established doctrine of our Church is yet the doctrine of the Church and I am ready to recant In which words as Mr. Mountague hath vsed a pretty sleight to keepe off men from writing or speaking against him lest they should come within the compasse of these two hatefull names Puritan and Papist so he hath discouered himselfe egregiously vnto the world and that in these particulars First hee hath discouered himselfe to be a meere Roman Catholicke in heart what euer he professe in words in hauing his beliefe and faith not grounded on the word of God but on the Church Hee beleeues only as the Church beleeues and not otherwise let come what will the Churches faith shall still bee his If our Church will owne this doctrine of his then hee will defend it then hee will teach it if our Church will not owne it then hee will disclaime it and recant it not because that this his doctrine is in it selfe true or false but meerely because it is the doctrine of the Church Now for any man thus to tie and pinne his faith vpon the Church and vpon that only what is it but to bee a professed Romane Catholicke Secondly by these his words hee hath discouered himselfe to be but a meere temporizer a meere Proteus and Chamelion a meere Neuter and a man of all religions as time and place shall serue and so a man of no religion or grace at all Let the Church of England not owne this doctrine of a totall and finall fall from grace Mr. Mountague will forthwith disclaime it though hee himselfe hath affirmed it to bee the doctrine of the Scriptures Fathers and of the learnedest in the Church of England So that his Tenets and religion shall bee alwayes altered and changed with the times and seasons And will you my Brethren receiue this for a sound and orthodox truth and as the receiued doctrine of the Church of England when as Mr. Mountague himselfe is as ready to disclaime it as to owne it will you suspend and pinne your faith your judgement and religion vpon Mr. Mountagues sleeue whose religion is but a meere Weather-cocke that is altered and turned about with euery blast and change in Church or State and who hath yet no other positiue or resolued religion in him but only this to be of no religion or of any religion as the times shall serue O hazard hazard not your soules vpon such vncertainties but rather sticke and cleaue to such who will sooner loose their liues and all they haue then bee remoued from this present truth which none of our Antagonists will dare to doe in defence of these their Errors And now seeing I haue made it manifest vnto your soules and consciences by vndeniable proofes and testimonies against the forgeries of Mr. Mountague and his Abbettors that this assertion of the totall and finall perseuerance of the Saints is not only the positiue established and resolued doctrine of the Scriptures but likewise of the ancient Fathers of all the Protestant Churches beyond the Seas and of this our Mother Church of England ô then if you tender the glory honour and authority both of the God and word of truth which shall judge you at the laâ—…t if you reuerence and respect the authority of the ancient Fathers and of all the Churches of God or if you tender the peace the good and welsare of this your Mother Church be willing to submit and yeeld vnto the truth What if Mr. Monntague what if men of greater worth and place then hee oppugne and contradict this truth what if carnall men of great abilities and parts who are no more able to judge of this our present assertion then blinde men are of colours because it is a sensible and experimentall a spirituall and heauenly truth which is principally testified and reuealed to the soules of men by the inward operation of Gods Spirit and is not subject vnto carnall reason doe publish this as a sound and orthodox truth That the true regenerate Saints of God may Apostatize and fall both totally and finally from grace are not the Scriptures and the word of God are not the Fathâ—…rs and the Churches of God and thoâ—…e many godly learned and famous writers which I haue cited who haue farre transcended them euen in parts learning of better credit and repute with you then they If not then farwell all religion let Poperie and Arminianisme let herisie and Atheisme rule and sway the world But if the Scriptures if the Fathers if all the Churches of God and all those worthies which they haue produced haue any estimate or credit with you then striue contend and stirre no more in this our present controuersie nor yet in any other that depends vpon it but willingly subscribe to this most orthodox sound and comfortable assertion of ours which is the only proppe and pillar of a Christian soule and the only thing which makes men liue and die with joy and comfort which they haue all ratified and resolued with one vnanimous and joynt consent That those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuely faith can neither finally nor totally fall from grace AN ANSWER TO THE Arguments which may be objected HAuing thus as I suppose sufficiently and fully proued the truth of this position That those who are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a true and liuely faith can neither finally nor totally fall from grace By vnanswerable proofes and Arguments there is nothing now remaining but that I should giue