so much to dispute as to liue and that they accustome themselues to fight with their owne vices and not with other mens opinions For it is a most hard and a very profitable combate which euery godly man maketh with himselfe On the contrary side when strife is sowne by strife and not the truth but the victory is sought first charity and then truth is lost among the contenders And especially diligence is to be vsed lest peace and riches bring forgetfulnesse of the Crosse of Christ and lest the people vnmindfull of the benefits of God should at length draw vpon them his iudgements There are not wanting examples of people to whom when religion had brought forth riches and prosperity a while after the same riches and prosperity choaked religion and with a shamefull parricide killed their Mother So much the more care therefore is to be had that the eares of your people may alwayes ring with those instructions whereby the memory of the calamities driuen from them may be refreshed and their mindes might tremble with a godly feare when they foro-see a farre off the dangers to come and Satan lying in waite for them To which thing it is no light instigation that by these late tumults you haue tryed that the peace of the common-wealth doth consist in the integrity of Religion neither can the purity of true Religion which is maintained by you be violated but that also the pillars on which your common-wealth standeth and by which the authority of your supreame Magistracy is sustained will be shaken For these two are so knit together by a mutuall bond that the one cannot be ouerthrowne but the other also must fall downe Your authority was strooke at through the side of Religion and in the foundations of the Church the foundations of the common-wealth were vndermined Your power therefore will be sound and safe when obedience due to princes shall be thought to be a part of piety and when the Pastors of the Church shall traine vp by the word of God the people to performe obedience to you And on the other side the Church shall flourish when Princes shall be her nourcing fathers and shall thinke themselues to be set by God at the sterne of the Common-wealth that God might raigne by them and that Religion might grow vp and might carefully be manured vnder the shadow of their ciuill power This you doe most Illustrious Lords diligently and happily It cannot be said how much your people are indebted to you and they will still owe you more Surely all good men in the Christian world doe greet your so prosperous successe and doe admire at your wisedome and doe striue in prayers with God that he would preserue you long to the Church and common-wealth whom hee hath vsed to preserue the Church and common-wealth and that he would so gouerne you by his spirit and defend you by his carefull prouidence that all your endeauours may obtaine their wished ends and that yee may haue a common-wealth happily gouerned a State set in safety domesticall concord aboundant riches valiant armies frequent victories a people obaying your command and who may doubt whether they should call you Lords or Fathers One that doth highly honour your most illustrious Lordships PETER MOVLIN COurteous Reader be entreated to take notice of these faults because they are materiall The rest may be amended by the prudent Reader Page 4. line 2. reade people out of the Pulpit seeing p. 13. l. 18 r. offend God not compelling But. p. 37. l. 1. r. by well aduised men l 2. r. by vnaduised men p. 41. l. 1. r. order We deny not that c. l. 3. r. as mans will p. 54. l. 5. r. thou doest not play p. 69 l. 30.31 r. euery where receiued l 32. r. organicall body p. 72. l. 7 to put sinne into the will p 83. l. 10.11 reprobated and some are preferred others being neglected p. 93. l. 22. r. the greatest punishment p 95. l. 27. r. He could not p. 144. l. 14. r. who will p. 155. l. 5. r. We are predestinated to faith p. 169 l. 25. r. sence In his p. 171. l. 15. r. in order admit p. 209. Let this be the title of the 26. Chapter Of Reprobation p. 218. l. 7. r. from good p 223 l 18. r. a token hereof that p. 246. l. 14. r. of the sonne is p. 284 l. 7. r. inordinate affections p. 311. l. 27 r. remainds if vniuersall sufficient grace be added p. 348. l. 14. r. this action of the spit it he carryeth p. 422. l 7. should not change p. 462 l. 3. r. that by those words p. 476. l. 27. but may finally The Table of the Chapters contained in this Booke HOw soberly we are to deale in this argument chap. 1. That we are not therefore to abstaine from the doctrine of Prouidence and Predestination although some abuse it to curiositie and impietie And whereto it is profitable chap. 2. What the prouidence of God is How farre it extends That God is not the author of sinne What permission is and what blinding and hardning is chap. 3 Of the will of God chap. 4. Of the Antecedent and Consequent will of God chap. 5. Of the sinne of Adam chap. 6. That all mankinde is infected with Originall sinne chap. 7. What Originall sinne is and whether it be truely and properly sinne chap. 8. How the sinne of Adam may belong to his posterity and how many wayes it may passe to his of-spring And first of the imputation of it and whether the sinnes of the Grand-father and great-Grand-fathers are imputed to their posteritie chap. 9. Of the propagation of the sinne of Adam to his posteritie Where also of the traduction both of the soule and of sin it selfe chap. 10. Whether the power of beleeuing the Gospell is lost by the sinne of Adam chap. 11. That God doth saue those whom of his meere grace he chose out of mankinde corrupted and obnoxious to the curse What Predestination is the parts of it That Arminius did not vnderstand what the decree of Predestination is and that he hath vtterly taken away Election chap. 12. Of the Obiect of Predestination that is whether God electing or reprobating considereth a man as fallen or not fallen chap. 13. That the Apostle Saint Paul in the ninth to the Romanes by the word Masse vnderstood the corrupted Masse chap. 14. That Arminius doth willingly darken the words of the Apostle which are cleare and expresse chap. 15. The opinions of the parties vpon the doctrine of Predestination chap. 16. That the Arminians make fore-seene-fore-seene-faith the cause of the election of particular persons chap. 17. The decree of generall Election is searched into by which Arminius will haue all men to be elected vnder the condition of faith chap. 18. The election of particular persons in respect of faith fore-seene is confuted by the authoritie of the Scripture It is proued that men are not elected for faith but to
should say that God fore-saw the Sunne would be round or shining for God himselfe turned it into roundnesse and put the light into it How greatly the Arminians erre here and that it followes of their doctrine that faith is not the gift of God although sometimes they speake otherwise shall be seene in the right place XII Thither also belong the words which are in the eleuenth verse of the first chapter Ephes 1.11 Being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counfell of his owne will If God hath predestinated any one to saluation he worketh also all things which are necessary to the execution of that decree and if all things then also faith Faith therefore is something after predestination for it is a part of the execution of that decree XIII There is a noteable place Acts 13.48 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They beleeued as many as were ordained to eternall life While Paul preached to the men of Antiochia some beleeued some refused the Gospell Saint Luke brings this cause why they did not beleeue to wit the ordination and decree of God Election therefore is before faith because the election of God is the cause why men beleeue According to Arminius Saint Luke ought to haue spoken thus And as many as beleeued were elected by God in reward of their faith But contrariewise hee saith they beleeued because they were elected Socinus and after him Arminius doe depraue and corrupt this place with very great wickednesse For by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that were ordained they vnderstand they that were disposed prepared and inclined or well affected as if Luke had writ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Certainely a bold euasion and an interpretation without colour and example For neyther the Scripture nor any man that I know euer tooke the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this sence To which purpose when many examples may be heaped vp yet they are most fit which are taken out of the booke of the Acts it selfe that it may appeare in what sence Saint Luke doth alwaies take this word Chap. 15.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they decreed or determined that Paul should goe vp And Acts 28.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they had appointed him a day So Saint Paul Rom. 13.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The powers that are are ordained or appointed by God So S. Chrisost Hom. 30. vpon the Acts doth interpret this place of the Acts as many as were ordained to saluation where he rendreth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seuered by God and fore-determined Then also although the word were ambiguous reason it selfe would conuince this For none of the vnregenerate can be well disposed or well affected to eternall life But all these men of Antiochia before they beleeued the Gospell were vnregenerate therefore they were ill disposed to the obtaining of saluation Let the schoole and followers of Arminius tell me what disposition was in the theefe who was crucified with Christ to beleeue before he did beleeue Or in the Apostle Paul when like a wolfe he did rage against the flocke of Christ and swelling with Pharisaicall pride was a most eager maintainer of righteousnesse by the Law yea also common sence doth abhorre that kinde of speaking which they deuise For wee are not wont to say that one is well disposed or prone or well affected to blessednesse but to vertue This inclination must be to doe something and not to enioy or obtaine something So one may be said to be inclined to the exercise of his body but not to health to the combat not to the reward or victory Or if any one please to take the word dispositum disposed for cupido desire there is no man who is not disposed to saluation It is not for nothing that the Greeke hath not the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simply and alone but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as many as were appointed By which preterpluperfect tense is plainely signified not a present disposition but an ordination that went before It is to no purpose that they therefore gather that by those that are ordained are vnderstood those that are disposed because in that place they are opposed to them that are vnworthy For Luke here makes no opposition nor if he did would it any thing hinder vs who know that by the very election to faith and saluation men are made worthy and therefore also we are opposed to those that are vnworthy In the meane time let the Reader iudge what and how wicked a doctrine this is which doth make men to be worthy before they beleeue and that some are found among Infidels who are worthy of saluation XIV Marke 13.22 False Christs and false Prophets shall arise and shall shew signes and wonders to seduce if it were possible the very elect There is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a cause and reason of it giuen in the word Elect For the cause is noted why some cannot be finally deceiued to wit because they are elected Election therefore is before perseuerance in faith to the end as being the cause of perseuerance And that which is the cause of perseuerance in faith is the cause of faith That which is the cause why one doth alwaies beleeue is the cause why hee doth beleeue Therefore the opinion of Arminius doth fall to the ground by which he determineth that not onely faith but also perseuerance in faith is before election and that God in electing doth consider it as a condition already performed and fulfilled XV. The words of the Apostle ought not to be omitted 2. Tim. 1.9 He hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen vs in Christ Iesus before the world beganne These words seem to me to be diametrically directly contrary to Arminianisme For the Apostle doth not onely deny that we are saued for the fore-seeing of workes but also he brings the eternall decree of God to exclude the respect of workes But if God hath not elected vs for the foreseeing of workes then certainly not for the fore-seeing of faith which doth beget and effect workes And if God hath not elected any one for the fore-seeing of faith then certainely not for the right vsing of grace nor for the obedience of faith for as much as this vsing and this obedience is manifestly a worke Neither is it any doubt but that to embrace the Gospell by faith is a kinde of worke and action of the will XVI What Arnold cont Gomarum Pag. 4â— Arminius dicit ipâ—um credere in Christum nobis in iustitiam imputari non vt infirumentum P. 35. dicet fidem estimati pro â—â—edien iâ— opâ—re Vorst Cat. Error on Siber P. 41. Fides nobis ad iustitiam 〈◊〉 putatur formalâ—er Bretius Epist ad Sabr P. 69. 70. Non est inâ—ptum dicere cum Deus
before the decree of sending his sonne seeing Christ himselfe doth witnesse it Iohn 3.16 God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne c. where the loue of the father is manifestly set before the sending of the sonne which is so to be vnderstood as that the sonne is not excluded from the act of election it selfe seeing that he also is one God with the father but this was done by him not as hee is mediator but as he is God VII Neither is any iniury done to Christ if the will of the father concerning the sauing of men be said to goe before the redemption of Christ seeing that this redemption is also after sinne for the disease is before the medicine VIII Nor is any thing detracted from the greatnesse of the price of our redemption if his will who offered the price be said to goe before it IX The very definition of the decree of election doth proue this thing for election is the decree of sauing certaine men by Christ in which definition Christ is laid downe not as the cause of election but as the meanes of the execution of it and as the meritorious cause of saluation X. It is maruailous how much the Arminians insult here For because wee make the loue of God to goe not in time but in order before the mediation of the sonne they so deale with vs as if we taught that God loued vs without Christ and as being considered without faith in Christ which doth differ as much from our opinion as that which doth differ most Be it farre from vs that wee should say that God would euer bestow saluation vpon vs but that together and in the same moment he considered vs in Christ as being to be saued by him Nor was there any cause why we for that thing should be accused of Sicianisme we haue nothing to doe with that Alastor and hellish monster which doth altogether ouerthrow the benefit of Christ But it is one thing to say that the loue of the father doth in order goe before the mediation of the sonne and another thing to say that God loueth vs without the sonne It is one thing to dispose the thoughts of God in order and another thing to separate them and pull them asunder Arminius who in the beginning of his booke against Perkins calleth himselfe a wirty fellow doâ—h craftily yea wickedly catch at and hunt after points of priority in order to pull asunder those things which cannot be seperated Hee doth therefore as much as if one should say that the thought of creating man was first in order in God before the thought of adorning him with holinesse and righteousnes and would thence inferrre that God would first create man not iust or first to haue considered him as not holy If any man saith that in the decree of God the thought of ouerthrowing of the world was before the thought of ouerthrowing it by fire hee doth not therefore say that God first thought of ouerthrowing it without fire All the purposes of God are eternall although there be a certaine order and dependency betweene them XI That place of Saint Iohn Chap. 3. vexeth Arminius God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten sonne c. where the loue of God is laide downe as the cause by which it came to passe that he gaue the sonne He doth therefore endeauour to delude so direct a place by a witlesse cauell That loue saith he is not that by which he will giue eternall life which appeareth by the very words of Iohn who doth ioyne faith betweene this loue and eternall life The Reader therefore shall obserue that Arminius himselfe doth acknowledge that there is a kinde of loue of God towards men which doth goe before his decree of sending his sonne But hee saith that God by that loue is not willing to giue eternall life What then will hee doe by it For this thing hee ought to shew Will God by that loue leaue men in death Is it possible that God should loue the creature created by him to life but he must needes by the same loue will that it should liue I am ashamed of so weake a subtilty Yea truely in that he sent his sonne by that loue it is sufficiently manifest that by that loue he was willing man should be restored to life But saith he faith commeth betweene that loue and eternall life What then Cannot I will the recouery of him that is sicke although the Phisition come betweene my will and his recouery Surely he maketh those things opposite and contrary which are appolite and ioyned together But I doe not see how he rather fauoureth Socinus who saith that Christ is not the cause of Election then he that saith that Christ is not the cause of the loue whereby God would send Christ into the world and prouide for vs a redeemer Or why there should be a greater offence in making the redemption of Christ to be the medium and meane betweene the loue of God by which hee elected vs and betweene our saluation then if it be made the medium a meane betweene the loue of God by which he will giue Christ for vs and betweene our saluation For on both sides redemption is made the meanes and not the first cause Let vs not therefore enuy God the father this praise that his good pleasure thould be made the fountaine and first originall of our Election XII Obserue moreouer that that Election whereof Arminius will haue Christ to be the foundation is that generall election whereby all men are conditionally elected which seeing wee haue largely consuted Chap. 18. whatsoeuer the Arminians doe bring to proue that Christ is the foundation of election doth vanish away Surely there was no cause why they should so earnestly labour to proue that Christ was the foundation of that election by which Pharaoh and Iudas were elected Of which imaginary election he shall haue the true character and portraiture who hath brought in God speaking thus I decreed to send my sonne to saue all men who shall beleeue but who and how many they shall be I haue not determined onely I will giue to all men sufficient power to beleeue but he shall belecue who will himselfe XIII Arminius doth defend himselfe against so euident a truth by one little word of the Apostle Ephes 1.4 He hath elected vs in Christ But it is one thing to be elected in Christ and another thing to be elected for Christ so that Christ should be the cause why one is elected rather then another The meaning of the Apostle is cleere To elect is nothing else then to appoint to saluation Therfore to elect in Christ is to appoint to saluation to be obtained in or by Christ For whosoeuer God hath decreed to saue he hath giuen them to Christ and hath considered them as ioyned to Christ Hee seeketh a knot in a bulrush who by farre fetched interpretations would darken
