the honour and glory of Gods infinite and boundlesse mercy with the glory and honour of his almightie power with the praise and honour of his incomprehensible wisedome with the glory and honour of his eternall purpose and decree and of his infinite and neuer failing truth how can it stand with the glory of his deity and the honour of his eternall immutabilitie how can it stand with the honour of his great and glorious attributes that any of those who are once truly regenerated and made the true members of Iesus Christ should either finally or totally fall from grace Is it for the honour and glory of his infinite and boundlesse loue and mercy that any of his Saints wherein his soule delights that any of those whom he hath bought and purchased with the pretious blood of his onely Sonne should euer fall from grace and perish Is it for the glory and honour of his almightie power that any of those whom he hath vndertaken for to preserue and keep vnto saluation by his mightie strength and power that euer they should either finally or totally fall from grace Is it for the glory of his incomprehensible wisdome and almightie power that hee should leaue any worke of his vnfinished that hee should with that foolish builder Luke 14 29 30. begin to build â—…d to â—…rect the frame of grace in the hearts of any of his children and yet bee vnable or vnwilling for to finish it How would men especially such as are professed atheists blaspheame the name of God how would â—…hey deride his wifdome and his power if this were so Is it for the honour and glory of his word truth that those whom he hath bound himselfe by promise oath and couenant to preserue and keepe from falling from him that they should euer fall from grace Is it for the glory and honour of his eternall immutabilitie and bounty that hee should euer repent him of 〈◊〉 gifts and graces that he should take away those graces from his Saints which he had fully and freely imparted to them out of the largesse of his loue and bounty Is it for the honour and glory of his wisdome that hee should euer suffer any of his Saints either finally or totally to fall from grace when as it would bring a scandall on himselfe and vpon the profession and professors of his name Or is it for the glory of his deity that hee should not protect those from a totall or a finall fall who are his friends his children and his meniall seruants Can it not stand together with the honour and glory of an earthly potentate not to shelter and protect his subiects his friends his children and his meniall seruants from fall and ruine and shall it yet stand with the honour and the glory of the God of heauen not to doe it If God be not able for to doe it that were a dishonour to his power if he be able and yet not willing for to doe it that is a great blemish and disparagment vnto his loue and mercy If God should euer suffer his faithfull children after they are once regenerated and ingrafted into Christ either finally or totally to fall from grace hee must needes loose the very glory and honour of his diety and of all his great and glorious attributes which he will neuer doe Gods greatest glory and his chiefest honour is in the perseuerance of his Saints it is his chiefesâ—…g lory and his soules delight to see his children continue and stand fast in grace and to hold out vnto the end wherefore seeing that it is Gods chiefest honour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that his 〈◊〉 should perseuere and grow continually 〈◊〉 seeing that it cannot stand together with his honour and his glory to suffer them to fall away from that estate of grace which hee hath giuen them and â—…eeing that God for his owne glory and honour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their state of grace lâ—…t others babble whiles they will yet this I can assure you that they can neither finally nor totally fall from grace What can bee now replyed to 〈◊〉 this argument it transcends my vnderstanding 〈◊〉 surmise Let others then answere and reply vnto it as they can I for my owne part know not how to doe it The eighth argument which makes mainely for the proofe of this assertion is drawne from the infinite wisdome of almightie God and it is no more but this That which is altogether repugnant to the infinite wisdome of almightie God it s altogether impossible that euer it should come to passe but that those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuely faith should euer finally or totally fall from grace is altogether repugnant to the infinite wisdome of almightie God therefore it s altogether impossible that euer it should come to passe The Maior cannot be denied for if God should suffer any thing to be done which is contrary and repugnant to his wisdome it would either argue want of wisdome or want of will and power in God which is blasphemous for to thinke The Minor then is onely to be proued that it is repugnant and contrary to the infinite wisdome of almightie God to suffer any that are once truly regenerated ingrafted into Christ either finally or totally to fall from grace This is plaine and euident by these insuing reasons First because it can not stand with Gods infinite wisdome to haue his name his truth his mercy ' and his honour blemished but if God should suffer any of his Saints either finally or totally to fall from grace his name his truth his loue his mercy his honour yea and all his other attributes should be blemished and tainted and therefore it stands not with Gods wisdome that his Saints should fall from grace Secondly it would giue Infidels Atheists and Heathen men occasion to blaspheme his name and to deride both himselfe and all that should professe his name God
for being Christians for chusing such a God as either could not or at least would not preserue them from a totall and a finall fall wherefore God in his infinite wisdome can neuer suffer his children thus to fall Thirdly this would make religion odious and distastfull euen vnto Christians themselues the fall of hypocrites which neuer had true grace makes those who are the true professors of the Gospell odious it brings a scandall and imputation on religion what then would it doe if the true regenerate Saints of God themselues should fall away If the very slips and errors of the Saints make many men distast religion and speake euill of the wayes of God what would their finall or their totall falls from grace produce God therefore in his wisdome cannot suffer his Saints thus to fall because it would make religion odious and distastfull euen to Christians themselues Fourthly it would quite discourage the hearts of all Gods children it would quite depriue them of all true ioy and comfort it would make them dull dead heauy and exceeding negligent in Gods seruice it would make them not to value grace it would cause them to call Gods word and truth in question it would make men meere Atheists it would driue men to despaire many such consequents would follow which could not stand together with the infinite wisdome of God of which I shall write more fully hereafter wherfore seeing that it can neuer stand with the infinite wisdome of God that any who are truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ should either finally or totally fall from grace it can not be that euer they should thus fall If you obiect that these falls of the Saints from grace would make those that fall and others that see their falls more circumspect and watchfull afterward therefore it standsvery well with Gods wisdome that they should thus fall I answere first that God hath many better meanes to make his children circumspect and watchfull against sinne then this of a finall or atotall fall from grace those temporall punishments those threatnings in the word of God those inward conflicts of conscience and griefes of heart that losse of the comfortsand fence of grace which the Saints doe feele after their sinnes committed are sufficient moriues for to make them circumspect this motiue of a finall and a totall fall would be but superfluous or to little purpose and therefore it stands not so well and fully with the wisdome of God Secondly which is the maine answere I say that God in his infinite wisdome will neuer vse that for onesmall and lesse necessary end which will crosse his wisdome in many great and waighty ends now if God should suffer his Saints either finally or totally to fall from grace to make them more vigilant and circumspect for the time to come which may be done more fitly and effectually by many other meanes when as this would crosse his wisdome in many waighty things and ends as I haue proued that it doth it cannot stand with Gods wisdome that he should vse it for this only and lesse necessary end It is the part of fooles and not of wisemen to redresse one small and little inconuenience with many great and dangerous mischieses wherefore seeing that God at the most should remedy but one small inconuenience but bring in many mischiefes by sufferring of his Saints to fall quite away from him it cannot stand with his infinite wisdome to suffer them to fall away and so this argument stands firme and in my judgment cannot be answered The ninth thing in God which yeelds vs an argument for the proofe of this assertion is his redinesse to heare the prayers of all such as are oâ—…ce truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ from which this ninth argument may bee framed Those who doe alwayes pray to God to giue them perseuerance and to keepe them from a finall and a totall fall from grace if God doth alwayes heare their prayers and grant them their requests in this behalfe it is altogether impossible for thâ—… either 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all from grace But all those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuely faith doe alwaies pray to God to giue them perseuerance and to keepe them from a finall and a totall fall from grace and God doth alwaies heare their prayers and grant them their requests in this behalfe therefore it is altogether impossible for them either finally or totally to fall from grace The Maior cannot be denied for then this contradiction must necessarily follow that God should alwayes giue regenerate men perseuerance and yet they should not perseuere in grace The Maior then is only to be proued which consists of two particulars First that all such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by faith doe alwaies pray to God to giue them perseuerance and to keepe them from a finall and a totall fall from grace Secondly that God doth alwayes heare their prayers and grant their requests in this behalfe For the first of these I appeale but to the consciences of those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ. I doubt not but they all with one consent can testifie from their owne experience that it is the cheifest desire and the constant dayly and perpetuall prayer of their hearts and soules to God to giue them perseuerance to keepe them in the state of grace and to preserue them from apostacie and therefore you neede not for to doubt of this If you will haue Scripture for to proue it the third petition in the Lords prayer which you shall finde Math. 6. 10. doth fully proue it where we pray thus thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen that is that God would inable vs to doe his will on earth in the same manner as the Saints and Angels doe it in heauen Now the Saints and Angells in heauen they doe the will of God constantly without any interruption continually without end wherefore seeing the Saints of God doe alwayes pray to God thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen they doe in it both pray to God to giue them perseuerance and to keepe them to that they may neuer finally nor totally fall from grace so the 〈◊〉 part of the Maior prâ—…n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 All the doubt then rests in the second thing whether God doth alwaies heare and grant these prayers of theirs If any deny it which is all that can be answered to this argument I proue it that God doth heare and grant those prayers of theirs in this behalfe by these reasons First because it is the same prayer which Christ himselfe doth alwaies make vnto his Father for them as appeares by Iohn 14. 16. cap. 17. 11. 15. Luke 2â—… 31. 32. Rom. 8. 34. and Hebr. 7 25. now if it be the same prayer that Christ himselfe doth alwaies make vnto his Father for them God cannot
