A Preface to the Reader. the immutableWill ofGod wrought by fuch an efficacy ofGrace that it was impof3ible that they fhouldnot perfevere. He compares it further with the Grace that Adam received , Lib. De: Correp : er Grat: Cap, e z: primo ita4, homini, qui in eo bono quofaaïusfuerat redus , acce perat poffe non Peccare , pole nan mori , pofife ipfum Bonumnon deferere, datum eft e 4djutoriuin Perleverantia, non quo fieret utperfeveraret fedfine quo per liberum :Arrbitrium perfeverare non po]it. Nunc verb SanElis inregnum Dei pergratiamDeipradeftinatie, non tantum tale adjute- rium Perfveranti e datur ; fed tale,stüt Perfeverantia ipfa donetur , non /olátmut fine iflo done Perfeverantes of re nonpoint , verúm etiam ut per hoc donum non nifi perfeverantes fjnt. And a little after ; ipfe;tag, dat perfeverantiam , quiftabilire patens eft co: qui ftant, ut perfevtranti m- mè 'lent. And in the eight Chapter of the fame Book , expounding that ofour Saviour, Luke zz 1 have prayedfor thee that thyfaithfaile not , he manifefleth how upon that account, it Was impoflible that the will of Peter fhould not actually be eftablifhed to the end in belie- ving; Hiswords are , an audebit dicere,etiam rogante Chriflo ne deficeret fides Petri defalurum failfie, fi Petra earn deficere voluifet ids f earnu/q infines perfeverare naluiffet ? quaff aliad Petra ullo modo vellet,quárnpro illo Chriftut rogâffet ut vellet : gam quit ignorat tunefadepe- ritteratnfides Petri , f ea qua fidelis erat voltentau ipfa deficeret ; 6 permanfuram, fi voluntas e- adernperrnaneret ? quando ergo oravit ne fides eject deficeret , quidaliad yogavie, nifi ut haberet is fide liberrimam,fortiffimarn,inviflifmarn,Perfeverantifrnam voluntatern? And in this perlua- fion he had not only theconfent ofall the found, and Orthodox Do&outs in his time,as %I/3S before manifefled ; but he is followed alto by the School-men of all ages and not forfaken by fome of the ?elates themfelves;as weshall afterwards fee, when we have added that confede- ration of the Doctrine ofthis learned man, which bath given occafion to force to pretend his confent in oppolition to that, which moll evidently He not only delivered , but confir- med. The:eare in Aaftine, and thofe that either joyned withhim , or followed immediately after him , ( notwithflanding the Doftrine formerly infifledon,that AElttal perfeverance is a Gift of God, and thatitlimes from Predeftination u an effeEl thereof, and i, bellowed on all EIeft Believers, infallibly prefervieg them ante theend: ( wherein they affertand firongly prove the wholeof what we maintaine) fundryExpreffrons commonly urged by the Adverlaries ofthe truth in hand , grantingmany who were Saints , believing and Regenerate, to fall away and perifh for ever: I neednot inllance in any of their fayings to this purpofe:the Readerknowes where to find them gathered to his hand, in Voftu, Grotitta, & Mr. Goodwin from them. The feeming contradifion that is amongfl themfelves in the delivery ofthis doctrine , will eafily admit of a Reconciliation , may they be allowed the common courtefy of being Interpreters of theirown meaning. What weight in thofe dayes was layd upon the Participation ofthe Sacramental figures ofGrace,and what expreflions are commonly ufed concerning themwho had obtained that Priviledge is known to all. Hence all baptifedperfons continuing in the Profefficn ofthe Faith, and Communion of the Church, they called ,counted, efleemed tru- ly regenerate,and juftified,and fpake fo of them: Such as theft they conflantly affirme,might fall away into everlaflingdeftrudion : but yet what their judgment was , concerning their prefent flute indeed,even then when they fo termed themRegenerate,and 7lelievers, in refpeél to the Sacraments of thofe Graces , Auline in fundry places clearly delivers his thoughts, to the undeceiving ofall that are willing to be free : This he efpecially handles in his book de Correp: & gran Cap: 9: norerant( faith he ) filii , etiampanda erant in profefane ri ne- mine filiarum non quia jai/titian: fimulaver:ow , fed quia in ea non permanferant i This Righteoufnefs he efleemed not to bemeerly feigned , and hypocritical , but rather fuch as might truly intitle them to the flare and Condition ofthe Children ofGod , in the fenfe be- fore expreffed. And againe, ifli elm piè vivunt dirunturfilii Dei, fedquoniamvitluri fast impie , G- in ea. dent impietate morituri, non eos dieseflios Dei prafciertia Dei. And further in thefame cha- pter,funs rkrfur quidam quifilii Dei propterfnfceptam temparalemgratiam dicrentnr el nobit,uec font tamerDeo :and againe,non erant in numerefiliorum,etiamquando Brant in fidefiliorum.And, Pit nonverè Dsfcipuli Chrifti,ita nec verèfilii Deifuerunt , etiam quando e fe videbantur , & áta vocabantnr.He concludes; e/Ippellamresergo mot & Elellot Chrifti Difcipulos &Deifillet, quo: regenerator (that is, as to the Sacramental Ggne of that Grace ) pievivere cernimtu; fed tune verèPint quad appellantnr , fi manferint in eopropter quad fir appellastur.: Si autemperfeverantiam non habent , id eft, ineoquad c_perunt eft non massent, non verè ap. pellantter, quod appellaneter & nonfont. As alfo de Doll ; Chriftiana, Lib. 3. C.32: noneft re- nera Corpse Chrifti quad nonBrie cum ills in aternum. And theft are the Perfons which Auftine , and thofe of the fame judgment with him , do grant
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