Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BT768 .O9 1654

A Preface to the Reader. But to fpare the Reader, I (hail giveyou this mans judgment, together with one ofhis Followers; who bath had the happinefs to cleare his Mailers minde,above any that have undertaken the mainte- nance of his Doarine,in that part now controverted in the Church ofRome ; & therein i /hall manifeft ( what I formerly propofed )what Reamings, and Irradiations of this Truth do yetglide through that grofs darknefs , which is fpread upon the face of the Romifb Synagogue ( referring what I have further to addeon this head , to the account whichGod affifling I Thal l ere long give of the prefent fanfenian L ântroverfies,in my Confederations on Mr.BiddlesCatechifines,a taske by authority lately impofedon me.) This is Didacut Alvarezwhofe loth Book deAuxiliia treats peculiarlyof this Subjeéi ofPerfeve- rance. In the entrance ofhis difputation he layes down thefame Principles with the Former,concerning theneceffity ofthe PeculiarGrace ofPerfeverance to this end that any one mayperfevere.Tifp e: i o3. Then Difp: to8 He further manifefts that this gift , orGrace of Perfeverance , does not de- pend on any Conditions in us , or any Cooperation of our wills. His potation he layes down in thefewords: Donum perfeverantie , in ratioze Desti perfeverantie,& efficacia fillies nullomodo de= pendet effeflivé ex libera Cooperation nofari e,frbitrii , fed àfoloDeo , arg, ab of icaci, fr ab/oluto Decreta re/antacid ejuw,qui profuâmifericsrdiâ tribuit WadDoneam cut wilt. In the further proofof this propo- fition , he manifefts by clear Tetlimonies that the Contrary Doarinehereunto , was that ofthe Pete- gians,and Semi-pelagians,whicheilufline oppofed in fundryTreatifes.And in all the Argumentswhere- by he furtherconfirmes it , he 1E11 preffes the abfurdity of making the Promife ofGod concerning Perfeverance Conditional , and fo fufpending iton any thing in and byus to be performed. And in- deed all the Ai1s whereby weperfevere, flowing according to him from the Grace ofperfeverance , it cannotbut be abfurd to make the Efficient Caufe in it's Efficiency,andaperation,to depend upon its own effafl: This alto is with him Ridiculous , that theGraceof perfeverance fhould be given to any,and he not perfevere; or be promi(ed,and yet not given: yet withal hegrants inhis followingConclu/ions , that our wills fecundarily,and in dependency,docooperate in our Perfeverance. The fecond Principle this learned School-man infifts on, is that this gift ofperfeverance is peculiar- ro the Elefl,or pradeflinate:Difput: t o4.r. Con: Donuwperfeverantie eft proprium Prasieflinetorum , ut nul- l; alteri conveniat:And what he intends by Pradeflinati;he informes you according to theJudgment of Auflin, and Thomas: 3(aminepradiflinetionie adGloriam, Mimseampradeflinationcm intelligunt ( Au- guflinuu tr Thomas ) quâ Elate;ordinanturefficaciter , tr tranfmittuntur ad vitam aternam; cujee cfeflui funs vacatio,tutificatio (rperfeverantia ingrata ufg, adFinem; not that ( or fuch a ) Conditional preáe- ffination,as is pendent in the ayre and expeílantofmet;s good final Deportment; but that which is theeternal , free f ountaine ofall that grace , whereofin timeby Wets Chrifl Weare madePartakers. And in the purfuit ofthis propofition , he further proves at large , that the perfverance given to the Saints in Chrift ,isnot a fupplement c fHelps, and advantages, whereby they may preferve it ifthey *ill; but fuch as caufes them,onwhom it is bellowed certainly , & stPually fo to do: and that init's efficacy, and operation , it cannot depend on any free cooperation ofour wills, all the Good Ads tending to our perfeverance , being fruits ofthat Grace which is bellowed on us , according to the abfolute una changeableDecree ofthe will of God. This indeed is common with thisAuthour and the Reu1ofhis affociates ( the Dominicans and prep tent 7 snrenians) in thefecontroverfies,together with the refidueof theRomanifis,that having their Judg- ments wreffed by the abominable figments ofimplicite Faith and theaffececr ofthe Sacraments of the- new Teftament,conveying& really exhibiting the grace lignified,ot feaied by them; that they are infor- ced togrant,thar many may be,&are Regenera:e,&made True Believers,who arenot predeftinate,&that thefe cannot perfevere,norThal! eventually be fared. Certaine it is, that there is not any Truth,whiclt that Generation of men do receive, & admit, but more or lefs it fuffersin their Hands,from that grofs ignorance of the free Grate of God in yefus Crhifl, the power whereofthey are pracuicallyunder : what thepoor Vafailet, and Slaves will do, upon the late Bull of their Holy Father rafting them in fundry maine Concernements of their Quarrel with their Adverfaries, is uncertain;otherwife fettling aide fome fuch deviations , as the above mentioned, ( whereunto they are enforced , by their Ignoranceof the Grace , and 74ification .rich is in jefus Chrifl , ) there is fo much ofAntient CandidTruth inop- pofition to the Peicsisins, and Semi- Felaglans, preferred, and alferted in the writings ofthe `Dominican Fryers, aswill rife up (as I fayd before) in Judgment agstofttleofe ofour Dayes, who enjoying greater Light, & Advantages,do yet dole in with rhofe and arelonglince Curfed Enemies ofthe graceof God. To this Dominican, I thall only adde the Teflimony of two famous ?finites, upon whole underftan dings the lightof this glorious Truth prevailed , for an Acknowledgment of it : The firft ofthefe is Bellarmine,whofe difputetoo thispurpofe, being full, and large, and the Authour inallmens hands, I (hall not tranfcribehis aflertions,&argumenes;but only referee the Reader tohis l.z.deGrat.&LAY, Cap.12.Deni, sit multa afin Teflimonia,crc: The other is Suarez, whodelivers his thoughts fuccinily upon the whole ofthis Matter,Lib. s e. deperpetnirat: vet Ami /: JCrar:Cap.2.Sefl:6.faithhe: depradefli- natis verumeft lnfallibìliter,gtsd gratiam firafitcr fen in perpetuam non amittunt; undepof quam lane) gratiam

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