out of the superfluity of their idle and frothy braines without any ground in Scripture for to warrant it shall be sufficient to delude and frustrate all these plaine comfortable sweete and heauenly promises of God and to falsifie them as vntruths For say they all these promises which you haue mentioned though they are absolute positiue and perpetuall in respect of God yet they are but contingent accidentall and altogether vn certaine in respect of vs they are all conditionall and suspended vpon our wills and vpon our perseuerance Now there is no absolute certaintie in our perseuerance we are fickle and vnconstaut and may fall away from grace and therefore these promises they giue vs no absolute assurance of our finall and totall perseuerance This is in truth the onely answere that our aduersaries giue to all those Scriptures and reasons that we produce against them this is the very sum and suhstance of all that they reply vnto vs. If this answere then of theirs bee but fully confuted and manifested to be but friuilous false and idle our aduersaries must then sit mute and silent and yeeld the cause to vs or else be condemned for their silence Wherefore that I may giue a full and satisfactory defeate to this sophisticall false and fained euasion that it neuer lye as a rub in our way againe I shall now in counter it with the second thing which I haue obserued in these promises to wit that they are absolute and positiue without any condition at all either on Gods part or our owne I say that all these promises which I haue mentioned are absolute and positiue in themselues without any condition at all annexed to them either on Gods part or on ours which I shall fully proue by these insuing reasons First all the promises and couenants forecited they are pronounced and set downe in absolute and positiue tearmes without any condition at all annexed to them either on Gods part or on ours and therefore for any man to adde a condition to these promises when as God himselfe hath added none is but to sophisticate aud corrupt the word of God yea it is to adde vnto it for which God will adde to him that doth it the plagues that he hath written in his booke Reu 22. 18. If you obiect that there are many places of Scripture pronounced absolutely which yet notwithstanding are conditionall as that of Ionah 3. 4. Yet fortie dayes and Nineue shall be destroyed and that oâ—… Isâ—… 38 1. Gods mâ—…ssage to Hezechiah Set thine house in order for thou shalt 〈◊〉 and noâ—… liue and Prou. 22. 4. By humilitie and the feare of the Lord are riches and honour and life therefore these promises forecited though they are absolntely pronounced without any annexed condition yet there may be an implied condition in them To this I answere First that there is a great difference betwixt temporall judgments and mercies and spirituall couenants and promises For though God doth threaten a temporall judgment â—…gainst any people or person or promise any temporall blessing to them though the words of the judgment denounced or the mercy promised are absolute and positiue without any expresse condition annexed to them yet commonly there is an implied condition included in them for diuers reasons which cannot be applyed to spirituall couenants and promises If temporall judgments bee denounced in positiue and absolute words yet there is an implyed condition included in them to wit if they repent not for these reasons First because that God throughout the Scriptures hath promised mercy and freedome from temporall judgments to all such as shall meete him by repentance and therefore those particular denuntiations of temporall judgments though they are pronounced in absolute and positiue words haue commonly this implied condition annexed to them vnlesse they doe repent because they shall not crosse and contradict his generall promises of mercy if they doe repent Secondly most particular temporall judgments that are denounced against men in the Scriptures haue this condition expresly annexed to them vnlesse they repent as wee may reade at large Deut. 5 30 31. 2 Chron. 7. 13. 14 Ier. 18. 7 8. Luke 13. 3 5 therefore the other absolute places must be expounded by these and haue this implied condition annexed to them vnlesse they do repent Thirdly the onely cause for which God doth threaten and inflict this temporall judgments vpon men is to bring them to repentance to saue them not for to destroy them and therefore if they doe repent before the judgment is inflicted the judgment though absolutely denounced shall not be executed because God hath his end for which hee did intend for to inflict it Lastly all Gods judgments they are onely inflicted because of sinne if there were no sinne in men there should bee then no judgmentâ—… of God inflicted on them now repentance before Gods judgments are executed doth vtterly take away the guilt of sinne and so by consequent the judgment which should follow sinne though it were absolutely denounced therefore all those judgments that are absolutely denounced against men without any annexed condition haue commonly an implyed condition included in them because they haue relation and reference to our repentance So againe for temporall blessings though God doth sometimes promise them absolutely vnto his children yet there is alwaies an implied condition in them and that for many reasons First because that these temporall blessings are not alwaies best for them Secondly because they are ought times greater crosses and curses then blessings to them Thirdly because they are things of a fading fickle and vnconstant nature Fourthly because they are no speciall tokens of Gods loue they are common to wicked men as well as to the Saints Fithly because they are not the proper portion and inheritance of the Saints God hath prouided farre better and greater things for them Lastly because God in most places of the Scripture doth suspend these temporall blessings vpon these two conditions First if his children doe obey him Secondly if these outward blessings are best for them to which conditionall Scriptures all other positiue places must be referred But now it is farre otherwise with those spirituall couenants and promises which God doth make vnto his children in positiue and absolute words because all these promises they haue reference vnto Gods gratious goodnesse mercy and bountie and not to mans desert or merit and also because it is alwaies best for the Saints that these couenants and promises should be fulfilled Now for these spirituall promises of grace which we finde recorded in the Scriptures you must vnderstand that there are two sorts of them The first generall and common vnto all men The second proper and peculiar onely to the Saints and such as are in the state of grace For the first sort of promises they are conditionall and haue reference to something which is first to be wrought in vs by God before that wee
other sacred attributes vnto him without any deminution or ecclipse at all the only way to doe it is for to maintaine the finall and totall perseuerance of the Saints For if it bee impossible for those who are once truly regenerated and sanctified to fall from grace as wee affirme it for to be then your surmise of clearing Gods iustice when they fall away is out of doores and comes not into question and so Gods iustice mercy goodnesse honour wisdome truth and power are not only not so much as once tainted and ecclipsed but likewise highly magnified in the continuall perseuerance and preservation of the Saints And thus I hope I haue so fully cleared the absolutenesse of all Gods promises and so fully vindicates them from those false glosses and sophismes of the opposites which did obscure and delude them that now they may giue full and perfect assurance to euery Christian soule that is become a true member of Iesus Christ that he shall neuer finally nor totally fall from Grace The third thing in these promises of God which may assure vs of the truth of this assertion is Gods ability to performe them If wee had so many great and gratious promises as these from God if God were not able to performe them to the vttermost wee could then take but little ioy and comfort in them but now God is omnipotent he is able to make good his promises and to performe them to the vtmost title and circumstance and therefore this may comfort and reioyce our hearts Lastly all these promises of God they are exceeding faithfull and true and God is very just and faithfull in performing of them If a man had neuer so many great and goodly promi ses if they were not true but false and counterfeite there were then great cause and couler for to doubt of them and mens hearts and soules could take no true ioy and solid comfort in them because they could not rest and trust vpon them But now all these promises of God which I haue formerly mentioned to prouethe finall and totall perseuerance of the Saints they are exceeding faithfull and true proceeding from that God and spirit of truth which will not nor cannot lie vnto vs. All the promises of God they are yea and amen in Christ 2 Cor 1 20. his couenant will he not breake nor alter the thing that is gon out of his mouth Hee hath 〈◊〉 in his holinesse that he will not lie vnto vs Psal 89 34 35. As God hath thought so shall it come to passe as he hath promised so shall it surely stand no man shall disaâ—…ll or turne that backe which hee hath promised and decreed Isay 14 24 27. God hath ratified all his promises with an oath and sealed them vnto vs euen in the blood of Iesus Christ to shew vnto the heires of promise the immutability of his Councell and the truth of all his promises to the end that they might haue strong consolation and comfort in theÌ„ Heb 6 17 18. And as all these promises of God are true and faithfull in themselues so God will bee exceeding just and faithfull in performing them to the very least title and circumstance of them God will his truth to Iacob and his mercy to Israell which he hath sworne to our fathers in the dayes of old Micâ—… 7 20. The strength of Israel will not lie neither will he repent him of his word 1 Sam 15 29. Whatsoeuer he hath promised the will performe to the very vttermost title Heauen and earth may passe away but yet not so much as the least title of any of these promises which hee hath made vnto his Saints shall faile vntill it be fulfilled to the full Math 5 18 When God had promised to bring the children of Israell out of Egypt after foure hundred and thirty yeares it came to passe at the end of