to be read in Churches in the time of the late Queene ELIZABETH of famous memory And since thought fit to be reprinted by Authoritie from the KINGS most Excellent Maiestie SAint Paul in many places painteth vs out in our colours calling vs the children of the wrath of God when we be borne saying also that we cannot thinke a good thought of our selues much lesse can we say well or doe well of our selues c. Our Sauiour Christ saith There is none good but GOD and that wee can doe nothing that is good without him nor no man can come to the Father but by him c. For of our selues we are crabtrees that can bring foorth no Apples We bee of our selues of such earth as can bring foorth but weedes nettles brambles briers cockle and darnell Wee haue neither Faith Charitie Hope Patience Chastitie nor any thing else that good is but of God and therefore these vertues bee called there the fruites of the holy Ghost and not the fruites of man Let vs therefore acknowledge our selues before God as wee bee indeede miserable and wretched sinners Of our selues and by our selues wee haue no goodnesse helpe nor saluation but contrariwise sinne damnation and death euerlasting which if we deepely weigh and consider wee shall the better vnderstand the great mercy of God and how our saluation commeth onely by Christ. Wee are all become vncleane but wee all are not able to cleanse our selues nor to make one another of vs cleane Wee are by nature the Children of Gods wrath but wee are not able to make our selues the children and inheritors of Gods glory Wee are sheepe that runne astray but wee cannot of our owne power come againe to the sheepefold so great is our imperfection and weakenesse In our selues therefore may wee not glory which of our selues are nothing but sinnefull To GOD therefore must wee flee or else shall we neuer finde peace rest and quietnesse of Conscience in our hearts For he is the Father of mercies and God of all consolation Hee is the Lord with whom is plenteous redemption He is the God who of his owne mercy saueth vs and setteth out his charitie and exceeding loue towards vs in that of his owne voluntary goodnesse when we were perished he saued vs and prouided an euerlasting Kingdome for vs. And all these heauenly treasures are giuen vs not for our owne deserts merits or good deedes which of our selues wee haue none but of his meere mercy freely He is the high and euerlasting Priest which hath offered himselfe once for all vpon the altar of the Crosse and with that one oblation hath made perfect for euermore them that are sanctified Hee is the alone mediatour betweene GOD and man which paid our ransome to GOD with his owne blood and with that hath hee cleansed vs all from sinne He is the Physitian which healeth all our diseases Hee is that Sauiour which saueth his people from all their sinnes he is that flowing and most plenteous fountaine of whose fulnesse all we haue receiued A Sermon of the saluation of mankinde by onely Christ our Sauiour from sinne and death euerlasting All the world being wrapped in sinne by breaking of the Law GOD sent his onely sonne our Sauiour Christ into this world to fulfill the Law for vs and by shedding of his most precious blood to make a sacrifice and satisfaction or as it may bee called amends to his Father for our sinnes to asswage his wrath and indignation conceiued against vs for the same But our iustification doeth come freely by the meere mercy of GOD and of so great and free mercy that whereas all the world was not able of their selues to pay any part towards their ransome it pleased our heauenly Father of his infinite mercy without any our desert or deseruing to prepare for vs the most precious iewels of Christs body and blood whereby our ransome might be fully paid the law fulfilled and his iustice fully satisfied So that Christ is now the righteousnesse of all them that truely doe beleeue in him Hee for them paid their ransome by his death Hee for them fulfilled the Law in his life So that now in him and by him euery true Christian man may be called a fulfiller of the Law forasmuch as that which their infirmity lacked Christs iustice hath supplied For the very sure and liuely Christian faith is not onely to beleeue all things of GOD which are contained in holy Scripture but also is an earnest trust and confidence in God that hee doeth regard vs and that hee is carefull ouer vs as the Father is ouer the Childe whom hee doeth loue and that hee will be mercifull vnto vs for his onely sonnes sake and that wee haue our Sauiour Christ our perpetuall aduocate and Priest in whose onely merits oblation and suffering we doe trust that our offences bee continually washed and purged whensoeuer wee repenting truely doe returne to him with our whole heart stedfastly determining with our selues through his grace to obey and serue him in keeping his Commandements and neuer turne backe againe to sinne Such is the true faith that the Scripture doeth so much commend the which when it seeth and conâ—idereth what GOD hath done for vs is also mooued through continuall assistance of the Spirit of GOD to serue and please him to keepe his fauour to feare his displeasure to continue his obedient children shewing thankefulnesse againe by obseruiâ—g or keeping his commandements and that freely for true loue chiefly and not for dread of punishment or loue of temporall reward considering how clearely without deseruings wee haue receiued his mercy and pardon freely For as the holy Ghost doeth teach vs to trust in GOD and to call vpon him as our Father so did hee teach them to say as it is written Thou Lord art our Father and Redeemer and thy Name is without beginning and euerlasting GOD gaue them then grace to bee his children as he doth vs now It is euident that the true liuely and Christian faith is no dead vaine or vnfruitful thing but thing of a perfect vertue of wonderful operation or working and strength bringing forth al good motions and good workes Of faith he saith Hee that beleeueth in the Son hath euerlasting life but he that beleeueth not in the Son shall not see that life but the wrath of GOD remaineth vpon him And the same hee confirmeth with a double othe saying Verily verily I say vnto you Hee that beleeueth in me hath euerlasting life Now forasmuch as hee that beleeueth in Christ hath euerlasting life it must needes consequently follow that he that hath this faith must haue also good workes and bee studious to obserue Gods commandements obediently For to them that haue euill workes and leade their life in disobedience and transgression
