Part 25

[Sidenote: Obj. 3.] _Thirdly_, They object some Expressions of the Apostle _Paul_, Rom. viii. 19. _For the Good that I would, I do not; but the Evil which I would not, that I do_. And Ver. 24. _O wretched Man that I am! who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death?_

[Sidenote: _Answ._] I answer, This Place infers nothing, unless it were apparent that the Apostle here were speaking of his own Condition, and not rather in the Person of others, or what he himself had sometimes borne; which is frequent in Scripture, as in the Case of cursing, in _James_ before mentioned. But there is nothing in the Text that doth clearly signify the Apostle to be speaking of himself, or of a Condition he was then under, or was always to be under; yea, on the Contrary, in the former Chapter, as afore is at large shewn, he declares, they were _dead to Sin_; demanding _how such should yet live any longer therein_? [Sidenote: Paul _personates the _Wretched Man_, to shew them the_ Redeemer.] _Secondly_, It appears that the Apostle personated one not yet come to a spiritual Condition, in that he saith, Ver. 14. _But I am carnal, sold under Sin._ Now is it to be imagined, that the Apostle _Paul_, as to his own proper Condition, when he wrote that _Epistle_, was a _carnal Man_, who in _Chap._ i. testifies of himself, That he was _separated to be an Apostle, capable to impart to the _Romans_ spiritual Gifts_; and Chap. viii. Ver. 2. That _the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus had made him free from the Law of Sin and Death_? So then he was not _carnal_. And seeing there are spiritual Men in this Life, as our Adversaries will not deny, and is intimated through the whole viiith Chapter to the _Romans_, it will not be denied but the Apostle was one of them: So then as his calling himself _carnal_ in Chap. vii. cannot be understood of his own proper State, neither can the rest of what he speaks there of that Kind be so understood: Yea after, Ver. 24. where he makes that Exclamation, he adds in the next Verse, _I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord_; signifying that by him he witnessed Deliverance; and so goeth on, shewing how he had obtained it in the next Chapter, _viz._ viii. Ver. 35. _Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ?_ And Ver. 37. _But in all these Things we are more than Conquerors_: And in the last Verse, _Nothing shall be able to separate us_, &c. But wherever there is a continuing in Sin, there is a Separation in some Degree, seeing every _Sin is contrary to God_, and [Greek: anomia: ανομια], i. e. _a Transgression of the Law_, 1 John iii. 4. [Sidenote: _Whom Sin has conquered, he is no Conqueror._] and whoever committeth the least Sin, is overcome of it, and so in that Respect is not a Conqueror, but conquered. This Condition then, which the Apostle plainly testified he with some others had obtained, could not consist with continual remaining and abiding in Sin.

[Sidenote: Obj. 4.] _Fourthly_, They object the _Faults and Sins of several eminent Saints, as _Noah_, _David_, &c._

[Sidenote: _Answ._] I answer, That doth not at all prove the Case: For the Question is not, _Whether good Men may not fall into Sin_, which is not denied; but _whether it be not possible for them not to sin_? [Sidenote: _Can they that _sin_, be never freed from _Sin.] It will not follow because these Men _sinned_, that therefore they were never _free of Sin_, but always _sinned_: For at this Rate of arguing, it might be urged, according to this Rule (_Contrariorum par ratio_, i. e. _The Reason of Contraries is alike_) that if, because a good Man hath sinned once or twice, he can never be free from Sin, but must always be daily and continually a Sinner all his Life long; then by the Rule of _Contraries_, if a wicked Man have done Good once or twice, he can never be free from Righteousness, but must always be a righteous Man all his Life-time: Which as it is most absurd in itself, so it is contrary to the plain Testimony of the Scripture, _Ezek._ xxxiii. 12. to 18.

[Sidenote: Obj.] _Lastly_, They object, _That if Perfection or Freedom from Sin be attainable, this will render Mortification of Sin useless, and make the Blood of Christ of no Service to us, neither need we any more pray for Forgiveness of Sins_.