the foure hundred and thirty yeares euen the selfe same day that God had promised that all the host of Israel went out of Egypt Exod 12 41 51 God did not faile them in this promise so much as in one day God hath alwaies bin so faithfull in the performance of his promises vnto his people that he did neuer so much as faile them in any circumstance wherfore Salomon in the period and perclose of that excellent and famous prayer of his at the consecration of the Temple doth vse this gratulatory speech to God Blessed be the Lord which hath geuen rest vnto his people Israel according to all that hee hath promised their hath not failed one word of all his good promise which he promised by the hand of Moses his seruant Euery word and sillable that God hath spoken for the weale welfare of his children he will as certainly and faithfully performe as if he had actually performed it to them already Seeing then that wee haue so many absolute and sure so many true and faithfull promises which shall be performed to the vtmost sillable which may assure vs 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 let vs wholy relie and depend vpon them let vs cast our selues and our soules vpon them And seeing there are so many things in God himselfe which may fully resolue settle vs in this truth let vs haue strong consolation and let vs runne that race of holinesse which is set before vs with ioy with comfort and assurance And though we may and ought to feare the falling into any sin whereby wee may offend the Lord and cause him for to scourge vs with the rods of men and with the stripes of the children of men yet let vs neuer feare or dreame of any finall or totall fall from grace when once we are but truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by faith because we haue God himselfe for our assurance that we shall neuer fall from him Secondly as it is altogether impossible in respect of God himselfe that those which are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuely faith should either totally or finally fall from grace so is likewise altogether impossible in respect of Iesus Christ. Now in Iesus Christ himselfe there are these seuerall things which may assure vs of this potision First there is the efficacy metits and power of his death and passion whereby the power and strength of sinne the forts and holds of Satan are weakned and subdued in them whereby their soules are thoroughly purified and washed from all pollution of flesh and spirit and their sins and wickednesse for euer so vtterly abolished that they shall neuer appeare any more from which I frame this first argument Those out of whom the workes of Satan are vtterly destroyed by the death of Christ those whose soules are purified and washed from all sinne by the blood of Christ. Those in whom the power of Satan and the whole
are once committed to his charge Ioh. 17. 14. Ezech. 34. 16. Isai. 40. 11. Luk. 15. 45. 2 Pet. 3. 9. and Luk. 21. 18. Therefore the conclusion followes of necessitie and cannot be denied The sixt thing in Iesus Christ that may establish vs in this present truth is Christs continually residence and dwelling in our hearts from whence I frame this argument Those in whose hearts and soules Christ Iesus doth for euer remaine and dwell it is altogether impossible that they should fall from grace but Iesus Christ doth for euer remaine and dwell in the hearts and soules of all them that are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into him Io. 14 20 23. Cap. 17. 2â—… 23 26. 2 Cor. 13. 4 5. Gal. 2. 20. Ephes. 3. 17. 1 Iohn 3. 24. cap. 4. 4. Ephes. 2. 22. 1 Io. 4 12 13. 15 16. cap. 5. 10. 20. Col. 1. 27. Psal. 68. 16. 18. Reâ—… 2. 20. Therefore it is altogether impossible that they should euer totally or finally fall from grace What can bee truly answered or replyed to this argument I cannot learne or know The last thing in Iesus Christ that may assure vs of this present truth is his Sacraments for to what other end doe the Sacraments serue specially that of the Lords Supper but to assure our soules of Gods vnchangeable loue vnto vs in Iesus Christ and of our euerlasting obedience vnto him The Sacraments they are the very seales of Gods couenant wherein God and Christ doe seale vnto vs euen in the blood of Iesus Christ the one that hee will become a gratious and louing Father the other that he will become a gratious and louing Sauiour to vs for euer and wee seale againe to God and Christ that wee will become dutifull faithfull and obedient Children and seruants vnto them for euer The holy Sacraments therefore wherein God doth chuse vs for his children and wee doe chuse him for our God and Father must needes assure our soules that wee shall neuer finally and totally fall from grace or be depriued of Gods loue and fauour If wee could either totally or finally fall from grace what comfort and benefit what profit and assurance could wee haue from those most comfortable and blessed Sacraments if that couenant which is sealed ratified and confirmed in the blood of Iesus Christ should euer once bee broken what good or profit could it bring vnto our soules Wherefore the very Sacraments which seale Gods loue vnto our soules and all those other things which are in Christ which haue been formerly mentioned may giue our soules this comfortable and sweet assurance that wee shall neuer totally or finally fall from grace euen in respect of Iesus Christ when once we are but truly regenerated and ingrafted into him Thirdly it is altogether impossible in respect of the holy Ghost that those that are once truly regenerated should either totally or finally fall from grace Now in the holy Ghost there are these things which may serue for to assure vs of this truth First there is his personall residencie and habitation in our hearts and soules from whence this argument may bee deduced Those in whose hearts and soules the holy Ghost shall abide and dwell for euer it is altogether impossible for them either finally or totally to fall from grace because as long as they haue the holy Ghost within them there is alwayes grace within them But the holy Ghost shall abide and dwell for euer in the hearts and soules of all those which are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ as appeares by Io. 14 16 17. I saith Christ will pray the Father and hee shall giue you another Comforter that hee may abide with you for euer euen the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but yee know him for hee dwelleth in you and shall be in you by Rom. 8. 9 11. But yee are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so bee that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man haue not the spirit of Christ he is none of is but if the spirit of him that raised vp Iesus from the dead dwell in you hee that raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by â—…is spirit that dwelleth in you by 1 Cor. 6. 19. Know yee not that your body is tho Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you which yee haue of God and yee are not your owne by 2 Tim. 1. 14. That good thing which was committed vnto thee keepe by the holy Ghost which dwelleth in vs and by Ezech. 36. 26 27. A new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and yee shall keepe my iâ—…dgements and doe them Therefore it is altogether impossible that they should euer fall either finally or totally from grace If it be obiected that the holy Ghost may bee taken away from vâ—… that it may be grieued quenched and resisted as it is euident by Psal. 51. 11. 1 Thess. 5. 19. Ephes. 4 30. and Act. 7. 51. I answer that it is true that the sense and feeling of the sweet and comfortable motions of Gods holy Spirit may oft-time be taken from vs and suspended for a time but yet the habituall graces and fruits of Gods holy Spirit the Seale and inward annoynting of Gods Spirit and that fruite and seed of grace which Gods holy Spirit hath plaâ—…ted in our hearts shall neuer bee taken away or lost they shall abide and remaine in the hearts of those that are regenerated for euer they cannot be rooted or weeded out of them Io. 14. 16 17. 1 Io. 2 20. 27. and cap. 3. 9. And though Dauid prayeth to God not to take away his holy Spirit from him Psal. 51. yet that is onely meant of the ioy and comforts of the spirit and not of the spirit it selfe or the graces of the spirit as appeareth by the 8. and 12. verses of the same Psalme wherein hee prayes to God not to restore to him the holy Ghost or the graces of the spirit but to restore vnto him the ioy of the spirit As for that exhortation of Paul 1 Thes. 5. 19. Quench not the spirit some interpret it to bee no more but this that men should not hinder any one whose heart and soule was filled with the graces and gifts of Gods spirit from preaching of the word of God and interpreting of it vpon all occasions coupling it with the next verse where the Apostle saith thus Despise not prophecyings but the genuine and proper meaning of the place is this that men should not quench and smother those good motions and holy affections which the spirit of God doth kindle in their hearts but stirre and blow them vp vpon all occasions The spirit of God oft-times doth trouble the hearts of his Saints with
puts a new nature and disposition into them so that they cannot alter or destroy it if they would But of this see more in the reply to the answere which is giuen to the fourth argument drawne from God If therefore no sinne which the saints of God can commit if the freedome and liberty of their owne will cannot destroy that seede of grace which is within them and there be no other cause or thing to doe it it is certaine that this seede and annoynting of the Spirit must still remaine within them and so your answere as long as the seede and annoynting remaines which supposeth that they doe not alwaies remaine and abide within them must needes be false friuilous and repugnant And so this argument and text of Scripture remaines vnanswerable Other answeres there are vpon the diuers readings and expositions of these places which because they are but vaine and idle and not worth the answering I will passe them ouer and so proceede The fourth thing in the spirit of God or in the holy Ghost that may stablish and settle vs in this present truth is the earnest of the Spirit that is giuen to all those that are once truly regenerated from whence this fourth argument doth arise Those that haue the earnest of Gods spirit in their hearts it is altogether impossible that they should euer finally or totally fall from Grace But all those that are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ haue the earnest of Gods spirit in their hearts 2 Cor. 1. 22. Eph. 1. 13 14. 2 Cor. 5. 〈◊〉 Therefore it is altogether impossible that they should either finally or totally fall from grace The minor being the expresse text of God The maior only is for to be proued Now that those that haue the earnest of Gods spirit in their hearts can neuer fall either finally or totally from grace it appeares by these reasons First because the earnest of the Spirit of God is nothing but an assurance giuen vnto vs by God of that share and portion which he hath prepared for vs in heauen whence it is stiled the earnest of our inheritance vntill the purchased possession be really bestowed vpon vs Eph. 1. 14. 15. Secondly because it makes the Saints of God confident and sure of heauen and of eternall life as appeares by the 2 Cor. 5. 