is Grace is taken diuersly according to diuers Fountaynes from which it floweth For albeit all grace proceedeth from God yet it proceedeth diuers wayes from him one way is by the way of his eternall purpose Thus proceedeth the grace of Predestination and the grace of Gods calling according to his purpose and the grace of iustification according to his calling and consequently according to his purpose This grace is primary constant and vnchangeable This is a free gift proceeding from the purpose of God and is wrought in vs by Gods calling Of this the Apostle speaketh The gifts and calling of God are without repentance This is one way by which grace proceedeth from God Another way it proceedeth from God and commeth to vs by the way of Preaching This way diuers graces come in diuers measures as hte Lord hath taught in the Parable of the Sower The Sower sowed the same Seed but some fell by the Way side and the Fowles came and deuoured it vp by this are they described who heare the word of the Kingdome and vnderstand it not Then commeth the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sowen in their heartes Other seede fell vpon stony ground where it had not much earth and forthwith it sprang vp because it had not deepness of earth and when the Sunne was vp it was scorched and because it had not roote it withered away By this are they signified who heare the word and anone with joy receiue it Yet hee hath no roote in himselfe but dureth but for a time for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by hee is offended Thirdly some fell amongst Thornes and the Thornes sprang vp and choaked it By this he is noted that heareth the word and the care of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches choake the Word and hee becommeth vnfruitfull Last is hee that receiued seed into good ground he that heareth the Word and Vnderstandeth it which also beareth fruite and bringeth forth some an hundreth some sixty some thirty I haue stayed the longer vpon the full recitall of this Parable because it proueth fully that which I intend to draw out of it First it is euident hereby that by the Preaching of the Word diuerse graces are giuen And the very Preaching of the Word freely to some Nations is a great grace In this respect it is called Verbum gratiae Acts 20.23 This grace though so great yet may be lost For many Nations haue had it that haue lost it Let them that haue it make much of it whilest they haue it For who knoweth how soone it may bee taken away And this is one way to loose it to suffer the Doctrines of our Church to bee corrupted It is the Spirit of God that setteth vp Preaching and directeth Preachers to one place and not to another As we read Acts 16.6 7 9. This then is one great grace to haue the Word of God Preached to a people but when it is Preached some vnderstand it not others receiue a greater measure of grace when they receiue the word with joy Yet this dureth not in some but is lost both totally and finally Others are choaked with the deceitfulnesse of the World and these fall away also Others are fruitefull and bring foorth plentifully All receiue the seede in some measure and thereby receyue grace in some measure but three sorts loose it altogether the fourth onely receiueth it fruitfully Then all these that receiue some grace and loose it againe are sayd and truly sayd to fall away from grace These graces that are thus lost are true graces And men may proceede farre in the practise of these graces some farther then other and yet may loose them Then they that speake in generall words that a man may fall away from grace speake at randome The question is Whether they that are according to Gods purpose Predestinated called and iustified may loose these graces of their Predestination Calling and Iustification This the Orthodoxe Church hath alwayes denied The Arminians who admit no other Predestination but conditionall affirme it and none but Pelagians and Arminians The Arminians hold that men may be often predestinated often elected and in the end may loose all They labour to prooue that all grace may be vtterly lost that the power of free will may bee receiued which then may shewe her power more fully when there is no grace CHAP. 6. That perseuerance to the end is a gift of God giuen to true beleeuers flowing from Gods purpose and predestination FIrst I will produce reasons to proue that perseuerance in grace to the end is a gift of God giuen to true beleeuers and then answere his Objections To prooue this the Scripture is euident to such as reade it with a single heart and vnblemished eies First of all those words of the Apostle proue it Wee know that all things worke together for the best to them that loue God euen to them that are called according to his purpose For those whom hee knew before hee Predestinated to be made like to the Image of his Sonne that hee might bee the first borne amongst many brethren Moreouer whom hee Predestinated them also hee called and whom he called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them also he glorified The purpose of God is the Spring and Fountaine from which all these graces are deriued The end is glorification From the beginning to the end are Predestination Calling and Iustification The chayne is so linked together that it cannot be separated He that God purposed to Predestinate must needes be Predestinated hee that is Predestinated must needes be called he that is so called must be iustified hee that is so iustified must be glorified But no man can come to glory without the grace of perseuerance to the end Therefore where God giueth these graces such a calling such a iustification hee giueth with all perseuerance without which no man can come to this end The same is prooued from the words of St. Iohn Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seede abideth in him and hee cannot sinne because he is borne of God When St. Iohn sayth that a man once regenerate by the Spirit of God sinneth not and cannot sinne We may not vnderstand this of sinnes of infirmitie For of such St. Iohn himselfe sayth If wee say we haue no sinnes we deceiue our selues and the Truth is not in vs if we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes How then doe these two agree together First we are all sinners and wee must confesse our sinnes Secondly a regenerate man sinneth not yea cannot sinne These contentions of the Arminian faction hath taught vs to reconcile these places For a man that is borne of God may sinne that is fall into the sinnes of infirmity but yet he can not sinne that is he cannot fall backe into the seruice and dominion of sinne