difference between the cause and the effect The first principall and most proper cause of our Iustification and Saluation is the goodnesse and loue of God whereby he chose vs for his before he made the world After that God granteth vs to bee called by the Preaching of the Gospell of Iesus Christ when the spirit of the Lord is powred into vs by whose garding and gouernance wee bee led to settle our trust in God and hope for the performance of his promise With this choyce is ioyned as companion the mortifying of the olde man that is of our affection and last From the same spirit also commeth our Sanctification the loue of God and of our neighbour iustice and vprightnesse of life Finally to say all in summe Whateuer is in vs or may be done of vs honest pure true and good that altogether springeth out of this most pleasant Rocke from this most plentifull Fountaine the goodnesse loue choise and vnchangeable purpose of God he is the cause the rest are the fruits and effects Yet are also the goodnesse choise and spirit of God and Christ himselfe causes conioyned and coupled each with other which may bee reckoned among the principall causes of saluation As oft therefore as we vse to say that wee are made righteous and saued by saith onely it is meant thereby that faith or rather trust alone doth lay hand vpon vnderstand and perceiue our righteous making to bee giuen vs of God freely that is to say by no deserts of our own but by the free grace of the Almighty Father Moreouer Faith doth ingender in vs loue of our neighbour and such workes as God is pleased withall For if it bee a liuely and true faith quickned by the holy Ghost shee is the mother of all good saying and doing By this short tale it is euident whence and by what meanes wee attaine to bee righteous For not by the worthinesse of our deseruings were wee either heretofore chosen or long agoe saued but by the onely mercy of God and pure grace of Christ our Lord whereby we were in him made to doe these good workes that God had appointed for vs to walke in And although good workes cannot deserue to make vs righteous before God yet doe they so cleane vnto Faith that neither Faith can be found without them nor good Workes bee any where found without Faith And Fol. 68. Immortality and blessed life God hath prouided for his chosen before the foundations of the World were laid This Catechisme was published by King Edward the 6. his Authority in the yeere 1553. being the next yeere after the composure and publishing of the Articles of our Church which were first of all concluded vpon in the yeare 1552. being onely reuiâ—ed not framed or new composed in the yeare 1562. From whence I collect that this Catechisme is fully agreable to the true sence and meaning of our Articles and may well bee taken as a Comment or Explanation on our 16. and 17. Articles so that whatsoeuer is affirmed in this Catechisme is likewise affirmed by those Articles And if so then it is more then euident that our Articles doe point-blanke oppugne the Arminian mutabilitie of Predestination Election from Faith or Workes or any thing else foreseene in vs Free-will and vniuersall or sufficient grace the totall and finall resisting of the worke of grace and Apostasie from the state of grace together with the truth of grace in reprobates or castawayes all which are euidently refuted and condemned by this Catechisme as the figured passages will demonstrate Certaine questions and answeres touching the doctrine of Predestination Printed by ROBERT BARKER Anno 1607. and bound vp and sold with our English Bibles Question WHy doe men so much vary in matters of Religion Answere Because all haue not the like measure of knowledge neither doe all beleeue the Gospell of Christ. Qu. What is the reason thereof An. Because they only beleeue the Gospel and doctrine of Christ which are ordained vnto eternall life Qu. Are not all ordained to eternall life An. Some are vessels of wrath ordained vnto destruction as others are vessels of mercy prepared to glory Qu. How standeth it with Gods Iustice that some are appointed to damnation An. Very wel because all men haue in themselues sinne which deserueth no lesse and therfore the mercy of God is wonderfull in that he vouchsafeth to saue some of that sinnefull race and to bring them to the knowledge of the truth Qu. If Gods ordinance and determination must of necessitie take effect then what neede any man to care for hee that liueth well must needs be damned if hee be thereunto ordained and he that liueth ill must needes bee saued if hee bee thereunto appointed Ans. Not so for it is not possible that either the elect should alwaies be without care to do wel or that the reprobate should haue any will thereunto For to haue either good will or good worke is a testimony of the Spirit of God which is giuen to the Elect onely whereby faith is so wrought in them that being graft into Christ they grow in holinesse to that glory whereunto they are appointed Neither are they so vaine as once to thinke that they may doe as they list themselues because they are predestinate vnto saluation but rather they endeauour to walke in such good workes as God in Christ Iesus