[Sidenote: _Answ._] I answer, I had almost omitted this _Objection_, because of the manifest Absurdity of it: For can Mortification of Sin be useless, where the End of it is obtained? Seeing there is no attaining of this Perfection but by Mortification. [Sidenote: _Who fights and not in Hopes to overcome his_ Foe?] Doth the Hope and Belief of overcoming render the Fight unnecessary? Let rational Men judge which hath most Sense in it, to say as our Adversaries do, _It is necessary that we fight and wrestle, but we must never think of overcoming, we must resolve still to be overcome_; or to say, _Let us fight, because we may overcome_? Whether do such as believe they may be cleansed by it, or those that believe they can never be cleansed by it, render the _Blood of Christ_ most effectual? If two Men were both grievously diseased, and applied themselves to a Physician for Remedy, which of those do most commend the Physician and his Cure, he that believeth he may be cured by him, and as he feels himself cured, confesseth that he is so, and so can say this is a skilful Physician, this is a good Medicine, behold I am made whole by it; or he that never is cured, nor ever believes that he can so long as he lives? [Sidenote: _Praying for_ Forgiveness of Sins.] As for praying for _Forgiveness_, we deny it not; for that _all have sinned_, and therefore all need to pray that their _Sins past_ may be blotted out, and that they may be daily preserved from sinning. And if hoping or believing to be made _free from Sin_ hinders praying for _Forgiveness of Sin_, it would follow by the same Inference that Men ought not to forsake Murder, Adultery, or any of these gross Evils, seeing the more Men are sinful, the more plentiful Occasion there would be of asking Forgiveness of Sin, and the more Work for Mortification. But the Apostle had sufficiently refuted such sin-pleasing Cavils in these Words, _Rom._ vi. 1, 2. _Shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound? God forbid._

But _Lastly_, It may be easily answered, by a Retortion to those that press this from the Words of the Lord’s Prayer, _forgive us our Debts_, that this militates no less against perfect Justification than against perfect Sanctification: For if all the Saints, the least as well as the greatest, be perfectly justified in that very Hour wherein they are converted, as our Adversaries will have it, then they have Remission of Sins long before they die. May it not then be said to them, What Need have ye to pray for Remission of Sin, who are already justified, whose Sins are long ago forgiven, both past and to come?

§. X. [Sidenote: _Testimonies of the Fathers, concerning _Perfection_, or _Freedom from Sin.] But this may suffice: Concerning this Possibility _Jerome_ speaks clearly enough, _Lib. 3. adver. Pelagium_, “This we also say, that a Man may not sin, if he will, for a Time and Place, according to his bodily Weakness, so long as his Mind is intent, so long as the Cords of the _Cithara_ relax not by any Vice;” [Sidenote: Jerome.] and again in the same Book, “Which is that that I said, that it is put in our Power (to wit, being helped by the Grace of God) either to sin or not to sin.” For this was the Error of _Pelagius_, which we indeed reject and abhor, and which the _Fathers_ deservedly withstood, “That Man by his natural Strength, without the Help of God’s Grace, could attain to that State so as not to sin.” [Sidenote: Augustine.] And _Augustine_ himself, a great Opposer of the _Pelagian_ Heresy, did not deny this Possibility as attainable by the Help of God’s Grace, as in his Book de _Spiritu & Literâ_, Cap. 2. and his Book _de Naturâ & Gratiâ_ against _Pelagius_, Cap. 42, 50, 60, and 63. _de Gestis Concilii Palæstini_, Cap. 7. & 2. and _de Peccato Originali_, Lib. 2. Cap. 2. [Sidenote: Gelasius.] _Gelasius_ also, in his Disputation against _Pelagius_, saith, “But if any affirm that this may be given to some Saints in this Life, not by the Power of Man’s Strength, but by the Grace of God, he doth well to think so confidently, and hope it faithfully; for by this Gift of God all Things are possible.” [Sidenote: _That by the _Gift of God_ all Things are possible._] That this was the common Opinion of the _Fathers_, appears from the Words of the _Aszansic Council_, Canon the last, “We believe also this according to the _Catholick Faith_, that all who are baptized through Grace by Baptism received, and Christ helping them, and co-working, may and ought to do whatsoever belongs to Salvation, if they will faithfully labour.”