deserued reprobation but no man could deserue mercy to be deliuered by predestination Rom. 3.23 For there is no difference for all haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God Then in the sinfull estate of corruption all are found once a like and all depriued of the glory of God And what is this to bee depriued of the glory of God but to deserue reprobation So he sayth Rom. 11.30 God hath shut vp all in Vnbeleefe So that all that are receiued to mercy by Predestination Vocation Iustification are taken out of the corrupted state of mankinde the rest are left in their sinnes These we call men reprobate that are left in their sinnes and in the end iustly condemned for sin But why some are left in their sinnes other deliuered from their sins by Predestination Vocation Iustification of this no cause can be giuen but the will of God But sayth our Author in that Article there is neither word syllable or apex to proue c. Yes sir there is somewhat For in that Article Predestination is sayde to be The euerlasting and constant purpose of God It is sayd in the Article that They that are predestinated are called according to Gods purpose This is enough to proue all which they intend and to ouerthrow your new Doctrine that men are called in consideration of their Faith Obedience and Repentance The Article saith moreouer That they are iustified freely If freely then without consideration of any thing fore-seene in man Thus whilst in curiosity you were seeking your apices you stumbled and are falne into a dangerous pit out of which God deliuer you I will doe the best seruice I can to make you see these dangers Your common Obiection against them that teach predestination to depend only vpon Gods will is this You say They bring in a decree absolute necessary irrespectiue irresistible determined fatall necessitating These Obiections you borrowed from the Arminians they had them from the Pelagians But you say that You haue read nothing of the Arminians It seemeth that you are an excellent Scholler that can learne your lesson so perfectly without instructors If they who vse these Obiections take them from the Pelagians then you see that the Doctrine which the Pelagians oppugned is the same which you oppugne St. Augustine had much controuersie with the Pelagians Pelagius taught that Grace is giuen to men in respect of their merits St. Augustine refuseth this error of Pelagius for which he was condemned for an Heretick in three Synodes Gratia Dei datur secundum merita nostra This was the position which the Pelagians maintained and which St. Augustine refuted St. Augustin referreth the matter to Gods will and purpose onely But this Pelagius denied and sayd that grace dependeth not vpon Gods will onely He denied not the will of God but sayde that Gods will had respect to merits fore-seene In this sense he sayth Gratia Dei datur secundum merita nostra And in this sense the purpose of God was held by the Pelagians to be respectiue as respecting somewhat fore-seene in men predestinated Pelagius himselfe said it respected merits others said that it respecteth faith fore-seene others deuised the respect of workes fore-seene which is all one with Pelagius his merits fore-seene The Arminians haue added the respect of humility fore-seene Hence arise two opinions about Predestination The one the Doctrine of the Church taught by St. Augustine and Prosper by St. Hierom St. Ambrose St. Gregory St. Bernard and the rest that herein followed St. Augustine The other is the opinion of the Pelagians who oppugned this Doctrine If the question be proposed why God receiueth one to mercy and not an other why this man and not that to this question all the Orthodoxe that haue taught in the Church after St. Augustine answere that of this taking one to mercy and leauing an other no reason can be giuen but only the will of God The Pelagians and Arminians say that Gods will heerein is directed by somewhat fore-seene in men Predestinated Now that Predestination dependeth only vppon Gods will without respect to any thing fore-seene in men is as I sayd the receiued Doctrine of St. Augustin and of the Church following For before St. Augustin this thing came not in question as himselfe in many places confesseth The same is the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches And this hath hitherto been receiued the Doctrine of the Church of England I will adde also the same is the Doctrine of the Church of Rome as Bellarmine deliuereth it For he concludeth thus Restat igitur vt huius discretionis causa sit voluntas Dei quae vnum liberat quia ei placet alterum non liberat quia non placet Wherein he followeth the Doctrine of St. Augustin and the rest Of these two opinions the Author of the Appeale hath made choyce of that which Pelagius held against the Church and maintayneth it by the arguments which the Pelagians haue vsed For thus they obiected against the Doctrine of St. Augustine that he brought in a decree absolute irrespectiue irresistible determined fatall necessitating and these be our Authors Obiections It must bee confessed it is a wrong to lay to mens charge Doctrines in other tearmes then themselues do teach These tearmes are not vsed by them whom this man chargeth We do not deale so with the Papists or any other For my part I mislike these tearmes But if by this word decree there be nothing intended but the purpose of Gods election I will not wrangle for words Onely I thinke that wee may speake most warrantably in the words of the Scripture For the holy Scripture hath furnished us with words sufficient We finde it there called the will of God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the purpose of God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Good Pleasure of God These words suffice to sober mindes to expresse this Doctrine Then he chargeth vs to teach that this decree is absolute Because the Pelagians and their Followers inferre an absolute decree they should declare what they meane by this word absolute If this be the meaning of the word that Gods purpose of Predestination dependeth vpon the onely will of God and not vppon any thing fore-seene in men Predestinated which God respected in Predestinating then I affirme that this is the ancient and Catholike Doctrine of the Church and the contrary is the Doctrine of the Pelagians If this Author would speake for the Pelagians against the receiued Doctrine of the Church then must he declare vnto vs what thing did mooue the will of God And by this meanes he will teach vs a thing which no man euer could speake to to know the cause of Gods will Dicat qui potest I thinke hee knoweth as little in this matter as other men And yet hee is bound to instruct vs in this Mystery For hee that sayth the will of God dependeth vppon something is bound to shewe what that thing is vpon which
