4. A Branch may be cut off and•separated from the Vine. But no Branch shall be ever separated from Christ this Heavenly Vine. The Arminians tell us, A justified person may fall away finally. Is not Christ a perfect Vine? He is not perfect, if a living Branch may be plucked off from him. Hath not Christ said of his Elect, They shall never perish, neither 1shall any man pluck them out of his hand, Joh. 10 28. If any Branch be plucked away from Christ, it is either because Christ is not able to keep it, or because he is willing to lose it. He is able surely to keep it, for he is strengthened with the God-head: and he is not willing to loose it, for why then would he have shed his blood for it? So that no Branch shall be ever separated from the Celestial Vine. You may sooner pluck a Star out of the Sky, than a true Believer from Christ. Indeed Hypocrites who ⟨p. 168⟩look like Branches, fall off, but they were never really in the Vine. They were in Christ by Profession, not by Union. They were tied on to the Vine, but not ingra•d. An Elect Branch can no more perish than the Root.
4. A Branch may be cut off and•separated from the Vine. But no Branch shall be ever separated from Christ this Heavenly Vine. The Arminians tell us, A justified person may fall away finally. Is not Christ a perfect Vine? He is not perfect, if a living Branch may be pluck'd off from him. Hath not Christ said of his Elect, They shall never perish, neither 1shall any man pluck them out of his hand, Joh. 10 28. If any Branch be pluck'd away from Christ, it is either because Christ is not able to keep it, or because he is willing to lose it. He is able surely to keep it, for he is strengthen'd with the God-head: and he is not willing to loose it, for why then would he have shed his blood for it? So that no Branch shall be ever separated from the Coelestial Vine. You may sooner pluck a Star out of the Sky, than a true Believer from Christ. Indeed Hypocrites who ⟨p. 168⟩look like Branches, fall off, but they were never really in the Vine. They were in Christ by Profession, not by Union. They were tyed on to the Vine, but not ingra•d. An Elect Branch can no more perish than the Root.
- 1Imbelles sunt oves (electórum emblem•ta) sed non tanta erit ab extrà [Greek or Hebrew], quanta eas rapere queat e mamanibus Christi. Brugens.Imbelles sunt oves (electórum emblem•ta) sed non tanta erit ab extrà 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, quanta eas rapere queat e mamanibus Christi. Brugens.
