A Second Parallel, Part 1 · Comparison 5
Of Falling away from Grace.
ARMINIANS.
BERTIVS pag. 25. De Apostas. Sanct. That which we hauehave proposed we proue, first, by those formes of Scripture, by which Apostasie is diuersly described; for this the Scripture calleth to turne away from righteousnesse, Ezek. 33. 13. If the righteous commit iniquity, all his righteousnesse shall be no more remembred, but for his …niquitie, that he hath committed, he shall die for the same.
Ibid. pag. 27. He, who can turne away from his righteousnesse, can forsake his former righteousnesse; but a righteous man can turne away from his righteousnesse, Ezek. 18. 24. Therefore the righteous can forsake his former righteousnesse.
Bert. pag. 41. Hee, out of whom the Deuill is cast, may become secure, and made a Temple in which the former Deuill taking seuen other spirits with him, may be lodged; and so the latter cōdition of that man made worse than the former, Mat. 12. 43. Demonstrat. Hee, out of whom the Deuill is cast, is truly iustified; but such a one may by securitie, and negligence fall into an estate worse then the former: therefore he, that is once truly iustified, may fall into an estate worse than the former.
Bert. pag. 36. Among the causes of Apostasie, one is, the feare of persecution; He that receiued the seed in stony places, the same is he, that heareth the Word, and anon with ioy receiueth it: yet hath he not root in himselfe, but dureth for a while, for when tribulation ariseth because of the Word, he is offended.
APPEALER.
APpeale, pa. 159. Ezek. 18. 24, 26. If the righteous t turne away from his righteousnesse, and commit iniquitie, and doe according vntounto all the abominations that the wicked man doth, shall he liue? All his righteousnesse, that he hath done, shall not be remembred: but in his transgression that he hath committed, and in his sinne that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
Ibid. Ezek. 33. 13. If hee commit iniquity, all his righteousnesse shal be no more remembred: but for his iniquitie that he hath committed, he shall die for the same. Therefore the righteous may lose his righteousnesse, abandon his faith, die in his sinne, &c.
Ibid. pag. 159. The vncleane spirit eiected, returneth vntounto his former residence, entreth, possedeth his former state, and the case of that man is worse than the beginning, Matth. 12. 44. u Satan is not eiected, but where the partie is in the state of grace with God, being regenerate by faith. Reposseding is not but by relapse into sinne: nor a worse state, but where a man dieth in sinne.
Ibid. pag. 159. Luke 8. 13. * They on the rock are they, who, when they heare, receiue the Word with ioy, who for a while beleeue, and in time of temptation fall away.
t Because this place of Ezekiel is set in the fore-front both by the Appealer, and by Bertius, as a testimony, on which they most rely, and are most confident of; I will endeuour both fully to answer, and retort it against them. Besides those Answers, by which others hauehave rebated the edge of this Obiection: As * first, that this speech is conditionall; suppositiue, and not positiue; and therefore no more inferreth that a righteous man may fall from his righteousnesse, then those words of Saint Paul [If an Angell from heauen shall preach vntounto you another Gospell, than that you receiued, let him be accursed] conclude, that an Angell from heauen can preach another Gospell. Or the like of our Sauiour, [They shall doe signes and wonders to seduce, if it were possible, the Elect] therefore it is possible to seduce the elect; whereas indeed the contrary may be inferred, euen from those words. Secondly, That the Prophet speaketh of him, that is righteous in his owne opinion, and before men; but not in the sight of God, such a man may fall away from his righteousnesse; but the question is, of a man regenerate, and truly righteous; and such a one cannot turne away from his righteousnesse. Of this minde is Saint Gregory Moral. in Iob. lib. 34. cap. 13. They, who may be seduced in such sort, that they neuer returne againe, may seeme to lose the habit of sanctitie before the eyes of men, [sed eam ante oculos Dei nunquam habuerunt] but indeed they neuer had any holinesse in the sight of God. Thirdly, that the Prophet speakes here of actuall righteousnesse, which may be lost, and is lost, by the committing of any wilfull and grieuous sinne against conscience; not of habituall, which cannot be lost [if he doe that which is lawfull and right, Ezek. 18. 