A Scotch Antidote Against the English Infection of Arminianism, Article 5
The fifth Article ſtated.
THe queſtion of perſeverance is ſtated diverſly, The fift Article ſtated.the Arminians now and many Jeſuits do maintain a poſſibility to fall away from grace totally and finally in all perſons ſo long as they live, the moſt of the Papiſts grant that thoſe who are elected cannot fall away finally, but after all interruptions there muſt bee a returne to grace, and that in them there is a neceſsity of ſalvation: yet they ſay that many of the regenerate, and truly faithfull, may fall away even finally.
There is a kinde of Arminians, who follow Joannes Gerhardus Voſſius, who put a degree of faith and grace, from which there is no deficiency, albeit from the eſtate of faith eſſentially true, and from regeneration they teach falling totally and finally; againſt all theſe wee teach that God makes to perſevere and goe on to the end, not only the elect but all the faithful, and that not only thoſe who are rooted in a high and excellent degree of faith, but all whoſoever have the leaſt meaſure of true ſaving faith, who are regenerate, juſtified, ſanctified, in all theſe God keeps in ſome heat in the ſmoaking flax, puts under his hand when they fall, raiſes them ever up again, and leaves not the building he hath once grounded till hee hath crowned it with the Capſtone.
That thus it is, The neceſſity of perſeverance proved from Mat. 24.29.many Scriptures make evident Matth. 24.29. Hee ſhall ſhew great ſignes and wonders that they ſhall ſeduce, if it were poſsible, the very elect, here the Elect cannot poſsibly be ſeduced, all the wonders of Antichriſt, the moſt pregnant meanes that men and Devils can uſe to make the elect fall away doe not prevail, for it is not poſsible that ſuch ſhould be ſo ſeduced as to fal clean away from Chriſt.
Jer. 32.39. The ſecond from Ier. 32.39I will give them one heart and one way, that they may feare me for ever, and I will make an everlaſting covenant with them, that I will not turne away from them to do them good, but I will put my feare in their heart, that they ſhall not depart from me. Here God promiſes to all the faithfull, to all thoſe with whom the new Covenant is made, that they ſhall get an heart from God to feare him, not for a time but for ever, that hee will make with them an everlaſting Covenant that ſhall never be broken on either ſide, he aſſureth not only for himſelfe, that hee ſhall never change, but for them, that hee will plant his feare in their heart in ſuch a meaſure that they ſhall ſtick to God, not for a time, but ſo, that they ſhall never depart from him.
John 10. The third from John 10.But ye believe not, becauſe yee are not of my ſheep, my ſheep heare my voice, and J give to them eternall Life, and they ſhall never periſh, neither ſhall any plucke them out of my Fathers hand. Behold, Chriſts ſheepe are thoſe who believe, Chriſt aſſureth them all of Life eternall, aſſuredly they ſhall never periſh becauſe they are kept by his ſtrong hand, the Father hath put them into the hand of his Son to be kept, yea, the Fathers own hand is about them, ſo that they cannot periſh except there ariſe ſome enemy ſtronger then God the Father, to ſpoyl him of his goods.
1 John 2.19. The fourth from 1 Joh. 2.19.They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, without doubt they had continued with us, but they went out that it might be manifeſt that they were not of us. Who are they that doe not perſevere, who fall away from Truth and Grace; theſe who were never gracious, even before their Apoſtaſie, for if ever they had beene in the number of Chriſts faithfull members, no doubt they would have continued ſo for ever. But God let them goe and depart that hee might make manifeſt to the World, that Apoſtates even before the appearing of their Apoſtacie were never ſound, never rooted, nor builded by faith on the rock, for if they had beene ſuch, when all ſtormes of temptations had blown, they would have ſtood firme, and the Ports of hell ſhould not have prevailed againſt them, they ſhould have been as Mount Sion, which never is removed but abideth for ever.