a satisfactory answer to all such Arguments and texts of Scripture as either are or may be objected to the contrarie and then I doubt not but that this truth will bee so cleere and euident in the hearts and consciences of men that they shall neuer dare for to resist it or oppose it more Now that I may the better answer and cleere those Arguments which shal be obiected I would first of all intreate you to take speciall notice of two things which I shall propound vnto you which will take off all future objections that are made against me and giue a finall determination to the point in question The first thing I would wish you to obserue is this That there is no place or text of Scripture which doth either expressely positiuely or totidem verbis say or else by way of necessarie and vndeniable consequence proue That a true regenerate man and one that is truly ingrafted into Christ can either finally or totally fall from the state of grace but that all the Arguments which are objected from the Scriptures are nothing else but bare inferences and wrested Collections contrary to the true scope and meaning of the places There is not any of our Antagonists that can shew me any expresse absolute and positiue text of Scripture which doth either in expresse words or by way of necessary sound and ineuitable consequence confute this Doctrine of the
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
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
leade you to imbrace this error If you will but examine your owne hearts well you shall finde that the thing which leades you to imbrace this error is either the learning or the fame of some particular men that do defend it or else some secret hatred malice either to all or to some particular men that doe oppose it or else some felfe conceite and some high opinion which you do attribute to your owne conceites without any due examination of them by the word of God or else it is some desire of singularity or fame or the hope of gaine honour preferment one of these I may be bold to say is the cause that moues you to patronize this error and not the loue of God or of his truth Remember therefore that you are bought with a price that you should not be the seruants of men that the word of God is the rule of life and doctrine and not the word of men remember that if you are the sheepe of Christ you must heare his voice and his only you must not hearken to the voice of strangers let their learning or their parts bee what they will No men more apt to erre then those of greatest parts and learning especially when as their parts and persons are not sanctified The greatest schollers haue alwaies broached and propagated the greatest and the most dangerous errors Wherefore neuer pinne your faith to the fickle opinions of fraile and mortall men especiallly of such men in whose liues the practise and power of religion shines not forth but examine all things by the word of God and though an Angel from heauen much lesse a Diuell from hell or a carnall man from earth should bring any other doctrine to you then what you finde to be warranted and recorded there receiue him not but let him bee accursed Sure I am that this doctrine of the finall or totall Apostacie of the Saints hath no ground or footing for it in the word of God if you will but take the paines to search the Scriptures you shall finde it to bee so and therefore let not the opinion or fame of any particular man that doth patronize this error ouersway your judgments against the Scriptures the word of God And as for all other priuate by respects which may ingage you to adore this error remember that Gods glory and the loue of truth if not the good and welfare of the Church should ouer ballance and surpasse them all Better is it for to loose the world with all the fame the riches honours and preferments in it then to loose the Lord of truth and his euerlasting fauour to loose both soule and body at the last in hope of gaining honouror prefernâ—…ent now Wherefore lay aside all sinister by respects and consider how many great dangerous and pernitious consequencies will ineuitable follow vpon this doctrine of the finall and totall Apostacy of the Saints and then you cannot but disclaime it and detest it from your soules and euen fromyour hearts imbrace this orthodox and sound position which here I do defend 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 Hauing thus as I suppose so fully proued the truth of this position by arguments and reasons drawne from the Scriptures that no man can be able to gainsay it For further satisfaction in the point I will now produce some humane authorities for to proue it which authorities I shall reduce to these three generall heads First I will proue that this was the doctrine of the ancient Fathers of the Church 〈◊〉 that this was and is the doctrine of all Protestant Churâ—… beyond the Seas Thirdly that this was and is the doctrine of the Church of England For the first of these that this was the doctrine of the ancient Fathers of the Church I shall manyfâ—… it by their owne authorities which I will vouch in â—…atine as I finde them printed lest I should giue the opposites any occasion for to carpe at mee or wrong the authors or the reader in the translation especially since I cite these Fathers to