intention they say giue vs this day our daily bread least they bee separate from the body of Christ they pray that they may persist in sanctitie 6. Petition Leade vs not into temptation When the Saints pray Leade vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill What other thing doe they pray for but that they may persist in holinesse For if this gift of God be granted vs which no man can deny to be Gods gift seeing wee are commanded to pray to God for it this being granted to be the gift of God that we be not lead into temptation it followeth that the Saints praying for receiuing this gift must needs hold perseuerance in grace vnto the end for no man ceaseth to perseuere vnlesse he be drawne away by temptation If therefore this which he prayeth for be granted that hee bee not lead into temptation then surely by Gods grace hee persisteth in that sanctification which by Gods grace hee receiued Thus farre Saint Augustine out of Saint Cyprian And now Saint Augustine in his owne course But in perseuerance it is not as in other graces We call him chaste whom we know to be chast whether he perseuere or not perseuere in chastity and the like wee say of other graces of God that may be had or may be lost We say he hath it as long as he hath it but if hee loose it we say then he had it But in perseuerance it is otherwise For no man can be said to haue had perseuerance but hee that perseuereth to the end Therefore this is such a grace which many may haue but he that hath it can neuer loose it This grace may be obtained but when it is once obtained it cannot be lost through contumacy Let any man that dare tell mee whether God cannot giue that which hee commandeth vs to aske of him God commandeth vs to aske that wee bee not lead into temptation then whosoeuer is heard of God in asking this grace is preserued from the temptation of contumacy by which hee might loose perseuerance in grace for he that is not lead into temptation departeth not from God After the fall of Adam God would haue it to pertaine onely to his grace that man should come to him and likewise to pertaine to the same grace that man should not depart from him This grace hee hath put in him in whom wee haue our inheritance beeing praedestinated according to his purpose that worketh all things And therefore as he worketh that wee come to him so hee worketh that we depart not from him wherefore it is said in the Psalmes Let thine hand be vpon the man of thy right hand and vpon the sonne of man whom thou hast made so strong for thine owne selfe that wee depart not from thee Who is this man Iste non est primus Adam in quo discessimus ab eo sed Adam nouissimus super quem fit manus eius vt non discedamus ab eo saith Augustine For Christus totus all Christ with his members is for the Church which is his body and his fulnesse Therefore when the hand of God is vpon him that we depart not from God vâ—rily the worke of God commeth to vs. For this is the hand of God forasmuch as by the worke of God and his power it is wrought so that we are permanent with Christ in God not as Adam departing from God This is the hand of God not ours that wee depart not from him This I say is the hand of him that said I will giue my feare in their hearts that they depart not from me But we see that some depart why doth one depart and not another why is perseuerance to the end giuen to some and not to others To this what can we say but that the wayes of the Lord are past finding out Why is one receiued to mercy and not another can any man giue a reason but onely Gods will Hee hath mercy on whom he will haue mercy and whom hee will he hardeneth So hee giueth the grace of perseuerance to whom hee will and denieth it from whom hee will Yet in this the faithfull must rest that hee that hath the guift of perseuerance is in the number of the praedestinated the other is not For Saint Iohn saith of such as depart They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would haue continued with vs. Quid est quaeso non erant ex nobis What is the meaning of this they were not of vs were not both they that departed and they that continued created of God both borne of Adam both called both renewed in the fountaine of regeneration All this is true but yet according to another separation they were not of vs. What is that separation Gods booke is open we must not turne our eyes from it the Scripture cryeth loud let vs heare it before the beginning of the world they had not their part in him they were not praedestinated according to his purpose which worketh all things For if thus had they been then they should haue been of vs and should without doubt haue continued with vs. Saint Augustine in his booke de correptione et gratia hath diuers things to this purpose which because they conclude for perseuerance in grace to the end I thinke it not vnfit that the reader be made acquainted with his reasons the rather to satisfie the Author of the Appeale that this is no new Puritan doctrine as it pleaseth him to call it And that he may more fully vnderstand that this which wee teach is not the priuate fancy of some particular men but the publique doctrine of the Church Vpon thosâ— words Rogaui pro te Petre ne deficiat fides tua Saint Augustine saith What did Christ pray for heere but for his perseuerance vnto the end And againe When hee prayed that Saint Peters faith should not fâ—ile what other thing did he pray for but that he might haue a most free a most strong a most inuict a most perseuering will in faith to the end S. Augustine knew well that Peter sinned in denying his Maister and yet he did not doubt to say that Christ prayed for him and was heard for S. Peters perseuerance vnto the end Then it is not euery sinne that breaketh the course of perseuerance but a falling backe into the dominion and seruice of sinne Act. 13. As many as were ordayned to euerlasting life beleeued Who can be ordayned to euerlasting life but by the grace of perseuerance Whosoeuer are deliuered from damnation by the goodnesse of Gods grace there is no doubt but by Gods prouidence the Gospell shall be preached to them and they shall heare and beleeue and perseuere vnto the end in faith that worketh through loue And these if they sometimes goe wrong yet by reproofes they amend and returne againe into the way which they left Their faith