violated But he to whom Christ was neuer preached shall not be condemned because he hath refused Christ but he shall be iudged by the law which tyed him to beleeue in Christ if Christ had beene preached to him VIII And Arnoldus is plainely deceiued when he doth affirme that the power whereby we beleeue God is one and the power whereby they beleeue Christ is another because saith he the word of the law the word of the Gospell differ in the whole genus and are opposite this thing fell inconsiderately from the acute man Because white and blacke are opposite is it therefore the property of one power to see white and of another to see blacke is it not the operation of the same faculty to know contraries And yet I doe not see how the Law and the Gospell can be said to be contrary seeing the Law is the Schoole-master to Christ and the Gospell doth minister the meanes by which the law should be satisfied Surely betweene the creditor and the surety there is no discord Christ came not that hee might abolish the law but that hee might fulfill it Matthew 5.17 Romanes 3.30 IX Out of these it is easie to gather what is to be answered to that question whereby it is demanded whether the law doth comand vs to beleeu in Christ For this is euen as one should demand whether the law of Moses commands the Prophet Esay to be beleeued It is plaine that that is not expressely commanded by the law for no man was bound to beleeue Esay before he was borne Yet I say it was commanded by the law implicitely and by consequence in as much as the law doth command obedience to be yeelded to God And God is to be obeyed whether he speake to vs immediately or by his messengers The same I thinke may be saide of Christ X. For of those things to which we are bound by the law there are two kindes Some things are due absolutely by all men and at all times yea by them to whom the law deliuered by Moses hath not beene made knowne such as are to loue God and our neighbour For Adam was indued with the knowledge of these duties before the fall and was bound to performe them in act But there are some things to the obseruation whereof wee are then bound by the law of God when they are commanded in act and when the ability of knowing them is giuen vs of God Thus the Israelites in Aegypt were not bound to obey the commandement of the not gathering of Manna vpon the Saboth day or of looking on the bralen Serpent or of the passing ouer lordan which notwithstanding if any had not obeyed when God commanded them without doubt they had iustly borne the punishment of the breach of the law XI But Arnoldus doth wrongfully say that it is not spoken here of that generall power of beleeuing euery word of God for of it it is plainely spoken here seeing that the power of beleeuing in Christ is comprehended in that generall power No otherwise then the power of seeing doth comprehend also the power of seeing the remedies for blindnesse although those remedies are not present neither is there any neede of them before blindnesse XII All these things pertaine thither that it might appeare that the power of beleeuing and of embracing the remedies which God offers in the Gospell is lost by that naturall corruption which is deriued into vs from Adam And therefore that Arminius doth erre when hee saith that God is bound to giue to all men power to beleeue in Christ or that he is prepared to giue faith to all For God is not bound to restore to man that which man lost by his owne fault nor doth he deale vniustly when he requireth of man that which hee doth naturally owe. XIII Arminius is not constant to himselfe in this thing and doth pluck vp those things which hee laid downe For he saith that many nations haue for many ages beene depriued of the light of the Gospell without which yet there is no faith and that for a punishment of the incredulitie of their ancestors He doth acknowledge therefore that God hath not giuen nor was prepared to giue to these nations power of beleeuing in Christ Yea truely Arminius in speaking thus doth set downe the cause why God would not and therefore was not prepared to giue to people that without which faith cannot be Was God prepared to giue to the men of Tyre and Sydon the power of beleeuing of whom Christ giueth this testimony that they would haue conuerted in Sackcloath and Ashes if the word and his miracles had come to them Doth he giue power of beleeuing to them whose hearts he hardneth with his vnresistable will as Arminius speakes Could they beleeue of whom it is spoken Iohn 12.39 Therefore they could not beleeue because it is written he hath blinded their eyes and hath hardned their hearts In Perâ—ins P. 294. 295. Doth he giue power of beleeuing to them whom Arminius saith are called of God by a meanes that is not congruent and agreeable and by which he knoweth man will neuer be conuerted XIV Here Arminius doth not obscurely accuse God of folly for he will haue God to be aduerse to himselfe and to be prepared to doe that which that it might not be done he taketh an incongruent and disagreeable course nay like a iudge hee sets lawes for God himselfe for what else meane these words God is bound to giue the power of beleeuing Surely it seemes that Arminius doth binde God by this Law neither will God haue any reason for his iustice vnlesse Arminius supply to him the meanes whereby he may auoide the crime of iniustice XV. And although that impotency and disabilitie of beleeuing be a punishment of the sinne of Adam yet he is not vniustly punished who by this impotency hath refused the Gospell because the same impotency or disability which is a punishment is also a fault which I say that it might appeare how vnproperly Arnoldus doth here vse the examples of punishments which are not faults Is it equity saith he that to a Souldier that hath beene punished with the losse of his eyes for not keeping good watch the Generall should offer the pardon of some other fault or should promise some other thing with this condition that he should watch more diligently and then punish him because that being blinde he hath not watched This example is not to the purpose for to be blinde is not a fault neither is any man by a naturall obligation bound to see It is otherwise with our impotency to beleeuing Besides hee that is punished with the losse of his eyes is sorrowfull and doth heauily beare the losse of the light But man therefore doth not beleeue because he will not beleeue and this impotency is voluntary CHAP. XII That God doth saue those whom of his meere grace hee chose out of mankinde corrupted and obnoxious to the
last decree they would haue to be that whereby God hath precisely and absolutely decreed to saue some certaine men for their faith fore-seene XI These are the decrees of the Arminians and this is the summe of their whole doctrine in the searching and viewing of which the labour is not small they doe so enwrap their meanings they doe so hide their mindes that there alwaies lyeth open some hole to scape by whose meaning he that doth not know will easily beleeue they haue wrong done them they doe so parget ouer their errour with beautifull colours as if they were of the same opinion with vs when they are very farre distant from vs Then also if one in expounding their opinion hath not expressed all euen their least distinctions or hath not obserued all their shifts it cannot be said what tragedies they stirre vp how miserably they complaine as it were of force and grieuous slanders and calumny Being ready also to forsweare Arminius and themselues to pluck vp their owne opinions and to maintaine the cause of the Papists finally to doe any thing so they may escape our hands XII But we handle the matter more plainely nor doe we so laboriously cut the election of God into members Neither doe wee prescribe an order to God by which hee should haue digested or yet ought to digest his thoughts and to dispose his decrees We acknowledge there is no generall election seeing there is no election where nothing is left And we acknowledge no election vnlesse it be of seuerall and particular persons and that also to be precise and determined by the purpose of God neither doe we thinke any to be elected but he that shall certainly and infallibly come to saluation Nor doe we beleeue that we be elected from faith or for faith but vnto faith For God doth not elect those that are good by any goodnesse which goeth before election but by his election hee will make them good Nor doth he fore-know any good in vs but what he himselfe is to bring to passe which is not to fore-see but fore-ordaine Neither doe wee make the election of perticular persons to depend vpon mans will Yea and we beleeue that perseuerance and the confirmation of mans will in faith doth proceede from Gods free election of grace by which he decreed to giue to them whom he appointed to an end the meanes to come to that end XV. Wee agree with the Arminians in this that God in electing doth consider a man not onely as fallen but as one that by his gift is to beleeue for those which he appointed to saluation he appointed also to faith and repentance but we doe not thinke that in election faith is considered as accomplished but as that which should be accomplished by the grace of God and which is the effect of our election and that God doth this not by compelling the will but by bowing it and by granting that of its owne accord it should follow him calling Not by a force which is therefore called irresistable because thou canst not resist it although thou wouldst seeing this very thing is a part of this grace that thou shalt not be willing to resist it But that God is bound to giue his grace to men we detest it as an opinion contumelious reproachfull against the maresty of God Also we despise the opinion of the Arminians wherby they determine that God equally desires saluation to all as an opinion contrary to the Scripture to experience XIV Wee say that election is the eternall and therefore immutable decree of God whereby out of mankind fallen corrupted God decreed of his owne meere grace by Christ to saue some certaine men and to giue them the meanes whereby they might come to saluation XV. The decree of giuing faith repentance we make to be a part of that decree For the decree concerning the end includes also the meanes so the decree of making warre doth include Horses Armes and prouision and the will whereby any one hath decreed to builde doth necessarily include the will of gathering together stones and timber Neither doe we thinke it safe to pull asunder the counsels of God and as it were scrupulously to cut them into peeces CHAP. XVII That the Arminians make fore-seene faith the cause of the election of particular persons I. THe Arminian conferrers at the Hage and as many as are their sectaries in many places doe professe that they doe not make faith the cause of Election but onely a precedent condition and some thing pre-required before Election These things they say onely in word For the same men with very great diligence doe heape vp arguments whereby it may be proued that faith is the cause of the election of particular persons But oftentimes there fals from them either vnwilling or vnawares that which they indeauour to presse downe and as Rats they are catched by bewraying themselues II. Nicholas Greuinchouius pag. 103. doth confesse that Arminius was of opinion that election * inuiti did rest vpon fore-seene faith The Remonstrants in the conference at the Hage p. 117. doe vse the same manner of speaking And Arminius in the 47. page of his declaration The decree saith he whereby God decreed to saue some certaine men doth rest on the fore-knowledge of God whereby from eternity he hath knowne who will belieue c. The Arminians page 38. of their answere to the Walachrians haue these words We determine that the fore-seeing of faith and infidelity doth in order goe before the decree of predestination and that this decree doth * inniti rest on that former fore-knowledge Truely he is blinde that doth not see that it is one thing to follow one another thing to rest on him For if the rising starre doth in order goe before the following starre doth therefore the latter rest on the former Arminius therefore doth not lay downe faith onely as an antecedent thing but as something which doth sustaine election in which it is founded and on which election doth rest And he doth no lesse make election depend vpon faith who saith that faith is the foundation then he that saith that it is the cause of Election for the cause giueth to election that it should be the foundation giueth to it that it should stand and be firme Either way alike iniury is done to God whether you say that some vertue which is in man is the cause of the good pleasure of God or whether you say that the good pleasure of God hath his foundation from some vertue of man III. But by those words they doe not obseurely acknowledge that fore-seene faith is the cause of election for they will haue the fore-seeing of faith so to goe before election as the fore-seeing of incredulity doth in order goe before reprobation But that the reprobates are appointed to condemnation for incredulity and because they are vnbeleeuers they euery where acknowledge And Arminius against Perkins