§. XI. [Sidenote: Conclusion.] Blessed then are they that believe in him, who is both able and willing to deliver as many as come to him through true Repentance from all Sin, and do not resolve, as these Men do, to be the Devil’s Servants all their Life-time, but daily go on forsaking [Sidenote: Phil. 3. 14. _Press forward to the Mark, for the _Prize_, and Overcoming._] Unrighteousness, and forgetting those Things that are behind, _press forward toward the Mark, for the Prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus_; such shall not find their Faith and Confidence to be in vain, but in due Time shall be made Conquerors through him in whom they have believed; and so overcoming, _shall be established as Pillars in the House of God, so as they shall go no more out_, Rev. iii. 12.

PROPOSITION IX.

Concerning PERSEVERANCE, and the Possibility of FALLING from GRACE.

_Although this Gift and inward Grace of God be sufficient to work out Salvation, yet in those in whom it is resisted it both may and doth become their Condemnation. Moreover they in whose Hearts it hath wrought in Part to purify and sanctify them in order to their further Perfection, may, by Disobedience, fall from it, _turn it to Wantonness_, Jude 4. _make Shipwreck of Faith_, _1_ Tim. _i. 19. and after having tasted the heavenly Gift, and been made Partakers of the Holy Ghost, again fall away_, Heb. _vi. 4, 5, 6._ yet such an Increase and Stability in the Truth may in this Life be attained, from which there can be no total Apostasy._

§. I. The first Sentence of this Proposition hath already been treated of in the _fifth_ and _sixth Propositions_, where it hath been shewn that that _Light_ which is given for _Life_ and _Salvation_ becomes the Condemnation of those that refuse it, and therefore is already proved in those Places, where I did demonstrate the Possibility of Man’s resisting the Grace and Spirit of God; and indeed it is so apparent in the Scriptures, that it cannot be denied by such as will but seriously consider these Testimonies, _Prov._ i. 24, 25, 26. _John_ iii. 18, 19. 2 _Thess._ ii. 11, 12. _Acts_ vii. 51. & xiii. 46. _Rom._ i. 18. As for the other Part of it, that _they in whom this Grace may have wrought in a good Measure in order to purify and sanctify them, tending to their further Perfection, may afterwards, through Disobedience, fall away_, &c. The Testimonies of the Scripture included in the Proposition itself are sufficient to prove it to Men of unbiassed Judgment; but because as to this Part our Cause is common with many other _Protestants_, I shall be the more brief in it: For it is not my Design to do that which is done already, neither do I covet to appear _knowing_ by writing much; but simply purpose to present to the World a faithful Account of our Principles, and briefly to let them understand what we have to say for ourselves.

§. II. [Sidenote: I. _A Falling from Grace by Disobedience_ evinced.] From these Scriptures then included in the Proposition, not to mention many more which might be urged, I argue thus:

[Sidenote: Arg. 1.] _If Men may turn the _Grace of God_ into Wantonness, then they must once have had it_:

But the First is true: Therefore also the Second.

[Sidenote: Arg. 2.] _If Men may make _Shipwreck of Faith_, they must once have had it; Neither could they ever have had true_ Faith _without the Grace of God_:

But the First is true: Therefore also the Last.

[Sidenote: Arg. 3.] _If Men may have tasted of the _heavenly Gift_, and been made Partakers of the _Holy Spirit_, and afterwards _fall away_, they must needs have known in Measure the Operation of God’s saving Grace and Spirit, without which no Man could taste the heavenly Gift, nor yet partake of the Holy Spirit_:

But the First is true: Therefore also the Last.

