A Second Parallel, Part 1 · Comparison 8
ARMINIANS.
BERTIVS, pag. 25. Apostasie is proued by this phrase of Scripture to fall away from grace, Galath. 5. 4. Whosoeuer of you are iustified by the Law, yee are fallen b from grace.
Bertius, pag. 29. 2 Pet. 2. 20. For if, after they hauehave escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, they are again c intangled therein and ouercome, the latter end is worse with them, than the beginning. For it had beene better for them not to hauehave knowne the way of righteousnesse, than after they hauehave knowne it, to turne from the holy commandement giuen vntounto them. But it is hapned vntounto them according to the true prouerbe: The dogge is turned to his owne vomit againe, and the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire.
Bert. pag. 12. To Saints irrecouerable destructiō is threatned, Heb. 6. 4. It is impossible for those, who were once inlightned, and hauehave tasted of the heauenly gift, and were made partakers of the holy Ghost, & hauehave tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come; if they d fall away, to renue them againe vntounto repentance: seeing they crucifie to themselues the Sonne of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
APPEALER.
APPEALE, pag. 160. Galat. 5. 4. Saint Paul spake not vponupon supposition of impossibilitie, yee are abolished from Christ, whosoeuer are iustified by the Law, yee are fallen from b grace.
Ibidem, pag. 160. 161. Nor in point of onelyonly Heresie wa… faith by them lost, but also of good liuing and conuersation, 2 Pet. 2. 20. where those that had escaped the filthinesse of the world; therefore washed, and made cleane, through the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ; therefore iustified truly by saith: are yet c intangled againe therein, and ouercome. Therefore lapsed from faith, as is expressed, vers. 21, and 22. ensuing.
Ibid. pag. 164. Beside, if faith had cannot be lost, the dog cannot be said to returne vntounto his vomit, nor the swine to wallowing in the mire.
Idem, pag. 161. I adde but one of them, Heb. 6. 4. It is impossible, that they which were once enlightned, and hauehave tasted of the heauenly gift, and were made partakers of the holy Ghost, and hauehave tasted of the good word of God, and of the power of the world to come, (if these were not iustified, they know not who were: if these had no faith, where was it to be found) if they d fall away, should be renued againe by repentance: seeing they crucifie againe the Sonne of God vntounto themselues, and make a mocke of him.
b To the place Galath. 5. 4. wee answer: First, the maine scope and drift of the Apostle, is to confute those among the Galathians, who went about to ioyne Iudaisme with Christianisme, Legall righteousnesse with Euangelicall: these the Apostle shewes cannot stand together. For the one consisteth in the perfect fulfilling of the Law, Rom. 10. 5. the other in forgiuenesse of sinnes, Rom. 4. 7. The proper meaning therefore of the words is, that whosoeuer seekes for iustification by the Law, that is, the workes of the Law, is fallen from grace, that is, hath lost his claime by the couenant of grace, or is excluded from all hope of obtaining mercy and grace; for such a one is become a debtor to the whole Law, that is, cannot bee iustified, to wit, by the couenant of workes, vnlesse hee fulfill the whole Law, which no man is able to doe. Secondly, Grace is sometime taken for a reward of free gift, and so it is opposed to merit; sometime it is taken for supernaturall habits infused, putting a man in grace and fauour with God, or making him gratious, and so it is opposed to nature; sometime it is taken for the doctrine of free remission of sinnes by Christ, or couenant of grace, and so it is opposed to the Law, or couenant of works: and that it is taken in the last sense in this place, is euident by the antecedents, and consequents, and the very opposition to the Law in this fourth verse, Gal. 5. Thirdly, admit the word (Grace) were here taken for the grace of regeneration, or iustification, as the Aduersaries would hauehave it, yet the Text maketh nothing for them; for it is not said, that the Galathians fell from grace totally, or finally; although in that particular error of theirs, in retaining the Legall ceremonies, and vrging Circumcision, they in effect, and by consequent ouerthrew a maine doctrine of the Gospel, touching iustification by faith in Christ. Lastly, this Obiection may be retorted against the Aduersarie, thus:
Whosoeuer teach, and beleeue iustification on by the Law, or inherent righteousnesse, are fallen from grace, and refuted by this text of the Apostle.
The Aduersarie teacheth and beleeueth iustification by the Law, or inherent righteousnesse; see the precedent tablet, Art. of iustification.