Epheſ. The fift from Epheſ. 1.13.1.13. In whom after that yee believed, yee were ſealed with that holy Spirit of promiſe, which is that earneſt of your inheritance: Here al the faithful get the Spirit of Chriſt, as himſelfe ſayes to be their Comforter, and to abide with them for ever, to be a ſeale, and to aſſure them that they are Gods, that makes them call God Abba, Father, that witneſſeth to them that they are the children of God, yea, Gods heires, and Coheirs with Chriſt, which is their earneſt and firſt fruits of life eternall, which gives them full aſſurance of hope, anchors their ſoule within the vail, and fils them with joy unſpeakable and glorious.
Among the infinite paſſages of St. Auguſtine for our tenet, take but one, de corrept. & gratia, cap. 12. [ nPrimo itaque homini qui in eo bono in quo factus erat rectus acceperat poſſe non peccare, poſſe non mori, poſſe ipſum bonum non deſerere, datum est adjutorium perſeverantiae, ſine quo per liberum arbitrium perſeverare non poſſet: Nunc vero ſanctis in regnum Dei per gratiam praedeſtinatis non tantum tale adjutorium perſeverantiae datur ſed tale ut ipſis perſeverantia donetur, non ſolum ut ſine iſto dono perſeverantes eſſe non poſſint, verum etiam ut per hoc donum non niſi perſeverances ſint, non ſolum enim dixit, ſine me nihil poteſtis facere, verum etiam dixit, non vos me elegistis, ſed ego vos elegi & poſui vos, ut eatis & fructum feratis & fructus vester maneat; quibi… verbis non ſolum juſtitiam, ſed & in ea perſeverantiam ſe dediſſe monſtravit: Chriſto enim ſic cos ponente ut eant & fructum ferant & fructus corum maneat, quis audeat dicere forſitan non manebunt, …ne poenitentia enim ſunt donum & vocatio Dei, pro his interpellant… Chriſto ne deficiat fides eorum, ſine dubio non deficie… uſquein finem, ac per hoc perſeverabit uſque in finem nec niſi manentem vitae hujus inveniet finis: Major quippe libertas neceſſaria adverſus tot & tantas tentationes, quae in Paradiſo non fuerunt dono perſeverantiae munita atque firmata, ut cum omnibus amoribus terroribus, erroribus ſuis, vincatur hic mundus, q… ſancti cuncta minantia, cuncta invitantia, cuncta … ruentia ſuperarent.Unto the firſt man who in that good eſtate wherein hee was created righteous, had received a power not to ſin, not to die; a power not to fall from his good eſtate, to him was given the helpe of Perſeverance: not ſuch a gift whereby hee ſhould perſevere, but ſuch with out the which hee was not able by his free will to perſevere. But now unto the Saints, by the grace of God predeſtinated unto the Kingdome of God, not only ſuch a helpe of perſeverance is given, but ſuch, that perſeverance it ſelf is given to them, not only ſo that without that gift they cannot perſevere, but alſo that through that gift they cannot but perſevere: for he has not only ſaid, without mee yee can do nothing, but hee ſaith alſo, you have not choſen me, but I have choſen you, and appointed you that you ſhould goe on and beare fruit, and that your fruit ſhould remain; in which words he ſhews that he has not only given righteouſneſſe but perſeverance therein: for Chriſt having ſo ſet them that they go and bring forth fruit, and their fruit abides, who dare ſay perchance they ſhal not continue, for without repentance are the gifts and calling of God, Chriſt praying for them that their faith fail not, without doubt it ſhall not fail to the end, and ſo ſhall perſevere to the end, and the end of their life ſhall finde it remayning, for now a greater liberty is needful againſt ſo many and ſo great temptations, which were not in Paradiſe, being guarded with the gift of perſeverance, that this world with all his luſts, terrours, errours, might be overcome, & the Saints prevaile againſt all threats, all allurements, all power]
The current of Scripture and Fathers runs ſo ſtraight againſt the totall and finall apoſtacie of the Saints, that Arminius for all his boldneſſe durſt not, ſo long as hee lived, ſet his breſt againſt that ſtream, albeit his Schollers ſince have mainly ſet themſelves to evert this Article, which is the chiefe ground of all the comfort that the ſoul of man hath in this miſerable pilgrimage.
