A Discourse Concerning I. The True Import of the Words Election and ... - Daniel Whitby

the doctrine of fate. And that the difference betwixt them and the fata-
lists, is not material. III. That the same reasons, which induced the
philosophers, from the light of reason, to condemn this fate in those
heathens who maintained it, induced the christians to reject it when it
was taught by the Colobarsians, Priscillianists, and other heretics.

CHAP. V.

1. The judgment of all antiquity, for that freedom of the will we con-

tend for, is evinced from these considerations: (1.) That they place the

freedom of the will from necessity among the doctrines delivered to the

church by the preaching of the apostles, and by ecclesiastical tradition.

II. From what St. Austin lays down in confutation of the Manichees,

viz. (i.) That no man is blameworthy for doing that evil which he was

not able to resist. (ii.) That no souls offend in not being such as they

cannot be. (iii.) That no man is worthy of dispraise or punishment for

not doing that which he cannot do. (iv.) That no man is guilty for not

having that which he hath not received. (v.) That this is the true defi-

nition of sin, that “it is the will to do that from which we have the liber-

ty to abstain." (vi.) That it is folly to command him who hath not the

power to obey. (vii.) That it is not the duty of him to repent who can-

not do good. (viii.) That the denial of this liberty is contrary to scripture,

and destroys the equity of divine judgments:—In all which things he

hath the general suffrage of the Greek and Latin fathers. III. The

arguments by which the fathers do confute the doctrine of Origen, are as

strong against this opinion. IV. The replies which Austin makes to

some of his own arguments, are insufficient.

DISCOURSE V.

CONCERNING THE PERSEVERANCE OF SAINTS.

The State of the Question.

CHAP. I.

I. We own, (1.) That they who are preserved from falling, are so
preserved by the power of God through faith; but know of no promise
that all true believers shall be so preserved. (2.) That God hath engaged
to preserve them who do not wickedly depart from him, from being forced
from him by the malice, subtilty, and power of their adversaries; but

not from falling from their own steadfastness. (3.) That he hath
promised perseverance to all that use the means; but not that all
shall do so who were once true believers. II. What our adversa-

ries grant, destroys most of their arguments.

CHAP II.

I. The arguments against the doctrine of perseverance of all true

believers to the end are taken, (1.) from God's express declaration

to the contrary. Ez. xviii. 24, 26. xxxiii. 13. II. From these words,

Heb. vi. 4, 5, 6. It is impossible, and yet fall away, to renew

them to repentance." III. From these words, Heb. x. 26, 29.

To him that accounteth the blood of the covenant, wherewith he

was sanctified, an unholy thing, there remaineth no more sacrifice

for sin. IV. From those, (ver. 38.) If the just man who lives

by faith, draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him?

V. From those, If after they have escaped the pollutions which

are in the world through lust, they are again entangled and over-

come.' 2 Pet. ii. 18. VI. From many instances of such men who

have actually fallen away, especially in the Jewish nation. This

argument is confirmed from many places of the epistle to the He-

brews. VII. From the commands and exhortations directed to

true believers to continue to the end, and to fear lest they should

fall away; and the cautions, to prevent their doing so; the pro-

mises made to them, if they continue steadfast; the threats against

them who did not so;-of which in general. VIII. In particu-

lar, this is proved, (i.) From the commands. IX. (ii.) The ex-

hortations to persevere. X. (iii.) And to fear lest they should fall

away. XI. (iv.) Particularly from the fears of the apostles lest

it should be so; and (v.) the cautions directed to christians. XII.

(vi.) The promises made to them that do not. XIII. (vii.) The

threats against them that do thus fall away. XIV. (Lastly,) This

is proved from many places, which suppose that true believers may

thus fall.

I. In this chapter is contained an answer to the arguments pro-
duced from scripture to prove the perseverance of saints to the end,
as v. g. (1.) From Mat. xxiv, 24. They shall deceive, if it were

possible, the very elect: II. From John vi. 39, 46. It is the

will of the Father that every one who is given to Christ, and be-

lieveth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. III.

'Because the Lord hath not cast off his people whom he foreknew?'

Rom. xi. 2. IV. Because whom God justifies, them he also

glorifies, and none can separate them from the love of God. Rom.

viii. 29, 35. V. Because true believers have that Spirit of God

who seals them up to the day of redemption, and is the earnest of

their future inheritance.' Eph. i. 13. iv. 30.
VI. Because the

Lord knoweth who are his.' 2 Tim. ii. 18, 19. VII. ‘Because they

are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation.' VIII.

'Because they who go out from true believers were not of them?'

1 John ii. 19. IX. Because he that is born of God cannot sin?'

1 John iii. 9.

CHAP. IV.

I. This chapter answers the texts produced to prove that God

stands engaged by promises to preserve true believers steadfast to

the end. (1.) I will give them one heart and one way, that they

may fear me for ever; I will put my fear into their hearts that

they shall not depart from me.' Jer. xxxii. 38, 39, 40. II. Christ

saith, He that comes to me shall never hunger, he that drinketh of

the water that I shall give him shall never thirst.' John vi. 35.

iv. 14.
III. Christ promiseth that his 'sheep shall never perish;

none shall pluck them out of his hands.' John x. 28. IV. God

hath engaged to confirm them unblameable to the end.' 1 Cor. i.

9, 10. To perfect the good work begun in them to the day of the

Lord. Phil. i. 6. To sanctify them whom he hath called, in body,

soul, and spirit.' 1 Thes. v. 23. To establish them, and keep them

from evil. 2 Thes. iii. 3.

CHAP. V.

I. A comparison betwixt the two doctrines (1.) as to the comfort
of believers; where it is proved, (i.) from many instances, that a
doctrine is not therefore true because it is comfortable to them that
believe it. (i.) That a possibility of falling into a great evil is no
just cause of trouble or anxiety, when I am assured I cannot do
so unless I will and chuse to do so, and cannot do so but by acting
against the clearest rules of reason and discretion, and the highest
motives to the contrary. (iii.) That the doctrine of the saint's per-

severance cannot be truly comfortable, or give any advantage above
the other in the point of comfort. 11. As to their tendency to
promote holiness, where it is shewed that our doctrine hath the ad-
vantage on several accounts. III. That it hath the suffrage of
all the ancients, and was the doctrine of the whole church of
Christ for many ages.

DISCOURSE VI.

CONTAINING AN ANSWER TO THREE OBJECTIONS AGAINST

THE DOCTRINES ASSERTED, AND THE ARGUMENTS BY

WHICH THEY ARE CONFIRMED.

CHAP. I.

I. THIS chapter contains a reply to two grand objections, against

what hath been discoursed on the foregoing heads, viz. OBJECTION

FIRST. That most of the objections made against the decrees of

God and the unfrustrable influx of God on man, and the deter-

mination of his will to good or evil, are as strong against the pre-

science of God. To this objection it is said, (i.) That this argu-

ment from prescience overthrows these decrees, or renders them