satisfie the learned not the ignorant I will first begin with the auncient of the Fathers and so discend to these of latter times Dionysius Areopagita Dionysius Areopagita who liued in the Apoftles times and as himselfe records it in his 11. Epistle to Apollophanus the Philosopher was 25. yeares of age at the death of Christ though others doubt of it hath deliuered and recorded this very doctrine in his booke de diuinis nominibus cap. 7. His words are these Diuina fides est stabilis credentium sedes qua hos in veritate locat in ipsisque veritatem impersuasibili identitate certam simplicem veritatis notionem habentibus ijs qui crediderunt Nam profectò si scientia cognoscentium cognitorum coniunctrix est ignorantia verò mutationis semper ex se ignoranti suae diuisionis est author eum qui in veritate credit iuxta Scripturae fidem nihil remouebit à verae fidei autore in quo constantiam immobilis atque immutabilis identitatis habebit In the 8. chapter of the same booke about the end of the chapter he hath these words Verum enim profectò hanc salutem non praeter intentionem Scripturae sanctae vt bonitate cuncta saluantem qua sunt omnia ab suorum prolapsione bonorum redimentem praedicare meritò possumus quantum cuiusque saluâ—…ndorum admittet naturae Idciâ—…cò etiam redemptionem iam theologi nominant ex quo sinit quae verê sunt ad id caedere vt non sint Ex eo item quod et fi quid deliquerint ab ordine suo aberrauerint imminutionem aliquam perfectionis bonorum suorum passa fuerint Hac etiam parte à passione imbecillitate ac priuatione reddimit impleus quod deest paterno affectu infirmitatem supplens at que à 〈◊〉 â—…rigons imò in pulchro fistens quod effluxerat bonuÌ„ reparans ae disponens ordinis quod deest in illo atque positionis exornans integrumque perficiens ab omnibus absoluens 〈◊〉 atibus And a little before he hath these words Itaque vt verum dixerim hoc magis est diuinae iustitiae proprium nequaquam emollire atque enermare optimorum quorumcun que masculum sensum largitione carnalium neque si quis id conetur agere eas sine adiutorio linquere sed eos in praeclâ—…o inflexibilique statu solidare eisque cum sint huiusmodi secundum merita reddere So that by this most ancient Diuines opinion these that are truly faithfull can neuer fall quite away from grace Iustin Martyr Iustin Martyr who flourished in the yeare of Lord 163. and somewhat after concurreth in opinion with vs in his Explic. quaest à Gent. Christ. positarum quaest 23. For there
Crowes and Rauens loues 〈◊〉 better then any other sweet and wholsome flesh that hee preferres the Rhemists Arminians before all his brethren or his Mother Church that hee is quite apostatized and fallen from the doctrine of the Church of England I say not from the state of true and sauing grace for that I dare presume he neuer had as yet into the very miâ—…e of Poperie and Arminianisme thinking to verefie this his doctrine of a 〈◊〉 and finall fall from grace by his owne example for want of better proofes I hope therefore that seeing Mr. Mountague had this his exposition and collection from Bertius and the Rhemists that you will rather hearken and yeeld to the sound and orthodox exposition which the Church of England hath heretofore made of it and which Doctor Benefield Bishop Carlton Mr. Rouse Mr. Yates and Mr. Rogers haue made of it then vnto Mr. Mountague who labours only to corrupt but not to expound the 16. Article Hauing thus proued that the Articles of the Church of England are vtterly against a totall and finall fall from grace that the 16. Article makes rather for me then against me I come now to the third thing to proue that the Homilies of the Church of England and the Common prayer booke make not against me As for the homilies they make not against me For first Mr. Mountague himselfe who obiecteth them confesseth that the Homilies are not the dogmaticall confirmed resolutions of the Church of England that they haue no dogmaticall positions or doctrine in them to be propugned or subscribed in all and euery point as the bookes of Articles and Common prayer haue therefore by Mr. Mountagues owne confession admitting that the Homilies were cleare againg me yet they proue not that the dogmaticall resolution and the receiued setled and established position of the Church of England is against me to because the dogmaticall publike resolutions of the Church of England are not 〈◊〉 in the Homilies neither are they such positiue current diuinitie as to be subscribed in all and entry point if Mr. Monntague may be credited But now you may wonder well what should be the cause that Mr. Mountague should so magnifie our Homilies in one place as to stile them authentis alt and orthodox records containing the established positiue and publikely professed doctrine of the Church of England and in an other place to slight and vilifie them so much and to contradict that which hee had written of them before 〈◊〉 Surely there is a mysterie in it and some pretty trick of more then Presbyterian-Legerdemaine For you may know that where Mr. Mountague doth presse magnifie our Homilies they giue some seeming colour to the Popish and Arminian doctrine of a totall and finall fall from grace but where he vilifies vnderualues them there they crosse and oppose him in his Popery in speaking against Images and therefore