hath ordained them vnto and prepared for them to be occupied in to their owne comfort stay and assurance and to his glory Qu. But how shall I knowe my selfe to bee one of those whom God hath ordained to life aeternall Ans. By the motions of spirituall life which belongeth onely to the children of God by the which that life is perceiued euen as the life of this body is discerned by the sense and motions thereof Qu. What meane you by the motions of spirituall life Ans. I meane remorse of conscience ioyned with the loathing of sinne and loue of righteousnesse the hand of Faith reaching vnto life eternall in Christ the Conscience comforted in distresse and raised vp to confidence in God by the worke of his Spirit a thankefull remembrance of Gods benefits receiued and the vsing of all aduersities as occasion of amendment sent from GOD. Qu. Cannot such perish as at some time or other feele these motions within themselues Ans. It is not possible that they should for as Gods purpose is not changeable so hee repenteth not of the gifts and graces of his adoption neither doeth hee cast off those whom he hath once receiued Qu. Why then should we pray by the example of Dauid that he cast vs not from his Face and that he take not his holy Spirit from vs Ans. In so praying wee make protestation of the weakenesse of flesh which mooueth vs to doubt yet should not wee haue courage to aske if we were not assured that God
stone and setting a watch for feare lest his Disciples should come by night and steale him away and say that hee was risen What these vile miscreants vainely did in Antichristian doe you Right noble Christians in true Christian Policie Pelagius with his late-born brat Arminius hath beene oft times buried by sundry Ancient some Moderne Councels and Fathers of the Church but yet they haue alwaies risen from the dead againe to the great disquiet of all true Christian Churches If then you chance to crucifie them once againe as now wee hope wee pray you may for feare their life proue all our deathes they being the Archest Traitors to our Church our State our soules and sauing Grace you must not only see them intombed for the present though it be in graues of stone but likewise watch and seale their Sepulchres making them sure for all succeding Ages by some inexorable strict and vigilant Acts of Parliament which no Charme no Wile no Force or Policie may euade Else their Disciples will come by night againe as they haue oft times done and steale them quite away and not onely say but to our great disturbance prooue that they are once more risen from the dead So shall their last resurrection be farre worse our second danger your latter Error farre greater then the first which God forbid Now the GOD of grace and wisdome so ayde direct and guide your Honours with his Spirit in this great weighty Worke which needes an heauenly power to accomplish it that wee to our vnutterable ioy and comfort may now at last behold our drooping and declining Orthodox Religion the onely Center Pillar Bulwarke Garrison Honour Treasure and conseruer of our declining State which ebbes and flowes together with it reuiued aduanced established and secured once againe against all Forraine all Domestique hostile Forces all Stratagemes that oppugne it and that all our eyes may see with triâ—mph all Popery all Olde all Newe Pelagianisme with all the grand Fomentors and Master-springs that feede them in despight of all their new-erected and much adored Altar-Idols arraigned at your dreadfull Barre condemned at your great Tribunall executed before your faces layd dead and prostrate at your feet interred in some brasen Dungeon yea sealed vp and strictly watched with such enuironing cautelous ir-repealable and adamantine Lawes as may so presse them downe for all eternitie that they may neuer raise themselues nor yet bee raised in our Church againe Amen Amen Your Honours in all humble seruice whiles you stand for Christ Religion Church or Countrey WILLIAM PRYNNE TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHERS IN GOD THE ARCH-BISHOPS and Bishops of the Church of ENGLAND RIGHT Reuerend Fathers in God in whose pious integrity and industrious vigilancie the chiefest safety in whose vnfaithfulnesse negligence or insollidity the greatest hazard the inevitablest danger of our Protestant Church and long professed religion are suspended I here most humbly tender vnto your fatherly and pious considerations an vninterrupted Antithesis of the Church of England from her very first reformation to this present against that most venemous Semi-pelagian heresie and those Arminian Novelties which haue of late invaded yea much endangered her ancient established and professed Doctrines which your Ecclesiasticall Dignities and frequent Subscriptions to the Articles Homilies Tenents of our Church engage you in a more speciall manner to protect It is not yea it cannot be vnknowne to your grauities that olde Pelagius and Faustus who haue lyen dead and rotten in their graues 1100 yeares or more haue by a kinde of Pythagorean Metempsy chosis revived in Arminius and his followers now of late as Origen Priscillian and Iouinian did in them and not onely spoken openly against the grace of God and doctrines of our Church which is miserable but even publikely preached and written against them in our Church without any Ecclesiasticall censure or controll which is farre worse It was the complaint of a Reuerend and learned Prelate of our Church about some ten yeares since in an Epistle Dedicatorie vnto his Maiesty then Prince of Wales That the stinking vapors of Arminius whose heresies hee there learnedly encounters had beene blowne ouer from the Belgique shores vpon our English coast and so infatuated some of our Diuines that leauing the beaten and approued path of faith they betooke themselues vnto the crooked wayes and praecipices of Arminius