A Compend of the Controversies of Religion, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. OF PERSEVERANCE.
§. That the faithfull Children of GOD, can never totallie fall from Grace, nor finallie periſh.
1. Authoritie of Scripture.
PSal. 37.28. For the Lord loveth judgemēt, and forſaketh not his Saincts: they are preſerved for ever.
Note then, That God's Saincts perſevere, becauſe God him-ſelfe hee forſaketh them not, but preſerveth them, by a conſtant, and ſecret preſervation ever.
Pſal. 73.23. Never-the-leſſe, I am continuallie with thee: thou hast holden mee by my right hand.
Note then, That God's holding of vsus, is the cauſe of our ſtanding: where-in becauſe hee fayleth not, therefore wee finallie fall not.
Ierem. 31.3. The Lord appeared of olde vntounto mee, ſaying, I hauehave loved thee, with an ever-lasting louelove; therefore with loving kyndneſſe hauehave I drawne thee.
Note then, That the maine cauſe, is in God of our perſeverance, to wit, becauſe his louelove is not changeable: For whome He loveth, He loveth to the ende. Iohn, 13.1.
Ierem. 32.40. And I vvill make an ever-lasting covenant with them, that I vvill not turne away from them, to doe them good: and I vvill put my feare in their hearts, that they ſhall not depart from mee.
Loe then, The cauſe of our not-departing from God, is his never-turning away from vsus; and therefore our perſeverance ſtandeth vponupon a ſure ground.
Matth. 24.24. For there ſhall ariſe falſe christes, and falſe prophets, and ſhall ſhow great ſignes and vvonders: in ſo much (that if it were poſſible) they ſhall deceiue the vere Elect.
Wee muſt note therefore, that Chriſt's owne mouth declareth it to bee a thing impoſſible, that God's Elect can finallie, and fullie, fall from trueth, and grace.
Iohn 6.37. All that the Father giveth mee, ſhall come vntounto me: and him that commeth vntounto mee, I vvill not cast foorth.
Iohn 10.28. And I giuegive them eternall life, and they ſhall not periſh, and no man ſhall plucke them out of mine hand.
Iohn 17.11. Holie Father, keepe them in Thy Name, vvhom thou hast given me, that they may bee one, as wee are one.
Note then, Out of all the former, that the Sainctes perſeverance is ſure, in reſpect they are the Fathers gift, to the Sonne, and that they are kept ever ſure in the Sonne's owne hand, and protected lyke-wyſe ſo ſafelie by the Father, that it is as impoſſible to divide anie of them from the reſt of the Members of Chriſt's myſticall bodie, as it is to divide Chriſt him-ſelfe from his Father, who are one: and therefore the Apoſtle cryeth out, ſaying, VVho ſhall ſeparate vsus from the louelove of God, which is in Christ Ieſus? Rom. 8.35.
Rom. 11.29. For the gifts and calling of God, are vvithout repentance.
Malac. 3.6. For I am the Lord, I change not, therefore yee ſonnes of Iacob are not conſumed.
Note therefore, That on the Lord's conſtancie, the conſtancie and perſeverance of the Godlie is grounded.
Rom. 8.29.30. For vvhom hee fore-knew; hee alſo predestinated, &c, and vvhom he predistinated, them alſo hee called: and vvhom hee called, them alſo hee justified: and vvhome hee justified, them alſo hee glorified.
Note then, That this golden chaine of Salvation, can never bee broken, as long as the firſt linke there-of, which is our election, is kept ſure in the Lord's owne hand: ſo that whom hee hath predeſtinated to glorie, hee ſhall keepe ſure vnfallen, finallie and fullie, away from the middle linkes and graces, that leade there-to, vntill he inveſt them in glorie.
2. Witneſsing of Antiquitie.
THis God hath promiſed, (ſayth A… gustine) ſaying, I will put my feare in their hearts, that they ſhall not depart from mee: which what other thing is it, but that ſuch ſhall bee my feare, and ſo great, which I will put in their hearts, that they ſhall conſtantlie adhere to mee. Aug. tom. 7. de bono perſever. c. 2. And againe, Chriſt placing them ſo, that they ſhould goe, and bring foorth fruit, and their fruit ſhould abyde: who dare ſay, Perhaps it will not a-byde? for the Lord's gifts, and calling, are without repentance. Aug. tom. 7. de correp. & gratia. c. 12.
3. Confeſsion of Partie.
THe confeſſion lyke-wyſe of our Adverſaries, is this: Lyra & Carthuſian, on Iohn 10.28. declare this to bee the cauſe of the Godlies perſeverance, becauſe their predeſtination (ſay they) can-not bee fruſtrate, which it deſtinating them to glorie, will not ſuffer neither tentation, nor interveaning perſecution, bee able to ſeparate them from Chriſt.