6 7 8. Where Paul saith thus Now hee that hath wrought vs for the selfe-same thing is God who also hath giuen vnto vs the earnest of the Spirit therefore 〈◊〉 are alwayes confident knowing that whiles wee are at home in the body wee are absent from the Lord wee are confident I say and willing rather to bee absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. This 〈◊〉 of the Spirit makes the Saints of God confident and sure of their saluation vpon good and solid grounds and not vpon bare conjectures and therefore it cannot choose but keepe them from falling away from grace Thirdly it must needes bee so that those who haue the earnest of the Spirit can neuer fall from grace in respect of the properties of an earnest For first an earnest it tyes and bindes the party that doth giue it to make good his bargaine and his promise Secondly it is a badge and signe of true and vpright dealing and it giues an assurance that the bargaine shall bee punctually performed to the vtmost by him that giues the earnest Thirdly an earnest is part of payment it is part of the whole which wee shall receiue Fourthly it is such a thing as can neuer be taken from vs. Let the Bargaine or the Contract hold or breake the earnest still remaines with him that doth receiue it hee that giues it is not to require it hee thâ—…t receiues it is not to restore it Fiftly an earnest drawes the whole to it it makes the whole of which it is an earnest to be our owne Now the Spirit of God and the graces of Gods Spirit which are once put into our hearts are stiled an earnest in all these respects because they binde the Lord for to performe his Covenant and to giue vs that inheritance which he hath promised to vs 〈◊〉 because they giue vs full assurance that God deales truly honestly and in good earnest with vs and that he will performe whatsoeuer he hath promised vnto vs to the very vtmost because that portion of Grace and of Gods Spirit which wee haue in possession here is a part and inchoation of that happinesse and glory which we shall haue hereafter because they are such things as shall neuer be taken from vs againe Luke 10. 42. Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not bee taken away from hâ—…r God will not require this earnest at our hands againe but wee shall still enioy it as our owne and because they drawe the whole vnto them they make the whole and all of that which God hath promised to vs to be our owne Wherefore this must needes bee an vndoubted truth that those who haue but once this earnest of Gods spirit in their hearts as all those that are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ haue it Rom 8. 9 14. can neuer possibly fall either finally or totally from grace for then this earnest of Gods spirit should bee lost and serue to none or little purpose Of all arguments that can bee produced this is one of the strongest and least capable of any sound and solid answer The fift thing in respect of the holy Ghost which may convince vs of the truth of this position is the ordinary and constant working of Gods Spirit in the hearts of all those who are once truly regenerated sanctified and ingrafted into Christ. For the spirit of God when once it enters into mens hearts and soules after it hath once truly humbled them for their sinnes and in some good measure sanctified and purified their hearts and soules then it doth secretly pacifie their soules and consciences then it giues them that inward and secret assurance of the everlasting and vnchangeable loue of God to them in Christ which passeth vnderstanding and testifieth to their owne spirits and consciences that they are the adopted children and sonnes of God which causeth them to cry Abba Father Rom 5. 1. and cap. 8. 15 16. Then it stampes and settles this assurance of Gods loue this vndoubted certaintie of their owne salvation and of their continuall perseverance in grace vnto the end vpon their hearts and soules in such deepe and indelable Characters that no temptation no sinne or affliction whatsoeuer can vtterly raze and blot it out againe though it may so blot and blurre it for a time that thâ—…y themselues may not so evidently and cleerely see it as they should And when all this is done then the holy Ghost descends as a sweet and heauenly dew vpon them and doth fill and euen glâ—…tte and ravish their very hearts and soules with that ioy which is most vnspeakeable
for to hinder it Wherefore since true and sauing Grace is of a permanent perpetuall immortall incorruptible perseuering growing and increasing nature it is impossible for those that haue this Grace as all those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ must needs haue it or else they were neuer truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ either finally or totally to fall from it againe euen in respect of the very nature of Grace it sâ—…lfe Lastly it is altogether impossible for such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ either finally or totally to fall from grace in respect of the many dangerous consequents which else would ineuitablie follow vpon the contrary and that both in respect of the Trinity in respect of the true Saints of God in respect of grace and in respect of the Church of God in generall but specially of our Church of England First these dangerous consequents would follow euen in respect of the Trinitie and Dietie it selfe For first it would deâ—…ogate from the honour of the Trinitie What greater dishonour could there be vnto the whole Trinitie What greater dishonour to Father Sonne and holy Ghost then this that they should suffer any of those Saints whom they haue chosen for themselues and vndertaken to preserue and keepe to â—…all from grace â—…hat they should begin to build the fabricke of grace in men and yet be vnwilling or vnable for to make an end that they should make so many absolute couenants and promises to preserue and keepe the Saints from falling and not performe their words that they should giue true grace to men and yet repent them of these gifts and take them quite away that they should owne such for their followers their seruants and attendants their children and their friends as should disgrace them by their falls and bring a scandall vpon the profession of their names What would Atheists what would Heathens say if they should heare of this position that the true Saints of God may apostacie and fall away from grace would they not say that it were farre better to haue no God at all that it were farre better to haue an Idoll God then such a God as this as either will not or cannot keepe his Saints from falling from him Certainely this very Doctrine of the Apostacy of the Saints dishonours all the Trinitie in all their sacred and most glorious attributes yea it depriues God of his Dietie it puls him from his throane and sets vp man aboue him it makes God to be no God at all or at least to be no better then an Idoll or an idle God Wherefore in respect of this dishonor which elâ—…e would light vpon the whole Trinitie this Doctrine of the perseuerance of the Saints must needes be true Secondly if the true regenerate Saints of God might Apostatize and fall away from grace it would derogate much from the word and promise of God and Christ. For they haue promised to preserue all such as are once truly regenerated and to keepe them from falling they haue promised that their graces shall not faile that they will giue them perseuerance to the end that they will finish the worke of grace begun within them that they will preserue them blamelesse to the day of Christ and keepe them so that they shall neuer perish but haue euerlasting life as I haue pâ—…oued at large before If then the Saints of God might either finally or totally â—…ll from grace where then were the truth of God and Christ where were the performance of their word and promises wee might then say that all these promises of God were but false and counterfeite and so we should make God and Christ no better then the Diuell himselfe who is a lyar and the father of lyes Iohn 8. 44. Yea I may boldly say that this assertion of the Apostacie of the Saints would quite ouerthrow the whole frame and fabricke of the word of God For take the whole Scripture from the beginning to the very end of it the whole frame and fabricke of it serues to no other end and purpose but to take away all from man in matters of grace and to attribute all to God that so he only and not man might haue the praise and glory of all Now this assertion of the Apostacie of the Saints it takes all away from God and attributes all to man that so man might glory in himselfe onely and not in the Lord. It giues a man free will to reiect or receiue grace at the first and it giues him full power and ability to reiect or to retaine grace after hee hath receiued it it takes away Gods prouidence kingdome soueraigntie and power ouer man it exempts man wholly from his jurisdiction it makes man an absolute creature it makes him a God and Lord ouer himselfe whereas the Scripture dorh take man of from his owne legges and subiects him wholly vnto God in whose hands his life his thoughts his will his waies and all his actions are and so it dissolues and ouerturnes the whole frame and fabricke of the Scriptures and strikes at the very foundation and roote of all religion Wherefore this Doctrine of the Apostacy of the Saints can neuer be admitted to bee tâ—…ue euen in this respect and so my present assertion must be sound and orthodox Thirdly if the true regenerate Saints of God might fall quite away from the state of grace it would derogate much from the great goodnesse and the infinite mercy and loue of God vnto his children For if those Saints of God might fall quite away from grace where then were the exceeding riches of Gods mercy where were the gratiousnesse and infinite goodnesse of his nature where were the freenesse the constancy and vnchangablenesse of his loue If you obiect that the fault is not in the loue of God to them but in their want of loue to him I answere first that Gods loue to them is free and voluntary Hosea 14. 5. I will loue them freely therefore if God should quite withdraw his loue from them for their disobedience vnto him this freenesse of Gods loue would be much tainted and blemished and the breach would light on God Secondly Gods loue to them is the cause of their loue to him 〈◊〉 Iohn 4. 10. 19. and it is the loue mercy of God which should preserue and keepe the saints in obedience loyalty and subiection vnto him yea God himselfe hath promised to preserue their whole spirit soule and body blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thâ—…s 5. 23 24. If therefore God should suffer them to sin against him and so to incurre his displeasure whereas hee hath vndertaken to preserue them blamelesse vnto the comming of Iesus Christ the breach must bee first on Gods part in suffering them to sinne and not on theirs who hath no power of their owne without the power and ayde of God to keepe themselues from sinne