destroying the Articles of our Religion with their Tenents which they had formerly confirmed by their owne subscription What hee lamented and condoled then we haue much more cause to complaine of now when as these contagious vapours haue not onely dangerously infected many but likewise animated some Goliahs to bid professed defiance to the host of Israel in Arminius his quarrell and to take vp armes in his defence against the oft resolued and subscribed Doctrines of their Mother Church who hath enriched them with sundry fauours and yet alas Ab Ecclesia siquidem haereseos impugnator expellitur et nutriri in sinu Ecclesiae haereticus inuenitur the impugners of Arminius his Champions haue beene questioned and molested when as they were neuer hitherto once publikely conuented by any Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction for these their dangerous Innouations When these Arminian Errours were first broached by Barret and Baro in Queene Elizabeths happy Raigne the zeale of our Reverend Prelates and Vniuersity heads was such that they forthwith proceeded iudicially against them not suffering them to rest or harbour in our Church But alas the cowardice indulgency and luke warmnesse of our age is such that those who haue succeeded them in their Episcopall Dignities not their zeale some few only excepted whose paucity indears theÌ„ more to God to man and adds vnto their praise haue scarce so much as once opened their mouths in publike against those Arminian theeues and robbers who by their secret pollicies and publike writings haue lately preyed vpon the sheepe and Doctrines of our Church But now since our religious Soueraine hath publikely professed in his late Declaration to all his louing Subiects to maintaine the true Religion and doctrine established in the Church of England of which the Anti Arminian Tenents comprised in this Antithesis are the chiefest branch without admitting or conniuing at any backsliding either to Popery or Scisme and hath called God to record that he will never giue way to the authorizing of any thing whereby any innovation may steale or creep into the Church but preserue that vnity of Doctrine and Discipline established in the time of Queen Elizabeth In whose Raigne Arminianisme was particularly exiled â—ndour Anti-Arminian Assertions settled in our Church whereby our Church of England hath stood and flourished ever since Since King Edward the 6. Queene Elizabeth and King Iames of blessed memory an implacable professed Antagonist to Arminianisme to Arminians to his dying day with all our learned Prelates Divinity
hands O therefore rouse vp your selues with speed and stand vpon your watch your guard for our security close not your eyes holde not your peace lay not downe your armes day nor night imitate Nehemiah his workmen build vp the walls of our spirituall Ierusalem with one hand and holde a weapon alwayes in the other hand to keepe off Samballat and Tobiah those Arrabians Ammonites and Ashdodites those Iesuites Papists and Arminians who haue conspired together to â—ight against our blessed Ierusalem to breake downe her walls and lay her waste as they haue done her bordering Churches Else that brand of holy Bernard will iustly seize vpon you Parum est nostris vigilibus quod non seruant nos nisi et perdant and then woe be to you saith the Lord your God whose woe none can stand vnder You are the Lights the Eyes the Seers yea Ouerseers of our Church to see foresee her dangers discouer her increasing corruptions detect her wily Adversaries with all their over-reaching vndermining Pollicies inlighten her intire body direct her in the way of truth of life of peace and keepe her safe from falls and stumbles If you then through ignorance wilfulnesse heresie treacherie flatterie feare earthlinesse or any other workes of darknesse lose your light your eyesight If you become either darke Lanthornes which can yeeld no light or starkblinde purblinde squinteyed Seers which either can or will not see or oversee at all or very little or quite awry ouerthwart the sacred word of truth and Doctrines of our Church Or if you proue such Pontificall haughty Lordly or domineering Ouerseers as contemptuously to disdaine over-looke or tyrannically to insult or trample vpon your fellow-brethren and the Lords inheritance a sinne of which the Fathers and some others of more punie dayes haue much complained as being incident to divers Prelates of their times who were more zealous to maintaine the outward pompe and state then to discharge the Pastorall charge and duty of their Episcopall function exalting themselues aboue their brethren as if they were kneeded out of some better clay then they as if they were installed Bishops for no other purpose butto renounce humility and meeknesse whose dangerous examples be it farre from any of your Lordships now to imitate who haue not so learned Christ as these haue done If you oversee our Church your stockes either principalâ—y or solely for filthy lucre not of a ready minde seeking not them but theirs contrary to St. Paules protestation to the Corinthians that he sought not theirs but them for the children ought not to lay vp for the parents but the parents for the children Or if you commonly reside so farre remote so distant from your Bishopricks for your ease your profit pleasure or preferment sake as that they are quite beyond the compasse of your ken your view much more your oversight a fault not tolerable in any Overseers as being diamitrally repugnant to their Office but most odious most insufferable in the Master Overseers of Christs most precious flock and mens most peerelesse soules Needes must our Church and we poore Lay-men being destitute of light of Eyes of Seers and vigilant Overseers become exceeding darke and blinde be liable to a world of dangers errors heresies falls and deviations Needes must we fall into a