to be vnderstood the Doctrine of our Church A bold attempt whether hee doth it through ignorance or open malice to trouble the Church with these doctrines which haue troubled so many Churches that himselfe knoweth best But that this he doth it is apparant by that which he hath written and will be made more apparant by that which must now be sayd in the necessary defence of the truth and of the doctrines of our Church The poysoned doctrines of the Pelagians were neuer well knowne before Saint Augustine discouered that daunger The summe is to pull downe the power of God and to set vp the power of Man This they attempted to do by defacing the grace of God And because that could not be done without controlling the Doctrine of Predestination this they haue likewise attempted Predestination is fashioned into a new mould by these men who haue made it not to depend vpon God but vppon Man That God himselfe and his high and holy purpose and will must depend vpon somewhat in man must expect mans Free will and merits by this meanes they saw that grace might easily be defaced So that the Question is whether that the fountaine of grace be in God or in Man For they take it from Gods good wil and purpose and place it in mans merits This is the wisedome of the Pelagians which the Author of the Appeale seemeth to embrace and as well as he can perswadeth others to doe so For first he laboreth to corrupt the doctrine of Predestination and then to deface the doctrine of Grace First against the doctrine of Predestination hee hath brought nothing but the olde and worne obiections of the Pelagians Finding no other he was glad to take them that he might seeme to say somwhat against Predestination Which obiections albeit Saint Augustine and others of the auncient Fathers haue answered and refuted long agoe yet that thing moueth not this man somewhat must be sayd to deceiue the simple that will be deceiued First I will examine one sentence of his Booke by which we may vnderstand his meaning in the poynt of Predestination The sentence is this Pag. 58. speaking of the 17 Article he sayth In all which passage there is not one word syllable or apex touching your absolute necessary determined irrespectiue irresistible in other places he addeth Fatall necessitating Decree of God to call saue and glorifie Saint Peter for instance infallibly without any consideration had or regard to his Faith Obedience Repentance and to condemne Iudas as necessarily without any respect had at all to his sinne This sayth hee is the priuate fancy of some particuler men The Author of the Appeale doth often charge some men with a Doctrine which no man did euer maintayne For I say he is not able to proue that any haue maintayned the Doctrine of predestination in those tearmes which hee proposeth Indeede Pelagius and his Followers and amongst them this Author haue made these obiections against the Doctrine of Predestination We vse not thâ—se tearmes we reiect them we neede them not we finde them not in Scripture we haue enough in Gods Word to maintayne this Doctrine Touching that which hee sayth of Iudas that some should teach that by the decree of God Iudas should be condemned without any respect to his sin I suppose it will be hard for him to finde any that teacheth so in those tearmes Caluin I suppose is the man hee meaneth But Caluin in many places sayth the contrary and confesseth that wicked men are damned iustly for their sinnes that Gods mercy appeareth in them that are saued and his iustice in other He saith indeed of the reprobate Principium ruinae damnationis esse in eo quod sunt à Deo derelicti which this Author will also confesse because he can say nothing against it But to open this point a little further It must be confessed that whilest some haue strayed too farre on the left hand touching the respectiue decree that God for respects in men hath predestinated them Others in zeale to correct this errour haue gone somewhat too farre on the right hand teaching that Predestination is a separation betweene men and men as they were found euen in the Masse of mankind vncorrupt before the Creation and the fall of Man It is true that this Counsell of God was before the Creation and Fall But here we seeke vpon what ground first presupposed this counsell of God proceeded Saint Augustine was cleere in this that Gods purpose of Predestination presupposed the fall of Mankind and the corrupt masse of mankinde in sinne And verily this opinion hath such firme grounds of Scripture that so farre as I can iudge are vnanswerable For the Apostle teacheth that Predestination and Election are in Christ. Ephes. 1.4 As he hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundations of the World and v. 5. Who hath predestinate vs to bee adopted through Iesus Christ in himselfe And verse 11. In whom wee were chosen when we were Predestinate Now if Predestination be in Christ it must be acknowledged that this counsell of God had respect to the corrupt masse of mankind For the benefite that we haue in Christ appeared not in the state of innocency Some haue answered that the Angels had that benefit of their standing in Christ. To this I say granting that the Angels had that blessing from Christ yet this is a thing without doubting and beyond all contradiction that the doctrine of Predestination as the Apostle teacheth it is not for Angels but only for men not for men in the state of innocency but for sinful men In declaring the purpose of Predestination the Lord saith I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy Then the counsell of Predestination is the counsell whereby God sheweth mercy where he will But mercy doth presuppose misery and a sinfull estate in man Againe the purpose of God is conducted to his end by such meanes as God hath set the Apostle hath opened that is by Predestination VocatioÌ„ IustificatioÌ„ to glorification that is to the intended end But vocatioÌ„ iustificatioÌ„ cannot be vnderstood of angels but of men not of men with out sin in the estate of innocency but of sinfull men For sinners are called to repentance sinners they must be that are iustified from their sins None are called to repentance and iustified from sin but sinners And it is also certaine that none are thus called and iustified but only they that are predestinated Therfore Predestination doth not looke vpon the masse of mankind vncorrupt innocent but vpon the masse corrupted These things are set in such euidences of the Scriptures that for my part I know not what can bee said to impeach them Vpon these grounds we must confesse that both Predestination reprobation do respect that sinful corrupted masse of mankind But between Predestination reprobation amongst many other this is one difference that all men for sinne haue
