nature of faith, conversion and the new birth, sufficiently prove the doctrine we plead for. Moreover, though we allow that true believers may fall into gross sins, which may require a renewed exercise of faith and repentance, yet that they shall not deprive them either of meetness or right to heaven; nor do they ever stand condemned before God for them. The doctor's second chapter contains arguments from scripture against the doctrine of the saints' final perseverance, which have been considered in the former part of this work. His third and fourth chapters are an answer to those texts produced on our side in favour of the doctrine: the vindication of which texts is attempted, in the following Sections.

SECTION I.

Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.— JOHN xiii. 1.

THESE words are expressive of the unchangeable and everlasting love of Christ to his people; who are his own by choiee, by his Father's gift, and his own purchase. Now such shall certainly persevere to the end, and be eternally saved; for who shall separate from the love of Christ? But to this, the following things are objected.

1. That "Christ speaks not of them, whom he had chosen to eternal life, but of them only, whom he had chosen to be his apostles *." To which I reply, that though Christ speaks of his apostles, yet not of them all; I speak not of you all, says he, I know whom I have chosen : and of whom he does speak, he does not speak of them as chosen to be apostles, but as men chosen to eternal life; which was not the case of them all, nor were they all his own in this special sense; one of them was a devil, and the son of perdition. Nor does he speak only of these. Were none his own but the apostles? Had he no propriety in any but them? Certainly he had and if he loved his apostles unto the end, why may he not be thought to love all to the end, who are equally his own, and equally loved by him as they were?

2. That Christ's loving them to the end, only signifies "the affection he showed to them, by washing their feet when he was to leave them." To which may be replied, that this was not so much an instance of affection to them, as of humility and meekness; and was designed as an instruction and example to them, how they should behave to each other; and at most was an instance only of his love to them, and what Judas had a share in with the rest of the apostles; and not to be compared with some other instances of his love, and which were nearer the end of his life, as particularly his shedding his blood for them on the cross. Now there is no comparison between washing the feet of his disciples with water, and washing us from our sins in his own blood.

3. That he here speaks "not of his love of them to the end of their lives, but of his own life on earth ‡. Christ's love is not allowed to Whitby, p. 437; ed. 2. 426. † Ibid.

Ibid., and Remonstr. Coll. Hag. art. v. p. 91.

continue to the end of their lives, for that would prove their final perseverance; but the end of his life, as if his love ended with his fife: whereas Christ still expresses his love to his people, by appearing in the presence of Gòd, acting as an advocate, and interceding with the Father, and preparing mansions in his Father's house for them. It is much, that the love of Christ to his own is not confined, by the writers of this cast, to supper time, or to the end of the supper; since it immediately follows, and supper being ended, which would scarce be a more jejune sense of the words than what is given. Why may not Téλos be understood of the end of their lives, as in Matt. xxiv. 13? or of the end of the world, ver. 6, 14? or of the end of all things, as in 1 Pet. iv. 7? Besides, els réλos may be rendered continually, as it is in Luke xviii. 5, or for ever, in which sense it is used by the Septuagint in Psal. ix. 6, 18, and xliv. 23, where it answers to y, which signifies for ever: and agreeably the words may be read, Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them for ever, as they are rendered by the Ethiopic version. And then the sense of them is, that those who are Christ's, are loved by him with an everlasting love; and therefore shall not perish, but have eternal life.

SECTION II.

While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me, I have kept: and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition: that the scripture might be fulfilled.-JOHN Xvii. 12.

THE argument formed from this text, in favour of the saints' final perseverance, stands thus: If those who are given to Christ are so kept by him, from the evil that is in their own hearts, and in the world, as that they shall not be eternally lost; then they must and shall persevere unto the end. But those that are given to Christ, are so kept, &c. therefore, &c. To which is answered *,

1. That this passage was spoken only of the twelve apostles, as is evident from the whole context; and so there is no reason to extend it to all true believers." What has been said under the preceding Section, is a sufficient reply to this: for though it is evident from the context, that Christ is speaking primarily, and more immediately of the apostles, yet not of them only, nor of them as apostles, but as members of him, given unto him, and believers in him, and so preserved by him. And if the preservation of them was secured to them, by being so, why may not the preservation of all other true believers be equally as sure and certain?"