ditch of miserie and destruction at the last O therefore arise and shine forth before vs by humility by purity of life of doctrine as the lampes the splendor of our Church that so we from your light may receiue light and walke as children of the light See see rea foresee we beseech you as we trust you doe and will doe those hereticall precipices by-pathes snares and ditches which are likely to endanger misleade intrap vs if they are not prevented yea speedily removed by your providence and then leade direct our Church and vs in that good that olde that true that straite that narrow and perfect way of truth of peace of righteousnesse life and holinesse in which there is no error danger death or stumbling Remember you are all at least in name and reputation and I hope in truth the Bishops Seers and Overseers of our Church take heede therefore vnto your selues and to all the flocke over which the holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to â—eed the Church our Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne blood Civitas est vigilate ad custodiam concordiamque Sponsa est studete ornatui Oves sunt intendite pastui So shall our safety our happinesse and tranquility your glorie your reward your honour be exceeding great Lastly You are the chiefe Pastors and Shepheards of our Church to guard to rescue her from those wolues those theeues and robbers which seek for to devoure her to keep her from straying from the folde of Christ and sacred pastures of his word to feede her with the word and bread of life to sticke to her in all her dangers and distresses and if occasion serue to lay downe your liues for her securitie If any of you then which God forbid either you to act or vs to suspect should either degenerate into wolues or ioyne with wolues to teare and spoile her dearest stockes as Paul prophesied long since that some Elders of the Church of Ephesus should doe and as others since their times haue done in former ages If you should turne hirelings or faint-hearted Shepheards to flee away giue backe or hide your selues in times of tryall when you see the wolues and theeues approaching to assaile her and so leaue her openly exposed to their malice when as you should especially march before her taking vp spirituall armes and courage for her rescue If you suffer her to deviate from the folde of Christ and pastures of his word to stray vnto the broad the beaten rode of Poperie or by pathes of Arminianisme which lead vnto destruction not labouring to reduce her If you sheere her fleece and eate her milke as wee all confesse you may whiles you haue care to keepe to feede and cherish her and yet neglect to clothe to feede her with that heavenly word that spirituall daily bread of life which must nourish her vp vnto eternall life a thing of which Prosper and Gregory much complained in their ages If you retreat or fall off from her in times of neede and so proue her slaughter-men or wolfe-feeding not sheepeâ—preserving Pastors as some Fathers phrase it Needes must her sheepe and shee be scattered lost destroyed and made a common prey to all revenous beasts that will invade them or else exorbitate in their course to their iust perdition O therefore for the
or breaking of Gods commandements without repentanceâ— pertaineth not euerlasting life but euerlasting death Therefore let vs set our whole faith and trust in GOD and neither the world the deuill nor all the power of them shall preuaile against vs. Let vs by such vertues as ought to spring out of faith shew our election to be sure and stable as S. Peter teacheth Endeuour your selues to make your calling and election certaine by good workes If you feele and perceiue such a faith in you reioyce in it and be diligent to maintaine it and keepe it still in you let it bee daily increasing and more and more by well working and so shall you be sure that you shall please GOD by this faith and at the length as other faithfull men haue done before so shall you when his will is come to him and receiue the end and finall reward of your faith as S. Peter nameth it the saluation of our soules But euerlastingâ— thankes bee to Almighty GOD for euer there is neuer a one of all these causes no nor yet them altogether that can make a true Christian man afraid to die who is the very member of Christ the Temple of the holy Ghost the Sonne of God and the very inheritour of the euerlasting kingdome of heauen but plainely contrary he concieueth great and many causes vndoubtedly grounded vpon the infallible and euerlasting trueth of the word of GOD which mooueth him not onely to put away the feare of bodily death but also for the manifold benefits and singular commodities which ensue vnto euery faithfull person by reason of the same to wish desire and long heartily for it For death shall bee to him no death at all but a very deliuerance from death from all paines cares and sorrowes miseries and wretchednesse of this world and the very entry into rest Why then shall wee fâ—ere to die considering the manifold and comfortable promises of the Gospel and of holy Scriptures GOD the Father hath giuen vs euerlasting life saith S. Iohn and this life is in his Sonne Hee that hath Sonne hath life and he that hath not the Sonne hath not life And this I write saith S. Iohn to you that beleeue in the Name of the Sonne of GOD that you may know that you haue euerlasting life and that you doe beleeue vpon the Name of the Sonne of GOD. And our Sauiour Christ saith Hee that beleeueth in me hath life euerlasting and I will raise him from death to life at the last day All those therefore haue great cause to bee full of ioy that bee ioyned to Christ with true Faith stedfast Hope and perfect Charitie and not to feare death nor euerlasting damnation For death cannot depriue them of Iesus Christ nor any sinne can condemne them that are graffed surely in him which is