If a man had a deare intire friend who was like to perish vnlesse he did relieue and helpe him if now hee should absolutely promise him to sucour aud releiue him and then faile him at the last if now this man should perish the blame would now light vpon him that should haue helped him and not vpon him that perisheth God is able to keepe his Saints from falling from him Iude 24. and he hath promised for to doe it Psal. 37. 24. Psal. 155. 1. Psal. 121. 3 7 8. Psa. 145. 13 20. He that hath giuen vs grace hath promised to preserue and keep it for vs because we cannot doe it of our selues If then wee might loose this grace and fall quite from it the blame would light on God and on the whole Trinitie who are both able and onely able to preserue and keepe the saints from falling and haue likewise promised for to doe it and not on the saints themselues who are not able of themselues to keepe themselues in the loue of God and to preserue themselues from falling from him and therefore this your Doctrine can neuer bee admitted to be true Fourthly if the true regenerate saints of God might fall quite away from the state of grace it would derogate much from the omnipotencie and mightie power of the Trinitie and from the vertue and efficacie of the meanes of grace For if these might fall from grace where then were the omnipotencie and mightie power of God and Christ which should preserue and keepe them through faith vnto saluation where were the efficacie and power of the holy Ghost where were the strength the life mighty operation of the word of God and of the meanes of grace which should conquer and subdve the very Prince of darknesse and trample him vnder feete which should cast downe imaginations the strong holds and forts of sinne and Iust and euery thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and bring into captiuity euery thought to the obedience of Christ where were the efficacie and power of the death and passion of Iesus Christ which should destroy out of the Saints the workes of the Diuill the power of Satan and the whole body of sinne where were the efficacie power of that feare which God will put into their harts that they may not depart from him Certainely this assertion would derogate very much from the omnipotencie and mightie power of the whole Trininie and from the efficacy and power of grace and of the meanes of grace and therefore it cannot be admitted to be true and orthodox Fifthly if the saints of God might Apostatize and fall from the state of grace it would derogate much from the infinite justice and wisdome of almightie God For when as God shall haue once accepted of the death and passion of his only Sonne in full satisfaction for the sins of all his true and faithfull members when God shall promise for the merits of this his Son to pardon all their sins and to remember their iniquities no more when Christ shall purchase grace and all things appertaining to life and godlinesse when he shall purchase perseuerance heauen and eternall happinesse for them and God shall in his justice promise to make all these things good vnto them if after all this they should fall from grace and bee depriued of all these things which Christ hath purchased for them where then will this infinite justice of God appeare Yea where will his infinite wisdome bee Can it stand together with Gods infinite wisdome to discourage and deiect the hearts and soules of any of his saints to weaken and abate their loue to him and to make them cold and negligent in his seruice to bring a scandall vpon himselfe and vpon the profession and professors of his name which are the ineuitable consequencies of this your doctrine what justice or what wisdome would there be in God if this were true Doubtlesse very little or none at all and therefore this doctrine of perseuerance must be true Sixthly if the saints of God might fall from the state of grace it would much eclipse the efficacie of Christs death and passion and the vertue andr powe of his intercession Where were the efficacy where were the merits where were the end the worth and benefit of Christs death and passion if it could not saue men to the vtmost and preserue them from falling from the state of grace to what end and purpose would his death and passion serue If this were true then Christs should be but an imperfect Sauiour a Sauiour and yet no Sauiour a Iesus at one time for to saue vs and yet afterwards a Iudge for to condemne vs. Then a man might be oft times saued and oft times damned one howre in the state of grace another in the state of damnation a man might be ost times saued in one month in one weeke and in one day And if so where were the efficacie of the death where were the vertue of the intercession of Christ Christ by his death and passion hath purchased eternall redemption for his true and faithfull members and hath perfected those that are sanctified for â—…uer and now he is in heauen he makes perpetuall intercession to his Father for them to keepe them in his owne name to preserue them from euill and from falling from him If then those members of Iesus Christ might notwithstanding fall from the state of grace which once they haue the very death and intercession of Iesus Christ would bee of very little or of no effect and the very dearest of Gods saints â—…nd children could reape no benefit or comfort from them Seuenthly if this were true that the Saints of God might fall away from the state of grace it would make the sweete and comfortable working of Gods Spirit in the hearts of all Gods children to bee but a meere delusion and imposture or at least but a meere lying fancie and a vaine conceite For this I am well assured of that euery sanctfied growen and experienced christian which hath felt the working of Gods Spirit in his heart can testifie that the Spirit of God hath so sealed this truth vnto his soule and so firmely settled and ingrauen it in his heart that he can neuer depart away from God or fall finally or totally from grace Wherefore this position which would falsifie this working of Gods Spirit in the hearts and soules of all his faithfull children must needes be false and odious and cannot be admitted Eightly if this should be admitted that the true regenerate saints of God might fall from grace it would rob the Lord of the hearts and soules of all his saints it would much abate if not quite extinguishing the zeale and seruency of their loue to him If men could not bee sure of their owne saluation if they could not bee sure of Gods constant and immutable loue to them if they
thing as where it is once possessed it cannot bee lost Philosophers could say that hee was neuer a happy man that might afterwards become miserable if morall happinesse were so permanent shall not Christian happinesse which farre excells it be so to Doubtlesse those whom God himselfe pronounceth blessed are blessed and happy men for the present yea and they shall bee such for euer Gen. 27. 33. and Num. 23. 8. 20. God himselfe hath pronounced all such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ to bee blessed and happy men as I haue proued it at large before therefore they are and shall be such for euer Now this position if it were granted would quite depriue the Saints of God of all their happinesse it would strip and robbe them of their graces which are the only treasure of their soules and make them of all men most miserable where as they are the only blessed of the Lord wherefore this posiâ—…ion cannot be granted to bee true euen in this respect Thirdly it depriues the Saints of God of all true joy and comfort it robs them of that peace of conscience of that joy and comfort of the holy Ghost of those spirituall and heauenly consolations which are more sweet and pleasant to them then life it selfe or all things in the world besides and so vnutterable and beyond expression that none can know the pleasantnesse and sweetnesse of them but such as feele them and inioy them it robs and spoyles the hearts and soules of all true faithfull Christians of those inestimable and invaluable ioyes and consolations and fills their soules with doubts with terrors and amazements For wâ—…at is that which doth so joy so comfort and refresh the hearts and soules of faithfull Christians What is that which fills them full of joy vnspeakeable aud glorious but only this that their names are written in heauen that their peace is made for euer with God that they are justified and sanctified by Iesus Christ that they are passed from death to life and shall neuer come into condemnation that they are so established and settled in the state of grace that they shall neuer fall nor be remoued from it and that they are so thorowly ingrafted into Christ that they shall neuer bee broken off from him againe But if this once were true that these Christians might either finally or totally fall from grace that they might vtterly loose all the good things which they had done in all their liues so that they should not bee any more remembred that they might loose Gods loue and fauour loose Christ Iesus and all the rich benefits and merits of his death and passion loose the holy Ghost and all the comforts and graces which they haue by him How dolefull how miserable then should the state of Christians bee how would their soules droope and languish with griefe and heauinesse which now doe euen dance and leape for joy how would their zeale their loue and courage be abated how would their mindes and consciences bee perplexed how would the diuell vex and torture them after euery small and little sinne which they should commit with this Quare doâ—… I yet perseuere am I yet in the state of grace or am I not already fallen from it by my sinnes Certainly if this exposition were once imbraced as a truth the diuell would so tyrannize ouer weake scrupulous and tender-hearted Christians by this meanes that he would euen driue theâ—… almost vnto dispaire and send them downe with griefe and sorrow to their graues where as else they should haue alwayes cause to laugh and sing The state of Christians is a state of joy God himselfe commands them to reioyce euermore To reioyce in the Lord alwayes and againe for to reioyce To bee ioyfull in glory and to sing aloud in their beds for ioy of heart Therefore this position which would depriue the Saints of God of their very heauen vpon earth of all their sweet and heauenly joyes and consolations and of all the grounds and causes of their joy and fill their soules with doubts feares griefes discouragements tâ—…ares and amazements must needs be odious false and dangerous and cannot be admitted Fourthly it breedes dispaire in the hearts and soules of all regenerated and sanctisied Christians For if the Saints of God after their true regeneration and inscision into Christ might either finally or totally fall from grace how would this perplex the soules and consciences of all regenerate Christians and driue them to dispaire especially in times of sicknesse and temptations wherein Satan doth most commonly set on their sinnes and presse them on their consciences of purpose for to driue them to despaire Tender hearts and consciences which are thorowly wounded and touched with the sense of sinne and are apt to bee dejected vpon euery small occasion with the apprehension of Gods wrath would soone be driuen to despaire if this were true For if any sinne or lust should ouercome them if any temptation or sicknesse should befall them how then would the diuell tyrannize and triumph ouer them Hee would then bee alwayes suggesting this vnto them and pressing it vpon their consciences You are now fallen quite away from grace you are now cut off from God and Christ by these and these your sinnes you were once the children of God but now you are now the sonnes of Satan and vessells of wrath fitted only for destruction You are now fallen quite away from that state of grace wherein you stood before and so it is impossible for you to be renewed by repentance any more Your last end now shall bee farre worse then euer your biginâ—…ing was and because that you haue cast off God hee hath now for euer cast off you you haue committed a wilfull sinne in departing and falling from his grace and therefore there is no more sacrifice and oblation for sinne remaining but a certaine fearefull expectation of iudgement and fiery indignation which shall deuoure you What can poore perplexed and distressed soules answer vnto these objections or the like when Satan shall assault them with them and presse them on their consciences They cannot say wee were in the state of grace before and therefore wee are sure that wee continue in it now because it is impossible for vs to fall from it for this were quite contrary to this assertion They dare not say that they haue committed no such sinne as might disturbe them from the state of grace and cut them off from Christ because the diuell and their owne scrupulous and tender consciences doe testifie the contrary they date not for to say that they are still in Christ and if they are diâ—…cted and cut off from him they cannot hope to bee ingrafted into him againe because they haue so wilfully fallen from him and so they cannot but despaire whereas if they had this pillar this helpe and stay to rest their soules vpon Wee