[Sidenote: II. _The Doctrine of _Election_ and _Reprobation_ is inconsistent with Preaching, and daily Exhortation._] _Secondly_, Seeing the contrary Doctrine is built upon this false Hypothesis, That _Grace is not given for Salvation to any, but to a certain elect Number, which cannot lose it, and that all the rest of Mankind, by an _absolute Decree,_ are debarred from Grace and Salvation_; that being destroyed, this falls to the Ground. Now as that Doctrine of theirs is wholly inconsistent with the daily Practice of those that preach it, in that they exhort People to believe and be saved, while in the mean Time, if they belong to the Decree of Reprobation, it is simply impossible for them so to do; and if to the Decree of Election, it is needless, seeing it is as impossible to them to miss of it, as hath been before demonstrated. So also in this Matter of _Perseverance_, their Practice and Principle are no less inconsistent and contradictory. For while they daily exhort People to be _faithful to the End_, shewing them if they continue not, they shall be _cut off_, and fall short of the _Reward_; which is very true, but no less inconsistent with that Doctrine that affirms _there is no Hazard, because no Possibility of departing from the least Measure of true Grace_; which if true, it is to no Purpose to beseech them to _stand_, to whom God hath made it impossible to _fall_. I shall not longer insist upon the Probation of this, seeing what is said may suffice to answer my Design; and that the Thing is also abundantly proved by many of the same Judgment. That this was the Doctrine of the _primitive Protestants_ thence appears, that the _Augustine Confession_ condemns it as an _Error_ of the _Anabaptists_, to say, _That they who once are justified, cannot lose the Holy Spirit_. Many such like Sayings are to be found in the common Places of _Philip Melancthon_. [Sidenote: _The Opinion of the _Fathers_ concerning _falling from Grace.] _Vossius_, in his _Pelagian_ History, Lib. 6. testifies, _That this was the common Opinion of the Fathers_. In the Confirmation of the _twelfth Thesis_, Page 587. he hath these Words: “That this which we have said was the common Sentiment of Antiquity, those at present can only deny, who otherwise perhaps are Men not unlearned, but nevertheless in Antiquity altogether Strangers, _&c._” These Things thus observed, I come to the _Objections_ of our Opposers.

§. III. [Sidenote: Obj. 1.] _First_, They allege, _That those Places mentioned of making _Shipwreck of Faith_, are only to be understood of seeming Faith, and not of a real true Faith_.

[Sidenote: _Answ._] [Sidenote: _A good and evil Conscience._] This _Objection_ is very weak, and apparently contrary to the Text, 1 _Tim._ i. 19. where the Apostle addeth to _Faith_ a _good Conscience_, by way of Complaint; whereas if their _Faith_ had been only seeming and hypocritical, the Men had been better without it than with it; neither had they been worthy of Blame for losing that which in itself was Evil. But the Apostle expresly adds [_and of a good Conscience_,] which shews it was real; neither can it be supposed that Men could truly attain a _good Conscience_ without the Operation of _God’s saving Grace_; far less that a _good Conscience_ doth consist with a seeming false and hypocritical Faith. Again, these Places of the Apostle being spoken by way of Regret, clearly import that these Attainments they had fallen from were good and real, not false and deceitful, else he would not have regretted their falling from them; and so he saith positively, _They tasted of the heavenly Gift, and were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost_, &c. not that they seemed to be so, which sheweth this _Objection_ is very frivolous.

[Sidenote: Obj. 2.] _Secondly_, They allege, _Phil._ i. 6. _Being confident of this very Thing, that he which hath begun a good Work in you will perform it until the Day of Jesus Christ_, &c. and 1 _Pet._ i. 5. _Who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation._

[Sidenote: _Answ._] These Scriptures, as they do not affirm any Thing positively contrary to us, so they cannot be understood otherwise than as the Condition is performed upon our Part, [Sidenote: Salvation _is proposed upon certain Conditions by us to be performed._] seeing _Salvation_ is no otherways proposed there but upon certain necessary Conditions to be performed by us, as hath been above proved, and as our Adversaries also acknowledge, as _Rom._ viii. 13. _For if ye live after the Flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the Deeds of the Body, ye shall live_. And _Heb._ iii. 14. _We are made Partakers of Christ, if we hold the Beginning of our Confidence stedfast unto the End_. For if these Places of the Scripture upon which they build their Objections were to be admitted without these Conditions, it would manifestly overturn the whole Tenor of their Exhortations throughout all their Writings. Some other _Objections_ there are of the same Nature, which are solved by the same Answers, which also, because largely treated of by others, I omit, to come to that Testimony of the Truth which is more especially ours in this Matter, and is contained in the latter Part of the Proposition in these Words: _Yet such an Increase and Stability in the Truth may in this Life be attained, from which there cannot be a total Apostasy_.