come to that which I intend I would heere first remooue a scruple which the Pelagians stumble at in those words of the Apostle To them that loue God From these words they inferre that God respecteth them that loue him But the Apostle expoundeth himselfe in the words following To them that are called according to his purpose For these are they who loue God who vnderstand that Gods loue preuented them and called them according to his purpose He that hath the knowledge of this loue of God must needes loue God againe but this loue beginneth by Gods preuenting loue as St. Iohn sayth Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his son to be a reconciliation for our sinnes There be some that begin to loue but fall away and continue not to the end Of these St. Bede in his Expositions collected out of Saint Augustine expoundeth this place thus Apostolus cum dixisset scimus quoniam diligentibus deum omnia cooperantur in bonum sciens non nullos diligere Deum in eo bono vsque in finem non permanere mox addidit his qui secundum propositum vocati sunt Hi enim in eo quod diligunt Deum permanent vsque in finem Thus much to remooue this scruple that no occasion be left to the Pelagians Now to proceed The Apostle sayth All things fall out to the best to them that are called according to Gods purpose Then Gods calling is according to his purpose If any man should say that Gods purpose were according to his calling should hee not inuert the Wordes of the Apostle and falsifie his Doctrine Then his calling is according to his purpose but his purpose may not bee sayd to be according to his calling because the calling dependeth vppon his purpose but not the purpose vppon the calling The purpose is a cause of the calling but not the calling a cause of the purpose Now if wee proceede from Vocation to Iustification wee shall vnderstand the same For as Vocation dependeth vppon Gods purpose of Predestination so doth our Iustification depend vpon Vocation and as this was to peruert the Apostles words and to falsifie his doctrine as before I sayd to say that Gods purpose was according to his calling So if a man should say as this Author sayth that Gods calling is according to faith obedience and repentance this man should in like sort peruert the Apostle his words and falsifie his doctrine For iustification faith obedience and repentance depend vpon Gods calling but his calling dependeth not vpon them they are giuen according to his calling but his calling is not according to them And therefore they are giuen for and in considetation of his calling but that Gods calling should be for and in consideration or regard of these things which Gods calling draweth with it and after it is a thing absurde not onely in the iudgements of Orthodoxe Writers but euen in the iudgement of Pelagius himselfe and of Scotus and of the most learned of that side who thought it more probable and agreeing more with reason to say that the grace of God is giuen according to merits then to deuise this strange fancy that a subsequent grace should be the cause of a precedent grace This I say is not a priuate fancy of some particuler men but such a thing as was neuer vttered by any sober or learned writer And because heresie goeth not without absurdities it may be called either the Arminian heresie or the Arminian absurdity For besides Arminians no man writeth thus I may not omit to obserue in the last place that our Authors words crosse the words of the 17. Article which hee professeth to maintaine For the article speaking of Predestination sayth They which be indued with such an excellent benefit of God be called according to Gods purpose by his spirit working in due season they thorough grace obey their calling they are iustified freely they be made the sonnes of God by adoption they be made like the image of his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ they walke religiously in good workes and at length by Gods mercy they attaine to euerlasting felicity These words of the Article containe the true Apostolicall doctrine For the calling of God is here sayd to be according to Gods purpose and iustification obedience walking religiously in good workes these things are declared in the Article to follow the calling as effects thereof But this man the new maintainer of the articles and of the doctrines of our Church peruerteth this Apostolicall doctrine contained in the article For he sayth that the calling is according to faith obedience and repentance contrary to that which is contained in the article The article maketh faith obedience and repentance to be the effects of calling and to followe it and proueth consequently that the calling is not according to these effects or in consideration and regard of these effects but that these effects are according to the calling and in consideration and regard of the calling By this mans doctrine the calling dependeth vpon faith obedience and repentance by the doctrine contayned in the article these things depend vpon the calling Thus hath he cleane peruerted and crossed the doctrine contained in the article and yet this man is thought fit to expound the Articles and to declare the Doctrines of our Church Thus much concerning his errours touching the matter of Predestination CHAP. 5. Of perseuerance in Grace and falling away from Grace THe question as Saint Augustine proposeth it is of perseuerance of the Saints in grace As this man and the Pelagians propose it of falling away from grace or of the Apostasie of the Saints The question is the same though diuersly proposed so that if we proue the perseuerance of Saints to the ende then is that doctrine ouerthrowne that bringeth in the Apostasie of Saints If this question be moued thus Whether a man may fall away from grace The proposition by reason of the ambiguous acception and vse of this word grace may be both true and false For this is true a man may fall from grace both totally and finally And this likewise true a man cannot fall from grace neither totally nor finally They who haue a purpose to deceiue take the generality of termes and in vniuersalibus latet dolits Therefore before any true proofe can be made in any disputation the word that is ambiguous must be declared distinctly In the Scriptures and in those Writers that ground themselues vpon the Scriptures there is obserued a double acceptation and vse of this word grace I am not ignorant that many distinctions are vsed of this word and that Bellarmine confoundeth himselfe and his reader with the multitude of distinctions of this word but distinctions were inuented to cleare the poynt in question and not to confound things I rest therefore for our present purpose vpon one distinction which is playne and grounded in the Scriptures and this it