2. It is saidt, that "the very next chapter shows that this was spoken of their preservation from temporal death; Christ requesting that his disciples might be permitted to go away when he was apprehended, that this saying of his might be fulfilled, John xviii. 8, 9.” I reply, that though the very next chapter shows that these words of Christ were fulfilled in the temporal preservation of the disciples; yet *Whitby, p. 438; ed. 2. 426.

† Ibid.

preserva

it does not follow, that this was all, or that it was the principal thing designed by them; for Christ prays the Father that he would keep them as he had done. Now the rest of the petitions are of a spiritual kind; such as sanctification through the truth, perfect union and eternal glorification: wherefore, it is reasonable to suppose, that this was of the same nature also. Besides, if this was spoken of tion from temporal death, the sense of the words must be this: those that thou gavest me, I have kept from a temporal death, and none of them is lost by a temporal death; but the son of perdition, he is lost by a temporal death: which last was not true; for Judas was yet alive, he had not at this time betrayed him; and it was not until after the condemnation of Christ that he went and hanged himself. Add to this, that as Christ had kept his disciples, so he prays that his Father would keep them, ver. 11, 15. Now, if he prayed for their preservation from temporal death, he was not heard; for every one of them died a violent death, suffered martyrdom, though they were all in a spiritual sense preserved to the kingdom and glory of God, as all true believers will be.

3. It is observed*, that this passage, taken in " our sense, is rather an argument that some of them, who were given by God to Christ, may perish; because it is affirmed, that one of them, who was thus given to Christ, did so." To which I answer, that though Judas, the son of perdition, was given to Christ, and chosen by him as an apostle, yet he was not given to him by a special act of the Father's grace, nor chosen in him, or by him, and united to him, as a member of him, as the rest of the apostles and all the elect of God are. I speak not of you all, says het, I know whom I have chosen, that is, to eternal life; for, otherwise, he had chosen Judas as an apostle equally with the rest: have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? And from all the accounts that are given of him, it does not appear that he ever received the true grace of God; and therefore his perdition, to which he was appointed, which is the reason of his being called the son of perdition, is no instance of the apostacy of a real saint, or true believer, or of one who, in a way of special grace, was given by the Father to Christ. Moreover è un, which is rightly rendered by our translators but, is not exceptive, but adversative§, and does not imply, that Judas was one of those that were given to Christ, and that his perdition is an exception to the preservation of them all; but the sense of the text is, None of those that thou gavest me is lost; but the son of perdition is lost, he having never been given to me as an object of thy love, only as an apostle, and, therefore, is left to that perdition to which he was appointed; whereby the scripture, that speaks of his destruction, will be fulfilled.

*Whitby, p. 438; ed. 2. 426.

John xiii. 18.

§ As in many places. See Gal. i. 7.; Rev. xxi. 27.

Ibid. vi. 70.

SECTION III.

For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.—Roм. xi. 29. THE gifts of God, such as justification, pardon of sin, adoption, sanctification, and eternal life, flow from his immutable decree of election, as appears from the preceding verse. The calling here spoken of, is that internal, effectual calling, with which God's elect are called according to the purpose and grace of God. Now, since the purpose of God to bestow the gifts of his grace stands firm and sure, and these gifts, when bestowed in calling, are without repentance, and will never be taken away, the final perseverance of these called ones must be certain. And though the apostle is only speaking of the elect of God among the Jews, the argument holds equally good of all others, who have, or for whom God has designed, the same gifts and calling. But to this is excepted*, that,