frame this accusation and in ditement against you at the day of Iudgement as he did against the shepheards of Israel Ezech. 34. 4. The diseased haue yee not strengthened â—…either haue you healed that which was sicke neither haue you bound vp that which was broken neither haue you brought againe that which was driuen away but with force and crueltie haue you ruled them and then your doome and judgment will be terrible and dismall as this your Doctrine is Fifthly This doctrine of a finall or totall fall from grace it makes no difference at all beeweene the godly and the wicked in this present life If the true regenerate Saints of God might either finally or totally fall from grace what difference should there be betweene impenitent and wicked men and them what priuiledge or aduantage had they more then they They haue no more assurance of Gods loue and fauour no more assurance of heauen and eternall life no more aduantage or benefit by the death of Christ then they there were then no difference at all in their estates but onely for the present they had but a meere possibilitie of heauen and eternall life they could not absolutely say we shall be saued but onely wee may be saued and so may euery wicked man that liues vpon the earth All that the Saints of God should then haue it should depend meerely vpon incertainties and future contingences they should be no more sure of saluation then wicked men True it is that that for the present they should haue a greater probabilitie and likelihood of heauen and saluation then wicked men because they are for the present in the state of grace but yet they were no neerer vnto heauen and eternall saluation then they for these wicked men might become Gods children afterwards continue so when as they themselues might fall from grace and perish in their sinnes those that are the children of Satan might be the Saints and sonnes of God when as they themselues may bee the sonnes of Beâ—…ial and vessels fitted for destruction Wherefore seeing that this doctrine of falling from grace puts no sound and sure difference betweene the wicked and the godly in this present life and giues the one no greater and no surer priuiledges then the other hath when as the Scripture makes as great a difference betweene them as is betweene sheepe and goates wheate and tares gold and drosse happinesse and misery it must needes be false and opposite to the truth and cannot be admitted Lastly if the true regenerate Saints of God might fall finally from grace it would breede a doubt and scruple in mens mindes whether there are any that are saued or at least whether God hath alwaies had a true Church on earth For if one regenerate man may fall from grace then a second and a third may to and so euery regenerate man in particular and so all regenetate men and then there should bee none that should bee saued then there might be a time when all men might be fallen from grace and so a time when as there was no Church of God on earth Wee all know that the very best of all Gods Saints and children are apt and ready to fall into sinne and that in many things they offend all which things by your assertion may cut them of from Christ and cast them headlong from the state of grace wherefore for ought that any man knowes there is not any one of Gods Saints and children but may bee fallen quite away from the state of grace before his death and so may dye and perish in his sinnes and therefote if this position were once admitted it would breede a doubt in men where euer there were any saued or whether God hath alwaies had a Chruch on earth which would be a dangerous consequent and would much eclipse the riches of Gods mercy the merits of Christs death and passion the glory and perpetuity of his kingdome and make men carelesse of religion Thirdly this Doctrine of a finall or totall Apostacie from the state of grace would produce many dangerous consequencies in respect of grace it selfe and so cannot be admitted First it would cause men to vilifie and vnderualue grace it would cause them for to slight and disrespect it and not to set that price vpon it as they should For if true and sauing grace might bee lost againe who then would estimate or value it who would forsake the riches the honours and the pleasures of the world to seeke it and imbrace it ' which should be then as permanent sure and stable as grace it selfe That which makes men for to prise estimate grace aboue all things else is this that it is a perpetuall stable and permanent possession which will neuer decay that is is not subiect vnto time and chance as all sublunary and worldly things are that it is such an heauenly treasure as cannot be lost nor taken from vs. Therefore Christ when as hee would incite and stirre vs vp to seeke after grace doth commend grace vnto vs as a permanent and euerlasting good which neuer fades nor yet decaies putting it by way of antithesis and opposition to all worldly things which are but momentary and fading hence are these his exhortations Iohn 6. 27. Labour not for the â—…eate that perisheth but for that which indâ—…reth vnto euâ—…rlasting life Lay not vp for your selues treasures vpon earth where 〈◊〉 and rust doth corrupt and where theeâ—…es breaks through and â—…teale but lay vp for your selues treasures in heauen where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where theâ—…es doe not breake through nor â—…eale Math 6 19. 20. Whosoeuer shall drinke of this water shall thirst againe but whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I shall giue him shall neuer thirst but the water that I shall giue him shall bee in him a well of water springing vp into euerlasting life Ioh. 4. 13 14. That which doth most of all commend and set forth grace that which makes it amiable and louely and giues it an excâ—…llencie aboue all earthly things is this that it is a permanent possession an euerlasting treasure which cannot be loâ—…t If it were notso men could not prise it aboue earthly thing This Doctrine therefore of falling from the state of grace it takes away the very excellency of grace and so it would cause men for to vilifie and vnderualue it and to preferre the base and transitorie things of the world before it which would bee a dangerous consequence Secondly this assertion it would ouerthrow and vtterly disanull the very nature and essence of true sauing grace For grace as I haue proued at large before is of a permanent constant perpetuall immortall growing and increasing nature it cannot perrish or decay where once it is in truth begun This Doctrine of a totall or finall fall from grace it makes grace to be but a transitory and fading thing in ouerthrowes this nature and essence of true
grace and therefore cannot be admitted euen in this respect Thirdly this assertion if it were admitted would vtterly disanull abolish and take away the very roote and chiefe of graces euen true justifying and sauing faith For faith as it is defined Heb. 11. 1. Is the substance of things hoped for and the euidence of things not seene it is a sure euidence of heauen and eternall life Wherefore those that haue this faith must not only beleeue that God is but also that he is a rewarder of all such as doe diligently seeke him they must bee perswaded of all Gods promises and imbrace them as their owne Hebr. 11. 6. 13. and with faithfull Abraham Rom. 4. 19. 20 21. they must not stagger at the promises of God through vnbleâ—…fe but they must be strong in faith they must be fully perswaded that as God is able so likewise hee will bee faithfull to performe what euer hee hath promised He that hath a true justifying and sauing faith hee must be able to apply Christ Iesus and all the promises of the Gospel to himselfe he must appropriate and ascertaine them vnto himselfe so as to make them his owne for euâ—…r hee must be able thus to argue He that heareth the word of Christ and beleeueth on him that sent him hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Iohn 5. 24. he that trusteth and waiteth on God shall neuer bee remoued but shall stand fast for euer he shall mount vp with eagles wings he shall run and not be weary he shall walke and not be faint Psal. 125. 1. Isai. 40. 31. God will put his feare into his heart and they shall not depart from him Ier. 32. 40. But I doe heare the word of Christ I beleeue on him that sent him I doe waite and trust on him therefore I haue euerlasting life I am passed from death to life and shall not come into condemnation I shall neuer be remoued from the state of grace but shall stand fast for euer I shall runne and not bee weary I shall walke and not faint I shall not depatt from him He that cannot argue thus hee that cannot thus apply and assume these promises of God vnto himselfe hath no faith at all he that hath faith and is able thus for to apply them can assure himselfe that hee shall perseuere vnto the end and that he shall neither finally nor totally fall from grace yea and must assure him selfe so from these and such like promises or else he hath no faith in them So that if this assertion of the Apostacie of the Saints were once admitted it would quite abolish and vtterly take away all true and sauing faith whose property it is not onely not to faile Luke 22. 32. but likewise to assume these promises of finall and totall perseuerance to it selfe Fourthly if this assertion were once admitted it would take away all certaintie and assurance of saluation for if the true regenerate Saints of God might after their true inscition into Christ either finally or totally fall from grace then they could neuer bee assured of saluation where euer there is a possibilitie of falling away from grace there can bee no full and perfect assurance of saluation a man can neuer bee surâ—… of the end that is not assured of the meanes for to attaine it perseuerance in the state of grace is the meanes for to attaine saluation and therefore if men could not be assured of their perseuerance they could neuer be assured of saluation which depends vpon it If a man might fall totally from grace hee could not be assured of saluation because he cannot bee assured of this whether he shall rise againe whether God will cut him off in his sinnes before hee be ingrafted into Christ againe Now this grace of assurance is a speciall fauour which God bestowes vpon his Saints and children it is the very anchor and piller that supports their soules and it is such a grace as all the Saints of God both may and ought to haue without any speciall reuelation as appeares by diuers pregnant places of Scripture which for breuity sake I will only quote and not set downe at large as Iob. 19. 