in grace there is the power of God If they tell vs that grace may bee vtterly lost wee say it proceedeth from the purpose of God and is giuen to vs from the power of God His purpose is immutable his power who can resist They must ouer-reach the purpose of God and ouercome the power of God before they can vndoe this great worke which God with such wisedome purposeth and with such power performeth If it were in the wisedome of man to deuise it or in the power of man to performe it then might it be soone vndone but this worke is Gods and all men must giue God the glory who onely hath vndertaken this worke and onely is able to bring it to an end When God hath once manifested his will it is strange that the pride and ignorance of man should deuise wayes to bring that into questions and doubtes which God in his Scriptures hath euidently set downe But there must bee heresies that they which are approued may be knowne 1 Cor. 11.19 Now I thinke this long contention may bee brought to a short end If any of the Pelagians or Arminians or if all of them be able to proue that the grace of God by which wee are called and iustified and saued is nothing but a gentle or morall perswasion then the Pelagians haue ouercome vs But if this grace bee wrought in vs by the power of God then hath the truth ouercome the Pelagians and Arminians Now I come to take a view of some particuler escapes in his booke CHAP. 10. PAge 17. speaking of Saint Peters fall hee saith Christ prayed for Saint Peter that hee might not fall and Christ was euer heard in that he prayed for And a little after If he fell hee must needes fall either totally or finally for cedo sertium And againe auoyde it if you can you come vp and home to our Gagger that Saint Peters faith did not faile and so subscribe to Bellarmine Petro dominus impetrauit vt non posset cadere quod ad fidem attinet Thus writeth the Author FIrst this is granted that Saint Peter fell into a great sinne but euery fall into sinne prooueth not a failing in faith Christ prayed that his faith should not faile and hee was heard in that hee prayed for therefore this is true that his faith failed not If any Papist speake or write this truth consonant to the Scripture I take not that for Popery This Author saith that Christ prayed that Saint Peter might not fall and Christ was euer heard in that hee prayed for his conclusion should bee that Saint Peter did not fall Which because hee seeth to bee false hee would interpret it that hee fell not finally though hee fell totally But the ought to haue interpreted the wordes of the Scripture and not to make words of his owne and interpret them Hee doth strangely confound the thing whereof hee speaketh Where hee saith Christ prayed for Saint Peter that hee might not fail these bee his owne words they are without warrant against the euidence of the story For Saint Peter did fall into a great sinne But Christ knowing that hee should fall and giuing him warning thereof prayed that though hee fell yet his faith should not faile Hee is intangled with an idle and vnnecessary confusion as though the failing of Saint Peters faith and his falling into sinne were one and the same thing Distinguish these things that are confounded and then it is cleere that Saint Peter did fall into sinne and yet his faith failed not But saith hee hee fell either totally or finally for cedo tertium The ancient Fathers writing of the sinnes of the Saints giue to him his tertium which hee requireth For when they speake of the falles of the Saints they vse to note them by this word Lapsus which though wee in English ordinarily call a fall Yet it is a tertium in respect of a totall and finall fall and so saueth such a fall from beeing either totall or finall So whether wee call Lapsus a fall or a slipping we stand not vpon words the thing wee seeke is whether euery sinne in the regenerate cutteth off faith as Maister Thomson deuised and this man seconds him This they affirme and wee deny The iust man sinneth often but who did euer say that hee looseth his faith as often as hee sinneth For in the iust and regenerate man there are two men dwelling together the old and the new man and sin that is still dwelling is sometimes working This is manifested in diuers places of the Scripture as namely Romanes 7. In which Chapter whatsoeuer some say to the contrary the Apostle speaketh in the person of a regenerate man Saint Paul confesseth that sinne dwelleth in him that the good which hee would doe that hee doth not but the euill which hee would not doe that hee doth that hee delighteth in the Law of God after the inward man which words are sufficient to prooue against the Pelagians Arminians and Papists that hee speaketh in the person of a regenerate man for an vnregenerate man cannot truely vtter those words And yet hee confesseth that he seeth an other Law in his members bringing him to the captiuity of the law of sin Then it must be confessed that sin may dwell there where faith dwelleth This doctrine is contained in the Articles of faith and religion Article 9. in these wordes Although there is no condemnation to them that beleeue and are Baptized yet the Apostle doth confesse that concupiscence and lust hath of it selfe the nature of sinne In the same Article it is saide that this concupiscence deserueth Gods wrath and damnation So that wee must admit that sinne and faith may dwell together vntill wee come to an Angelicall state And therefore sinne in a regenerate man doth not make a cutting off of faith according to the new deuised cut Yet in this is our Author resolute that Saint Peter fell totally I answer that cannot be in the regenerate where there is repugnance and reluctation As long as the warre is maintained the flesh striuing against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh so long the fall is not totall neither can it bee when the spirit is still striuing and disallowing and recouering the hold againe And if this warre bee maintained there must needes bee the Spirit For the flesh doth not striue against the flesh and where the Spirit is there is faith And therefore as the Spirit is not totally lost in the regenerate though many times it may bee and is greeued so faith is not totally lost in them though they may fall into diuers sinnes by which sinnes the Spirit is greeued Saint Hilary compareth the booke of Psalmes to a bundell of keyes to open the lockes that is the difficult places of the Psalmes and of other Scriptures If the right key bee taken and rightly applyed it will open the locke The Author of the Appeale hath set a locke heere that