p. 86. doth roundly affirme that sinne is the meritorious cause of reprobation So Arnoldus p. 151. Election and reprobation of particular persons were made in respect of the fore-sight of faith and incredulity Arnoldus Can any suspect your fidelity that you take the word ex equiuocally in reprobation to note the cause but in election to note the condition It must needes be therefore that they acknowledge that the elect are appointed to saluation for faith fore seene because they beleeue and that fore-seene faith is the cause of the election of particular persons IV. But there is no difference whether you say that Election doth rest on faith fore-seene or that it doth rest on the fore-seeing of faith for both wares faith is made the cause of election in the latter it is made the neerest cause in the former it is made the remote cause for fore-seene faith is made the cause of fore-seeing it and the fore-seeing it is made the cause of election For why doth God fore-know that they will beleeue vnlesse because they will beleeue and why doth he elect vnlesse because he fore-knoweth they will beleeue These are the words of Arminius against Perkins p. 142. In that God fore-knowes he therefore fore-knowes because it will afterward be V. The same men a little after against the Walachrians doe vse although fearefully the word depending that they might make election depending on faith And although say they that word of depending which we are neuer wont to vse in this argument be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 easily subiect to calumny yet if a maleuolent minde be absent it cannot be drawne to the least suspicion of any absurdity Yes it may be drawne to the greatest For Greuinchouius himselfe Pag. 198. doth acknowledge that dependency strictly taken doth argue causality and the dependency of a superiour by an inferiour And truely these men doe not obscurely declare how willingly they would vse this word if they did not feare our pursuite VI. There is extant a Treatise of Greuinchouius with this Title Of election * ex for faith fore seene but that word ex from or for doth not onely note priority but also causality For who would endure a man that should say that Tiberius was from Octauius Augustus or that this yeare is from the former because one went before the other A man that is not vnskiifull of the Latine doth sufficiently know that the praeposition ex is not fit to note onely the priority of faith vnlesse besides the priority there is also some efficiency or dependency Wherefore the same man page 24. hath these words It is altogether conuenient to the nature of lawes and prescribed conditions that the will of the Iudge should be moued to giue the reward by the required and performed condition This performed condition the Arminians say to be faith which if we beleeue them is considered in election as performed They will therefore haue God to be moued by this fulfilled condition that he should giue the reward which if it be true faith is plainely the cause both of decreeing and giuing the reward because it is that which moueth the Iudge VII So in the conference at the Hage the Arminians doe contend that God doth not elect without respect of qualities which thing is true not onely of faith but also of repentance so it be taken thus that God in electing considered men as they that by his gift and bounty would beleeue and be renewed in repentance If you take this respecting otherwise it must needes be that this respecting is the cause for one is said to choose any thing in respect of some quality or vertue who by that qualitie or vertue is moued to choose it otherwise he would not VIII Nay what That the Arminian conferrers at the Hage p. 86. doe vse the word Cause God sendeth his word whether it seemeth good to him not according to any absolute decree but for other causes lying hid in man Then is man the cause why hee is called whence it comes that he is the cause also that he is elected For that which is the cause why God doth call a man to saluation is plainely the cause why God will saue him for these are things connexed and knit together The same men page 109. It is absurd to put the absolute will of God in the decree of election for the first and principall cause that it should goe before the other causes to wit Christ faith and all other causes Here you heare that faith is put among the causes of election wherefore Arnoldus page 53. doth leaue it in the middle whether faith ought to be called the cause or the condition Whether saith hee faith should be called the condition or whether it should be called the cause it alwayes being laid downe for granted that it is the gift of God this alone is the question how faith hath respect to election And a little before he had said If any should say that in the decree of election faith hath the respect of a cause yet he should not thereby deny that it is the gift of God Not obscurely insinuating how prone hee was to that part and perceiued that hee was not rashly to be blamed who hath called faith the cause of our election IX Adde to these that Arnoldus page 186. and the rest with him doe contend that faith is not of those that are elected but that the election is of those that are faithfull We truely out of Saint Paul to Titus chap. 1. v 1. say that faith is of the elect which we so take because election is the cause of faith to which our assertion seeing they oppose theirs as contrary whereby they say that election is of them that are faithfull what else would they but haue faith to be the cause of our election X. Let also the moment and force of their reasons be weighed and considered In the conference at the Hage they professe that they doe not refuse to write with great letters and to subscribe that election is made by Christ without any consideration of good workes And yet doe the same men euen to loathing beate vpon this that Election is the decree of sauing them that beleeue that there is no man elected by God but in respect of faith But I would know why they so earnestly exclude the consideration of workes from election seeing that the earnest endeauour of good workes is a condition no lesse fore-required to saluation then faith Who by these things doth not see that faith is not laid downe by them meerely as a fore-required condition For if faith were thus considered by them it is plaine that the study and endeauour of good workes had beene ioyned and placed in the same degree with faith XI And if God electeth to saluation not those whom he absolutely decreed but those whom hee fore-saw would beleeue it is plaine that God in election hath respect to some dignity and
comparison of hauing their names written in heauen Surely that speech to be written in heauen is referred not to the opinion of men but to the purpose of God And this phrase is taken from the Prophets with whom that is said to be written before God which is fastened and determined by his decree So Esay 4. v. 3. they are said to be written for life who were to be preserued by the purpose of God And Chap. 65.6 Behold it is written before me I will not keepe silence but will recompence As if hee should say it is certaine and determined by mee to reuenge these wicked deedes XII I am ashamed of that shift whereby some of them say that therefore the names of the Apostles are said to be written in heauen because they were elected to their Apostleshippe For so the name of Iudas himselfe was written in heauen in which respect he had so little cause to reioyce that euen his very Apostleshippe turned to his destruction Then also we haue the words of the Apostle to the Hebrewes which are plainely agreeable to these by which he calleth the faithfull the first begotten which are written in heauen which cannot bee drawne to the election to an office seeing it belongeth to all the faithfull and the elect XIII The question of the booke of life is a greater and longer question not belonging to this place I am not ignorant that there is a certaine booke of life which is not the booke of election but the Catalogue of them who professe themselues to be members of the Church and are visibly grafted into the couenant of which book there is mention Eze. 13.9 Psal 69. ver 29. out of which booke there is no doubt but some are blotted But when they are throwne headlong into hell as many as are not written in the booke of life it is plaine that in this booke is set downe the certaine and determined number of men who while other are appointed to the fire they alone are reserued to life the number of whom can be encreased or diminished no more now then in the last iudgement XIV These things concerning that generall and conditionall election Now let vs come to the absolute election of seuerall persons which the Arminians would haue to rest and depend on the fore-knowledge of faith and to be made for faith fore-seene The former of these elections hath the second place in the series and ranke of the foure decrees laid downe by Armintus the latter election hath the fourth place that doth pertaine to the antecedent will of God this to the consequent that doth goe before this doth follow mans will Arminius saith that God is disappointed of that but cannot be disappointed of this CHAP. XIX The election of particular persons in respect of faith foreseene is confuted It is prooued that men are not elected for faith but to faith OVt of the great abundance of places which the holy Scripture doth supply to vs we wil tithe and choose out some that are most cleare and most weighty I. Saint Paul to the Ephesians Chapter 1. vers 3.4 hath these words God hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world The Apostle doth plainely enough teach that spirituall blessings and therefore faith are giuen vs according to the eternall election as we were elected Whence it followeth that election is necessarily before these blessings both in order and time So hee that saith that the Souldiers receiued their donatiue and beneuolence as it seemed good to their Generall doth manifestly say that first it seemed good to the Generall before it was done and that the certaine and absolute will of the Generall went before this largesse and gift Neither are those words of lesse moment which follow He elected vs in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue You see that we are elected to holinesse and not from holinesse or for holinesse and if we be elected to holinesse then also are we elected to faith wherein our holinesse chiefly consists It cannot be denyed that faith is a part of our holines vnlesse by him who also denieth that incredulity in the prophane is a part of their prophanenesse and vice For by faith we are not onely sanctified efficiently but also formally no otherwise then the wall is formally whited by the white colour And if the Arminians could get it granted that the holinesse which is spoken of here doth consist onely in charity yet they would effect nothing nor would it euer the lesse be proued out of this place that we are chosen to faith for he that is elected to charity is necessarily elected to faith which begets charity Gal. 5.6 Nor is it credible that any one is elected to one part of holinesse and not to the other Being beate therefore from hence they seeke other refuges Arnoldus p. 66. by elect would haue they that are called to be vnderstood as if election and calling were the same thing but many are called few are chosen Matth. 20. Therefore among these elect if Arnoldus be beleeued there will be many reprobates neither will this election be opposed to reprobation The same man pag. 142. doth contend that these elect are the faithfull which is false in that sense he takes it to wit that they are considered as being already faithfull when they are elected For how can they that are considered as being faithfull be elected to holinesse seeing in that they are faithfull they are already holy Paul indeede speakes to the Ephesians whom hee calleth faithfull and blessed but not if now they were faithfull and blessed they were therefore faithfull before they were elected This good man therefore hath deuised another subtilty and would haue Paul to speake not of the election of particular persons but of the election whereby any one people is elected to the calling by the Gospell If this be true it must needes be that among the elect before the foundation of the world there were many reprobates But the following words doe not admit this interpretation for the Apostle saith we are elected that we should be without blame in loue He will haue vs to be elect that we might endeauour to holinesse and good workes Now good workes are of particular men and not of a Nation neither by the elect can here be vnderstood the nations admitted into the couenant seeing Saint Paul includes himselfe in this number Hath chosen vs in Christ c. Arnoldus himselfe doth sufficiently declare how little he trusts to this exposition while hee ioynes another which ouerthrowes this He saith that here it is spoken of the election to glory and therefore by holinesse would haue saluation vnderstood But the Apostle doth fitly preuent this starting hole for hee addes that we might be holy and blamelesse but to be blamelesse is a
vertue and not saluation it selfe Then also Paul expounds how wee are holy to wit in charity nor in the fruition and enioying of glory He vnderstands the dueties of charity which are exercised in this life vnto which to be exhorted after this life is needelesse Finally by their so various and diuers expositions which ouerthrow one another they doe sufficiently confesse that they haue nothing wherein they may be constant And because they cannot master vs by the weight of their expositions they endeauour to ouerwhelme vs by the multitude of them It is of small importance that from this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is blamelesse they gather that it is spoken of the perfection after this life For the Apostle will haue vs to be blamelesse euen in this life as Philippians 2.15 Where he commands vs to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blamelesse and harmelesse in the midst of a crooked and peruerse generation Certainly when the Apostle saith that we might be blamelesse in charity it is manifest that he doth not speake of the Saints enioying glory where there is no place for reprehension nor for exhortation to the duties of charitie There is no little force in the following verse He predestinated vs to the adoption of children by Iesus Christ Out of this place I thus reason Those whom God predestinated to adoption he hath predestinated also to the spirit of adoption to be giuen them and this is nothing else but to predestinate them to faith for the spirit of adoption is it that beareth witnesse in our hearts that we are the sonnes of God Rom. 8. and this testimony is faith it selfe It is true indeede that God appointeth no man to adoption but whom God considereth as one that by his gift will be faithfull but the same may also be said of those that are appointed to faith which is appointed to none but whom God considereth as one that will be faithfull And surely they are grosely deceiued who thinke that the faithfull are appointed to the adoption of children seeing in that they are faithfull they are already children This Saint Iohn teacheth chapter 1. To them that beleeued he gaue this prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God II. Agreeable to this place are also many other 1 Cor. 7.25 I haue obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithfull not because he considered me as already faithfull Iohn 15.16 I haue chosen you that you should bring forth fruit therefore he did not choose vs considered as already faithfull and therefore as already bearing fruit Should wee imagine that Christ speakes here onely of the election of the Apostles to their Apostleship I thinke there is none of so impudent a face who can deny that the same thing may be spoken of any of the elect whereof there is none whom God hath not elected that hee might be godly and good euen as also there is no man who is not of a shamelesse countenance who will deny that all the following documents and lessons doe belong to all the faithfull These things I commend you that you loue one another If the world hate you you know that it hath hated me firsh c. III. Not vnlike this is that which the Apostle saith 2 Thes 2.13 God hath chosen you to saluation by sanctification of the spirit and beleefe of the truth He saith that we are elected to obtaine saluation by faith not for faith and so faith is after election and a certaine medium or middle thing betweene election and saluation IV. The words of Ananias to S. Paul Act 22.14 are consonant to this God hath chosen thee that thou shouldst know his will by which knowledge faith and assent to the Gospell is vnderstood for Saint Paul was not elected more to know the Gospell then to beleeue the Gospell Paul therefore was elected to beieeue and so his election was before his faith V. The same Apostle 1 Thessa 1.3 praising the faith and charitie of the Thessalonians doth fetch the cause of these vertues from election it selfe Remembring without ceasing your worke of faith and labour of lone as knowing that you are elected of God Here the Arminians doe willingly stumble in a plaine way for by Election they will haue Calling to be vnderstood which if it be true the reprobates themselues will be elected as being also called Then also Saint Paul is deluded as if hee were not in his right minde For what neede Paul tell the Thessalonians that he knew they were called by the Gospell seeing Saint Paul himselfe preached the Gospell to them He were a ridiculous Grammarian who should tell his Schollers that he had taught I know you haue learned Grammer Arnoldus pag. 66. doth suspect that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing is to be referred to the Thessalonians themselues But the good man hath dealt too negligently here for he doth not see that by this meanes the Greeke speech would be made incongruous and not agreeing for then it must haue beene read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it might agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in the former verse But distrusting this exposition he hath smelt out that by the word election excellency ought to be vnderstood which truely is an intollerable license seeing election differeth from excellency by the whole praedicament for election is an action excellency is a quality or a relation Surely if it be lawfull to bring such portents and monsters of interpretation what will there be in the holy Scripture which may not be deluded or depraued Let Arnoldus bring another place where Excellency is vnderstood by the word Election For although he that is elected may be taken for him that excelleth yet you shall neuer finde Election to be so taken for Excellency Neither ought it to seeme a maruaile that Paul saith he knew of the election of the Thessalonians for God might reueile that to him concerning the Tessalonians which he reuealed concerning the Corinthians Acts 18.10 I haue much people in this citie Or if that doth not please it may be said that Saint Paul when he saw the Gospell receiued by the Thessalonians with very great ioy and much fruite easily perswaded himselfe that many of that people belonged to the election of God VI. The same Apostle in the beginning of his Epistle to Titus calleth himselfe the Apostle according to the faith of Gods elect It is plaine that faith is said to be of the elect because it is peculiar to the elect or else it were not rightly adorned with this elogy commendation and that by the confession of Vorstius himselfe Collat. cum piscat Sect. 118. Faith saith hee is called the faith of the elect of God Titus 1. because faith is a proper marke of the elect c. But why is faith peculiar to the elect is it because as many as haue true faith are elected by God But the Arminians deny this for they write of the Apostasie of the Saints
