But the First is true: Therefore also the Last.
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.
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. 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.
Answ.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.
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.
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, 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.