I 6 Of Perfeverance.. 8. The Juftifiedmay lofe many degrees of true Grace, and dye with far lefsthanonce they had, and fo become uncapable of that Greater. Glory, which theywere morally capable of before. 9. It's toopoffible for themto fall into heinous fin : They.are not cer- tain that they Ihall nevercommit Adultery, ínceft, the Murther of Pa- rents, Wife or Children, &c. nor certain juft how oft theymay fo fall, or not. See the aritti¡h Di- 1o. Such.Sins make them fo far morally uncapable of Glory, as that vines Suffrages at Dort, a found Repentance for them, and from them, and a renewal ofFaith, of perfeverance. are neceffary to full right ormoral capacity. 1 t. God doth not decree anyman'sperfeverance, let him Iive never fo fecurely, negligently or vitioufly For thofè that do fo are fainal- ready : It is a contradi fion,toperfevere inholinefs, and to live unholily. ButGods Decree is everentire, that fuch a one (hall fear danger, fly temptations, live holily in the ufeofmeans, and therein perfevere unto . the end : He never feparated thefe in his Decrees. z¢ge vo, ?, xifter. re- r 2. Except Hierome trulyaccufe yovinian with it, there is not (that tag, de rer»verant. Iknow of) anyFather, Chriftian, or Heretick, that bath written that no truly Juftifyed perfons fall finally away from Grace and perifb, for above a thoufand years after Chrift : And it's commonly granted that generally they held the contrary : Even Augufline, Profper arid Fulgen titsnot excepted. 13. It is confeffed to bea fad clog to thecontrary opinion, that it is heldagainft the Judgmentofthe UniverfalChurchfor above a thoufand years, and fo feemeth to bear the imputation ofnovelty and fingularity Though that be not a fufficient confutationof it. -14. It is cohfffed that the Greek and Roman Church the Lutherans andArminian:, and molt Anabaptifis, are againft this Doétríne. 15. It is confeffed that all thefe Fathers , and Churches of old, and all thefe Churches and Chriftians of late, are not voidof the Chriftian comforts of the Gofpel, evenoffaith and hope of Glory. 16. It is confeffed that the Scripture bath many paffages, fo much feeming to favour both the opinions, as bath made the controverfie thus difficult to fo many Learned Godly Men: And what the Scripture is, it will be, to the worlds end. 17. It is confeffed that nonecan be fure ofSalvation or perfeverance, who arenot firft lureof their Sincerity, andJuftification. 18. And to be uncertain whether one be a true believer , and juffi- lied, is more uncomfortable than to be fare of that, and uncertain of hisperfeverance. 19. Noman can ordinarilybe certain that he is Sanitified and Juftified, that is not certainof the truth ofthe Gofpel, and path Grace fomewhat ftrong andaltive, not clouded by great Soul-wounding Sins, nor fright- ful or melancholy paffions ; nor any that through Ignorance isuncertain of the true Nature of the conditionsof theCovenant ofGrace. 2o. Certainexperience of the defect of thefe qualifications, and of mens own Confeffions, aflhreth us, that notone ofa multitude of the arid Religious fort, have that which we call proper certainty of their Sincerity, Jultification and Salvation : though they hold againft the Arminian: that certainty ofperfeverance muff be afferted, as that which maybeattained by them that are fitft certain that they are in a flare of life. 2I. Yet the fore-mentioned knowledge ofGods Mercy, Chrift'sLove and Covenant, with experienceand many evidences of great probabi- litymay caufe even fueh as are uncertain of their Juftification, to liveín forne
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