The Faith of the Church of England, Conclusion
The Concluſion.
THus have I ſhewed out of the authentick records of our Church, what is the judgement thereof about the power of mans will, and Gods effectuall work upon the ſame in mans regeneration. True it is, many of theſe places ſpeak of men already regenerate. Which is ſo farre from weakning the argument, that it makes it the ſtronger. For if that man that in the judgement of the Church is alive in grace be ſo imperfect, that he have often need of new and effectuall grace, and help of God to go forward, how much need had he then of an effectuall work of Gods grace in regenerating him, who by the judgement of the ſame Church was dead in ſinnes and treſpaſſes before, yea as dead to grace (for ſo are the words of the Homilies) as they are to the world, that want ſouls. It may be thought ſuperfluous to collect ſo many teſtimonies, divers whereof differ but in words and agree in ſence. This have I done becauſe of the weight of the cauſe, and the rather becauſe the publique doctrin of the Church is by ſome ſaid to be on the other ſide. It may be ſome few teſtimonies might have been ſlighted, but ſuch varietie, out of ſo many ſeverall records, muſt needs ſhew to every indifferent perſon the conſtant doctrin of the Church which way it runs. It may alſo ſtop the mouthes of ſuch as pretend a few ſeeming and miſconceived places to the contrary. I might have made a world of Syllogiſmes, if I would have proceeded ſcholaſtically. But I had rather lay down the naked doctrin of the Church for learned and unlearned to peruſe, reduced to divers heads all tending to one end, and that for the eaſe and better underſtanding of the reader. If it be ſaid, that I have ſometimes ſet down the ſame words in ſeverall places, the anſwer is at hand. I did it for ſundry reaſons. One while the place was fruitfull, and out of divers words did afford divers reaſons belonging to ſeverall heads. Another while the place could not well be understood without coherence, ſo that I was compelled to ſet down the words precedent, though I had made uſe of them elſewhere. Laſtly, ſometimes the words were doubtfull to which head they did belong, or rather ſeemed to me to belong to both, and ſo have I placed them accordingly. If any yet object further, that the places may admit of another interpretation, and may at leaſt ſome of them ſo be underſtood, as they may make for the adverſe part. I anſwere there are many of them plaine enough, that cannot eaſily be miſconſtrued. Other places muſt be interpreted by them that are plaine. The Scripture it ſelfe the voyce of our Father is wreſted daily to a contrary ſence, and no marvaile if the voyce of our Mother the Church may be ſo abuſed alſo. Let the Reader by that reaſon and grace, that God hath given him, endeavour to underſtand which is the right ſenſe of the words. I have added nothing of mine owne, ſave the ſtate of the queſtion at firſt, and the relation that every argument or head hath to the queſtion in the beginning of every Chapter. Leſſe I could not adde without injury to the cauſe. More I would not, leaſt I ſhould be tedious to the Reader, or lie more open to the exceptions of ſuch as are otherwiſe minded, who cannot now except againſt my words without wounding the Church, whoſe words I have faithfully reported.
Thus I commend the cauſe to God whoſe it is, and to the Church of God whom it concernes, beſeeching God ſo to worke in every member of it by his effectuall grace, that we may conſent in judgement, and agree in affection on earth, till we come to perfection in heaven.
FINIS.
End of the text · Francis Taylor, The Faith of the Church of England (1641)