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15.8

c67.4.

L10.E.Cap.II.

142

Reafons

alleged

dgainfl perfeuerance,

4nfwered.

lithe

ele&

cannot

lofe iuí}ifying

faith, there

could

be

in

the

world

no heretikes

and apo(lataes:

but

there

are

in

the

world

heretikes and apoflates therefore

the

ele&

niay lore

iuflifying faith.

The

confequençe

of

the propofition

they

indeuour

to prooue, becaule

this

is

the

difference

betweene

pagans and heretikes,

that

pagans neuer had

faith,

heretikes

haue had,

but

loll it. I

anfwere,

firft

that

the propofition

bath

in

it

no

force,

vnleffe

wee prefuppofe

that

onely the

e-

le&become heretike,swhich

is

vtterly

falfe.

is

either

is

the

proofe

of

the propofition

to

any purpofe,

Peeing

their

faith

which

dilinguifheth

heretikes from pagans

is

not

a

true iu-

fiifying

faith,

but

the do

&rive

offaith,

which they hauing

formerly

profeffed

afterwards denie.

And

in

this

fenfe

they

are laid

to

haue

departed

from

the faith,

and

to

haue made

íhipwracke

of

faith,

as

before

I

haue

(hewed more

at

large,

çhap.s8.

Se&.7.

The fourth

reafon

is,

that

if

the

ele&

may

not

fall

away,

then

all

admonitions

andthreatnings

are

in vaine. But vnto

this

obic&ion

1

haue alreadie anfwered, and therefore

I

will

pa%

it ouer.

The

fifth

reafon is thus

concluded

:

The

opinion which brings defperation

is

not

true

:

But

this

opinion,that

the ele&

cannot

lofe

iuflifying

faith,,

bringeth

defperation

Therefore

this opinion

that

the

ele&

cannot

lofe

iuilify-

ing

faith

is

not

true.

I

anfwere

to

the

affumption,

that

rather that opinion

which teacheth

vs

that

we may

lofe

iuflifying

faith,

and

that

we

can

haue no

r_

ertain tie ofperfeuerance

bringeth

defpera-

tion;

for

vncertaintie caufeth

doubting,

and

doubting

def-

peration;

and when our faith

hath

no

firme

ground to

ref+

vpon,

but flickereth and wauereth

as

it

were in

the

aire,

then

at

laff

being tired

and wearied,

it

mull

needs

faint

and

fall.

Yea

but ifour

grace,faith,and

iuftification

cannot

be true,

''vñleffe

we

bee

alfo

certaine,that

we !hall perfeuere

in

them,

then

muff

this

needs

bring doubting

and defperation,

feeing

wee

cannot

bee

fure

of

future'euents,and

oftentimes

doubt

whether

we (hail perfeuere in there graces or

no.

I

anfwere,

that

.i