701 / 772
:Arguments
to
proone
the
cerf4»tie ofour
pertsterance. 671
are made againfi this
truth
by
the-enemies
of
our faluation.
The
fir
r
argil..
Thereafons
which
may
bee alleaged for this purpofe are
nco
lGe°d
many;
the
firfl
fort
are
taken from
Gods
owne nature,
as
it
vo,n
Gedian
is
defcribed in his
word,and
exercifed in
his works
towards
his decree
of
vs.
As
firfi,wè may
be
affured
of
our perfeuerance,becaufe
it
cicEtior.
is
grounded
vponGods
will, which
may
be
confidered
ei-
ther
in
his
ferret
counfaile and decree
of
ele6
ion, or
in
his
will
euealcd
in
his
word. From
the
f
rfi
wee
may thus
rea-
Eon?
Whomfoeuer
the
Lord
in
his
eternal'
counfaile
bath
'ele&led
to
euerlafling life,they
(hall
moll
certainly be faued,
andperfeuere
in
the
meanes
tending.thereunto, which
-are
no
leffe
'contained in Gods°decree
than our
faluation
it
felfe.
But the Lord
In
his erernall
counfaile
hath
eleaed
all
the
faithful'
vnto eternal' life.And therefore
nothing
can
hinder
their
faluation
nor
yet
their
perfeuerance,
without
which
it
is
impoffible
they
fhouldbe
faued.
The
firft
part
of
this
rea
-fon
is
cleere and
manifefi;
for
not
to
effect
that
which one
hath
decreed and
purpofed, argueth either impotencie and
want
of
power, or
vnconfiancie, neither
ofwhich without
blafphemie
can
bee
afcribed
vnto
God;
for
there
is
nothing
ter,3:.i
hard
vnto
him,
Iere.3
2.1
y.
but
he
loth
what
foetrer he will;Pfal.
I
L
IJ.I
1
S.
I 15.3. yea euen
thofe
things
1vhich
unto
men
are
impofble
are
th
a
c}.t9.a6,
poffible
unto
him.,
Mat.
I
9.2
6.
f
or
he
can
doe
all
things,Iob
42.2.11%1
.Z.
Neither
is
the will
of
God
Mutable,
forthis'argueth
a
want
of
wifdome, whereas
his
nn
(dome
is
in
site
and
lcnoveth
no
end,Pfal.Y45.5. & he
pperfedlie
feeth and
knoweth
all
things
Plait
.t455'
in one
view,
pafi,prefent and
to come,Heb.4:13:
and
there-
fore
t
we may conclude
with the
Apoiile,
that
the
purpofe
o
f
Heb.4.
;
.
God
in
his
ele
lion
rremaineth
fare,-
Ronh.9.11. and
the
faun-
Rom.9.t
t.
dation
ofgod
(that
-is,
his
vnchangeable
decree)
contint#eth
firme,andbath
this feale,
7
he
Lord
knoweth
who
are
his,
2.Tirn,
2.19.
Whofoeuer
thenare-ele
&ed
they fhall
molt
certainely
be faued,neither
is
itpofiible
-that
they fhould
fall
away
:
as
our
Sauiouritnplieth
,Matth.24.24.whereas
he
faith,that
the
falfe Prophets
fhould
Thew
filch
great
fiignes,
that
if
it were
ofíible
they
fliould deceiue the very Ele6t.
Noting
hereby
that
this is-altogether
a
thing
impofiible,that they fhould
be
.
deceiued
and-feduced
with
falfe-Chrif
}s
and
faife
Prophets.
XX2.
The