asunder For all that are glorified are iustified all that are iustified are called by that effectuall calling which is peculiar to the elect all that are so called are appointed that they should be conformable to the image of Christ Let the sectaries tell me whether glorification iustification and calling doe not belong to all the elect For Arminius while he doth restraine this conformity to afflictions he maketh many elect that are not conformable to Christ because many of the seruants of God euen of the best haue had peace without interruption and quietnesse with honour Doe the Arminians wipe themselues out of the number of the elect who in the height of peace forgetfull of the crosse of Christ haue moued this sinke pernicious and deadly to themselues and to the Church I am not ignorant that these things are spoken by the Apostle to the comfort of the afflicted to whom all things turne to good But what lets that hee should not comfort them by those lessons which might belong to all So the Apostle Saint Peter 1. Pet. 2. when hee had commanded seruants to be subiect to their masters not onely if they were good but also if they were euill and rough a little after he doth exhort them to patience by those instructions which are common to all Christians admonishing them that it is pleasing to God if any of them endure troubles for conscience sake that Christ being innocent therfore suffered that he might leaue vs an example that we might walke in his steppes And it is no doubt but that these that are here said to be predestinated to conformity vnto the image of Christ are the same with those who in the same place he saith are called by the purpose of God But they that are afflicted for Christ are not onely called but also all the elect among whom there are many that are free from persecutions III. Especially obserue that Saint Paul here doth speake of the election of particular persons those whom he Predestinated and those whom he glorifyed for but some and that a few are glorified These Innouators will haue the election of particular persons to be after calling and they will haue them to be elected whom God fore-seeth will follow him calling and they make election to rest vpon this foreseeing But Saint Paul here maketh election to be before calling when hee saith Whom he predestinated them also he called whom he called them also he iustified whom he iustified them also he glorified For as in order and time iustification is before glorification and calling before iustification so also the predestination of seuerall persons is before calling IV. But it is worth the labour to consider the linkes of that Apostolicall chaine Whom he predestinated he called whom he called he iustified whom he iustified he glorified Doe not you see how we are predestinated to our calling and by our calling to iustification And seeing that we are iustified by Faith it followeth that we are predestinated to Faith For how can he be predestinated to iustification by Faith who is not predestinated to Faith These things strike at the life V. I let passe that the Arminians doe ouerturne those words of S. Paul whom he iustified them also he glorified while they affirme that many are iustified who are reprobates This they cleerely shew in their Epistle against the Walachrians Pag 40. They who beleeue for a time may be said to be iustified whom the euent doth shew to be reprobates VI. In the same chapter v. 16. he saith The spirit of God beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God I demande whether this tesiemony of the spirit be certaine or doubtfull If it be doubtfull the spirit of God is accused of a lie If it be certaine I demand on what foundation doth this certainty rest Doth it rest on the power of free-will Why this is a doubtfull and deceitfull certainty Or is this testimony certaine because it is giuen to none but them whom God hath certainely appointed to saluation Why this is that very thing which we affirme and the Arminians deny VII There is no lesse force in the ninth chapter to the Romanes where the Apostle doth throughly and largely treate of Election and reprobation The scope of the Apostle is to teach that election and saluation is not of the workes of the law but of God calling and hauing mercy and his scope is not as Arminius faines to treate of iustification by faith I will not repeate those things which are spoken chap. 15. where we hauer pressed Arminius torturing the Apostle that he might draw him against his will to the patronage of his cause VIII Thus much the carefull Reader shall obserue that Paul after he hath spoken of the purpose of God according to Election doth presently lay downe Iacob for an example of that Election whom God loued before he had done any good or euil and therefore before he had beleeued for to beleeue is to doe something and so Election went before Faith Yea although to beleeue the Gospell and obey it were not an action yet if election went before the consideration of workes it must needes also goe before the consideration of Faith from which workes doe flow For if Faith should goe before Election God in electing could not consider Faith but as bringing forth workes for otherwise he had considered Faith not as it is but as it is not IX Also that which he saith v. 16. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy were false if God had mercy on men for faith fore-scene For the Arminians doe hold this stedfastly and defend with greatest diligence that God giueth all men power of beleeuing in Christ yea and that he is bound to giue it and how great grace soeuer God may giue to beleeue in act yet it is in the power of mans free will to vse this grace or not to vse it to beleeue or not to beleeue and that that man is elected by God whom he foresaw would beleeue and whom he considereth as already beleeuing According to this doctrine it may rightly be said that saluation is of him that willeth and of him that runneth and not onely of God that sheweth mercy But if Paul therefore said that it is not of him that willeth because it is not alone of him that wiâ—leth why shall it not be also lawfull to say that it is not of God that sheweth mercy because it is not alone of him shewing mercy but also of mans free will X. But if to that question whereby it is demanded why God of one and the same Masse hath loued one and hated another why hee had mercy of one and hardned the other it may be answered that it was done because God fore-saw that the one would beleeue and the other would not beleeue Saint Paul ought not to haue blamed the demander and commanded him to be silent seeing the
we should be holy it is certaine it is manifest Therefore we were to be such because he elected vs predestinating vs that by his grace we should be holy In then inteenth chapter he repeateth the same words and addeth moreouer these When therefore he predestinated vs hee fore knew his owne worke who hath made vs holy and without spot In the same place the Pelagians reiecting election for workes fore-seene sticke onely in the fore-seeing of faith Wee say they doe say that our God fore knew nothing but faith whereby we beginne to beleeue and therefore he elected vs c. Against these things Saint Austin disputeth much and at the length he doth thus conclude his speech Neither doth faith it selfe goe before for he doth not choose vs because we beleeue but he chose vs that we might beleeue least we should be said to choose him first and that should be false which God forbid which Christ saith ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Neither are we called because we doe beleeue but we are called that we might beleeue and by that calling which is without repentance it is wrought and throughly wrought that we should beleeue Finally he saith that Pelagius himselfe to the intent that he might delude the Palestine Synode with an ambiguous confession condemned those that say that grace is giuen according to merit which opinion was allowed by the Synode and they were condemned who said election was for faith fore-seene For Saint Austin confirmeth that these two come to one and the same sence in his fift booke against Iulian chap. 3. God electeth no man that is worthy but by electing him he maketh him worthy And he doth in sixe hundred places beate vpon absolute election or as Arminius calleth it precise election and not depending vpon the fore-seeing of any vertue or worth As Epist 105. Why one should beleeue and another not beleeue when both heare the same thing and if a miracle be done in both their sights it is the height of the riches of the wisdome and knowledge of God whose iudgements are vnsearchable and with whom there is no iniquitie while he will haue mercy on whom he will and hardneth whom he will for those things are not vniust because they be hidden and secret But these things are not hidden to Arminius for hee saith the cause of this difference is the fore-seeing of faith in one of them The Booke de fide ad Petrum whether it be the Booke of Fulgentius or of Austin in the third chapter hath these words They shall raigne with Christ whom God of his free gracious goodnesse hath elected to the kingdome because by predestinating them he hath prepared them to be such that they might be worthy of the kingdome he hath prepared them whom according to his purpose he will call that they may obey he hath prepared them whom he will iustifie that hauing receiued grace they might beleeue rightly and liue well To which kingdome they haue come whom God hath saued of his free-grace for no precedent merit of good will or good worke CHAP. XXIV The arguments of the Arminians by which they endeauour to stablish Election for faith fore-seene are examined I. THe Arminians who by a new name call themselues Remonstrants in the conference at the Hage doe poure downe a thicke haile of places of Scripture by which they endeauour to perswade that election is of them that beleeue and that the decree of Predestination is nothing else but the will of sauing them that beleeue This is to doe another thing and not to touch the question for the controuersie betweene vs is not concerning these things The state of the question is this Whether election be for faith fore seene Then also whether God electing seuerall and certaine persons doth consider in them perseuerance in faith as a thing already fulfilled and as a condition on the performance whereof Election doth rest But these men leauing the question vntouched are altogether in that that they might prooue election to be of them that beleeue Wherefore although the ranke of their nine Syllogisms which they set in order or admit many other exceptions yet because they are all faulty in that fallacy which is called Ignoratio Elenchi by which that which is concluded is thought to hurt the aduersary when yet it doth not hurt him it is better to grant that which they would haue to wit that God electeth none but they which beleeue and that election is of the faithfull so this be fitly receiued and in a good sense to wit that God doth elect and that he is willing to saue those that beleeue because hee saueth no man but to whom hee will giue faith and because without faith it is impossible to come to saluation And that God in electing doth consider men as faithfull that is as those that by his gift were to haue faith And that the decree of election is with respect of faith because the decree of saluation doth include also the decree of the meanes to come to that end and therefore also of faith in Christ And surely Arminius and after him Arnoldus pag 92. doe falsely fasten on vs this opinion That God determined to saue the elect without the consideration of faith in them The thunderbolt therefore that they cast with such a noise is turned away onely with a blast or with the winde of ones cap and toucheth neither vs nor to the matter II. No more to the purpose doth the other sectaries so often heape vp the words of Saint Paul Ephes 1.4 He hath elected vs in Christ which they so take as if Saint Paul had said He hath elected vs for Christ and considered as already beleeuing in Christ when he did elect vs. The Apostle saith no such thing whose meaning is plaine and simple He elected vs in Christ that is He appointed vs to saluation to be bestowed vpon vs by Christ or in Christ III. They effect nothing more by these places No man shall separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.39 And God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe 2 Cor. 5. Surely here is not a word of faith fore-seene For if they should bite their nayles vntill the bloud followeth they could proue nothing by sixe hundred such places God was in Christ while he was on the earth in him and by him working out our reconciliation but what is this to faith fore-seene IV. It is a weake dart which they cast He that beleeueth in me hath euerlasting life Iohn 6. and without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. By these places indeede the necessitie of faith is proued but not the fore-seeing of it before election No man is saued but hee that beleeueth because God would haue this to be the way of saluation and because hee giueth saluation to none to whom hee doth not giue faith V. These are the words of Conradus
Apostle will faile Rom. 9. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy if the will of man doth goe before the will of God whereby hee will certainly and immutably haue mercy vpon vs. For the Arminians teach that the antecedent will of God may be resisted but his consequent will cannot It must needes be therefore that they say that the Apostle speaketh of the consequent will and of that loue whereby God loueth vs by his consequent will seeing that the Apostle doth there adde Who hath resisted his will And truely here the good men are held intangled with a knot from which they will neuer vnlose themselues For if they say that the Apostle in this place doth speake of the antecedent will of God which may be resisted then they fall foule vpon that which is there said Who hath resisted his will But if they will haue it to be spoken of the consequent will of God which is grounded on the will of man and the right vsing of grace and is after our will they are refuted by that other speech of the Apostle It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy But Saint Paul doth directly teach here that the will of man and the fore-seeing of the right vse of grace and of faith which the will of hauing mercy should follow is excluded by this will of God which cannot be resisted XX. Let the Arminians tell me why God loued Iacob and hated Esau before they had done eyther good or euill Surely he was not preferred before him by the Consequent will of God and which was after the faith or workes of Iacob seeing that Saint Paul doth directly remoue from the election according to the purpose of God the consideration of all good which they eyther had done or were to do for the Apostle should speak vnproperly if he should exclude only the consideration of the good done before his birth and not the consideration of the good which Iacob was afterward to doe seeing no man was ignorant that Iacob could not doe any good before his birth Yea if he could haue done yet the fore-seeing of the good to be done after his birth would no lesse derogate from the election of free grace then the fore-seeing of the good which should goe before his birth And if God electing had had respect to the good which Iacob was to doe Saint Paul would not haue appeased him that pleadeth with God and doth scrupulously enquire seeing that the reason had beene ready to wit that the one was preferred before the other because God fore-saw the faith and workes of the one Finally that speech It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth doth exclude all indeauour and helpe of man from the causes of election and of the good will of God by which he vnchangeably hath mercy vpon man XXI But those examples and testimonies which we haue brought out of the Scripture doe no lesse establish the inequality of the loue of God by his antecedent will then by his consequent will For when Christ saith Iohn 6. No man can come to me vnlesse my father draw him hee speaketh of the calling which goeth before faith and which is peculiar