The Perpetuity of a Regenerate Mans Estate, To the reader
TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.
CHristian Reader, when as I had well considered with my selfe the great danger and combustion that was likely to befall our Church and State, by reason of some dangerous points of Pelagianisme, Poperie, and Arminianisme, which some factious and nouillizing spirits, hauehave lately broched and set on foote among vsus, as the receiued positiue and resolued doctrines, not only of the Scriptures, Fathers, and Protestant Churches in forraine parts, but likewise of the Church of England; I supposed, that I could not performe a better peece of seruice to God, or to our Church and State, then to cast in my Mite among the rest, and to indeauour according to my poore ability, to stoppe the streame and current of these late reuiued and new minted Errors; which by reason of the learning, fame and greatnesse of their Patrons, and the deprauation of mans nature (which is alwayes more propense and prone to Error, then to truth and holinesse) are like to threaten a generall and vniuersall deluge to our Church and State, if authority preuent them not in time, VponUpon this I resolued to put my penne to Paper, and thereupon I selected and culled out from among the rest, this hereticall and pernicious Error, Of the totall and finall Apostacie of the Saints from grace, to combate and to grapple with. The reasons which moued me to single out this one aboue all, or any of the rest, were these. First, because this Error is most of all insisted and stood vponupon, and is more peremptorily maintained and d…fended then any of the rest; and therefore requires the speediest and the strongest opposition. Secondly, because this Error by reason of a misreported conferēce, hath drawne more disciples and parties after it, than any of the rest, it hath found more Patrons of late among vsus, than any other Error that I know; and therefore I thought that I should doe the greatest good, in opposing and suppressing the most infectious and spreading Error. Thirdly, I made choyce of this aboue the rest, because it was a part of Pelagianisme heretofore, and it is but a point of pure Popery, and Arminianisme now: and therefore I presumed that I might with greater boldnesse and audacitie, and with lesse offence to any, aduenture to refell it: especially, since those who now defend it, produce no other reasons, arguments, answers, or authorities, than those which the Pelagians, Papists, and Arminians, hauehave framed and collected to their hands before, without any new addition of their owne. Fourthly, I made choyce of this, to vindicate the Church of England, the Fathers, Scriptures, and Protestants in forraine parts, from the false calumnies of those, who would make all these the Patrons of this Error, when as they hauehave all with one vnanimous consent, condemned, censured and refuted it, yea, and resolued against it, as against a dangerous and hereticall position. Fifely, I made choyce of this, because the sound confutation of it, will ouerthrow the whole frame and fabricke of Arminianisme: it will likewise out off a great part of Poperie, and it will in effect suppresse and quite subuert, the most of all those Errors Which hauehave beene lately broched among vsus. For if this totall and finall Apostacie of the Saints, bee once proued to be but an Error: then the doctrines of Vniuersall Grace; of Free-will; of Election from the fore-sight of saith; that such men as were neuer elected to saluation hauehave true saith: that the number of the elect is vncertaine: that the sinnes of the Saints doe cut them off from Christ, that all these who are baptized are regenerated: that the Sacraments conuey grace alike to all ex opere operato: that there are some sinnes which are not mortall in their owne nature: that men ought to doubt, and that they cannot be certainely assured of their owne saluation without some speciall reuelation: that Grace is but a morall perswasion, and that men may receiue it or reiect it at their pleasure: that such as are not elected to saluation, are true members of the holy Catholike Church: that such as are not predestinated may bee saued. Yea, the Sacrifice of the Masse, Purgatory, Popish pennance and Indulgencies, will all to wrecke, and fall vntounto the ground: So many other Errors are there which depend on this. Sixtly, I made choyce of this aboue the rest, because it is an Error of greatest consequence. For it derogates very much from all Gods great and holy attributes; from his glorie, mercy, honour, goodnesse, truth, wisdome, iustice, power, and the rest: it derogates from Christs intercession, and the merits of his death and passion: it detracts very much from the Deity, might, power, essicacte, truth, and working of the holy Ghost: it quite ouerthrowes and disanulls the Scriptures, and the very kingdome, nature, … and power of true and sauing grace: it robs the Saints of God of all their happinesse, ioy and comfort: it stripps and spoyles them of all their spirituall priuiledges, of all the treasures of their soules, and leaues them …, poore and miserable, where else they were the onelyonly, happy, and blessed of the Lord: In a word, it strikes at the very roote of all true religion; it pulls God out of heauen: and it either makes men Atheists, to hauehave no God at all, or at least to hauehave no God besides themselues. These and many other, are the ineuitable consequencies of this Error, which