their onely ioy treasure and life Let vs repent our sinnes amend our liues trust in his mercy and satisfaction and death can neither take him from vs nor vs from him For it is of the free grace and mercy of GOD by the mediation of the blood of his Sonne Iesus Christ without merite or deseruing on our part that our sinnes are forgiuen vs that we are reconciled and brought againe into his fauour and are made heires of his heauenly kingdome Grace saith S. Augustine belonging to GOD who doth call vs and then hath he good workes whosoeuer receiued grace Good workes then bring not foorth grace but are brought foorth by grace The wheele saith he turneth round not to the end that it may be made round but because it is first made round therefore it turneth round So no man doth good works to receiue grace by his good workes but because heâ— hath first receiued grace therefore consequently he doth good workes For the Scripture doeth acknowledge but two places after this life The one proper to the elect and blessed of GOD the other to the reprobate and damned soules The onely Purgatory wherein wee must trust to be saued is the death and blood of Christ which if wee apprehend with a true and stedfast faith it purgeth and cleanseth vs from all our sinnes euen as well as if hee were now hanging vpon the Crosse. The blood of Christ saith Saint Iohn hath cleansed vs from all sinne The blood of Christ saith Saint Paul hath purged our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing GOD Also in another place hee saith Wee bee sanctified and made holy by the offering vp of the body of Iesus Christ done once for all Yea hee addeth more saying With the one oblation of his blessed body and precious blood he hath made perfect for euer and euer all them that are sanctified Noe in his drunkennesse offended GOD highly Lot lying with his daughters committed horrible incest Wee ought then to learne by them this profitable lesson that if so godly men as they were which otherwise felt inwarldly GOD sholy Spirit inflaming in their hearts with the feare and loue of GOD could not by their owne strength keepe themselues from committing horrible sinne but did so grieuously fall that without GODS great mercy they had perished euerlastingly How much more ought we then miserable wretches which haue no feeling of GOD within vs at all continually to feare not onely that wee may fall as they did but also be ouercome and drowned in sinne which they were not though through infirmity wâ—e chance at any time to fall yet wee may by hearty repentance and true faith speedily rise againe and not sleepe and continue in sinne as the wicked doeth All men haue not faith This therefore shall not satisfie and content all mens mindes but as some are carnall so they will still continue and abuse the Scriptures carnally to their greater damnation The vnlâ—arned and vnstable saith Saint Peter peruert the holy Scriptures to their owne destruction Iesus Christ as S. Paul saith is to the Iewes an offence to the Gentiles foolishnesse But to Gods children aswell of the Iewes as of the Gentiles he is the power and wisedome of GOD. The holy man Simeon saith that hee is set foorth for the fall and rising againe of many in Israel As Christ Iesus is a fall to the reprobate which yet perish through their owne default so is his word yea the whole booke of GOD a cause of damnation vnto them through their incredulitie And as he is a rising vp to none other then those which are GODS children by adoption so is his word yea the whole Scripture the power of GOD to saluation to them onely that doe beleeue it Christ himselfe the Prophets before him the Apostles after him all the true Ministers of GODS holy word yea euery word in GODS Booke is vnto the reprobate the fauour of death vnto death Christ Iesus the Prophets the Apostles
will giue according to his purpose and promise that which we require Qu. Doe the Children of God feele the motions aforesaid alwayes alike Ans. No truely for God sometime to prooue his seemeth to leaue them in such sort that the flesh ouermatcheth the Spirit whereof ariseth trouble of conscience for the time yet the spirit of adoption is neuer taken from them that haue once receiued it else might they perish But as in many diseases of the body the powers of the bodily life are letted So in some assaults the motions of spirituall life are not perceiued because they lie hidden in our manifold infirmities as the fire couered with ashes Yet as after sickenesse commeth health and after cloudes the Sunne shiâ—eth cleare so the powers of spirituall life will more or lesse be felt and percieued in the children of God Qu. What if I neuer feele these motions in my selfe shall I despaire and thinke my selfe a castaway An. God forbid for God calleth his at what time he seeth good and the instruments whereby he vsually calleth haue not the like effect at all times yet is it not good to neglect the meanes whereby God hath determined to worke the Saluation of his For as waxe is not melted without heate nor clay hardened but by meanes thereof so God vseth meanes both to draw those vnto himselfe whom he hath appointed vnto Saluation and also to bewray the wickednesse of them whom hee iustly condemneth Qu. By what meanes vseth God to draw men to himselfe that they may be saued Ans. By the preaching of his word and the ministring of his Sacraments thereunto annexed c. These Questions and Answers concerning Predestination which are full and punctuall to our purpose were alwayes Printed at the ende of the olde Testament and bound vp and sold Cum Priuilegio with this Authorized Translation of the Bible till the yeare 1614. since which no Bibles of this sort were printed Wee may therefore vse it as a pregnant testimony and punctuall declaration of the Doctrine of our Church in the particular points of Controuersie hereafter mentioned The Synod of Dort held in the yeares of our Lord 1618. 