The Perpetuity of a Regenerate Mans Estate, Argument – Dedication
THE PERPETVITIE OF A REGENERATE MANS ESTATE.
Wherein it is manifestly proued by sundry arguments, reasons and authorities. That such as are once truly regenerated and ingrafted into Christ by a liuely faith, can neither finally nor totally fall from grace.
It is also proued, that this hath beene the receiued and resolued Doctrine, of all the ancient Fathers, of all the Protestant Churches and writers beyond the seas, and of the Church of England. All the principall arguments that are, or may be obiected against it, either from Scripture, or from reason, are here likewise cleared and answered.
By WILLIAM PRYNNE Gent: Lincolniensis.
PSAL. 125. Verse 1.
They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion, which cannot be remoued but standeth fast for euer
Fulgentius de Praedestinatione ad Monimum.
Gratia praeuenis impium, vt fiat iustus: subsequitur iustum ne fiat impius: Praueniselisum vt surgat: subsequitur eleuatum necadat.
LONDON,
Printed by WILLIAM IONES dwelling in Redcrossestreete. 1626.
TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD GEORGE BY THE Diuine Prouidence Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, Primate of England, and one of his Maiesties most Honourable Priuy Councell
MOST Reuerend Father in God, it hath pleased the dispenser and giuer of all honour and preferment, out of his especiall prouidence, to aduance your Grace (next to our gratious and Dread Soueraigne) to the highest place of rule and dignitie in this our Church, whereby you are farre ingaged to patronize the truth of God, and the established and resolued Doctrines of our English Church. Which when I had well considered, it moued me to consecrate these first fruites of my studies to your Grace; which are nothing else, but a iust, (though weake and meane,) defence of a principell and ground of that religion, which hath beene long established and setled in our Church, till some factious and nouellizing spirits (if not worse) were so bold and impudent of late for to disturbe it. The men and meanes by which this truth hath beene disturbed and drawne into question, are not vnknowne (I suppose) vntounto your Grace: and therefore I neede not to informe against them. All that I shall say of them is only this; that they are now so potent and so politique, that if they are not speedily and carefully preuented by your Grace, they are like to quell, at least to cloud, that glorious truth and Gospell (which hath shined so bright, so plentifully and comfortablie among vsus for so long a season,) with the dismall, the dangerous and pernitious mists of Poperie and Arminianisme. Their bookes, you know, which are fraught with dangerous and hurtfull errors (and so much the more dangerous, because they are sweetned, cloathed and guilded ouer, with the name and countenance of the Doctrine of the Church of England) are printed and reprinted, sold openly and dispersed publikely without controll: and the pious, wholsome and Christian labours of all such as would confute them (by reason of those meanes which they hauehave made) can either finde no license for the presse: or if they chance to come vntounto the presse by stealth or otherwise, they are either quelled and smothered in it before they come vntounto their birth, or else they are called in and quelled, before they can bee published and dispersed, for to cleare and vindicate the truth: so that by the supportation and propagating of the one, and the discountenancing and suppressing of the other, that truth of God which wee hauehave hitherto professed, is like to be betrayed. Shall these factious, scismaticall and hereticall spirits, bee so industrous to establish and to vent their Errors, and to quell the truth: and shall not wee be as diligent and couragious to defend it? shall they with all their might and maine plant Poperie and Arminianisme, nay Pelagianisme & Atheismie in our Church, and shall wee sit still with foulded hands, with silent tongues, and stupified hearts, and not labour to withstand them. Alas where is our louelove, where is our zeale to God and to his cause? where is our ancient courage for the truth, that wee are now so cold and frozen, that we are now so much ashamed of that glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ which hath flourished so long among vsus, and hath made vsus a mirror and a spectacle of Gods mercies vntounto all the world; that now wee dare not, or at least wee will not, defend and take its part; that we dare not to (aIude 3.) contend and struggle for it? but that we suffer it so willingly to bee surprised and betrayed, as if wee were more willing to be rid of it, then any longer to inioy it. Certainly this want of courage for, and louelove vntounto the truth, as it is a sure syntome, (bMath. 24. 12.) that iniquitie doth abound among vsus, so it may iustly cause the Lord to bring a famine and scarcitie among vsus, (cAmos 8. 11.) not of bread only (which now is very likely to befall vsus) but euen of the word of God, which is farre worse: yea, it may prouoke him, and that deseruedly, (d2 Thes. 2. 