A Second Parallel, Part 1 · Comparison 7
ARMINIANS.
BERTIVS, pag. 26. Beleeuers may make shipwrake of faith, 1 Tim. 1. 19. some hauing put away a good cōscience, cōcerning a faith, hauehave made shipwracke.
Ibid. 1 Tim. 4. 1. In the latter times some shall depart from the a faith, giuing heed to seducing spirits.
APPEALER.
APPEALE, pag. 160. 1 Tim. 1. 19. Holding faith and a good conscience, which some hauing put away, cōcerning a faith, hauehave made shipwracke.
Ibid. Nor was it onelyonly for those times, but foretold of succeeding ages, 1 Tim. 4. 1. In the latter daies some shall depart from the a faith.
a To the places alledged out of Timothy, wee answer: First, that they are fully answered by the distinction aboue mentioned (ad literamy) namely of a two-fold signification of the word (faith) which is sometimes taken for the saith which we beleeue, that is, the word of faith, or doctrine of the Gospell, as Galath. 1. 23. Now preacheth the faith, which once he destroyed, Rom. 10. 8. This is the word of faith, which we preach: the hearing of faith, Galat. 3. 2. A great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith, Act. 6. 7. And in this sense Oecumenius taketh the word (faith) in the first place aboue alledged, foreign: by faith, I vnderstand faith in doctrine; by conscience, a godly conuersation, or a good life. And that it is to be so taken in the latter place, it is euident by the words following, 1 Tim. 4. 1. Giuing heed to seducing spirits, and doctrine of deuils. Faith opposed to error, and doctrine of deuils, is the true doctrine of faith, which we beleeue and preach. Sometimes the word (faith) is taken in Scripture for the faith by which we beleeue; that is, the inward grace, or habit of faith: as Rom. 3. 28. Iustified by faith, without the deeds of the Law. And Rom. 4. 5. His faith is counted for righteousnesse, Rom. 5. 1. Being iustified by faith, we hauehave peace with God. This distinction is not new coyned by nouelizing Puritans, but stamped by the ancient Fathers, and goes for current among the Schoole-men. Saint Augustine in his thirteenth booke of the Trinity, chap. 2. deliuers it in these very termes, There is a difference betweene the faith, quae creditur, and quâ creditur: And Lombard, lib. 3. distinct. 23. taketh the same from Saint Augustine, saying, Fides est interdumid, quod credimus, interdum estid, quo credimus. Secondly, we answer, that as there is a temporary faith, so there may be a good conscience for a time, which a man putting away, soone after makes shipwrack concerning faith: that is, either concerning the doctrine of faith, by maintaining errors, (as both Bertius, and the Appealer hauehave done:) or concerning the act of a temporary faith, by ceasing to beleeue, and professe the faith. Thirdly, it is to be noted, that the Apostle saith not [losing] but [putting away a good conscience] which words may be most properly meant of such, who hold faith, and notwithstanding put away a good conscience; that is, gladly embrace the promise of the Gospell, and remission of their sinnes by faith, but reiect the condition vponupon, & end for which grace is offered, Tit. 2. 12. (To deny vngodlinesse, and worldly lusts, and to liue soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world) such are all carnall Gospellers, who beleeue well, but liue not accordingly. Fourthly, the phrase (making shipwracke) doth not import the vtter losse of faith; for many things, that fall out of the ship by wrack, are recouered again, and saued; and therefore Tertullian, in his book de Poenitentiâ, elegantly calleth repentance Tabulam post naufragium, A board, or broken peece of the ship, on which after ship wracke a man may, as they did Act. 27. 44. Escape safe to land: Pleri que naufragio liberati, exinde repudium & naui & mari dicunt, & Dei beneficium, salutem suam scil: memoriâ periculi honorant; Most men, that hauehave escaped in shipwrack, renounce both ship and sea, and, by remembrance of their former danger, more highly prize Gods benefit, and their saluation, Lastly, this Obiection may be retorted against the Aduersary, thus.
If those, who are here said to make shipwracke of faith, are not to be thought, to hauehave fallen away finally from grace and saluation, but rather the contrary, then this place maketh nothing for the finall Apostasie of true beleeuers:
But those, who are here said to make shipwracke of faith, are not to be thought, to hauehave fallen away finally from grace and saluation, but rather the contrary;
Therefore, this place maketh nothing for the finall Apostasie of true beleeuers.
The first Proposition is euident; the Assumption is thus confirmed:
Those who were deliuered to Satan by the Apostle for their amendment, and that their spirit might be saued in the day of the Lord Iesus, are not to be thought to hauehave fallen finally from grace and saluation.
But those, who are here said to make shipwracke of faith, (to wit, Hymeneus and Alexander) were deliuered to Satan by the Apostle, for their amendment, 1 Tim. 1. 20. and that their spirit might be saued in the day of the Lord Iesus, 1 Cor. 5. 5.
Therefore those, who are here said to make shipwracke of faith, are not to bee thought, to hauehave fallen finally from grace, and saluation.