21. and 24. If he doth according to all the abominations the wicked man doth, all the righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be remembred] here is not a word that importeth habituall righteousnesse, but meerely actuall; which, all sides confesse, may be lost. Besides these answers, I say further, that this Scripture no way tendeth to Bertius, or the Appealers purpose. For they should proue, that a iustified man may lose Euangelicall righteousnesse, or the righteousnesse of Faith; not Legall righteousnesse. Now it is euident, that the Prophet speaketh of Legall righteousnesse; First, by the pronoune (his) [if the righteous turne away from (his) righteousnesse] that is, the righteousnesse of his owne workes, or his inherent righteousnesse: not the imputed righteousnesse of Christ, for that is not his owne, Philip. 3. 9. That I may be found in him, not hauing mine owne righteousnesse, which is of the Law; but the righteousnesse, which is of God by faith. Secondly, by the enumeration of particulars, vers. 6, 7, 8. 15, 16, 17. all which appertaine to Legall righteousnesse: If he hath not eaten vponupon the mountaines, nor lift vp his eyes to the Idols of the house of Israel, nor come neare to a menstruous woman, and hath spoiled none by violence, and hath not giuen his money vponupon vsury, &c. Lastly, this argument may be retorted against the Aduersaries two wayes. First thus, If the difference of the Couenant betweene the Law and the Gospell, consisteth especially in this, [that the righteousnesse required by the one may be lost, but the righteousnesse promised by the other cannot be lost] then the argument from the losse of Legall righteousnesse to Euangelicall, is of no force, but to disproue our Aduersaries tenent: for that, which in this place of Ezekiel, is affirmed of the one, may not be affirmed of the other: but the difference of the Couenant betweene the Law and the Gospel cōsisteth especially in this, [that the righteousnesse required by the one may be lost, but the righteousnesse promised by the other cannot be lost.] Ierem. 31. 31. 33. 34. Heb. 8. 8. Behold the dayes come that I will make a new Couenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Iudah; not according to the Couenant that I made with their Fathers, &c. but this shall be my Couenant, which I will make with the house of Israel; I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, I will forgiue their iniquitie, and remember their sinne no more. And Ierem. 32. 40. I will make an euerlasting Couenant with them, that I will not turne away from them to doe them good; but I will put my feare in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Secondly thus: If these words are spoken generally to the children of God, and belong to the elect as well as others, they cannot imply a totall, and finall falling away from righteousnesse, no not in the iudgement of the Arminians, and Iesuites themselues, with whose Heifer the Appealer plowes: [For as the Iesuites, so Arminius himselfe teacheth, [that a man that is elect, and predestinated to eternall life, cannot fall finally, nor perish for euer:] But the words of the Prophet Ezekiel are spoken generally vntounto all, and belong to the very Elect; therefore I conclude, in the words of the great Champion of Popery in generall, and of this particular touching the Apostasie of Saints, Card. Bellarm. lib. 3. de Iustif. cap. 12. It is true that the predestinated or elected are in no danger of losing eternall life, and that the terrifying threats vsed by the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures, are to this end, to stirre vp the elect to watchfulnesse and diligence; motiues they are to, and meanes of perseuerance, not arguments at all to proue the Saints Apostasie.