as they are many, so are they very great and dangerous. Laftly, I made choyce of this aboue the rest, because it is not (as some surmize) a notionall and speculatiue Error, fit onelyonly for Schooles and Schollers to know, and to determine; but it is a practicall Error, and a point which trencheth farre into the practice of Christianitie: it is a point and Error that concernes not only the learnedest, but the very lowest and meanest Christians; it extends it selfe alike to all, and therefore the more needfull is it to refell it. Questions which concerne the nature and the truth of Grace, the Perpetuitie and properties of Grace, extend indifferently to all those to whom grace it selfe extends, to one as much as to another, because they are alike vsefull and necessary vntounto all, be they learned or vnlearned. Now this being a question concerning the very nature essence, and propertie of true and sauing grace, extends alike to all men, and it is of great vse and moment, euen in their very practice of …. Yea, I will affirme it, that there is no one thing … which will more … men in the practice of religion, then this one pernicious Error, that they may fall totally & finally from grace. For if Ministers should preach and publish this for orthodox and current truth; that true grace is of a corruptible and fading nature; that it is such a thing as may be lost, when once it is obtained; who is there that would seeke it or respect it; who is there that either would or could preferre his profit and his pleasures, his riches and his honours farre before it? who is there that would part with these to purchase it, when as they were not sure to inioy it? when as they might be dispossessed of it at the last? If grace might vtterly be lost, if it were a transitorie and fading good, men would not, nay, men could not louelove it or affect it; they would not part with any other thing to win and purchase it: eueryevery man would then louelove and serue his owne lusts and pleasures, you should hauehave none at all to louelove or serue the Lord. Besides if this were true, that men might fall from grace, what comforts or incouragements could Christians giuegive vntounto themselues or others? If a man should come to any one that was perplexed in his conscience, or to a dying Christian, if this were true, that true regenerate men might fall from grace, what comfort could he giuegive them? Should hee magnifie Gods grace and mercy to them in Christ? Should he repeate those comfortable and pretious promises of grace and merciemercy which are eueryevery where recorded in the Scriptures? should hee tell them that they hauehave liued a godly and religious life? That they are in a happy condition and state of grace? that they are the beloued of the Lord? that Christ hath prepared an euerlasting kingdome, and a crowne of glory for them in heauen, and therefore they need not for to doubt or dispaire of Gods mercy? Alas, all these might be wiped off with this one answer; we are fallen quite away from the state of grace by these and these our sinnes; if not, we are sure to commit … sinne or other ere we die, which will vtterly seuer and cut vsus off from Christ for euer; and therefore all these promises and comforts which you bring, they belong to others not to vsus, our soules can take no comfort in them. Doubtlesse there is not a Christian in the world, which could administer any …oy or comfort at all, vntounto his owne or other mens soules, if true regenerate men might fall from grace at last, and lose the fruite and benefit of all their workes and graces. Againe, what comfort or incouragement could any Christian hauehave, to doe or suffer any thing for the Lord if this were true? Who is there that would spend his life and dayes in doing of Gods seruice? Who is there that would suffer persecution and afflictions, that would vndergoe disgrace, contempt and scorne, or fire and fagot for the Lord, if he might after all this fall from grace, and lose the things which hee had wrought? Christians could hauehave no comfort or incouragement at all, to doe or suffer any thing for Christ, if this were true. Againe, in what a miserable and forlorne estate should poore Christians be in dubious, troublesome, and dangerous times, if this position were grounded in their hearts, that they might fall from grace? then they were not sure of heauen, they were not sure of earth; they were vncertaine of this present life, but more vncertaine of the life to come: they then should hauehave no certaintie at all of any thing; they should hauehave nothing left them on which to stay or rest their soules: they should hauehave horrors within, and feares without; troubles and doubts within, and crosses and afflictions without: that curse of God which is denounced against all disobedient and impenitent sinners should light vponupon them. Among the nations they should finde noDeu…. 28. 65, 66, 67. ease, neither should the sole of their foote take any rest; but the Lord should giuegive them a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, aud sorrow of minde: and their liues should hang in doubt before them, and they should feare day and night, and hauehave none assurance of their liues; In the morning they should say, would it were euen, and at euen they should say, would God it were mor…ing; for the feare of their heart wherewith they should feare, and for the sight of their eyes which they should see; they should then finde no ease, no rest or comfort to th…ir soules at all, and so they must needs sinke and perish in dispaire: Where as if they had this pillar to rest and stay their soules vponupon, that they can neuer fall …rom grace, nor be depriued of the louelove of God: that let what will befall their bodies, their soules are sure to be safe: that though their outward2 Cor. 4. 