10, 11, 12.) to giuegive vsus vp to strong delusions to beleeue lies, that we all may be damned, because wee would not receiue the louelove of the truth, that so wee might be saued. O therefore let mee now beseech your Grace, that as in former times you hauehave, so now, you would take heart and courage for the truth. You hauehave many incouragements, many inforcements and ingagements for to doe it. For your incouragement, you hauehave the Lord of hosts, and the almightie King of heauen for to take your part; you hauehave the votes and prayers of all true hearted Christians, you hauehave all the aide and assistance that heauen and earth can yeeld vntounto you: O feare not then the (eIsay 2. 22.) face or frowne of man whose breath is in his nostrells; feare not the power or the malice of any that oppose the truth, for wherin are they to be accounted of? the (fPsal. 46. 7. 11.) Lord of hosts is with you, the God of Iacob is your refuge, man therefore cannot stand before you. For inforcements and incouragements to be zealous and couragious for the truth, you hauehave very many. You are called to defend and to support the truth: the very nature and qualitie of your function, and the very dignitie of that place and person which now you doe sustaine, doe euen ingage and binde your Grace to be couragious and zealous for it. God hath committed his truth & Gospell to your trust, and hath giuen it you in charge to propagate and defend it: God and our Gratious Soueraigne, hauehave committed the care and custodie of this our Church to your charge, and they hauehave giuen you more ability and power, (and so more cause) for to defend the truth and doctrine that is established and setled in it, then to other men: and therefore they will require and expect from your Grace, (to whom so much is committed) much more then they can, or will from any other. O therefore as you tender the glory and honour of the God of heauen, the defence of Christ, and of his cause and Gospell: the peace and safetie of this our Church, which is committed to your charge: as you tender your owne honor and reputation with God & man, or that great account which you must shortly make to God, of that great stewardship of his which is committed to you: if you …ender the good and comfort of your owne soule both here and hereafter: if you would hauehave Iesus Christ to owne you, and not to (hMa…ke 8. 38.) bee ashamed of you at the last, when hee shall come in the glory of his Father with all his holy Angells: if you would not bee cast with those other (iReu. 21. 8.) fearefull ones, into that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone for euer: take heart and courage for the Lord of hoasts, and for his truth and cause, which now are likely to miscarie. Suffer not his word and truth to bee betrayed and suppressed, by scismaticall, factious, and Antechristian spirits, for want of supportation and defence: but since the eyes of God and man are cast vponupon you, execute, stirre vp and act that place and power, which God and man hauehave giuen to you, to the quelling of heresy and scisme, to the extirpation of Poperie and Arminianisme: (which are now flowing in so fast vponupon vsus, that they doe euen threaten a sodaine inundation and deluge to vsus) to the subuersion of the kingdome of Satan and Antechris…, to the maintaining and inlarging of the kingdome of Iesus Christ, and to the establishing of that glorious truth and Gospell, which hath flourished and shined so long among vsus, to the admiration and mirror of our friends, and to the griefe and enuy of our aduersaries. Let not feare and cowardice, let not flesh and blood, or any other impediment whatsoeuer, daunt your courage, or coole your louelove and zeale to Christ, or to his cause; but be willing to denie your selfe, to part with all for him, who hath euen denied himselfe, and parted with his life and all for you. And here I would intreate your Grace to pardon this my boldnesse and my rudenesse with you; (which though modesty and manners might ca…e mee to forbeare, yet piety and zeale to God and to his truth, and louelove to this my Mother Church, together with the necessity and extremitie of the times, hath made me guilty of it (I hope not faulty in it) and withall I humblie consecrate these Firstlings of my studies (being nothing else but a iust defence of a comfortable and Orthodox point of faith, which hath long beene setled and established in this our Church, and in all reformed Churches beyond the seas) which if your Grace will but vouchsafe to Patronize and shelter, they shall not feele, they will not feare, a totall or a finall …,
Now the God of all Grace, so beautifie and adorne your Grace with all the graces of his Spirit, so fill and replenish you with zeale, with fortitude and courage for the truth: and so firmely settle and establish you in the glorious and happy estate of true and sauing grace, that neither your Grace, (nor yet that truth and Gospell which … now inioy,) may euer feele a finall, totall, or a partiall fall.
Your Graces in all humble submission and respect WILLIAM PRYNNE.