1619. at Dort in the Netherlands I meane not to recite the seuerall Articles and Conclusions of this late famous Synod conuented by the pious care and prouidence of our late Soueraigne King Iames at which the eminentest Protestant Diuines of most Reformed Churches were assembled and among the rest siue selected English Diuines to wit Dr. Carlton late Bishop of Chichester Dr. Dauenat now Bishop of Salisbury Dr. Belcanquell Deane of Rochester Dr. Samuel Ward publike Diuinity Professor in the Vniversity of Cambridge and Doctor Thomas Goade who not onely as Priuate men but as representatiue persons of the Church of England subscribed the seuerall Articles and Conclusions there resolued witnesse Theologorum magnae Britanniae Sententia in the Acts of the Synod at large The little English Synod of Dort and Dr. Ward his Suffragium Britannorum to which I shall referre you with a bare quotation they being obuious to mens hands and tedious to transcribe A COPPYE OF A RECANTATION OF certaine Errors raked out of the dunghill of Poperie and Pelagianisme publiquely made by Master Barret of Kayes Colledge in Cambridge the tenth day of May in this present yeere of our Lord 1595. in the Vniuersitie Church called Saint Maries in Cambridge which Errors he together with Maister Haâ—rsnet of Penbrooke Hall did rashly hold and maintaine Translated â—ut of Latine into English Anno. 37. Elizabeth PReaching in Latine not long since in the Vniuersitie Church Right Worshipfull many things slipped from me both falsely and rashly spoken whereby I vnderstand the mindes of many haue beene grieued to the end therfore that I may satisfie the Church and the Truth which I haue publiquely hurt I doe make this publique Confession both repeating and reuoking my Errors First I said that no man in this transitorie World is so strongly vnderpropped at least by the certainetie of Faith that is vnlesse as I afterwards expounded it by Reuelation that hee ought to bee assured of his owne Saluation But now I protest before God and acknowledge in my Conscience that they which are iustified by Faith haue peace towards God that is haue reconciliation with God and doe stand in that Grace by Faith therefore that they ought to bee certaine and assured of their owne Saluation euen by the certaintie of Faith it selfe Secondly I affirmed that the Faith of Peter could not faile but that other mens Faith may for as I then said our Lord prayed not for the Faith of euery particular man But now being of a better and more sound Iudgement according to that which Christ teacheth in plaine words Iohn 17. 20. I pray not for these alone that is the Apostles but for them also which shall beleeue in me through their word I acknowledge that Christ did pray for the Faith of euery particular Beleeuer and that by the vertue of that Prayer of Christ euery true Beleeuer is so staied vp that his Faith cannot faile Thirdly touching perseuerance vnto the end I said that that certainetie concerning the time to come is proude forasmuch as it is in his owne nature contingent of what kind the perseuerance of euery man is neither did I affirme it to bee proud onely but to bee most wicked But now I freely protest that the true and iustifying Faith whereby the Faithfull are most neerely vnited vnto Christ is so firme as also for the time to come so certaine that it can neuer bee rooted vp out of the mindes of the Faithfull by any tentations of the Flesh the World or the Diuell himselfe So that hee which once hath this Faith shall euer haue it for by the benefit of that iustifying Faith Christ dwelleth in vs and wee in Christ therefore it cannot but be both increased Christ growing in vs daily as also preseuere vnto the end because God doeth giue constancy Fourthly I affirmed that there was no distinction in Faith but in the persons beleeuing In which I confesse that I did Erre Now I freely acknowledge that temporary Faith which as Bernard witnesseth is therefore fained because it is temporary is distinguished and differeth from that sauing Faith whereby sinners apprehending Christ are iustified before God for euer not in measure and degrees but in the very thing it selfe Moreouer I adde that Iames doth make mention of a dead Faith and Paul of a Faith that worketh by loue Fiftly I added that forgiuenesse of sinnes is an Article of Faith but not particular neither belonging to this man nor to that man that is as I expounded it that no true Faithfull man either can or ought certainely to beleeue that his sinnes are forgiuen But now I am of another minde and doe freely confesse that euery true Faithfull man is bound by this Article of Faith to wit I beleeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes certainely to beleeue that his owne
it is onely named in the English From this Recantation and the carriage of it it is cleerely euident That the Vniuersitie of Cambridge in those dayes did vndoubtedly beleeue and mainetaine the now Arminian Heresies of the finall and totall Apostasie of the Saints Of vncertainety of Saluation of Election from faith and Reprobation from sinne foreseene Of a personall not a reall difference betweene temporary and true sauing Faith the Points which Barret recanted to be not onely false and erronious but likewise manifestly repugnant to the Religion and Doctrine established and setled in the Church of England and to the 17. Article For so are the expresse words of the Order and Articles recorded in the Vniuersitie Register If they were thus euidently repugnant to them then I doubt not but they are so now at leastwise in all Cambridge mens repute who will not at leastwise should not so farre dishonor their renowned Mother as to degenerate from her ancient Orthodoxe and Dogmaticall Resolutions These are the more ancient publike Monuments and Euidences of our Church by which the subsequent