these words is that these speculations as he calleth them are not to be feared to breed danger The Church is quiet and without danger vntill some new doctrines be broached and contentions raised about the truth and then the hearts of many are disclosed and dangers grow These things that this Author hath moved in our Church are more apt to breed dangers then any thing that hath beene mooved since the time of Barret Baro and Thomson A desperate man may set an house on fire and say there is no danger yet the danger is not the lesse but the madnesse of the man is the more that cryes out there is no danger The ignorance of Gods word and truth therein contained is able not onely to breed danger but to cause destructions of Churches and states The Prophet complaineth that the people of the Iewes were destroyed and led into captivitie for want of knowledge Then the want of knowledge of God and of the holy doctrines of Gods word is a thing apta nata to throw states and Kingdomes into destruction And the true knowledge thereof is a thing apta nata to keepe states and people from destruction Pag. 42. he saith These classicall proiects consistoriall practises conventuall designes and propheticall speculations of the zealous brethrē in this land meaning Holland do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ayme at anarchy and popular confusion dangerous indeed to Prince and people He speaketh here of the Ministers of the Low-countryes between whom and vs in the matter of doctrine there hath beene a care of mutuall consent sought and by his late Maiestie graciously entertained and for the publicke good the desire thereof may be continued though this man should be offended For though the Church of England be the best Reformed Church yet is it not the onely Reformed Church And it might seeme no good providence in vs to stand so by our selues as to reiect and disdaine the consent of other Churches though they doe not agree with vs in the discipline It is observed by Eusebius that Polycrates and Irenaeus did both reprone Victor because for matters of ceremonies he was too much offended with other Churches which otherwise agreed with him in doctrine Irenaeus doth admonish him that the auncient Bishops of Rome before Victor did keepe vnitie consent with the Easterne Bishops though in ceremonies there was difference between them Omnes isticum in observantia variarent inter semetipsos et nobiscū semper pacifici fuerunt He saith there also that the dissonance in ceremonies did not breake the consonance in faith And why may not we doe the like to keepe the vnitie of faith with those Churches which doe not agree with vs in ceremonies if we seeke the peace of the Churches that professe the same doctrine Touching the point of their discipline I can witnesse that they are weary of it and would gladly be freed if they could When wee were to yeeld our consent to the Belgicke confession at Dort I made open protestation in the Synode that whereas in that confession there was inserted a strange conceit of the parity of Ministers to be instituted by Christ I declared our dissent vtterly in that point I shewed that by Christ a parity was never instituted in the Church that hee ordayned 12 Apostles and also 70 Disciples that the authority of the 12 was aboue the other that the Church preserved this order left by our Saviour And therefore when the extraordinary authority of the Apostles ceased yet their ordinary authority continued in Byshops who succeeded them who were by the Apostles themselues left in the government of the Church to ordaine Ministers and to see that they who were so ordeined should preach no other doctrine That in an inferior degree the Ministers that were governed by Byshops succeeded the 70. Disciples That this order hath beene maintained in the Church from the time of the Apostles And herein I appealed to the judgement of Antiquity and to the judgement of any learned man now living and craved herein to be satisfied if any man of learning could speake to the contrary My Lord of Salisbury is my witnesse and so are all the rest of our company who spake also in the same cause To this there was no answere made by any Whereupon we conceived that they yeelded to the truth of the protestation And somewhat I can say of mine owne knowledge For I had conference with divers of the best learned in that Synode I told them that the cause of all their troubles was this that they had not Byshops amongst them who by their authoritie might represse turbulent spirits that broached novelties Every man had libertie to speake or write what he list and as long as there were no Ecclesiasticall men in authoritie to represse and censure such contentious spirits their Church would never be without trouble Their answere was that they did much honour and reverence the good order and discipline of the Church of England with all their hearts would be glad to haue it established amongst them but that could not be hoped for in their state Their hope was that seing they could not doe what they desired God would be mercifull to them if they did what they could This was their answere which I thinke is enough to excuse them that they doe not openly ayme at anarchy and popular confusion The truth is they groane vnder that burthen and would be eased if they could This is well knowne to the rest of my Associates there Pag. 58. speaking of the 17. Article he saith there is not one word syllable or apex touching your absolute necessary determined irresistible irrespectiue Decree of God to call saue and glorifie S. Peter for instance without any consideration had or regard to his faith obedience and repentance and to condemne Iudas as necessarily without any respect had at all to his sinne this is a private fancy of some particular men Of this I haue spoken at large before I haue declared that these accusations which he hath here made against the doctrine of predestination were the accusations of the Pelagians against Saint Augustines doctrine Onely here I will answer to a particuler surmise that may happily fall into the thought of the Reader or of the Author of the Appeale himselfe Hee saith here that these things are not contained in the 17. Article and so after his manner of shifting he may say that hee deliuereth not heere his owne opinion but onely saith that these things are not contained in the Article To remoue this answer he must remember that in diuers places through his booke hee deliuereth the same with confidence not onely as his owne opinion but as the doctrine of our Church as page 30. Hee saith though not truely as hath beene proued before That the 16. Article was challenged as vnsound but was there defended maintained avowed auerred for true by the greatest Byshops and learnedest of our Diuines against that