here they must not be the positiue doctrine and the dogmaticall resolution of the Church or if they be so yet Mr. Mountague did not subscribe to them in this particular and so they containe not the dogmaticall resolutions of the Church of England in this particular case for want of his subscription So that in Mr. Mountagues judgement the Homilies established and confirmed by the Church of England so far as they make for Poperie and Arminianisme are the dogmaticall resolutions and the authenticall and orthodox records of the Church of England and thus far are they to be subscribed to but as far as they make against Poperie Arminianisme they are not authenticall they are not the dogmaticall and positiue resolutions of the Church of England and thus farre they are not to be subscribed Very good Mr. Mountague if an honest man should haue said as much as this I doubt mee hee should haue lost his liuings his eares yea and his life ere this and that deseruedly too you can say thus much which is no more in substance but this that the Church of England is a meere Popish and Arminian Church and yet scape scot free take heede you smart not for it ere be long And doe you not deserue to vndergoe the sharpest censure that your Mother if your Mother can inflict vpon youâ—… I dare auouch it that you doe and I will proue it to or else I will suffer in your steede For you confesse in your Appeale pag 260. that the Homilies containe in them godly and wholesome exhortations to honour and worship almightie God and you grant that they containe in them godly and wholesome doctrine necessary for these times and you cite the 33. Article for the 35. Article for to proue it which shewes that Mr. Mountague is but an Ignoramus in our Articles to which hee hath so oft subscribed and yet you say in the same place that they containe not in them the publike dogmaticall and confirmed resolution positions and doctrine of the Church of England neither are they to be subscribed in all and euery point I pray obserue this passage well and then judge what Mr. Mountague is and what hee doth deserue For first in these words he affirmes that the doctrines established confirmed by the Church of England and commanded to be diligently and distinctly read in our Churches by the Ministers by our 35. Article are not the publike and receiued doctrine of our Church which as it is a contradiction in it selfe and a vilification both of our Articles and Homilies so it is a great disparagement to our Church accusing her either of ignorance and dotage in not knowing what her doctrine is or of inconstancie in hauing no setled and positiue doctrine or at least of grand hypocrisie in commanding such doctrines to bee diligently and distinctly read as godly and wholesome and as her publike and receiued doctrine when as it is nothing so Secondly in these words Mr. Mountague affirmes that the Homilies of the Church of England established by authoritie are not sound and orthodox which is contrary to the 35 Article to which hee hath so often subscribed for which very thing many honester men then himselfe haue not onely bin silenced from preaching which penalty Mr. Mountague needs not vndergoe for he is to dumme already in that kinde but haue likewise beene depriued and quite stripped of all their spirituall liuings and promotions Thirdly in these words Mr. Montague judgeth the Church of England as it is the Church of England to bee but a wicked haereticall and atheisticall Church in as much as there are many godly wholesome and necessary doctrines which though they are in the Church of England yet they are not the receiued established and confirmed doctrines and resolutions of our Church Fourthly by these words Mr. Mountague makes the Church of England but an incompleate and imperfect Church a Church in which there is no life and power of religion a Church which is all for faith and speculation but not for life and
workes in as much as there are many godly practicall wholesome and necessary doctrines helping men to honour and worship almighty God which are not the receiued established and confirmed doctrines of our Church Fifthly in these words Mr. Mountague if you marke the end wherefore he speakes them to wit because they are to sharpe and to precise against Images affirmes that the Church of England doth gratifie the Church of Rome in points of Poperie indeauouring tò reconcile herselfe and to submit to her in things in which she hath formerly oppugned her These fiue things are necessarily implied and I feare me principally intended in these words and passage of Mr. Mountague touching our Homilies and their authoritie amongst vs what censure hee is worthy of for such words and passages as these I leaue to others I judge him not From the authoritie of our Homilies and Mr. Mountagues abusing of them I come to examine the words which hee obiected out of them against my present assertion His first obiection is from the title of the Homilie There is an Homilie saith he allowed and established in our Church intituled Of falling he addes away from God Therefore it is the receiued and established doctrine of the Church of England that true regenerate men may both totally and finally fall from grace Was there euer such a ridiculous and simple argument propounded by any learned man that