but to some men The same is to be iudged of the other examples For what Did God preaching to the Iewes and not to the men of Tire lesse loue the Tyrians then the Iewes by his consequent will that is because he saw that the Tyrians were worse affected and that they were lesse disposed to beleeue then the Iewes No sure for Christ doth contrarily testifie that the Tyrians were more prone to repentance then the Iewes XXII Had the Corinthians or Romanes that liued in the age of the Apostles more inclination to faith then their ancestors that liued an hundred yeers before Did God not vouchsafe the doctrine of saluation to the Corinthians and Ephesians who liued a little before the birth of Christ because their ancestors had refused it But if this were the cause why then did he inlighten with his sauing doctrine their children which proceeded from the same ancestors Surely because it so seemed good to God who for his owne goodnesse doth bestow more benefits vpon them whom hee loueth moâ—â— although they are neuer a whit better disposed to â—â—ith and Repentance XXIII But why did God call Paul with so effectuall a calling in the very height of his hatred against the Church and of a wolfe made him a sheep of a sheep a shepheard was it done because God perceiued in him some inclination to faith in Christ Or because he did well vse vniuersall grace No sure For at that time like a Tyger hee raged against the fould of Christ But God did not loue him any whit the more by his consequent will that is for the fore-seeing of faith seeing that the faith of Paul was an effect of the loue of God Nor was he loued because he was to be faithfull but that he might be faithfull as he himselfe witnesseth 1 Cor. 7. where he saith That he obtained mercy that he might be faithfull XXIV And seeing as it commeth to passe that God doth bestow vpon a man that is euill and borne of bad parents more of his grace and gifts and doth effectually conuert him that where sinne doth abound there grace might abound Rom. 5.20 I would know whether God would be more liberall to an euill man by his antecedent or by his consequent will If by his antecedent will we haue ouercome if by his consequent will let the Arminians tell me what will of the euill man went before his effectuall calling which could not be found in another which is lesse euill Will they say that he that was more euill before his conuersion did thirst was but a little euill and did the will of his father as they speake They shall more easily draw oyle out of a pumise stone then they shall finde in Saint Paul before his conuersion in the theefe before his crucifying or in them to whom for a heart of stone God giueth a heart of flesh any such dispositions before regeneration XXV Adde to these that the Scripture saith Act. 14.16 God in times past suffered all nations to walke in their owne waies Here I demand whether God did so much loue these nations and did alike wish their saluation as he loued their posteritie whom he afterward called with an effectuall calling by his Gospell I suppose that no man hath so brazen a face that he dareth affirme it Neither doe the Arminians deny but that the sauing calling by the Gospell is a very great argument of the loue of God to any nation But hauing bent their disputation another way they doe search into the causes why God doth more vehemently loue some then others which is that very thing which we would haue XXVI Finally if God doth equally will to all men
truth but a naturall auersion and disability II. Wherefore the Scripture doth call the change of man by the spirit of regeneration sometimes another birth Iohn 3. sometimes the creation of the new man Ephes 4.24 It calleth it another resurrection from the dead Reucl. 20.6 Luke 15.32 Iohn 5.25 Not that creation and resurrection is in all things like to regeneration and the change of the soule but only in this thing of which it is here spoken to wit as the Carkasse cannot dispose nor prepare it selfe to the resurrection and a thing that is not created cannot further any thing to the creation of it So man in the state of sinne and before his regeneration hath nothing whereby he may dispose himselfe or further his regeneration and spirituall new birth III. The Arminian conferrers at the Hage Page 279. doe roundly confesse that by our spirituall death the liberty of doing well or ill is separated from the soule I demand therefore whether an vnregenerate man furnished with that sufficient and vniuersall grace which is giuen euen to Reprobates hath free-will of doing well or ill in those things which belong to saluation If he haue not why doe the Arminians contend he hath If hee hath it is plaine by their owne confession that he is not dead in sinne But there is a speciall force in the word borne For if there were any seeds and reliques of spirituall life in an vnregenerate man as Arnoldus is of opinion there were no neede to be borne againe and that the new man should be formed but God were to be prayed to that he would againe raise vp those sparkes and reliques of spirituall life and would vouchsafe to kindle and increase it as it were by adding fuell to it IV. Adde to these those places which teach vs that without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. That all men haue not faith 2. Thess 3. because it is the gift of God Philip. 1.19 Ephes 2.8 Seeing therefore what soeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.25 it is plain that in things which belong to saluation and to the worship of God hee doth nothing but sinne that wants faith such as are all the heathen and vnregenerate men In which place to the Romanes it is to be noted that the Apostle speaketh of the vse of meates which he will haue vs to eate with faith that is with a certaine knowledge that the vse of meates is allowed by God and is agreeable to his word Seeing therefore that euen in things which are of their owne nature indifferent wee sinne when we vse them without such a faith how much more are we to thinke that the heathens sinne in euery action that pertaineth to saluation and the worship of God because they are altogether destitute of this faith Hitherto pertaine those places which teach vs that God is the author of euery vertue and euery good worke that is done by vs. We are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiency is of God 2. Cor. 3.5 And Christ himselfe Iohn 15.5 Without me ye can doe nothing And in the same place we are compared to branches cut off and appointed to the fire vnlesse wee haue beene engrafted into Christ by whom wee liue and beare fruit The Apostle Ephes 2.8 doth teach that saluation and faith is not of our selues but of the gift of God For by grace ye are saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God How farre is this from Arminius who will haue the totall cause of faith not to be grace alone but grace and free-will And least any of Arminius followers should seeke a refuge and should say that the power of beleeuing is giuen to all vnresistably but that the act of beleeuing is so helped by grace that it is also from free-wil the Apostle doth fitly preuent such a weake subtilty Phil. 1.29 where he saith It is giuen to you in the behalfe of Christ not onely to beleeue on him but also to suffer for his sake You see that not onely the power of beleeuing is giuen vs but also the act it selfe to beleeue Agreeable to this is that Iohn 6. No man can come to me vnlesse my father draw him Where to come is to beleeue in act and not to haue the power and faculty of beleeuing which is brought into act by free-will No lesse direct is that of the Apostle Philip. 2.13 It is God which worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Now to will is to will in act and not to haue the power of willing God himselfe Ezechiel 36.27 saith I will put my spirit within you and will cause you to walke in my statutes Therefore hee doth not onely giue the power of walking in his statutes but also doth cause that we really walke and doth worke in vs the very act After what manner and how farre the elect may resist the efficacy of the spirit shall hereafter be seene It is sufficient to the present question if we winne this of them that God doth not onely giue the power whereby we may beleeue but also that hee doth giue and worke in vs the act of beleeuing to beleeue it selfe We meete sometimes with places where the Arminians say that not onely the power of beleeuing but that also the act of beleeuing to beleeue it selfe is giuen by God But they will haue this act so to be giuen by God in as much as he giueth knowledge to the minde and doth raise vp the fainting affections which doe put forward the will to beleeue and that this is done by a morall perswasion and after the same manner that wee are moued by obiects But this is not to giue faith and the act of beleeuing For surely hee that doth perswade that doth propound obiects and doth inuite the appetite to runne doth not giue the act of running to runne it selfe Wherefore the Arminians doe deny that faith it selfe is infused or imprinted on the heart by God but that the will is inuited to beleeue onely by a morall perswasion and by a courteous allurement With a like fraud that they might seeme to attribute some great thing to God they say that God doth giue the power of beleeuing and that vnresistably But when they come to explane the manner whereby these powers are supplied it is manifest that they deny that the power of beleeuing is giuen to man by God For they thinke that God doth giue these powers no otherwise then by enlightning the vnderstanding with knowledge and by stirring vp the appetites which certainely is not to giue the power of beleeuing For hee which in the darke doth with a torch giue light to the wandring traueller and doth stirre him vp to goe doth not thereby giue him the power of going VI. And least any man should in any part arrogate to himself the prayse eyther of that knowledge which he hath obtained
that of two that are equally euill and furnished with the like helpe of grace that is hauing alike sufficient and vniuersall grace and being alike called by the Gospell whether it can come to passe that one should be conuerted and another not If it can come to passe I demand whence is the difference Was greater grace giuen to the one No he said the grace was equall Or is it because one is better then another No the question is of them that are equally euill Also if it were so the conuersion of the one should not be of grace alone but of free-will Neither is Arnoldus vnwilling to this for he addes Although God who doth principally worke faith in man doth separate the faithfull man from the vnbeleeuer yet because he doth not worke faith and conuersion in man without the will of man hee doth not separate man without man And a little after he addeth That man doth separate himselfe by his owne will You heare that God is the principall cause of faith but not the totall and that man doth separate himselfe by his owne will when yet the Apostle saith Who separates thee attributing this praise to God alone And that the cause why of two that are alike called one followeth the other refuseth is in the one free-will in the other grace indeede but yet so that the vse of it dependeth on mans free-will in the power whereof it is to vse grace or not to vse it So that in the one free-will is the totall cause of incredulitie and in the other it is the part-cause of faith and conuersion So that now man hath whereof he may boast it is he that separates himselfe and saluation is of man that willeth and runneth and of God that sheweth mercy These innouators that they might defend themselues against that saying of Saint Paul Who separateth thee doe contend that Paul speaketh of that separation by which they that haue receiued many gifts are separated from them who haue receiued fewer which I willingly receiue For if by the grace of God alone they which are indued with greater gifts are separated from the faithfull who haue receiued fewer gifts how much more are they who are furnished with many gifts separated by the mercy of God alone from them who are altogether voide of Faith and of the knowledge of God XXVI That therefore of Saint Paul Tit. 3. standeth vnmoueable Vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen their minde and conscience is defiled And hee speaketh not onely of meates but also of the vse of meates which is pure according to the purity of conscience least any one should thinke that it is here spoken of the puritie of meates and not of the purity of actions XXVII Finally all Christian vertues Faith Charity c. are eyther in vs by nature or are obtained by vse and diligence or they are put and wrought in our hearts by God That they are naturally ingrafted Pelagius himselfe hath not dared to say That they are not obtained by vse and diligence the example of the theefe doth proue who in one moment without vse or exercise obtained faith It remainteth therefore that they are put into vs by God and that faith is from the meere gift and grace of God and not from free-will CHAP. XXXIV The reasons of the Arminians are examined by which they maintaine free-will in an vnregenerate man concerning things that are spirituall and belonging to saluation I. AGainst the doctrine of the Orthodoxe Church which doth put away from man all free-will in the worke of saluation being vpholden by the word of God and proued by sence it selfe and experience the Arminians doe oppose themselues with great diligence and doe patronize free-will in those that are vnregenerate II. They doe euery where obiect and reckon vp that of Saint Paul Rom. 2.14 The Gentiles which haue not the Law doe by nature those things contained in the Law I answere that by the Law it is commanded to loue God with all the heart with all the strength which cannot be done vnlesse you direct all your actions to his glory and vnlesse you be indued with faith because whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Whosoeuer shalexamine the vertues of heathen men by the line of these rules shall finde that in their most honest deedes there were many things wanting and much sinne in them Hence it appeareth that the Gentiles indeede in an externall worke doe those things which are of the Law The words of Saint Paul are not to be extended any further But the forme of a right worke which is placed in the inward conueniency and agreement of the minde with the law of God was alwaies absent from infidels and heathen men It is one thing to doe those things that are of the law it is another thing to fulfill the law The one is to obey the law as concerning the externall matter of the worke the other is to be obedient to the law after that manner with that minde and to that end which is commanded by the word of God III. They scatter some little motiues as that Esay 55. v 1. They that thirst are inuited by God that is those that are desirous of reconciliation with God and of saluation And that Matth. 11. They that are heauy laden are called Come vnto mee yee that are weary and heauie laden By those that are laden are noted our those that are pressed downe with the conscience of their sinnes and sighing vnder the burden of them Therefore say they they were already desirous of saluation and were pressed downe with the conscience of their sins before they were called and regeneration is after calling And therefore in the vnregenerate there may be a sauing griefe and a desire of remission of sinnes but I affirme that those men so thirsting and so laden were not vnregenerate For that very desire of saluation and the grace of God and the sighes of the conscience panting vnder the weight of sinne by which wee are compelled to flie to Christ is a part of regeneration And that beginning of feare if it be acceptable to God is an effect of the holy spirit mouing the heart For what hindreth that he who thirsteth after the grace of God hath not already tasted of it and as it were licked it with his lippes What hindreth that he who is commanded to come to Christ should not already moue himselfe and beginne to goe although with a slow pace Doth Christ as often as he commandeth men to beleeue in him speake onely to vnbeleeuers Yea this exhortation to beleeue and to come to him doth especially belong to them whose faith being new bred and weake doth striue with the doubtings of the flesh IV. It is familiar to the Arminians to cite the words of Christ Iohn 7.17 If any one will doe the will of him that sent me hee shall know of my doctrine whether it be of God or whether I
