A Table concerning Christ our Aduocate, and whether remission of sinnes once obtained, can againe be made frustrate, comprised in foure propositions, and foureteene Conclusions.
CHRIST is the Aduocate of the elect Iohn 17. Rom. 8.onely, and (that) of all which haue been from the beginning of the world, and shall be to the end.
Aug. Tract. 41. in Ioh. Euseb. Hist. Eccles. lib. 4. cap. 15 2 Christ also is the propitiation onely for the sins of the elect of the whole world: therefore hee is their Aduocate onely. So the Church of Smirna to all the parishes, as Paul saith; Christ did suffer for the saluation of all the world which are to be saued; but the elect onely are saued. So Ambrose, Tom. 2. de fide ad gratianum, lib. 4. c. 1. If thou dost not beleeue, he descended not for thee: therefore he suffered onely for the beleeuers.
Gen. 18. 22. Galat. 3. Psalm. 44. Iohn. 12. Rom. 5. 2. Cor. 5. Coloss, 1. Habet ergo populus Dei plenitudinem suum. Ambros. Ibid. 3 The (world) is somtimes taken for the whole world, and all men, as well Elect as Reprobate. Sometime for the more principall part; to wit, the Elect. Sometime for the worse part of the world, that is, the Reprobate. The author also of the booke, De vocatione Gentium, lib. 1. cap. 3. doth declare by examples of many scriptures, oftentimes for a part of the earth, the whole earth; for a part of the world, the whole world; for a part of men, all men to bee nominated: and this as well touching the wicked as the godly. Therefore when he saith, that Christ is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world, wee are not inforced by the name of (the whole world) to vnderstand vniuersally all men.
4 There is a difference betweene the worke of our Redemption, and the force (or fruit) of our redemption: for the first is once done, the other is eternal, extending it selfe as well to them which were from the beginning of the world; euen before the work of our redemption was accomplished, as to them who after the worke of our redemptiō effected, shal be to the end of the world. [...] is properly the efficacie of redemption and propitiation; nothing therefore doth let, but that Christ hath beene, and is perpetually the attonement for the sinnes euen of them which were elected from the beginning of the world.
The summary of questions, whether remission of sinnes once obtained, can againe be made frustrate, comprised in fourteene Conclusions.
THe whole course of the Gospell is contained in this summe, that it might perswade vs with beliefe in Christ, that our saluation is firme & constant Iohn 3. 5. Math. 7. & 16. Rom. 11.(that is in Christ.) If therefore any shall say, that remission of sinnes once obtained, by consequent falles can be made frustrate in the Saints, hee doth ouer-turne the whole scope of the Gospell. Reade Esay 38. 44. Mich. 7.
2 Only by an absolute relapse from piety to impiety, Nunquam in nemine ob nullum peccatum sit irrita remissio. Zanch.the remission of sinnes past once obtained, can be done away. But this relapse the true Saints and elect are not incident vnto: therefore in them forgiuenesse of sinnes cannot be frustrate.
3 In the Reprobate true remission of sinnes neuer tooke place: therefore it can neuer in them bee frustrate; wherefore in none.
Pro omnibus sufficienter, pre electis tantum efficaciter. Zanch. exscholasticis. Pro omnibus illis electis. ex Aug. Iohn. 17. 1, Ioh. 2. Rom. 8 4 For the blood of Christ, by which alone remission is atchieued, is not according to the purpose of God, and in deed shed out for the reprobate vnbeleeuers, but only for other many, that is, the Elect, and that for all those many.
5 Neither did Christ pray vpon earth, nor now mediate in heauen, for the reprobate; but onely for the elect beleeuers, & in time to come to beleeue in Him; but remission of sinnes is obtained by the Aliqua luce mētes illuminat, nurquam tamē pen [...]at illo [...]is corda, Zanch. Ioh. 1.intercession of Christ.
6 Likewise none but the Elect are truely endued with the Spirit of Regeneration, who are truely Christs, Rom. 8. But without the Spirit of Regeneration forgiuenesse of sinnes is not gotten.
Titus. 1 Rom. 10. 2. Thess 3. Act. 13 Rom. 5. 7 So also true and iustifying Faith is onely proper to the Elect: How then can the reprobate attaine remission of sinnes?
8 To the wicked reprobates there is no peace, as saith the Prophet, but of remission of sinnes doth follow true peace.
9 From remission of sinnes doth alwaies follow title to eternall life, and after title the possession it self; but the reprobate can neuer haue any title vnto life eternal, and much lesse to the possession thereof.
10 To attaine remission of sinnes, and to be iustified, are all one Rom. 4. Now none are iustified who are not predestinated, and elect to iustification and life eternall; and whosoeuer are iustified shall be glorified Rom. 8. Therefore the Reprobate Rom. 8shall neuer obtaine truely remission of sinnes, therefore it can neuer be frustrate in them, in whom it is not at all.
Gu [...]erunt nō [...]ederunt. Zanch. Gustant sed [...]ox expuūt idem. discrimen inter dona spiritus sancti simpliciter & dona spiritus sancti regenerantis. Zanchius. 11 By that speech of the Apostle to the Hebrewes c. 6. It is impossible that they who are illuminated, and haue tasted of the heauenly gift, and haue beene made partakers of the holy Spirit, and haue tasted notwithstanding of the good Word of God, and of the Powers of the world to come, and are fallen away, to be againe renewed to repentance: it cannot be concluded that the reprobate are endued with the true Spirit of Regeneration, with a true and iustifying Faith, and therefore with true remission of sinnes: yet that many of them are affected with a temporary faith, and some tastes of the holy Spirit, this, and other places, do plainely teach.
12 The place 2. Pet. 1. touching Hypocrites (For hee that hath not these things is blinde, which seeth nothing a farre off, forgetting that he was purged from his old sinnes) is to bee vnderstood according to the custome of the holy Scriptures, which do call Saints according to the iudgment of charity, Iust, purged from their sinnes, although they are not all so before God, so many as are Baptised into Christ, and confesse Him, all such are Sacramentally cleansed.
Conditionalis propositio nihil ponit in forma. Zanch. Psalm. 1. 112. 13 That of Ezech. chap. 18. (If the Iust do auert from his Iustice) is not to be vnderstood of him who is truely iust, but of him who onely seemeth of men to be iust. For neither can he who is truely righteous, finally fall from iustice to iniquity, and die therein, of which finall and perfect auersion the Prophet speaketh: Now hypocrites being iust onely before men, do neuer obtaine true remission of sinnes before God, therefore it cannot bee proued by this sentence, that it is frustrate.
14 That Mat. 18. So your heauenly Father shall do to you, vnlesse you forgiue euery one to his brother from his heart their offences; doth not conclude, that sins once truly released can againe be called into iudgment, but this onely, that such men are deceiued, who thinke their debts to be remitted from God vnto them, when as they do not forgiue trespasses to their brethren.
Math. 12. 33. Euery tongue that speaketh against mee (that is the Holy Ghost) shall be condemned.
1. Cor. 15. 19. If in this life wee haue onely hope in Christ, wee are of all men most miserable.
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