had his wits and sences about him as if the doctrine of the Church of England were meerely titular depending on the very titles of bookes which as they are not alwaies sutable to the doctrine contained in them so are they neuer doctrinall positiue resolutions in themselues therefore Mr. Mountague if you had not a brazen forhead or a crazie braine you could not chuse but blush at this your agument From the title of the homilies I descend vnto the words the which you cite The words out of the first Homilie are these For where as God hath sâ—…ewed to all them that truly beleiue his Gospell his face of mercy in Christ Iesus which doth so inlighten their hearts that they if they behold it as they ought to doe which parenthesis you haue omitted be transformed to his image be partakers of the heauenly light and of his holy Spirit and be fashioned to him in all goodnesse requisite to the children of God so if they after doe neglect the same if they be vnthankefull vnto him if they order not their liues according to his example and Doctrine and to the setting forth of his glory he will take away from them his kingdome his holy word wherby he should reigne in them because they bring not forth the fruite thereof that he toâ—…kes for The words you cite out of the second Homilie are these The place of Esay 〈◊〉 before sheweth that God at length will so forsake his vnfruitfull 〈◊〉 that he will not only suffer it to bring forth wilde bryers thâ—…rnes but also further to punish the vnfruitefullnesse of it Hee saith hee will not cut it he will not delue it and he will command the cloudes that they shall not raine vpon it meaning that hee will take away the teaching of his holy word from them which words Master Mountague hath passed ouer so that they shall be no longer of his kingdome they shall bee no longer gouerned by his holy Spirit they shall be put from the grace and benefits which they had and ouer might haue iniâ—…yed through Christ they shall be depriued of the heauenly life and light which they had in Christ whiles they abode in him And to be shart they shall bee giuen into the power of the 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 rule in all them that he cast away from God as he did in Saul and Iudâ—…s and generally in all such as worke after their owne wills the children of mistrust and vnbeleife You say Master Mountagne that these two Homilies but principally the words here cited doe thoroughly and wholly insist vpon the affirmation that faith once had may againe be lost and that no other construction of these words may be made then that a man my fall and hapâ—…e from grace both totally and finally But I pray what faith and what grace doe you intend Mr. Mountague a true liuing and justifying faith and sanctifying sauing and habituall grace or onely an historicall and common faith or ordinary common and hypocriticall grace If you intend these latter for you leaue them indefinite and ambigious that so you may euade the better when you are questioned for abusing our Church and Homilies then I say that your inference and collection is nothing to the purpose and reacheth not vnto thâ—…t faith and grace which is now in question If you intend and meane the former I answere then that these words of the Homilie doe not warrant yours For first they are your owne words That words are not direct which are not expresse Now here there is not so much as one word that faith once had may be lost that a true regenerate man may fall finally and totally from the state of grace your eyes Mr. Mountagne are better then all other mens if you can finde these words or any like vnto them in these Homilies they are but your priuate fancie conceite and therefore this is not the direct positiue and declatorie doctrine of these Homilies but your false and forged collection from them Secondly that I may instruct you a little in the Homilies in which I feare me you are truly or wilfully ignorant you may please to obserue Mr. Mountague that in the second and third part of the Homilie of faith It is said expresly That hee that beleeueth in Christ hath euerlasting life and therefore it must needs consequently follow that he that hath this faith must also haue good workes and be studious to obserue Gods Commandements obediently so that neither the world the diuill 〈◊〉 all the power of them shall preuaile against him That they that haue a liuely faith doe make their calling and election certaine sure and stable by good workes Therefore it is the expresse doctrine of the Homilies that true faith once had cannot be vtterly lost againe these words then which you alledge cannot imply the contrary vnlesse you will haue them to repeale and contradict the former Thirdly Mr. Mountague these two Homilies and the words you cite out of them doe not thoroughly and wholly insist vpon this that faith once had may be lost againe but if it please you to reade them ouer once againe you shall see that their principall and onely end is to exhort men to obey the Gospell and the word of God and to bring forth fruits worthy of them for feare least God depriue them of them What then will you inferre from hence All men are exhorted to obey Gods word for feare of being depriued of it Therefore the true beleiuers and Saints of God may fall totally and finally from grace