Of all their contrary argumentations conſider All baptized Infants are not regenerate.but one: Milions of theſe who were baptized in their infancy fall away finally and totally, but all theſe who were baptized in their infancy were truly regenerate, ſanctified, juſtified, and put in the ſtate of ſalvation, Ergo, millions of theſe who were truly regenerate, juſtified, ſanctified, and put in the ſtate of ſalvation, fall away totally and finally.
In this Popiſh argument the Arminians triumphed at the beginning, as our men do yet, but after a little triall both Papiſts and Arminians, finde it ſo fooliſh and impertinent that long ago they have caſt it away.
It is eaſie to ſhew the falſity of the Minor that al Baptized Infants are truly regenerate, &c. Scriptures, Fathers, Schoolmen, are all to the contrary, but leaving theſe I only ſhew that this aſſertion is againſt the Scottiſh Confeſſion; the twenty fifth Article reſtifies that the Reprobate only doth communicate in the outward benefits of the Sacraments, that they get no fruit of Chriſts death, that in this life their ſins are not forgiven them, that theſe bleſsings belong only to the Elect, that the Reprobate at their beſt are but chaff, and at no time are good wheate, who therefore avow that the Reprobate ſometimes, to wit, in their infancy are truly regene rate, juſtified, ſanctified; who avow that Reprobates get many fruits of Chriſts death and their Sinnes ſome times forgiven them, they contradict cleerely our confeſſion, yea almoſt al the confeſsions of the reformed Churches. If they will believe their good friend D. Francis White hee will aſſure them that none but Papiſts and Lutherans will affirm reprobate infants by baptiſme to be regenerate.
How farr the chiefe Arminian tenets are contrary to Scripture I I have ſhewn; Arminianiſme is contrary to the Confeſſion of the Church of Scotland.Conſider in a few lines how much they are oppoſite to the Confeſsion of our Kirk, and ſo I cloſe. They teach that our Election is of Faith, Works, Perſeverance, as antecedent either Cauſes or Conditions, or at leaſt Qualities fore ſeen in us. Our Confeſſion Article 8. ſayes that God hath choſen us of meere grace, that faith to believe in Chriſt and all grace we loſt in Adam, is given us after our Election.
Again, they teach that Chriſt died for all, that in death he ſtood in the place of all without diſtinction of elect and reprobate, that all have the benefit of his death. Our Confeſsion ſayes, Art. 8. that Chriſt ſuffered for us, that is the elect, of whom alone the whole Article ſpeaketh: Alſo that the benefits which the elect have common with the reprobate are but their Creation, no ways their Redemption and their Adoption thereby to be the ſons of God: And in the 25 Article it is ſaid, that the Reprobates have no benefit of Chriſts Death, Reſurrection, or Aſcenſion.
Laſtly, they teach that many of Chriſts faithfull members fall away and loſe not only all grace but ſalvation it ſelfe. Our Confeſsion Art. 25. contradicts, affirming, that all the faithfull continue in the eſtate of Juſtification, that albeit their ſins be great, yet they are not imputed but covered with Chriſts righteouſneſſe.
Again it is one of the faithfuls priviledges to goe on conſtantly to the end, till they bee conformed to Chriſts glorious bodie. And in the 21 Article, that the faithfull in ſuch a manner become fleſh of Chriſts fleſh, and bone of his bone, that hee abides in them and they in him for ever, no leſſe then the God-head abides in the manhood of Chriſt, giving to it life and Immortality.
Our Confeſsion croſſeth their Doctrine of free will, juſtification & other their popiſh errours more cleerly, but with thoſe I doe not meddle leſt by further prolixity I ſhould lōger with-hold ſo great an Aſſembly from their moſt weighty Affaires.
FINIS.
End of the text · Robert Baillie, A Scotch Antidote Against the English Infection of Arminianism (1652)