The Worlds Resurrection, Section 46 – Section 47
If God spared not the naturall branches.
Q If the naturall branches bee not spared, then they that are ingrafted into Christ by faith may bee cutte off.
Ans. The Argument followeth not, for they are called naturall, not by reason of their sound faith which they now had, but because of Gods couenant, and because naturally they had their beginning from the Fathers. Secondly they were onelyonly members of the visible Church wherein are many hypocrites but not of the Catholike and inuisible Church.
Take heed least he spare not thee i. least he disdaine thee and cast thee off.
Ques. Can an elect or true member of the Church fall… way and so perish?
Ans. No, for they onelyonly hauehave the spirit of regeneration whereby they are sealed vntounto the day of redemption:Ephes. 4. 1 Ioh. 2.20. Ioh. 14.5. they alone are indued with the spirit of constancie, and Christ doth neuer cast them off. Iohn. 6.37. but the comforter doth abide with them for euer.
They may (for the time) bee depriued of the outward ministery and meanes of grace and saluation, 1 King. 18.19.yet they were GODS people before in his eternall counsell. Secondly benig regenerate and borne anewe of incorruptible seede, they cannot perish nor fall away, albeit the outward meanes bee remoued.
Ques. What are wee then to thinke and iudge of those, that from the profession of sound doctrine fall away to superstition or Atheisme, and from outward and apparant holynesse to open prophanesse and licentiousnesse, and thus liue and die, were they euer of the number of the elect or any members of the inuisible Church?
Ans. No, for the elect and members of the Catholike and inuisible Church are onelyonly indued with sauing faith, true repentance, a liuely hope and the true louelove of the godly their bretheren, which graces neuer faile, die, or are vtterly extinct: Whereas Apostates▪ and they that degenerate to Atheisme and open Prophanes, were neuer indued with true faith, repentance and other graces that accompany saluation: Well they might (for the time) hauehave the shadow of them, but they neuer had the truth and substance.
Luke 22. Ver. 32.Secondly Christ is alwaies, and he alone an effectuall Mediator and Intercessor for the elect onelyonly, whereby they are so preserued in the state of grace that they cannot fall away. Wherefore Apostates and backe-sliders were Christians and members of the Church in outward apparance and shewe onelyonly, and in their owne opinion and estimation of others, and indeed all their holynesse and profession is nothing else before God but meere formalitie and hypocrisie. And therefore all these temporall things and outward seemings, in time of temptation soone fade and fall away: and of such Christ pronounceth that he knoweth them not .i. he neuer did nor doth acknowledge them for any of his elect, nor approue of them.
Ques. Who and what kinde of persons fall away?
Ans. First, they that are outwardly ingrafted into the couenant, but yet are not inwardly called, nor elected.
Secondly they that receiue the seed of the Gospel, but without the roote of true faith, and inward change, & renouation of heart and affection, and these are onelyonly the reprobate. Math. 13. V. 19.20.21.22.
Ques. In what sort or in what regard doe they fall away?
Ans. First by their vnbeliefe and vnthankefulnesse refusing the promise made to them. Secondly by corrupting and choaking the seed of the word either by want of memory or vnderstanding, & of defect of change and regeneration, or absence of the full perswasion of the truth, or finally either by troubles and persecutions, or else by prosperitie, profitt and pleasures. Here-vponupon the worde and Sacraments and the golden candlesticke of ye Angelicall ministery as wholy taken from them (as sometime it iustly commeth to passe) or else if they hauehave no meanes continued,Amos. 8.11.12. they either as recusants and meere Atheists, contemne them and refuse to vse them, or else are thereby [through their owne corruption] more hardned, blinded and darkened▪ for the more good gifts and meanes of grace which offreth vntounto them, and the good motions he putteth into their mindes, the more they do corrupt and abuse them.
The branches are cutte off that I might be grafted in.
Ergo. Our dignity and worthynesse is greater then that of the Iewes,Doct.
Wee must in Gods especiall works and iudgements dilligently weye and consider the true causes and distinguish and diffe…re them from those that are causes accidentally by occasion only (as in this verse.) For the fall of the Iewes could not be properly any efficient or procreant cause of the saluation of the Gentiles, the effect ariseth from the proper cause and resembleth & reteyneth the nature of it. The reason hereof is, because the issue, euent and consequent may bee good, (God so ordering, directing and ouer-ruling it) when the instruments that worke onelyonly accidentally and ayme at their owne euill ends, are euil and mali…ious. Thus Ioseph was exalted after all his troubles, and Iobs restitution and recouery & … redemption by Christ his death, was in regard of the effect and euent good, yet they wicked Instruments (that onelyonly accidentally and occasionally wrought it) sinned heinously, and are not to bee excused. For if they would or had pleased God in their proceedings, three things should hauehave beene considered of them. First, that they had the holy Scripture for warrant. Secondly that their affections were in tune and well composed. Thirdly that their ends and aymes were directlie to the honor and glorie of GOD: but of these respects the blinde reprobates hauehave no regard.
Vse. The vse hereof, serueth to check and controule many insolent, surly and swelling Gentiles, that not rightly weighing and ballancing the true causes and reasons, did falslie imagine [and so fondly erre] that the Iewes were cut and cast off for their vnworthinesse, and that their vnbeliefe was the proper cause of their admittance and substitution into their empty places and roomes, and heereby they highly conceited themselues, as though they were more worthy before God then the Iewes.
2. Vse. Heereby is mette with-all the pride and ill affection of some, who reioyce at other mens ruines and downe-falls, whether in religion or in outward estate, or both, whereas it is iust with God thus to giuegive them ouer, and they that seeme to stand, may fall into the like Apostacie and iudgments, for they by nature are made of no better mettall then others, and they stand no longer then God doth support them.