Conclusions now in Issue must bee iudged The seuerall figures inserted into them and likewise placed in the Margent haue reference to the 7. Anti-Arminian Positions following the figure of 1 noting out such passages as punctually confirme the first the figure of 2 such clauses as euidently backe and proue the second of these Assertions and so euery figure successiuely answers to its proper Position If then all these Records which doe either Really containe or at leastwise euidently declare the ancient established and receiued Doctrine of the Church of England giue punctuall Euidence for these Conclusions oppugning the contrary Arminian Theses in terminis or substance as they doe this question will be then resolued and our succeeding Anti-Arminian Conclusions acknowledged the vndoubted Doctrines of our Church without any more debate Hauing thus at large recited the seuerall Grand-chartersâ— and more eminent Records and euidences which our Church affords for triall of this weightie cause I come now to apply them to the points in issue which I shall distinctely lay downe in this ensuing Antithesis Anti-Arminianisme THe Anti-Arminian orthodox Assertions now incontrouersie which I shall proue to be the ancient and vndoubted Doctrine of the Church of England contracte themselues into these 7. dogmaticall conclusions 1 That God from all eternity hath by his immutable purpose and Decree praedestinated vnto life not all but onely a selected number of particular men which can be neither augmented nor diminished commonly called the elect inuisible true Church of Christ others hath he eternally reprobated vnto death 2 That the only moâ—uing and efficient cause of Election and Praedestination vnto life is the meere good pleasure and grace of God not the coÌ„sideration of any â—ore-seene faith perseuerance good worâ—s good will good endeauours or any other quality or condition whatsoeuer in the persons elected 3 That though sinne be the only cause of damnation yet the sole and primarie cause of Reprobation or Non-election that is why God doth passe by this man rather then another why hee reiected Esau when he elected Iacob is the meere freewill and pleasure of God not the confideration or fore-sight of any actuall sin infidelity or finall impenitency in the persons reiected 4 That there is not any such Free-will or vniuersall or sufficient grace communicated vnto all men whereby they may repent beleeue or be saued if they wil themselues 5 That Christ Iesus died sufficiently for all men his death being of sufficient merit to redeeme saue them but primarily effectually for the Elect alone for whome alone hee hath actually and effectually obtained remission of sinnes and life aeternall 6 That the Elect doe alwayes constantly obey neither can they finally or totally resist the powerfull and effectuall call and working of Gods Spirit in the very act of their Conuersion neither is it in their owne power to conuert or not conuert themselues at that very time and instant when they are conuerted 7 That the Elect and truely regenerate who alone are iâ—â—ued with true iustifying and sauing faith doe constantly perseuere vnto the end and though they sometimes fall into grieuous sinnes yet they neuer fall finally nor totally from the habits seeds and state of grace Arminianisme THe whole erronious doctrine of Arminianisme which hath alwayes beene oppugned by the Church of England from the beginning of reformation to this present may be reduced to these 7. generall Propositions 1 That there is no absolute nor irreuocable but only a conditionaâ— and mutable Decree of Praedestination vnto life death and that not of particular persons but generally of all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers so that the number of the Elect and Reprobate is not so certaine but that it may be diminished or augmented 2 That the consideration and foresight of faith perseuerance good works and the right vse of grace receiued are praerequited conditions and efficient causes of Election or Praedestination vnto life not Gods free-grace and mercy onely without respect to these as to a cause 3 That the originall and proper cause of Reprobation that is of its Decree not of its execution is the consideration and foresight of infidelitie sin finall impenitency in the persons reiected not the meere Free-will and pleasure of God 4 That there is â—an vniuersal or sufficient grace deriued vpon all mâ—n since the fall of Adam by vertue of which they may repent beleeue and be saued if they will themselues 5 That Christ Iesus died alike primarily and effectually for all men whatsoeuer without any intent to saue any particular persons more then others be they reprobates or elect with a purpose to saue all men alike vpon condition of beleeuing which is suspended on their owne actuall power not on Christs actuall application of it to them by his Spirit 6 Thâ—t it is in the power of men either finally or totally to resist the inward call and effectuall working of Gods Spirit in their hearts in the very acte of their coÌ„uersion so that they may either withstand oâ— imbrace their conuersion at their pleasure 7 That true iustifying faith is neither a fruit of election nor yet proper vnto the Elect alone it being oft-times found in reprobates and that the very Elect by falling into sinne both may and doe fall finally and totally from the habits seeds and state of Grace These are the fundamentall and maine points of difference that are now in question and dispute among vs whether of these haue best right and title to the Church of England which of them are her anciently receiued approued established professed and vndoubted Doctrine is the onely issue that we are now to trie For the full and finall resolution of which grand yet doubtlesse Quaere I shall lay downe these three Conclusions which euery man must subscribe to First That