25 26. cap. 11. 15 18. cap. 13. 16. cap. 16. 19. Psal. 27. 1. Psal. 46. 1. to 8. Isai. 25. 8 9. cap. 50. 7 8 9. Iohn 5. 24. cap. 14. 27. Rom. 8. 35. to the end cap. 14. 8. 2 Cor. 5. 1. to 10. Ephes. 3. 12. Phil. 1. 21. 23. Cor. 3. 4. 1 Thes. 1 4 5. 1 Tim. 1. 7. 12. 2 Tim. 2. 19. cap. 4. 7 8 18. Heb. 2. 15. cap. 10. 34 35. 1 Pet. 4. 19. 1 Iohn 3. 2. cap. 4. 17 18. cap. 5 18 19. 20. Wherefore since this doctrine of the Apostacie of the Saints would vtterly abrogate falsifie and ouerthrow the grace and doctrine of assurance and certainty of saluation it must needs bee a false dangerous and pernitious doctrine which cannot be admitted Fifthly if this were once admitted for a truth it would take away and vtterly abolish in the Saints the grace of loue and of joy and comfort in the holy Ghost it would take away the causes of loue and joy and so consequently these graces themselues which are the very end of the Gospell and in which the very kingdome of God consists as you may reade Iohn 15. 11. Rom. 14. 17. and cap. 15. 13 wherefore it cannot be admitted euen in this respect Lastly if this assertion were once admitted it would make true and sauing grace to be but a meere morrall perswasion and not a worke of the holy Ghost a thing that was meerely subiect to our owne wills it would destroy the kingdome of grace within vs and make vs Kings and Lords ouer grace whereas grace hath a kingdome and dominion ouer vs. If a man had liberty to cast off grace at his pleasure then grace should haue no power no kingdome or dominion ouer him then the kingdome of grace and the kingdome of Iesus Christ in the hearts of his Saints should be but a meere fiction and a fabulous conceite whereas the Scriptures do informe vs to the contrary almost in euery page If wee may cast of the yoke of Iesus Christ if we may cast of grace at our pleasures where then is the kingdome of Christ and the kingdome of grace that is within vs An earthly Prince who hath but a kingdome ouer the bodies of his subiects is able for to keepe them from rebellion and from casting of his yoake at their pleasure Christ Iesus grace they haue not only a kingdome ouer vs but a kingdome in vs to and that not ouer our bodies but ouer our soules and bodies ouer the whole man and the whole foule and therefore wee cannot but be subiect to them and wee haue no power for to cast them off Grace it captiuates the whole soule the whole man it brings euery thought into subiection vnto
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
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
the Scriptures and if thou wilt but weigh them with a iudicious and impartiall eye thou shalt finde them so disioynted so incongruous so indigestlie so idle and absurd so full of inconsequies and grosse Nonsequiturs so palpably miscollected and incongruously wrested and extorted from the places which are cited for to warrant them that thou canst not choose but wonder at the injudiciousnesse and weaknesse of such as doe produce them For mine owne part I wonder how any that make a vaunt or shew of judgement wit or learning can be so strangely besotted and so much ouer-seene as to build a point of faith and doctrine vpon such slender and injuditious collections and grounds as these and to oppose a manifest and vndeniable truth with these weake childish absurd incongruous injudicious and ridiculous arguments and collections which children and schoole-boyes would blush to vrge Certainly if it were not that some of this sect haue a name of learning wit and judgement in the world I should thinke them very illiterate and simple very childish sottish and injudicious to produce such strange collections arguments and conceits as these against so euident and cleere a truth But what shall I say God himselfe hath besoâ—…ted them with these vaine delusions hee hath giuen them ouer to a reprobate and iniuditious sence to beleeue those lies and fancies of their owne because they would not receiue the loue of the truth and submit their wills and judgements to his word and hence it is that they are not ashamed to broach these vaine conceites these false collections and injuditious if not absurd and ridiculous arguments which they themselues would scoffe at deride and vtterly disclaime if they were in their right sences and had not their faces steeled with impudencie and boldnesse I mention this but as an Item on the by I now proceed to the insuing arguments The twentyfourth argument which may be produced against mee is that which is the very ground the very head roote and fountaine of this damnable and pernitious Error of the finall and totall Apostacie of the Saints and it is onely this A true regenerate Saint of God may commit a grosse and vnknowne sinne and dye before hee hath particularly repented of it Therefore he may fall away both finally and totally from the state of grace For answer to this grand and vnanswerable objection as our Antagonists repute it I shall deny the argument for the inconsequencie of it Now that this argument followes not it is euident by these insuing reasons First because it requires a particular and actuall repentance after euery knowen and grosse sinne that a true member of Christ commits as absolutely necessary to saluation which if I should admit it would necessarily follow that no man could bee saued First because that there is no man whatsoeuer that can particularly repent of all those particular and mortall sins which he hath committed from time to time Secondly because the most righteous men in the world doe no doubt commit some actuall and deadly sin or other in thought word and deed betweene the last minute instant of their death and their last actuall repentance of which sins they haue no time and space particularly to repent if therefore an actuall repentance were absolutely required after euery particular act of sinne that a child of God commitâ—… it would bee then impossible for any to bee saued a desperate and dismall consequent which would make the very stoutest of our Antagonists to quake and tremble if it were admitted to bee true as they pretend it for to bee Secondly this argument followes not because it would either bring in that Popish distinction of veniall and mortall sinnes when à s the least sinnes that any man can commit as idle words and thoughts are mortall and deadly in their owne proper nature as appeares by Deut. 27. 26. Ier. 17 9. Ezech. 18. 20. Math. 5. 28. cap. 12. 37 38. Acts 8. 22. Gal. 3. 10. and Ephes. 5. 3 7. Or else it would make euery sinne yea the very least sinne that a regenerate man commits to seuer and cut him off from Christ and to cast him downe from the state of grace For if any mortall sinne whatsoeuer may cut a man off from Christ and cast him downe from the state of grace as you affirme it may why then should not euery sinne doe it as well as any sinne Euery sin is alike mortall in it felfe and in its owne nature and therefore euery sinne as well ac any sinne should cut a man off from Christ and cast him downe from the state of grace That which makes any sinne to cut a man off from Christ is onely this that it is a mortall sinne now euery sinne is a like mortall in its owne essence and nature therefore euery sinne should cut a man off from Christ as well as any sinne where there is the same cause there must needes be the same effect Now you your selues doe grant that euery sinne which a Saint of God commits doth not seuer and cut him off from Christ and if it were not so in were impossible for any to be ingrafted into Christ or to be saued for before he could repent him of one sinne he would still commit another which would hinder his inscition into Christ and his inuesting into the state of grace his sinnes would come so fast and thicke vpon him that hee could neuer be ingrafted into Christ againe and so he could not be saued If therefore any deadly sinne that a Saint commits doth not seuer him from Christ and cast him downe from the state of grace then no sinne at all can doe it because all sinnes are alike mortall in their owne nature and so your argument doth not follow Thirdly this argument followes not because it would make the sinnes of regenerate men vtterly to abolish and roote out that immortall seede of grace which is planted in their hearts make them liable to eternall condemnation which cannot be For Saint Iohn doth certifie vs in expresse words in the 1 Iohn 3. 9. that whosoeuer is borne of God doth not commit sinne for his feede remaineth in him neither can bee sinne bâ—…cause bee is borne of God that is hee cannot sin vnto death or to extirpate that seede of grace which is within him The seed of grace is an incorruptible and immortall seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. therefore no sinnes which the Saints of God commit can suffocate or quite extinguish it True it is that the sinnes of Gods children may crosse hinder and in part suppresse the acts and fruites the increase and growth of grace for a time but yet they cannot quell nor quite extirpate that habit and seed of grace which is within them they cannot make them not to bee the sons of God the members of Christ or the elect of God and therefore the argument followes not Fourthly the argument followes not because it would make repentance to be
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
But admit that this were the receiued opinion and doctrine of the Church of England that all infants are by their very baptisme truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ then Mr. Mountague you are in this Dilemma then you must grant this to be the doctrine of the Church of England that those who are truly regenerated may both totally and finally fall from grace which I haue proued to be false or else you must of necessitie grant that none who are baptized fall from grace which is contrary to your owne assertion or else you must needes grant that all such as are baptized are not regenerate which is contrary to that for which you do so much contend so that turne which way you will you are but in a maze and labyrinth and fettred in the gines of your owne argument Againe I would but demand this question of Maister Mountague whether this be an article of his Creedâ—… that all infants that are baptized are truly regenerated by the holy Ghost that they are partakers of eternall life and of Christs euerlasting kingdome as you say our Common prayer booke affirmes If you beleiue it not why then doe you presse it vpon vs or why do you not beleiue that which you say our Church beleiues If you beleiue it how then can your doctrine of a totall and finall fall from grace stand together with it if you beleiue that all infants that are baptized shall haue euerlasting life and be made partakers of Christs kingdome you must of necessity beleeue that they shall perseuere in grace vnto the end hee that beleeues that the end shall certainly be obtained must as certainly beleeue that the meanes which must obtaine this end shall be vsed to and therefore if you beleeue that all infants that are baptized shall haue euerlasting life and injoy Christ kingdome you must likewise beleeue that they shall perseuere and neuer fall from grace If you say that you do not absolutly beleeue that they shall haue euerlasting life and bee made partakers of Christs kingdome but only conditionally if they perseuere in the grace receiued in their baptisme I answer that if you doe absolutely beleeue that they are regenerated why doe you not as absolutely beleeue that they shall haue euerlasting life and be made partakers of Christs kingdome they are both recorded in the same tearmes they are knit together in one sentence one following vpon the necke of another they are both set downe as absolutely and positiuely as the other therefore you must beleeue all of them to be alike absolute and then you cannot beleeue that euer they should fall from grace for then they could not be made partakers of Christs kingdome and of euerlasting life or else you must make them all conditionall and beleeue that those infants which are baptized are regenerated if they perseuere in grace else that they are not regenerated by their baptisme which would falsifie this your proposition that all infants are truly regenerated by their baptisme which proposition as you see is no waies warranted by the Common prayer Booke or by the Church of England Lastly admit that all infants that are baptized are regenerated and that this were warranted by Gal. 3. 