A Second Parallel, Part 1 · Comparison 11
ARMINIANS.
BERTIVS, pag. 28. Of Saul what saith the Scripture? 1 Sam. 9. 2. The sonne of Kish, whose name was h Saul, an elect and good man, and there was not of the sonnes of Israel a good man beyond him. Yet of him chap. 15. 11. we reade; It repenteth me that I hauehave made Saul King: for he is turned backe from following me.
Bert. ibid. ex Cypriano Epist. 7. i Salomon, Saul, and many others, while they walked in the wayes of the Lord, could hauehave held the grace giuen to them: but departing from the ordinance of God, grace departed from them.
APPEALER.
ANswer to Gag, pag. 162. h Saul was at the first the childe of God, called according to the election of grace; not only temporall for the kingdome of Israel, but also eternall for the heauenly kingdome. In opinion of Antiquity thus he was: and yet afterward he fell, it is confessed; totally all say: eternally these say, that maintaine iustifying faith cannot be lost.
Ibidem. But if Saul were not of Gods children in grace, indued with faith, and the holy Spirit: yet i Salomon was there is no question with them, because he was a writer of holy Writ, and wrote as he was inspired by God. If they did not grant it, the Scripture would euict it, 2 Sam. 7. 12. yet Salomon fell, as Saint Augustine and Saint Chrysostome are cleare for it, at least temporally and totally too, when he serued other gods.
h To the first instance in Saul, we answer▪ First with ** Cap. de …Melancthon, that Saul seemed to be a faithfull man, but the euent sheweth that he was an hypocrite. He was indeed chosen to the Kingdome of Israel, but not to the Kingdome of Heauen, by the Appealers leaue: there is no syllable in Scripture importeth so much; hee was indeed indued with the Spirit of Gouernment, and the Spirit of Prophecie, but not with the Spirit of Regeneration for ought appeares in Scripture: hee might be, and, as most thinke, he was, among those to whom that speech of our Sauiour might be applied, Mat. 7. 22, 23.Many shall say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, hauehave we not prophecied in thy name? &c. & then will I professe vntounto them, I neuer knew you: Depart from me, ye that worke iniquitie. Secondly, we answer, The words alledged by Bertius, 1 Sam. 9. 2. speake of the lineaments of his body, and proper personage, not of the inward vertues of his minde, or graces of his soule [There was not a goodlyer, the text saith not a godlyer, person than hee; from the shoulders, and vpward, he was higher than any of the people] To argue from stature to grace, from the bodie to the soule, from proceritie to sinceritie, from a corruptible crowne, to an incorruptible, is scopam dissolutam facere, to make a besome without a band, or to make a rope of sands. Lastly, this Obiection may be retorted against the Aduersarie, thus:
The gifts and calling by God of the regenerate are without repentance, Rom. 11. 29.
Sauls gifts and calling by God were not without repentance; for the text saith, 1 Sam. 15. 11. God repented him, that he had made Saul King, &c.
Therefore Sauls gifts and calling were not the calling and gifts of the regenerate.
i To the second instance in Salomon wee answer: That Salomon was indeed a childe of God, and is called the beloued of the Lord, because the Lord loued him indeed, 2 Sam. 7. 12. But we deny, that he fell from grace either totally, or finally. Hee was a type of Christ, a pen-man of the holy Ghost; God threatned grieuously to scourge him for his sinnes, yet promised withall neuer quite to cast him off. His fall, I confesse, was grieuous, but his repentance in his booke of the Preacher sheweth that the seed of God still remained in him, as it doth in all the children of God, 1 Ioh. 3. 9. This seed, because it is immortall, 1 Pet. 1. 23. preserueth eueryevery childe of God, in whom it remaineth, from eternall death. Lastly, this Argument may be retorted against the Aduersary, thus:
If God withdrew not his louing kindnesse vtterly from Salomon, Salomon fell not from grace totally, nor finally.
God withdrew not his louing kindnesse vtterly from Salomon:
Therefore Salomon fell not from Grace totally, nor finally.
The first proposition is manifest; for vtterly & totally are termes equiualent, and it is certain, that whosoeuer falleth not totally, cānot fall finally. The second proposition may be deduced out of Psa. 89. 31, 32, 33, 34, 35.