ObieE1ions ágainftperfetserance teenfromexamplemnf. 73 9 and firfl founder of the wicked herefies ofthofe heretikes, which after his name were called Nicolaitanes, whofe, do- &rine, approouirg fpirituail and carnall whoredome, God hated,as appeareth, Apoc.2.i 5. I anfwer,that ifthis were the Apoc.:.s 5. fame Ncolas (which loth not appeare by any neceífarie proofe, but fandeth one; yupon forceprobable conieelure) yet the propofition is falfe,feeinghe neuer had faith,nor was euer in theRate of grace, and therefore could not lofe that he neuer had, nor fall from that efiate in which heneuer was. For had hee euer beentruly iuflified, then hee fhould haue been alto glorified, as the Apofile fpeaketh, Rom. 8. 30. Had hee been ofthe faith, he would furely haue conti- Roms, 30, nued with them, andnot departed from them by this foul herefie,as John aflïrmeth : i.Epif}.2.19. !John 2,19. But that he was iuflified and regenerate,they aífuine and ft indeuour to prooue by that teflim A&.6.3. A onie where the ",' Apofiles bid the difciplts chufe feuen men ofhonefl report, andfull ofthe holie Ghofi, andofwifdome,tobe theirDea- cons, who should difiribute to thepoore. And accordingly they chofe them and amongfl the refi this Nicolas. There reafon fiandeth thus : They whoare full ofthe holy Ghofi, are iuflified and fan- &ified : Nicolas was full oftheholyGhofl : Ergo. Ianfwere that hereby theholyGhofi weare not to vnder- íland the fati&ifying fpirit ofGod, and the facing graces thereof; but thole common gifts ofhisholy fpirit, whereby hewas fitted for that office and fun&ion ofa Deacon, vnto which he was called ; namely, wifdome,faithfulnefle,care- fulneffe,prouidence,loueto the poore,pitifulneffe, kindneffe and fuch like, all which are common to the vnregenerate with the regenerate. Secondlie, though wee íhould grant that here is vnderllood Gods fan&ifying graces, yetit fol- loweth not that this Nicolaa was indued with them. For the fpirit of God faith not, that thefe feuen Deacons ele&ed were indued with faithand the holy Ghofi, for he onelygi- ueth this tefitnonie vnto Stephen, but that theApofiles in- ioyned thedifciples to chufefuch as in their iudgementwere Pbb 2 thus
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