This "passage is evidently spoken of those Jews who were then hardened, given up to a spiritual slumber, broken off from their own olive tree, and in that state of infidelity in which they have continued almost one thousand seven hundred years; and only intimates, that God will, in his good time, receive them again into his favour." But nothing is more evident, than that the apostle is speaking of the Jews in the latter day, and of God's eternal purposes and promises of grace concerning them; which shall be accomplished when the fullness of the Gentiles is come in, towards whom he had gracious designs, for whom he had gifts in reserve, and whom he would call by his grace, in such a manner, as that neither his gifts nor his calling should be repented of, and so all Israel should be saved; and not of that present generation, much less of those Jews who were then hardened, given up to a spiritual slumber, and broken off; for these were the rest that were blinded, and are distinguished from the election that then obtained, and who never were called, nor had any spiritual gifts or saving blessings of grace bestowed on them.

Our

The arguments from the three last scriptures are said to need very little answer, as being wholly alien from the purpose, and very impertinent; but, whether they are so or no, the reader must judge. author proceeds to consider the arguments which seem to have a greater force in them, taken either from those scriptures which seem plainly, or by just consequence, to assert this doctrine, or else to promise this perseverance of the saints; the vindication of which will be attended to. * Whitby, p. 438; ed. 2. 426; Remonstr. Coll. Hag. art. v. p. 85, 86.

SECTION IV.

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that (if it were possible) they shall deceive the very elect -MAT. xxiv. 24.

1st. THE argument from hence, in favour of the perseverance of the saints, very much depends on their being the elect of God, the impossibility of their deception being placed to this their character; which designs particular persons absolutely, and from eternity, chosen to everlasting life, who therefore cannot be so deceived as to be lost for ever, since their election is an eternal act, and therefore cannot be made void by a temporal one: it passed before the persons had done either good or evil; wherefore, as no good thing done by them was the cause of it, so no evil thing can annul or frustrate it; which strongly conIcludes the sure and certain salvation of all who are interested in it.

*

But it is said that by the elect we are to understand the choicest believers, or the persevering Christians. To which I reply, that it is certain that such who are truly converted, or are true believers, are persevering Christians, and such without dispute are the elect: but then the reason why they are, and are called the elect, is not because they are converted, are true believers, and persevering Christians; but, on the contrary, the reason why they are converted, become true believers, and so persevering Christians, is because they are elected. Conversion, faith, and perseverance, are not the causes or conditions, but fruits and effects of election: hence faith is styled the faith of God's elect; and it is also said, that as many as were ordained unto eternal life believed; wherefore such cannot be finally deceived. Besides, to talk of the final seduction of a persevering Christian is a contradiction in terms: such an interpretation of the phrase must be absurd and impertinent; for who knows not, that a persevering Christian cannot be finally and totally deceived?

2dly. When we say, that the elect of God cannot be deceived, we allow that they may be, and are deceived before conversion. This is one part of their character, whilst unregenerate‡, foolish, disobedient, deceived, &c., yea, that they may be, and oftentimes are, deceived after conversion; but then this is in part only, and not totally; in some lesser, and not in the greater matters of faith; not so as to let go their hold of Christ, the head, and quit the doctrine of salvation by him, or fall into what the apostle calls § damnable heresies. They may be seduced from the simplicity of the gospel, but not finally; for they shall be recovered out of the snare of the Devil, and not be left to perish in such deceivings. To this are excepted,

1. That Christ || solemnly exhorts his disciples to use the greatest caution that they be not deceived; and, in the same chapter, to watch

*Whitby, p. 43; ed. 2. 42; Remonstr. Coll. Hag. art. i. p. 85; art. v. p. 83; Limborch, p. 723. Tit. i. 1; Acts xiii. 48. Tit. iii. 3. § 2 Pet. ii. 1. Whitby, p. 439; ed. 2. 427; Remonstr. Coll. Hag. art. v. p. 82; Limborch, p. 723.