willed him to be a man For if God had appointed man to punishment before he had appointed to create him he should so doe as if any one should determine to beate his children before he hath determined to beget them XIV Finally seeing the first act of his omnipotency was busied about nothing it must neede be that it went before the act of his mercy or iustice which cannot be busied but about something that hath being XV. They say the same thing in other words which would haue God in predestinating to haue considered man as one that might be created and might fail For he which saith he might be created saith he was not yet created and hee that saith hee might fall saith that he had not fallen but that to other inconueniences they adde this increase that they put a power and potentiall faculty in that thing which is nothing In God indeede there was the actiue power of creating the world before he created it But there was not in the world the passiue power for creating before it was created So neither could there be power for the creation or for the fall in man being not created and it is plainely contrary to reason that of him which is not it should be said that he may fall Then also if God elected man that might be created what doth hinder that it may not be said that he elected some whom hee neuer would create For these also may be created but if God elected those whom he presupposed hee would create the will of creating must needes goe before the election CHAP. XIV That the Apostle Saint Paul in the ninth to the Romanes by the word Masse vnderstood the corrupted Masse I. SAint Paul keepes himselfe within these limits in the ninth chapter to the Romanes where hee speaketh more fully and more exactly of the election and reprobation then any where else For if he had written with a beame of the Sunne it could not more cleerely appeare that he speakes of the corrupted masse and of the will of God by which of sinfull men one is chosen and the other reprobated II. The scope of the Apostle is to beate back the vaine confidence of the Iewes who boasted in the law and in the righteousnesse of their workes to whom it did seeme an absurd and impossible thing that the Israelites or the greater part of them fell from the couenant of God and were not reckoned among the sonnes of God That hee might pull this scruple out of their mindes and might wash away this pride he fetcheth the matter from the very originall and doth deny that carnall propagation or the righteousnesse of workes is the cause why any one is to be reckoned the sonne of Abraham but the good pleasure of God and the free election of grace by which God of the issue of Abraham chose whom he would and whom he would hee reiected hath mercy of whom he would and whom he would hee hardned and of the same masse hath prepared some vessels for honour and hath patiently endured the vessels prepared for destruction To which purpose he bringeth two paire of examples Isaac and Ishmaell Iacob and Esau and he doth lay downe Isaac and Iacob as sonnes of the promise and examples of the free election of grace but Ishmaell and Esau as examples of reiection And he doth seeme of purpose to adde the example of Esau and Iacob for a prolepsis or preuention of an obiection For the Iewes might except that therefore the difference was betweene Isaac and Ishmaell because the one was of the seruant the other of the free woman Then also because when Isaac was borne Ishmael already had shewed the signes of an euill disposition and had done those things for which hee ought to be excluded from the couenant The Apostle doth fitly preuent this obiection by the example of Iacob and Esau who both were the sonnes of the free woman and neither of them had done any good or euill yet God loued the one and hated the other III. All these things are brought by the Apostle that he might teach in what respect God chose some of the Iewes and reprobated others although they were puft vp with the opinion of legall righteousnesse This nation seeing it was impure and corrupt it could not be compared to the pure masse And the Apostle should plainely speake besides the matter if he should vse the example of the vndefiled masse to teach how God out of a corrupted nation chose some and reprobated others IV. The examples of Iacob and Esau doe conuince and proue the same thing of whom when they were in the wombe and had done neither good nor euill God doth pronounce that he loued Iacob that hee hated Esau Now God could not consider these twins in the wombe but he must consider them such as they were they were corrupted defiled with originall sinne Surely he cannot be said to be preferred before the other because he was better when he was in the womb seeing neither of them had done good or euill This is that with which S. Paul doth stop the mouth of these questionists and will not haue any to plead against God or answere him againe seeing there is no cause but the meere good pleasure of God why of two that were equally euill he preferred the one before the other V. Neither is there any small force in these words I haue hated for God could not hate the creature whom he considered as pure and voide of sinne VI. It is no light thing that hee so describeth the elect to wit that they are they whom God will haue mercy on ver 18. whence also ver 23. they are called the vessels of mercy for mercy presupposeth misery They force the words of the Apostle who by misereri to haue mercy vnderstand simply benefacere to doe well I should doubt and make conscience to affirme that God had had mercy on Christ as man on whom yet he hath bestowed more gifts then on any other creature VII There is great weight also in the word hardning he hardneth saith the Apostle whom he will As by those on whom God will haue mercy the Elect are vnderstood so by them that are hardned the reprobate are vnderstood And to thinke that God determined to harden that man whom hee considereth as pure as in the incorrupted estate is great wickednesse and contumelious against the iustice of God By this meanes God should not onely punish the innocent but also depraue and corrupt the guiltlesse For obduration and hardning is a species and kinde of punishment and therefore after sinne God hardneth none but he who is already hard so he hardned Pharaoh he being already stubborne and prone to rebell of his owne disposition VIII Neither is there neede of much wit to perceiue that Pharaoh is no fit example of reprobation out of the incorrupted Masse and of a man considered without sinne IX It is also greatly to be
obserued that the Apostle speaking of reprobates doth say that they are vessels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fitted or prepared to destruction He doth not say that God prepared or sitted them least he should seeme to say that God put sinne in them by which they might be prepared to destruction but when he speaketh of the elect hauing turned his speech saith that God prepared them for glory which God doth by giuing them the spirit and faith It is not without consideration that the Apostle would not after the same manner speake in both places viz. because God found some vessels fitted to destruction but made others vessels appointed to glory and that by hauing mercy on them X. Saint Austen is expresse to this purpose For in sixe hundred places either explaning or touching this place of Saint Paul hee doth vnderstand by the name Masse the Masse corrupted and polluted with sinne So Epist 105. Because that whole Masse is iustly condemned iustice hath giuen that contumely and disgrace that is due and grace doth giue that honour which is not due and in the same Epistle The vniuersall Masse is iustly condemned of sinne and a little after If they are the vessels of wrath which are made for that destruction which is duâ—ly giuen to them let them impute this to themselues because they are made of that Masse which for the sinne of one man is iustly and deseruedly condemned of God He doth repeate the same thing Epist 106. and Encherid cap. 98 99. and 107. where he calleth it the Masse of destruction See also the 2. lib. against the two Epistles of the Pelagians cap. 7. and lib. 5. against Iulian cap. 3. Neither did euer any among the ancient thinke that Paul speakes of the sound and not corrupted Masse CHAP. XV. That Arminius doth willingly darken the words of the Apostle which are cleare and expresse ARminius with a carefull subtilty but with an vnhappy successe hath written a Treatise vpon the ninth Chapter to the Romanes for hee doth torment the Apostle and doth as it were with wracks draw from him against his will what things he thinks may make for the patronage of his errour of Election for faith fore-seene I. He faines that the Apostles minde is to teach that they onely of the Iewes were to be reckoned the sonnes of Abraham who letting passe iustification by the law doe follow after righteousnesse and faith and the purpose according to Election hee denyeth to be the decree of the election of seuerall men but the generall and condition all decree of sauing all who were to beleeue By which decree Arminius will haue all men to be elected conditionally which surely is no election seeing election is not but of seueral men who are chosen out of the multitude others being reiected II. I confesse indeede that the doctrine of election by free grace doth make the way to the doctrine of righteousnesse by faith yet all this dispute of Saint Paul concerning election which reacheth from the sixt verse to the thirteenth doth not deale of iustification by faith neither would the Apostle proue in this place that man is iustified by faith or that God doth elect those which apprehend Christ by faith But by the doctrine of election doth frame to himself an entrance to the treatise of iustification by faith which afterwards he addes Hee would here proue this one thing that man is not truely the sonne of the promise by the workes of the law but by the election of free grace and by the mercy of God for it is manifest that here workes are not opposed to faith but to election and to God calling So Verse the 11. he doth not say not by workes but by faith but he saith not by workes but by him that calleth So Verse 16. when he had said It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth hee doth not adde but of him that beleeueth What then but of God that sheweth mercy III. For when it is spoken of the cause why of two that are equally conceiued in sinne such as were Esau and Iacob God should preferre the one afore the other the onely mercy of God and the election by grace is to be considered and not faith which is not the cause but the effect of our election neither doth it goe before election but followeth it So Saint Paul 1 Cor. 7.25 saith that he obtained mercy from God to be faithfull and not because he was after to be so Wherefore Saint Paul in all this speech wherein hee speaks of the cause of the difference which God makes betweene two that were by nature alike makes no mention of faith But this Treatise being finished he doth descend verse 30. to the righteousnesse of faith as to the fruit which doth follow election IV. But Arminius for the safegard of his cause doth change the words of Saint Paul and doth thrust in something of his owne Pag. 27. For in the place of that which Saint Paul saith not of workes but of him that calleth he doth substitute these his words feigned by himselfe not of worke but of faith whereby God calling should be obeyed when notwithstanding in all that disputation which dealeth concerning election there is no mention made of faith neither doth the least steppe thereof appeare V. It is meruailous how much Arminius doth abuse the examples of Isaac and Ishmael and also of Iacob and Esau He doth contend that they are here propounded not as examples but as types of them who followed after righteousnesse by workes not by faith Certainely there must be some agreement betweene the type and the thing signified by the type But who euer heard it said that Ishmael would haue beene iustified by the workes of the Law and not by faith seeing at that time the law was not giuen neither were these differences of iustification by the law and by faith knowne neither is it credible that Ishmael euer thought of or regarded these things Therefore Arminius doth as much as if Nimrod should be made a type of the Pharisaicall righteousnesse Can the night be a type of the light or can Esau whom the Apostle Heb. 12.16 calleth prophane and therefore also a despiser of the Law be a type of them who being set on fire with the zeale of the Law would be iustified by their workes But it is worth the labour to here why he would haue Esau be a type of the sonnes of the flesh and of them which affâ—ct rightâ—ousnesse by workes Because saith he he was first borne O acutely spoken He should haue said because he was red or because he was a hunter I am ashamed to refute these things and yet in these figments and forgeries the good man doth place the chiefe safegard of his doctrine of election for faith fore-seene VI. Then also see how licentiously he mookes the Apostle For when he layeth downe Ishmael and Esau not as examples of reâ—ection by the secret counseâ—l of God
can be vnderstood those which first gaue themselues to Christ for this were not to giue themselues to the sonne but to be willing that the sonne should receiue them comming to him He indeede receiueth those that come but they therfore come because Christ draweth them as he himselfe saith verse 44. No man can come to me vnlesse the father that sent me draw him The Arminian conferrers at the Hage pag. 87. doe suspect that by those that are giuen to the sonne are to be vnderstood not the faithfull but those that are giuen to beleeue But seeing the Arminians are of opinion that the reprobates also are giuen to beleeue and that God doth seriously intend their faith and saluation they should be falsely said that they were to come to Christ that is that they wil beleeue as many as are giuen him to beleeue The very words of Christ doe affirme and common sense doe conuince this that by those that are giuen to Christ are vnderstood his flocke and therefore the elect for as much as those that are giuen to Christ are here seuered from those that are not giuen II. Iohn 8.47 Ye therefore heare not because ye are not of God They therefore which heare and beleeue doe therefore heare and beleeue because they are of God and to be of God what is it else then to belong to God As on the contrary part verse 44. they are said to be of the diuell who belong to the diuell Seeing then that Christ himselfe doth witnesse that therefore some men beleeue because they belong to God who doth not see that it must needes be that they first belong to God before they beleeue for as much as to belong to God is the cause why they beleeue III. Nor is there lesse force in the words of Christ Iohn 10.26 Yee beleeue not because yee are not of my sheepe They then who beleeue doe therefore beleeue because they are of the sheepe of Christ Not according to Arminius who would therefore haue them to be of the sheepe of Christ because they beleeue It pleaseth the Arminians to haue the faithfull vnderstood by the sheepe of Christ and I doe not deny but that the sheepe of Christ are they which beleeue but I deny that the word sheepe can be so taken in this place For so an vnsauory tantalogy and vaine repetition should be put vpon Christ ye beleeue not because ye beleeue not This is a declaration of it that a little before he called those also his sheepe which were not yet conuerted Other sheepe I haue which are not of this fould them also I must bring and they shall heare my voice IV. So Iohn 17.6 I haue manifested thy name vnto them which thou gauest me Therefore first they were giuen before Christ declared to them the name of God by which declaration they receiued faith The Arminian conferrers at the Hage pag. 87. thinke that it is here spoken of the Apostles who did already beleeue but they proue nothing by it for this being granted yet that stands which I maintaine that the Apostles were first giuen to Christ before he had declared himselfe to them But that it is not here spoke of the Apostles alone Christ himselfe doth expresly witnesse verse 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue on me through their word And seeing that ver 9. they are opposed to the world it appeares that these things are to be extended to all the faithfull Vnlesse perhaps the Schoole and followers of Arminius doe thinke that the Apostles alone are they that are not of the world and that they alone are exempted from the curse of the world Furthermore seeing there is no part of the Scripture which doth bring more comfort nor doth more vphold our faith striuing with temptations then this diuine and large prayer of Christ because the petitions of Christ making intercession for vs are so many secret promises and declarations of the good will of the father which doth alwaies agree with the petition of the sonne let the Arminians see with what spirit they are led and why with so great diligence they endeauour to defraud vs of that comfort which is certainely taken from vs if this Prayer of Christ doth intercede for the Apostles alone and if the Apostles onely be meant by those that are giuen vnto Christ CHAP. XXI The same is proued out of the eight and ninth and the eleuenth Chapter to the Romanes SAint Paul in the eight to the Romanes treating of Predestination doth easily driue away all the cloudes of errour His words are these Verse 28.29.30 We know that all things worke together for good to them that loue God to them that are called according to his purpose For whom he did fore-know them also he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Sonne that he might be first borne among many brethren Moreouer whom he did predestinate them also he called and whom he called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them also he glorified I. First of all that speech offers it selfe that we are predestinated that we might be made conformable to the image of Christ And seeing this conformity in this life is by faith and charity it is plaine by the Apostle that wee are iustified to faith and not for faith I know indeede that Christ himselfe had not faith as faith is taken in the Gospell but seeing that the conformity of the faithfull with Christ is placed in charity righteousnesse and holinesse and these are the effects of faith which doth worke by charity he that saith we are predestinated to charity and righteousnesse doth also say that we are predestinated to faith which doth effect and worke all those things no otherwise then hee who is appointed to goe and to breath is appointed also to life II. What say the Arminians here Why they by conformity with Christ vnderstand the crosse and afflictions for Christ But the following words disproue that that he might be first borne among many brethren For Christ is the first begotten of the sonnes of God as for other causes so also because hee being more liberally furnished with the gifts of the holy Ghost is an example of righteousnesse and holinesse being annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes Psal 45. euen as the first borne receiue more of their fathers goods But that he should be called the first borne for the crosse and for afflictions is a thing new and insolent and that which reason abhorreth Also it is certaine that that which Saint Paul speaketh of doth belong to all the faithfull For he addeth whom he did predestinate them also be called whom he called them also he iustified whom he iustified them also he glorified Glorification iustification calling predestination are the foure linkes of that chaine belonging to the conformity vnto the image of Christ and they are so interlaced enfolded that by no meanes they can be pulled