16. man perish, yet their inward man shall be renewed day by day: that though their earthly house of this tabernacle2 Cor. 5. 1. were dissolued, yet they hauehave a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternall in the heauens; this would comfort and reioyce their soules beyond expression, this would beare them vp in all extremities, and keepe them from sinkeing in dispaire. So that you see, that the whole comfort and treasure of a Christian, that the whole seruice of God, and practice of religion are vtterly abolished and taken away by this pernicious Error; and therefore I made choyce of this aboue any of the rest, to combate and to grapple with, especially in these dubious and ambiguous times of ours, wherein we need an anchor on which to stay our soules. But now some men may thinke my labour vaine and needlesse, and perchance vnseasonable to, because so many Worthies of our Church, hauehave so lately handled and discussed this our present Controuersie. To wh…ch I answer first, That the slacknesse of the Printer (in whose hands this worke hath beene pending euer since L…nt last) hath turned these my First fruites into Gleanings, against my expectation and intent: and therefore if you returne a Tardè to them, let the Printer beare the blame, not I. Secondly, I answer, that though many hauehave lately handled and discussed this very controversie in the by, conioyning it with other points; yet none of them hauehave handled it particularly, and indiuidually by it selse, as I hauehave done it. Yea, I may with modestie affirme it, without any pride, arrogance, or selfe-conceite, that there was neuer any hitherto who hath written of this controu…rsie, that hath handled and discussed it so fully and perspicuously, as I hauehave done it here. I hauehave produced many more arguments and reasons, and cited more quotations from Scriptures, Fathers, Councells, Synods, Confessions, and moderne Diuines to confute this Error, and I hauehave giuen more cleere, full, and satisfactorie answers to most of those arguments that are brought for to defend it, than any yet hauehave done, that I could reade or heare of. And therefore notwithstanding, that so many hauehave lately written of this subiect; I hope that these my labours (which I hauehave vndertaken in the synceritie of my heart, for the glory of God, for the peace and quiet of this our Church for the vindicating of the truth, and for the comfort and consolation of all such faithfull Christians as shall be made partakers of them) shall finde such approbation and acceptance in the world, that they shall neither be condemned as vntimely, nor loathed as superfluous. And here (Courteous Reader) to free my selfe from causelesse censure, I must intreate these few courtesies at thine hands. First, that where thou findest any mistakes or slips in words or letters in reading of this Treatise, that thou wouldest take the paines for to amend them; imputing the fault vntounto the Corrector and not vntounto my selfe. Secondly, that when thou findest the same reasons, Scriptures, Arguments, or answers reiterated and repeated in seuerall places of this discourse, that thou would…st not forth-with condemne me of Battologie and Surplusage, because they are alwaies vrged and recited in a different forme and manner, and to other ends and purposes then they were before: so that though they are almost the same in words and matter, yet they alwayes differ in circumstances, forme, and end, and in the manner of propounding them; so that in truth they are not the same, though prima facie they may seeme to be the same. Thirdly, I would request thee so to censure and iudge of these my labours, as thou wouldest hauehave me and others to censure and to iudge of thine, if thou thy selfe hadst written. Lastly, since the generall end and scope of these my labours, is nothing else but to vindicate and cleere, the honour and the truth of God: to establish peace and vnitie in this our Church and State, that this our present controuersie, and those others which depend vponupon it, may no more molest and trouble them: and to comfort and reioyce the hearts and soules of all the true and faithfull Saints of God, in these ambiguous, doubtfull, and perplexed times, (whose only ioy and comfort, whose onelyonly stay and proppe, whose very heauen vponupon earth and chiefest happinesse, lie all at stake, and are suspended on this present Controuersie:). I would request thee so to reade and meditate on these my rude and indegested labours, as if thou didst vnfainedly desire for to learne and profite by them, and to diue into the truths contained in them. Reade them with a single and impartiall eye, and with an vpright and an honest heart, voide of all criticall fore-stalled and preiudicated affections. Reade them with a meeke and humble spirit, not to carpe or quarrell with them, but willingly to yeeld and to submit vntounto them as far as truth and conscience will permit: and if thou shalt receiue any benefit, comfort, or sa…isfaction from them, giuegive God the glory, p…ay for me.
The vnfained well wisher of thine eternall good and comfort, WILLIAM PRYNNE.