27. and by the doctrine of the Church of England vet I say that this argument followes not nor is not to the purpose for the question is not whether infants other men may fall totally or finally from that sacramentall grace which they receiue inbaptisme but whether vere fideles whether such as are truly regenerated ingrafted truly into Christ by a liuely faith may fall totally or finally from the state of grace of the state or iustifying faith Now sacramentall grace and regeneration is one thing and this state of true sauing grace and of justification by faith is another if we admit that infants once baptized haue a sacramentall grace within them which is nothing else but a freedome from the guilt of originall sinne yet no man I thinke can be so absurd as to say that they haue any habituall graces or any liuing and justifying faith within them for they want reason and vnderstanding to apply the word and promises of God and to vse these meanes which should beget these graces in them And therefore seeing that the grace which children and others receiue from baptisme is but sacramentall far different from the grace of which our controuersie and question is if wee grant the whole argument to be true yet it is nothing to the purpose And so much in answer to this twenty sixth argument in which I haue beene ouer tedious by reason that our Antagonists rely so much vpon it The twenty seuenth argument which may be objected against mee is from particular examples which may be reduced to three heads The first of Adam and the Angells the second of particular and whole Churches the third of particular and priuate Saints The first argument from Examples is drawne from Adam and the Angells Adam and the Angells who were of an higher alloy then any regenerate Saints of God now are they fell from the state of grace the one totally the other finally Therefore the true regenerate Saints of God whose grace are inferiour vnto theirs may fall totally and finally from grace as well as they I answer that the Argument followes not because there is a great difference betweene the graces which the regenerate Saints of God injoy and that grace which Adam and the Angels had For first that grace which Adam and the Angels had it was in their owne possession and custodie they themselues were the gardians and keepers of it But that grace which the regenerate Saints of God doe now injoy it is not in their owne keeping they themselues are not the gardians and preseruers of it but it is God himselfe who keepes it and preserues it in them by his power This is euident by the 2 Tim. 1. 14. That good thing that was committed to thee keepe by the holy Ghost which dwelleth in vs the holy Ghost himselfe who begins doth likewise gard and keepe the graces of the Saints So in the 1 Pet. 1. 5. who are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation the power of God it doth not onely keepe the Saints vnto saluation but it preserues and keepes their faith to So in the 1 Tim. 1. 12. I know-whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed to him against that day The faith of the Saints it doth not stand in the wisdome and custodie of men but in the power of God 1 Cor 2. 5. Ephes. 1. 19 20. and cap. 3. 20. and the Saints of God they doe not preserue and keepe their graces or themselues but their graces and their persons are garded preserued and protected by God himselfe by Father Son and holy Ghost and that continually as you may reade Psal. 4. 8. Psal. 12.
Lord so now I will maintaine it against our Autagonists that the onely meanes to make men diligent and carefull in Gods seruice is the assurance of their totall and finall perseuerance in the state of grace This is cuident by that speach of Dauid Psal 27. 13. I had fainted vnlesse I had belâ—…eued to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing If Dauid had not beene sure of saluation and of his totall and finall perseuerance in the state of grace he had then fainted and vtterly giuen ouer the worke and seruice of the Lord but the assurance of his finall and constant perseuerance and of Gods mercie to him was the onely thing to strengthen quicken and rouse him vp againe That which made Paul to suffer so much for the Gospell and not to be ashamed of it was this that hee knew whom hee had beleeued and that bee was perswaded that he was able to keepe that which bee had committed to him against that day 2 Tim. 1. 12. Yea the same Paul informes vs that the onely thing which makes the Saints to labour that whether present or absent they may bee accepted of the Lord is this that they are confident of Gods loue and fauour to them and that they know that if their earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolued yet they haue a building of God not made with hands eternall in the heauens and therefore Paul in the 1 Cor. 15. 58. exhorts the Corinthians to bee stedfast vnmoueable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord euen from this very ground for as much as they knew that their labour was not in vaine in the Lord intimating thus much vnto vs that the onely meanes to make men abound in the worke of the Lord is to be assured that they shall perseuere in grace and that their workes shall be rewarded at the last Hence also is the ground of his other exhortation in the 2 Cor. 7. 1. Hauing therefore these promises Dearely beloued let vs cleanse our selues from all pollution of flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God The more assured men are of their continuance in the state of grace the more industrious are they for to perfect and increase their graces Hence is it that St. Iohn informes vs in the 1 Iohn 3. 2. 3. That euery man which bath this hope that when Christ Iesus shall appeare hee shall bee like to him and see him as he is is so farre from being idle in Gods seruice that hee purifieth himselfe euen as hee is pure Was it euer knowne that the certaintie and assurance of the end should make men slacke and sloathfull in vsing of the meanes Was there euer any Souldier that was sloathfull and vnwilling for to fight becanse he was sure for to winne the field Was there euer any Husband-man that was slacke in tilling of his ground because he was sure for to reape the croppe Was there euer any Merchant who was vnwilling for to traffique because he was sure of a safe returne Or was there euer any true regenerate Saint of God on earth that grew idle lazie and secure because he was sure not to fall srom grace Who more certaine and sure of perseuerance in the state of Grace then Paul and yet none so painefull none so laborious and industrious in the worke of God as hee Neuer was it heard as yet of any childe of God that grew secure negligent and sloathfull in Gods seruice beâ—… cause he could not fall from grace the assurance of consâ—…ant and finall perseuerance hath alwayes made the Saints industrious neuer idle and secure and therefore this second pretence and inconuenience which our Opposites obiect is vaine falfe and idle and sauours only of fleshly and carnall reason not of heauenly and spirituall The third and last pretended inconuenience of this our assertion is that it would make men proud and arrogant I answer that you are much mistaken True it is that this our assertion doth comfort and reioyce the hearts and soules of the Saints it breeds in them an holy magnanimitie which causeth them to scorne and contemne the world and all things in it as base and worthlesse and not worth the seeking it makes their mindes more high heauenly and generous in respect of worldly things then euer they were before but yet it cannot make them proud and arrogant for diuers reasons First because the more a Christian is assured of Gods loue and fauour in Iesus Christ and of his totall and finall perseuerance in the state of grace the nearer doth hee alwaies draw to God and therefore the more is hee humbled and abased in his soule The nearer any Christian drawes to God and the more and greater fauours hee receiued from him the more he seeth his owne vilenesse and emptinesse the lesse is hee alwaies in his owne opinion and the more is hoâ—… confounded and abased in himselfe this is euident by the example of Dauid 2 Sam. 7. 18. to 23. of Iob Iob. 42. 5 6. and of the Prophet Isaiah Isaiah 6. 1. to 6. who were neuer so much humbled abased and confounded in themselues as when they saw the Lord in his glory and considered the greatnesse of his mercy to them Therefore this our assertion can neuer make men proud and arrogant as you surmise because you neuer felt the working of grace and of Gods mercies on your hearts Secondly it cannot make men proud and arrogant because grace is alwaies of an emptying nature it alwaies emptieth vs of our selues and makes vs alwaies to ascribe the praise and glory of our perseuerance vnto God who workes it in vs and for vs and that out of his meere grace and mercy to vs without any deâ—…ert of ours Lastly the Saints of God though they are sure that they shall neuer fall from grace yet they dare not to exalt themselues they dare not swell and puffe themselues with pride for feare the Lord should send a messenger of Satan for to buffet them as he did to Paul 2 Cor. 12. 7. they know and are assured that God doth alwaies resist the proud and giues grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5. 5. and therefore though they cannot fall from grace yet they dare not swell themselues with pride least God should humble them and cast them downe You see now that all these pretended inconueniences are but friuilous false and idle that this our present assertion doth neither make the Saints of God presumptuous to commit sinne nor idle and slouthfull in Gods seruice nor yet proud and arrogant in themselues What then though wicked men which haue no grace within them abuse this sweete and comfortable assertion as the Valentinians Anabaptists did is it not therefore true becausâ—… that they and not the Saints abuse it Will you say the Scripture is not true but false because some wrest it to their owne confusion or will you say that Gods mercy