frowardnesse by what meanes it doth blow vp a man while he burst and lift him vp on high that it might throw him downe headlong For one that is filled with Armianisme may say thus God indeede is willing to saue me but he may be disappointed of his will hee may be defrauded of his naturall defires which are farre the best Those whom God will saue by his Antecedent will hee will destroy by his Consequent will Also his election doth rest on the fore-seeing of mans will I were a miserable man if my saluation depended vpon so vnstable a thing The same man will also reason thus God giueth to all men sufficient grace but hee hath not manifested Christ to all men therefore there is some grace sufficient without the knowledge of Christ Also the same man will easily beleeue that God doth mocke men for he hath learned in the schoole of Arminius that God doth seriously desire intend the saluation of all and singular men and yet that neuerthelesse he doth call very many by a meanes that is not congruent that is by a meanes in a time and measure which is not apt nor fit by which meanes whosoeuer is called doth neuer follow God calling But what doe I know whether he calleth by a congruent and agreeable meanes or no Adde also these famous opinions that vnregenerate men doe good workes that they are meeke thirsting after and doing the will of the Father that faith is partly from grace and partly from free-will Nay what that any maintainer of the sect of Arminius shall dare to set lawes to God himselfe and to say that God is bound to giue to all men power of beleeuing And that the iustice of God doth require that he may giue to man that which is his owne and that man himselfe may determine and open his owne heart to receiue the word of God O your fidelity Are these your famous incitations to holinesse of life Doth Arminius traine vp men to piety by these instructions Surely if any one is stirred vp to good workes by these things hee is thereby the more corrupted For God had rather haue sinnes with repentance then righteousnesse with pride God will not stirre vp men to repentance with the losse eyther of our faith or his glory Nor are we onely to doe our endeauour that men be stirred vp to repentance but we must also see that it be done by meanes that are conuenient and not contumelious against God CHAP. XXV Whether Christ be the cause and foundation of Election I. WE say that no man is saued but by and for Christ and that Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and price of our redemption the foundation and meritorious cause of our saluation But we doe not say that he is the cause of election or the cause why of two considered in the corrupted masse one is preferred before another There are not wanting examples of most wicked men to one whereof God so dispensing the Gospell hath beene preached whence it came to passe that he was conuerted and did beleeue but to the other the Gospell hath not beene preached The Scripture doth not say that the death of Christ is the cause of this but doth fetch the cause from the good pleasure of God who hath mercy on whom he will For the loue of the father doth alwaies goe before the mediation of the sonne seeing that the loue of the father to the world was the cause why he sent his sonne Yea truely seeing Christ himselfe as he is man is elected and the head of the elect hee cannot be the foundation and cause of election For as hee is the head of men as he is a man so is he the head of them that are predestinated as he is a man predestinated to so great honour which came to him by the meere grace of God II. Wherefore the Apostle calleth Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the price of our redemption and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the propitiation Coloss 1. Rom. 3. but he doth not say that he is the cause why some men should be elected rather then others III. Reason it selfe doth consent For as the recouery of the sicke-man doth in the intention alwaies goe before the vsing of the Phisitian so it must needes be that in the minde of God the thought of sauing men was not in time but in order before the thought of sending the Sauiour IV. Adde to these that the mediation and redemption of Christ is an action whereby the iustice of God is satisfied which is not signified by the word Election for it is one thing to be a mediator and another thing to be the cause of Election or of the preferring of one before another in the secret counsell of God Whence it is that Christ is the meritorious cause of our saluation but not of our election which is as much as if I should say that Christ is the foundation and cause of the execution of the decree of Election but not the cause of Election it selfe V. It is of no small moment that Christ Iohn 15.13 saith That he layeth downe his life for his friends chap. 10. v. 11. he calleth himselfe the good shepheard that layeth downe his life for his sheepe And if Christ be dead for his friends and for his sheepe it must needs be that when he died for them he did consider them as being already friends and sheepe although many of them were not then called as Christ himselfe doth testifie who in the sixteenth verse of the same chapter doth call those also his sheepe who were not yet conuerted And if Christ dying for vs considered vs as his friends and sheepe it is plaine that before the death of Christ there was already destinction made betweene his friends and enemies betweene the sheep and goates and therefore that the decree of Election was in order before the death of Christ and that the opinion of Arminius is to be hissed out as an opinion subuerting the Gospell whereby hee thinkes that the election had not place when Christ died Certainly he that died for his sheepe died for the elect and not for them who were to be elected after hee was dead By these things it is plaine that by those friends and sheepe for which Christ died are not vnderstood those onely who loue God and follow Christ but all those whom God loueth and whose saluation hee decreed for whom Christ died when they did not yet loue God and when they were enemies to him And therefore they are called enemies Rom. 5.10 because they did not loue God but yet euen then they were highly loued by God and were appointged to saluation in Christ For in a diuers respect they were both friends and enemies sheepe and goates Friends because God loued them enemies because they did not yet loue God VI. Neither is iniurie done to Christ if the loue of the Father and his good pleasure be said to goe in order
them to iust and deserued punishments for their sinnes IV. The definition of Thomas doth not please me who saith that the decree of Reprobation is the will of permitting one to fall into sinne and of laying vpon him the punishment of damnation for his sinne For the permission whereby God doth permit doth not belong to predestination but to his prouidence although it serue to predestination V. It is the opinion of the Arminian sect that Reprobates may be saued For saith Arminius that decree is not of the power but of the act of sauing Very ill spoken For where the act of God is determined by his decree in vaine is the power by which this act may be resisted This opinion doth draw with it other opinions no better then it selfe for errors are tyed together among themselues like serpents egges For if a Reprobate may be saued he that is not written in the booke of life may effect that hee be now written in and so the number of the elect will not be certaine nor the decree of Reprobation be irreuocable and peremptory as they speake vnlesse after finall perseuerance in incredulity Also hence it will follow that a reprobate may if he will obtaine faith and conuert himselfe whence it would come to passe that faith should not be of the meere grace of God which wee shall see hereafter to be the opinion of Arminius VI. God is after the same manner the cause of Reprobation as the iudge is the cause of the punishment of them that are guilty and sinne is the meritorious cause Seeing therefore the consideration of sinne doth moue the iudge and the iudge doth condemne to punishment it appeareth that sinne is the remote cause of damnation and not onely a condition necessarily fore-required and that the iudge is the next and neerest cause VII Furthermore although sinne be the cause of appointing to punishment yet it is not the cause of the difference betweene the Elect and Reprobate For examples sake Two men are guilty of the sâ—me crime and it pleaseth the king to condemne one and to absolue and free the other his sinne indeede that is condemned is the cause of his punishment but it is not the cause why the king is otherwise affected to the other then to him seeing the fault on both sides is alike The cause of the difference is that something thing steppeth betweene which doth turne the punishment from one of them which in the worke of predestination is nothing else but the very good pleasure of God by which of his meere good pleasure he gaue certaine men to Christ leauing the rest in their inbred corruption and in the curse due vnto them For which difference it is great wickednesse for vs to striue with God seeing hee is not subiect nor bound to any creature and punisheth no man vniustly giuing to one the grace that is not due and imposing on the other the punishment that is due VIII Here it is demanded what is that sinne for which God doth reprobate to wit whether men are Reprobated onely for the sinne which is deriued from Adam and for that blot which is common to Reprobates with the elect or whether they are also reprobated for the actuall sinnes which they are to commit in the whole course of their life The answere is at hand For although naturall corruption be cause sufficient for Reprobation yet it is no doubt but that God hath decreed to condemne for the same cause for which hee doth condemne and hee doth condemne the Reprobates for the sinnes which they haue committed in act For in hell they doe not onely beare the punishment of originall sinne but also of actuall sinnes Therefore also God hath appointed them to damnation for the same sinnes Now to Reprobate and to appoint to punishment are all one God doth so execute any thing in time according as he from eternity decreed to execute it Now he doth punish in time for actuall sinnes therefore also hee decreed from eternity to punish for them Thence it is that the punishments of the men of Capernaum was to be greater then the punishment of the Sodomites and the punishment of him that knew the will of his master greater then the punishment of him that knew it not because there is a great difference betweene the actuall sinnes for which they are punished Nothing hindreth that God considering a man lying in his naturall corruption and deprauation should not also consider him as poluted with those sinnes which he was to commit by that naturall deprauation IX Arminius doth not thinke that any man is Reprobated for originall sinne for he contends that Christ hath obtained the remission of it for all mankinde But he will haue man to be reprobated onely for the fore-seeing of actuall sinnes that is for the breach of the law and the contempt of grace In which thing he doth seeme not to be constant to himselfe For seeing all actuall sinnes doe flow from originall sinne it cannot be that the cause and fountaine of actuall sinnes should be remitted by God and yet the sinnes that flow from thence should not be remitted As if God should forgiue a man intemperance but should punish him for adultery for actions doe flow from habits and naturall inclinations as the second acts doe flow from the first X. Without doubt incredulity and the reiection of the Gospell are among the sinnes for which any one is reprobated For by this reiection we sinne against the Law by which God will iudge vs For the law commandeth that God be loued with all our heart and that he be obeyed in all things and without exception and therefore also that he be beleeued when he speaketh and that hee be obeyed when hee commandeth vs to beleeue whatsoeuer it shall be which he shall eyther command or shall say XI That hee should be Reprobated for reiecting the Gospell and despising the grace of Christ to whom the Gospel was neuer preached is against all reason For whom the Gospell doth not saue it leaueth vnder the law to be iudged by it which law doth then binde a man to beleeue in Christ when Christ is preached to him Nor is it the Schoole master to Christ but to them who haue meanes to come to the knowledge of Christ After the same manner as the law did not binde them to belecue the prophecy of Ieremy who neuer heard of the name of Ieremie nor could it be knowne to them XII And although reprobation cannot be said to be the cause of sinne because sinne goeth before reprobation yet it cannot be denied but that reprobation is the cause of the denying of grace and of the preaching of the Gospell and of the spirit of adoption which is peculiar to the elect For seeing this denying is a punishment it must needes be that it is inflicted by the will of a iust iudge These are the words of Arminius Page 58. against Perkins Effectuall grace is denyea by