Therefore the Aduersary is fallen from grace, and refuted by this text of the Apostle.
c To the place alledged out of Saint Peter 2. Epist. 2. Chap. 20. We answer: First, Saint Peter speakes not of true beleeuers, but of false teachers, who priuily brought in damnable heresies, euen denying the Lord that bought them, verse 1. These [though they had escaped the filthinesse of the world through the knowledge of Christ, that is, the practise of grosse idolatry, called in Scripture Spirituall fornication and vncleannesse; and had kept themselues from other foule, and enormous sinnes of the flesh euen against nature, wherein the blinde idolaters of the world were intangled] yet were neuer inwardly, and throughly washed and cleansed, especially from the pollutions of the heart. The Apostle compareth them to swine, which after they are washed, (that is, outwardly) wallow againe in the mire, because they retaine still their swinish nature: so these, after they had receiued the knowledge of Christ, and outwardly conformed themselues to the Gospell, and cleansed themselues from grosse actuall sinnes, returne to their former filthinesse, as naturall bruit beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, vers. 12. Secondly, a man may be intangled againe in the pollutions of the world, and relapsed into foule sins (as some of Gods Saints hauehave beene) yea as enormous as any he committed before his conuersion, and yet not fall totally or finally from grace, as shall be shewed hereafter. Lastly, this Obiection may be retorted against the Aduersary, thus:
None, that are, or were true beleeuers, are wells without water, [For he that beleeueth, out of his belly flow riuers of liuing water, Iob. 7. 38.]
Those spoken of by S. Peter are wels without water, vers. 17.
Therefore those spoken of by Saint Peter, are not, nor were true beleeuers.
Or thus:
None of the regenerate are dogges, or swine; [For holy things, and pearles are giuen to them, which may not be giuen to dogs, or cast before swine, Matth. 7. 6.]
Those, whom Saint Peter speakes of, are dogs and swine, vers. 22.
Therefore those, whom S. Peter speakes of, are not regenerate.
And so this text of Scripture is nihil ad rhombum; and the Aduersaries argue worse and worse, (It being happened vntounto them, according to the true prouerb, (ab equis ad asinum) mentioned vers. 16. which beast, and the Rider, whether they are not a perfect impresse and embleme of the *Bertius a pension in France, … sooke the truth, and … at this present a Popish Apos…ata.Aduersarie, I refer it to the intelligent Reader of that Motto, ver. 15. [HAVE FORSAKEN THE RIGHT WAY, FOLLOWING THE WAY OF BALAAM, THE SONNE OF BOSOR, WHO LOVED THE WAGES OF VNRIGHTEOVSNES.
d To the place alledged, Heb. 6. 4. weanswer: First, It is not affirmed (as Whitaker learnedly obserueth in Cygneâ Cantio:) that those, who were inlightned &c. doe fall away, but, if they fall away, they cannot be renued by repentance. Which note of that Swan sweetly accordeth with the words of the Apostle himselfe in this Chapter, vers. 9. But beloued, we are perswaded better things of you, and things that accompany saluation, though we thus speake. May not I iustly apply the words of Saint Cyprian, against Nouatus, to the Aduersarie Bertius, (Scindis, sicut ipse scissus es,) As thou art cut off, and hast made a rent in the Church, so thou cuttest, and would'st make a rent in the Scripture, by taking a part by it selfe to serue thy turne, contrary to the coherence and scope of the whole? Secondly, inlightning grace doth not necessarily import renuing and sanctifying grace; nor tasting the heauenly gift, eating the bread of life, Ioh. 6. and being filled therewith, Matth. 5. 6. nor partaking of the holy Ghost, being led by the holy Ghost, Rom. 8. much lesse sealed with it, Eph. 1. 13. as all true regenerate Christians are. The Aduersaries might hauehave learned out of Gratian. de poenit. dist. 2. It is one thing to taste the gift, and powers of the world to come; another, to hauehave them rooted in the heart: Aliud affici pro tempore, aliud perfici, & obsignari in vitam aeternam: One thing, to be moued, or affected for a time, as Herod was at the hearing of Iohn the Bap…ist; another thing, to be perfectly sanctified, and sealed to eternall life, as are all true beleeuers, 2 Cor. 1. 22. Ephess. 4. 30. Lastly, this Obiection may be retorted against the Aduersary, thus:
No regenerate childe of God can commit the sinne vntounto death, 1 Ioh. 5. 17. 18.
The Apostle here speakes of those that commit (or at least may commit) the sinne vntounto death.
Therefore the Apostle speakes not here of any regenerate childe of God.