u To the place of Matth. 12. 44. we answer; First, we ought not to ground any doctrine of faith vponupon a meere parable, or allegory: because [as Saint Augustine, in his booke, de Doctrinâ Christianâ, deliuereth it] All those points which belong to faith and manners, are plainly deliuered in the Scriptures. Secondly, we cannot a…gue strongly from corporall possession, or dispossession, to spirituall: as a Lunaticke man, so a man possessed with the Deuill in body, may be yet in the state of grace in his soule; and in like manner, as a man that is cured of his frensie or lunacie, may be yet an vnsanctified man; so a man, out of whom the Deuill is cast, from tormenting or possessing the body, may be yet an vnregenerate man, (although, I grant, our Sauiour seldome, or neuer cured any mans body, but first he healed the soule, as some Interpreters hauehave obserued) yet no necessary consequence can be drawn from the health or sicknesse of the body, to the health or sicknesse of the soule. Neither is it said here, that the vncleane spirit was cast out by Christ, nor by any other; but that he went out of himselfe, and returned againe; and therefore this possessed person can be no fit embleme of a truly regenerated, and iustified man, out of whom the Deuil is powerfully cast out: and the party is no way vnderunder him, or in his power, but led by the spirit of God, Rom. 8. and wholly deliuered from the power of Satan. Thirdly, the meaning of the Parable is (as appeareth by our Sauiours application) that as the latter state of that man, [out of whom the Deuill first departed, and afterward returned with seuen worse than himselfe] was worse than the former, so it should be with the wicked Iewes, out of whom the vncleane spirit had gone out, for feare of the Law, but now was returned againe vntounto them through their refusall of the Gospell, and despiting the Spirit of Grace. Thus Saint Hilary, Ierome, and Bede expound the Parable; and their Exposition is euidently grounded vponupon our Sauiours words, vers. 45. Euen so shall it be also vntounto this wicked generation. As it is particularly applied by our Sauiour to the Iewes, so it may be to any Nation, out of which the vncleane spirit departeth for a while, or is driuen away by the preaching of the Gospell, if it be empty of good workes, and giuen to the pleasures of this world; like the lodging of the vncleane spirit, which he found empty, swept, and garnished. The vncleane spirit will enter with seuen worse, that is, the Gospell shall be taken away from them, and the Kingdome of Grace, for the abuse of it; and they shall be brought into worse bondage of the Deuill, then before: according to Saint Peter 2 Epist. 2. 20. If after they hauehave escaped the pollution of the world, through the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, they are againe intangled therein and ouercome, the latter end shall be 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 away from the holy commandement deliuered vntounto them. This was the case of the Kingdome of Congo, which for a time embraced the Gospell, but afterwards perceiuing that it restrained their carnall libertie, and no way permitted pluralitie of wiues, they cast off the yoke of Christ, and enthralled themselues againe to Satan. But it is not so with those that are truly regenerate, for to them his yoke is easie, and his burthen light. Lastly, this obiection may be retorted against the Aduersaries thus;
This Parable is meant of a wicked generation, Matth. 12. 45. an euill, and adulterous generation, vers. 39. a generation of vipers, vers. 34. such as the Scribes and Pharises were, who in this Parable are reproued by our Sauiour.
But the regenerate children of God are not a wicked, adulterous, or viperous generation, but a chosen generation, a royall Priest-hood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, 1 Pet. 2. 9.
Therefore this Parable is not meant of the regenerate children of God.
* To the place of Saint Luke 8. 13. and Mat. 13. 20. we answer; First, the heart of a man truly regenerated is not compared to a stony ground: for God by regenerating grace takes away our stony heart, and giues vsus an heart of flesh, Ezek. 36. 26. Secondly, a temporary faith is not of the same nature with a iustifying faith; a temporary faith hath no root, Matth. 13. 22. and Luke 8. 13. a iustifying faith hath: a temporary faith beareth no fruit, but a iustifying faith beareth fruit, Matth. 13. 23. and Luke 8. 15. Those, who beleeue the Gospell, meerely out of temporary hopes, [because godlinesse hath the promise of this life] they receiue the word with ioy, while they thriue and gaine by it; but when there ariseth trouble and persecution for the Word, they are offended, and fall away: but those who ground their faith vponupon the promises of a better life, their faith like gold, (1 Pet. 1. 7.) being tried in the fire, is made much more precious, and found vntounto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Iesus Christ, beleeuing with ioy vnspeakable, and full of glory, receiuing the end of their faith, the saluation of their soules, vers. 8. Their faith differeth from the faith of Hypocrites, and Temporizers, in the cause and kinde; their ioy in the degree; and both in the continuance. Lastly, this obiection may be retorted against the Aduersarie: First thus;
They, who are compared vntounto the good ground, are not meant here by stony ground:
But truely regenerate Christians and beleeuers, Luke 8. 15. and Matth. 13. 23. are compared to good ground;
Therefore they are not here meant by stony ground.
Secondly, thus;
That faith, which is distinguished from a iustifying faith in this Parable, cannot be taken for the faith of a true regenerate Christian;
But the temporary faith is distinguished in this Parable from a iustifying faith;
Therefore the temporary faith cannot be taken for the faith of a true regenerate Christian, and consequently, the Appealer, and Arminians are in this their allegation mistaken.