Then to proceede of these who haue received the sacrament of regeneration and are iudged by vs to be regenerate and iustified many may proceede and make a great progresse in the Church to be enlightned to taste of the heavenly gift to be made partakers of the holy Ghost that is of many graces of the holy Ghost to taste of the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come and yet they may fall away totally and finally But they that are regenerate iustified and called according to Gods purpose aske not me who these are it is enough that they are knowne to God they may fall into diverse temptations and sins which bring men vnder Gods wrath but these never fall away either totally or finally This was expressed by D. Overall in the Conference at Hampton Court By this distinction of men regenerate and iustified sacramento tenus onely and such as are so indeede according to Gods purpose and calling he might easily and fairely haue satisfied himselfe in all these obiections which he draweth out of the book of Homilies and out of our Service booke For first he hath not proved that a iustified man may fall away totally and finally neither doth that follow from any wordes by him produced And if it were proved in direct termes how easie is the answere that it is then meant of such as are regenerate and iustified sacramento tenus and no further For that such fall away it was neuer doubted in the Church as S. Augustin sheweth And therefore when hee sayth that children duely baptized are put into the estate of grace and salvation I grant they are so to vs wee must esteeme them so judicio charitatis Saint Augustin saith Omnes qui in Christo baptizantur Christum induunt but then he resolveth Induunt Christum homines aliquando vsque nd sacrameti perceptionom aliquando vsque ad vitae sanctificationem atque illud primum bonis malis potest esse commune hoc autem alterum propnium est bonorum piorum By which grounds we may vnderstand how the ancient fathers resolved of them that fell quite away from grace And wee may learne to rest in their resolution Were it not better for this Author with the Ancients to seeke out the truth and meanes to defend the truth then with the Arminians to rake vp the Pelagian dunghils for old obiections that are already answered long agoe by the ancient Fathers CHAP. 13. PAG 37. he sayth I see no reason wherefore I might not be as confident in maintaing falling away from grace as you your Divines are vpon weaker grounds in defending the contrary If confidence will make your cause good then there is no doubt of it you haue enough You know that he was confident that asked Michaiah this question When departed the spirit of God from mee to speake in thee This Authour hath thought it good as a thing becomming him not onely to imitate the confidence of the false Prophet but to answere in those very wordes of his Pag 8. Yet for all this confidence he should finde much more comfort in imitating the humility of the true Prophets then the pride and confidence of the false Prophets This humour appeareth further in comparing himselfe with their Divines What they are whom he describeth in these wordes your Divines I know not If hee meane such as haue maintained this cause against M. Thomson and such I am well assured that all the Pelagian and Arminian schooles haue not afforded such learned Divines as they were But is not this a raysing of a faction between Divines Divines in our Church and over all the reformed Churches in Christendome If his meaning be to note all Divines which hold against the Arminians in this particular hee will finde the greatest Divines in Christendome in opposition against him where his confidence will doe him as little good as it did Zedekiah But whether haue the weaker grounds our factious Author may finde in good time and vpon better advise For though he may be confident comming as he taketh to the first on-set as if his groundes had never beene shaken before yet the truth is these groundes haue beene long agoe and often examined Pelagius being confident vpon these grounds was thrust out of the Church The Arminians of late resuming the same grounds were driven out of the Netherlandes After all this he commeth on with a fresh supply but he must looke for no other successe then the same cause hath found at other times For the same God liveth which hath heretofore raysed vp the spirits of his servants to maintaine the truth against the Pelagians and will rayse vp others to stand for the same truth whensoever it is oppugned Pag 40. he saith If it be an error of Arminius which was the positiue doctrine of Lutherans and Luther before Arminius was borne why is Arminius intituled to that which is none of his but Martin Luthers In these words he seemeth to say that these late opinions of the Lutherans in Germany were the doctrines of Martin Luther himselfe Wherein he is much mistaken For these opinions were brought in by another the thing is well knowne They increased much in Germany after Martin Luthers time and in many things disagree from his doctrine they were seditiously amplified by Iohannes Iacobus Andreas who was a man of a furious and turbulent spirit and called himselfe the Pope of the Lutherans which Martin Luther himselfe never did Why Arminius should be intituled to this I know no other reason but the common course that hath intituled Heretickes to those heresies which either they haue invented or maintained and increased It may be he affâ—cted that title sure it is that he increased the heresie spread it where it was not before This is no strange thing in the world that factious men spreading strange opinioÌ„s should get titles of that sect which they maintaine For if our Author should proceed farre in this course which he hath so vnadvisedly begun he might happily purchase to himselfe a title likewise though thereby he would get no glory Page 42. he saith Surely those very points of predestination free-will finall perseverance being scholasticall speculations merely and as farre from state businesse as theory is from practise are not of themselues aptae natae to breed dangers These words containe two things First that the doctrines of predestination free-will and finall perseverance are merely scholasticall speculations But why any doctrine contained in the holy Scripture should be called a meere scholasticall speculation is a thing I conceiue not He must giue a reason that calleth it so Meere scholasticall speculations may well enough be spared without any losse or hinderance to our salvation But will he say that these doctrines of Scripture may so well be spared without any losse or hinderance to our salvation It would be an hard taske for Pelagius himselfe to proue that Another thing in