§. IV. As in the Explanation of the _fifth_ and _sixth Proposition_ I observed, that some that had denied the Errors of others concerning _Reprobation_, and affirmed the _Universality of Christ’s Death_, did notwithstanding fall short in sufficiently holding forth the Truth, and so gave the contrary Party Occasion by their Defects to be strengthened in their Errors, so it may be said in this Case. [Sidenote: _The two Extremes some run into, by asserting a final_ Falling _or_ not Falling _from Grace impossible._] As upon the one Hand they err who affirm, _That the least Degree of true and saving Grace cannot be fallen from_, so do they err upon the other Hand that deny any such _Stability_ to be attained _from which there cannot be a total and final Apostasy_. And betwixt these two extremes lieth the Truth apparent in the Scriptures, which God hath revealed unto us by the Testimony of his Spirit, and which also we are made sensible of by our own Experience. And even as in the former Controversy was observed, so also in this, the Defence of Truth will readily appear to such as seriously weigh the Matter; for the Arguments upon both Hands, rightly applied, will as to this hold good; and the Objections, which are strong as they are respectively urged against the two opposite _false Opinions_, are here easily solved, by the Establishing of this _Truth_. For all the Arguments which these allege that affirm, _There can be no falling away_, may well be received upon the one Part, as of those who have attained to this Stability and Establishment, and their Objections solved by this Confession; so upon the other Hand, the Arguments alleged from Scripture Testimonies by those that affirm _the Possibility of falling away_ may well be received of such as are not come to this Establishment, though having attained a Measure of true Grace. Thus then the contrary Batterings of Our Adversaries, who miss the Truth, do concur the more strongly to establish it, while they are destroying each other. But lest this may not seem to suffice to satisfy such as judge it _always possible for the best of Men before they die to fall away_, I shall add, for the Proof of it, some brief Considerations from some few Testimonies of the Scripture.

§. V. [Sidenote: I.] [Sidenote: Watchfulness _and_ Diligence _is of indispensible Necessity to all._] And _First_, I freely acknowledge that it is good for all to be humble, and in this Respect not over confident, so as to lean to this, to foster themselves in Iniquity, or lie down in Security, as if they had attained this Condition, seeing _Watchfulness_ and _Diligence_ is of _indispensible Necessity_ to all mortal Men, so long as they breathe in this World; for God will have this to be the constant Practice of a _Christian_, that thereby he may be the more fit to serve him, and better armed against all the Temptations of the Enemy. For since _the Wages of Sin is Death_, there is no Man, while he sinneth, and is subject thereunto, but may lawfully suppose himself capable of perishing. Hence the Apostle _Paul_ himself saith, 1 _Cor._ ix. 27. _But I keep under my Body, and bring it into Subjection, lest that by any Means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a Cast-away._ Here the Apostle supposes it possible for him to be a _Cast-away_; and yet it may be judged he was far more advanced in the inward Work of _Regeneration_, when he wrote that _Epistle_, than many who now-a-days too presumptuously suppose they cannot _fall away_, because they feel themselves to have attained some small Degree of true _Grace_. But the Apostle makes Use of this Supposition or Possibility of his being a _Cast-away_, as I before observed, as an Inducement to them to be watchful; _I keep under my Body, lest_, &c. Nevertheless the same Apostle, at another Time, in the Sense and Feeling of _God’s holy Power_, and in the _Dominion_ thereof, finding himself a Conqueror therethrough over Sin and his Soul’s Enemies, maketh no Difficulty to affirm, _Rom._ viii. 38. _For I am persuaded that neither Death nor Life_, &c. which clearly sheweth that he had attained a Condition from which he knew he could not _fall away_.

[Sidenote: II.] [Sidenote: _A Condition attainable in this Life, from which there is no _Falling away.] But _Secondly_, It appears such a Condition is attainable, because we are exhorted to it; and, as hath been proved before, the Scripture never proposeth to us Things impossible. Such an Exhortation we have from the Apostle, 2 _Pet._ i. 10. _Wherefore the rather, Brethren, give Diligence to make your Calling and Election sure._ And though there be a Condition here proposed, yet since we have already proved that it is possible to fulfil this Condition, then also the Promise annexed thereunto may be attained. And since, where Assurance is wanting, there is still a Place left for Doubtings and Despairs, if we should affirm it never attainable, then should there never be a Place known by the Saints in this World, wherein they might be free of Doubting and Despair; which as it is most absurd in itself, so it is contrary to the manifest Experience of Thousands.