decree of God to be precise yet doth confesse that God doth certainely fore-know who are to be damned And to confesse this what is it else then to teach that God is willing that wee should pray for them whom he certainely knoweth our prayers will not profit But that which he casteth vpon vs that we make the decree of reprobation to goe before all things and causes and therefore also before sinne it selfe is plainely contrary to our opinion And if such words haue fallen from any vnawares it is not therfore the opinion of our Churches we defend those things that are ours but we doe not warrant other mens XXVI Concerning the place of the Apostle where hee saith that God would haue all men be saued it shall be spoken in his order and place To will here is no other thing then to inuite and to call Also by all men he vnderstandeth men of euery condition and sort After the same manner that Titus 2.11 The grace of Christ is said to bring saluation to all men when notwithstanding so many perish This is a token here of that in the former place it is spoken of kings in this place of seruants Their domination was at that time contrary to Christ and the lot and state of these men was abiect and base the Apostle would not hinder that they should not be prayed for and these are thought such as may be partakers of sauing grace XXVII The Arminians seeme to themselues to deale very acutely when they dispute thus If there be any one say they whose eyes haue beene pulled out for not keeping his watch well is it a iust thing to command him that hereafter he should watch and ward And then if he hath not done it to lay great punishments vpon him because he hath not watched I answere that this is an example nothing to the purpose For they vse the example of one that is blinde who is not bound to see But man though he be corrupted and wicked yet he is bound to obey God which if hee hath not done he is iustly punished Then also they bring an example of one whose eyes were pulled out hee striuing against it and being vnwilling But man brought this deprauation on himselfe of his owne accord and was voluntarily euill and therefore he is iustly punished CHAP. XXVII How farre and in what sence Christ died for all The opinions of the parties I. THE Arminians are of opinion that Christ by his death obtained got remission of sins Coll. Page 130. Christut omnibus per mortem impetrauit recenciliationem remissionem peccatorum Collat. Hag. P. 183. Non omnibus merito suo partam salutem consert etiamsi omnthussit acquisita reconciliation saluation for all particular men Nor doe they doubt to say that by the death of Christ reconciliation was obtained for Pharaoh Saul Iudas and Pilate not as they were reprobates but as they were sinners For God doth equally intend and desire the saluation of all men and that the incredulity of man is the cause that remission and reconciliation is not applied to all Yet Vorstius alone the champion of the Arminians doth stagger in this question and doth seeme to be more prone to the contrary opinion In the 56. Page Collat. cum Piscat He saith that Christ was deliuered by God to death not for the elect alone but for all men whatsoeuer at least for them that are called III. They thinke that the end which God propounded to himselfe in deliuering his Sonne to death was not to apply this benefit to some certaine men nor doe they thinke that Christ was appointed to death by the precise will of God to saue man for Christ was appointed to death by his father before God thought of sauing of men and therefore that he was appointed to death without that respect that they which beleeue in him should be saued Greuinchouius Page 21. doth say expressely that reconciliation being obtained there was yet no necessity of application that is after saluation and reconciliation for all men was obtained there was no necessity that any one should be saued and it was possible that no man in act should be reconciled Because he will haue the decree of sending Christ in order to goe before the decree of sauing those which beleeue and therefore that God determined to send his Sonne when he had not yet determined to saue those which beleeue But the Arminians would haue this to be the end which God propounded to himselfe in sending his Sonne to wit to make the saluation of men possible and to lay open a way for himselfe whereby hee might saue finners without any hurt to his iustice By this meanes they say God hath gotten power of sauing man because without the death of Christ Greuinch Pag. 15.16.17 by which the iustice of God was satisfied God could not be willing to saue men IV. And if no man had beleeued in Christ yet Christ if these men be beleeued had obtained that end which he propounded to himselfe in dying For they denie that he died to saue any man precifely but that the saluation of man might be made possible and a gate might be opened vnto him to saluation which is left free for man by the helpe of grace to enter or not to enter V. Vide Collat. Hag. p. 172. Greum p. 8.9 Deus applicationem reconnliationes amnibus nec voluit nec noluit c. They distinguish therefore betweene the obtaining of reconciliation and the application of it They contend that reconciliation and remission of sinnes is obtained for all which yet is applied onely to them that beleeue That all men are giuen to Christ in the right of saluation but not in the communication of saluation That God hath neither willed nor nilled the application of reconciliation that is faith and saluation to all men but he hath thus willed it if they beleeue if they will receiue grace VI. Armin in Perkins Page 77. 78. The same men also doe deny that Christ on the crosse sustained the person of the elect or that he died for the elect Because election had not then place for election is something that is after the death of Christ VII They say indeede that Christ offered himselfe for a sacrifice for all men but as concerning his intercession they are not constant to themselues in that * Greuinch P. 46. Christus quoad actum oblationis omnium â—m nino hominam sacerdâ—s suit etiam Pharaonis c Ibâ— per oblationeÌ„ vult fiâ—ri impetration 〈◊〉 per intercessionem â—ere applicationem sometimes they will haue him to make intercession onely for the saithfull as if something might be obtained without intercession Sometimes they make two kindes of intercession * Coll Ha. p. 187. Respondemus dupâ—â—ceÌ„ esse intercessâ—onem vnam generalem quae â—otum mundum spectat alteram particulareÌ„ quae ad solâ—s credemtes pâ—rtiâ—es one generall
knowledge of the truth And Verse 6. Christ gaue himfelfe a ransome for all Also that to Titus Chap. 2. The grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared But that here by all are vnderstood any and men of whatsoeuer state and condition the very context and coherence of the place doth proue In that place to Timothy the Apostle would haue Kings to be prayed for in that place to Titus hee commandeth seruants to be faithfull and not to purlome Of this exhortation this is the cause and reason because the promise of saluation did belong to Kings although at that time they were strangers from Christ and to seruants although they were of an abiect and base state neither is any condition of men excluded from saluation Saint Austin doth thus take this place of the first to Timothy Enchirid. ad Laurent Cap. 103. And Thomas in his commentary vpon this Epistle And this thing is confirmed by the very words of the Apostle for he saith God would haue all men be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth Now it is manifest by experience that God doth not giue yea nor doth not offer to all and particular men the knowledge of the truth V. It is frequent in the Scripture to take the word all for the word any as Luke 12.42 Ye tithe Mint and Rue omneolus and all manner of hearbs And Mat. 9.35 Christ healed omnem morbum euery disease for euery kinde of disease You haue the like example Colos 1.28 In this sense Heb. 2. Christ is said to haue dyed for all VI. Furthermore there is no doubt but that the Apostle commandeth vs to pray not onely for Kings in generall but also for all seuerall Kings For we to whom the secrets of Election are vnknowne ought to hope well of euery one But he that commandeth vs to pray for Nero doth not therefore determine that God will saue Nero but onely forbiddeth vs to despaire of him VII The sense therefore of these words God would haue all men to be saued is this God doth inuite men of all sorts to saluation and doth exclude no condition of men from saluation For if God should absolutely will or should seriously desire all and particular men to be saued there would not be wanting meanes to him whereby he might effect what hee would and be made partaker of his desire his iustice yet remaining intire and mans liberty being not touched nor infringed VIII That place maketh no more to the purpose which they bring out of Rom. 14.15 Destroy not him with thy meate for whom Christ dyed For to destroy there is not to condemne but to scandalize and to offend the conscience of any by which deede as much as is in vs we would lead him to destruction For to destroy any one absolutely is not in our power So with the Apostle 2 Cor. 10.8 to destroy is the same thing as to offend with scandall and to slacken him that is doing the workes of piety IX In the second Epistle of Peter Chap 2. Vers 1. Christ is said to haue redeemed the false Prophets who denyed him but there it is not spoken of redemption from eternall death but of the freedome from ignorance and errour and the darkenesse of that age by the light of the Gospell which those false Prophets did corrupt by the mingling of false doctrine For to take redemption for any kinde of freedome is vsuall in the Scripture insomuch that resurrection is called the redemption of our bodies Rom. 8.22 Ephes 4.30 X. In the same Epistle Chap. 3. ver 9. Peter saith God is not willing that any should perish to wit because he is not the cause of the perishing of any one and because he admitteth all who are conuerted neither doth he reiect any one But he is not bound to restore to all those powers which were lost by mans fault nor to giue faith to all seeing man by his owne fault brought vpon himselfe the inability of beleeuing as wee haue proued at large in the eleauenth Chapter XI Ezechiel 18.23 God saith these words I am not delighted with the death of a sinner but that he should be conuerted and liue These words say nothing else then that God will not the death of that sinner who is conuerted But if he be not conuerted Arminius himselfe will not deny but that God doth will his death as the Iudge doth will the punishment of him that is gui ty God is not delighted with the death of a sinner as hee is a man but yet no man can deny but that God loueth the execution of his iustice XII Indeede in the 1 Tim. 4.10 God is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sauiour of all men But the Apostle there speaketh of the preseruation in this present life and of the prouidence of God which is extended to the preseruation of all men which care Dauid Psal 36. doth extend euen to the beasts for there God is called the preseruer of men and beasts The precedent words of the Apostle doth declare this We hope in the liuing God for he speaketh of God as he doth giue life to things created by him Alike place you haue Act. 17.25 XIII Arminius pag. 220. against Perkins doth bring the promise made to Adam concerning the seede of the Woman which saith hee doth belong to all particular men I answere that by this promise it is onely promised that Sathan shall be ouercome by the seede of the Woman but that it belongeth to all and particular men it is no where said The doctrine of the Gospell preached to Adam doth not so pertaine to all his posteritie as the precepts of the naturall law because the obedience of the law is a naturall debt but the doctrine of the Gospell is a supernaturall remedy Thence it is that the sinne of Adam against the law of God is imputed to all his posteritie but his faith by which he beleeued the Gospell is not imputed to his posteritie Nor if Adam by his incredulitie had refused the promise of the seede of the woman had therefore his posteritie fell from the hope of saluation Nay what that this promise of the seede of the Woman to breake the Serpents head is manifestly restrained to the faithfull alone For Sathan doth bruise the heele of the children of God alone seeing he killeth the rest with a deadly wound XIV The Arminians being driuen from the holy Scripture flie to their reasons and as they vse the Scripture without reason so they vrge reasons without Scripture They charge vpon vs this syllogisme as it were with a great dart when yet it is but a slender twig Whatsoeuer all men are bound to beleeue is true But all men are bound to beleeue that Christ dyed for them Therefore that is true The minor part of this Syllogisme is false and doth beare many exceptions For they to whom Christ hath not beene preached and who haue heard nothing of
the end that is saluation then also hee will equally suggest vnto them the meanes to the end to wit the word faith and the spirit But he doth not suggest these things equally to all neither can any thing be imagined more absurd then that God should equally will that all particular men should beleeue and be saued and yet suggest to some men the meanes that are congruent and fit and will certainely profit but to others meanes that are not congruent nor fit and that certainely will not profit which yet is the doctrine of Arminius XXVII And in setting downe the causes of the greater loue of God towards some one nation and his lesse loue towards some other it cannot be said how coldly they deale Sometimes they make the disposition of the one which is better then the other to be the cause which we deny For Rome or Corinth or Ephesus were not more prone to piety a little before the light of the Gospell was brought to them then they were some ages before Yea at that time prodigious lust riot pride and rapine had so immeasurably increased that they could goe no further At the same time there were many nations euen stupid with their barbarous lewdnesse and seemed more worthy of pitty if the heauenly calling were gouerned by mans reason and not by the secret purpose of God Surely before the comming of Saint Paul God had much people at Corinth as God himselfe saith Acts 18.10 and that among the most foule and common lusts of that most impure citie For which elects sake God in his appointed time sent to Corinth such an excellent Apostle so cleere a trumpet of the Gospell whose preaching and miracles he vsed to the conuersion of them who belonged to his election XXVIII Finally seeing that there is no man who by himselfe and of his owne nature is not vndisposed to faith and conuersion no man that is not dead in sinne no man that is not vnable to follow God calling He is ridiculous who in the worke of regeneration and spirituall resurrection doth seeke for dispositions and inclinations to life among the dead and who doth faigne that God hath a will of sauing vs which doth follow mans free-will and doth depend on it XXIX But to make the fault of their ancestors to be cause of this and to thinke that God therefore would not haue his Gospell to be preached to this nation because their ancestors a thousand or two thousand yeers before refused the grace of God is absurd and nothing to the purpose For the Romanes and Corinthians that liued in the time of the Apostle Paul were sprung of the same ancestors which the Romanes and Corinthians were which liued thirty or forty yeeres before the preaching of Saint Paul Nor is it equall that the ofspring should be punished for the sinnes of their ancestors The sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father Ezechiel 18. Nor doth the law extend the visitation of the fathers vpon the children beyond the third and fourth generation although also there it is spoken of children that shall walke in the steppes of their fathers and doe imitate their fathers wickednesse Further also by warres by colonies and companies by banishments and by marriages there is a maruailous permixtion and mingling together of mankinde and in one and the same nation there are some who haue proceeded from other ancestors whose manners were diuers Yea one and the same man hath proceeded from ancestors whereof some haue refused the grace of God and some haue not Of all which if regard is to be had if God will haue his Gospell preached or not preached to a nation according as their ancestors haue behaued themselues it will be impossible but that he must be distracted with diuers and contrary thoughts and that his wisedome must be bound with ridiculous bonds and contrary purposes XXX Yet the Arminians doe obstinately persist in their opinion and although they know that in all ages and see that in this our age the name of Christ is vnknowne to many nations yet they doe harden their minde and doe contend that God would haue the Gospell to be preached to all Arnoldus Page 97. doth deny that it may be said that God would not haue the Gospell to be preached to all And Page 397. It is true indeede saith he that the Gospell is not euery where preached to all yet it doth not thence follow that God will not bring all men to faith but this happeneth because by their owne affected malice and peruersity they make themselues vnworthy of that Grace Which words doe seeme to mee to imply a contradiction for if the cause why the Gospell is not preached to a nation is the wickednesse and prauity of it it is playne that God will not haue his Gospell preached to that nation because by this punishment he would reuenge the stubbornnesse and obstinacy of it And to think that any punishments are inflicted on any nations God being vnwilling especially in the worke of our saluation is to accuse God of cruell negligence and to desire to put out the eyes of his prouidence Also wee haue largely taught that all men are vnworthy and that God so dispensing the Gospell is preached to the most vnworthy and to the worst nations According to that Rom. 10.20 I was found of them that sought me not I was made manifest to them that asked not after me XXXI Being driuen therfore from hence they haue deuised another thing then which nothing is more weake They say that it cannot be said that God is vnwilling that the Gospell should be preached to all nations but that many nations sit in darkenesse because there are wanting those who wil preach to them and that this commeth to passe because the zeale of Christians doth grow cold and because of the sloathfulnesse of the pastors of the Church who will not goe thither to preach But if all Christians were affected as it is meete they should and were touched with a zeale of the house of God the preaching of the Gospell would be wanting to no people I answere that I am not hee who will affirme that Christians are altogether faultlesse in this thing Yet notwithstanding it cannot be doubted but that these things are gouerned by the counsell and prouidence of God For if God would haue brought the light of the Gospell to the people of America who haue lyen for many ages in the thicke night of ignorance be had not suffered them for so many ages to be vnknowne to the Christian world For how can they be accused for not preaching the Gospell to the Americans who did not know that there were any such people or that that prat of the earth was inhabited Neither is it credible that God can be disappointed of his intent and of his desire of sauing any Nation by the negligence of some Ministers Nor is it equall that enumerable people should for euer beare the punishment
things the Arminians bring some arguments but so light that they are dispearsed onely with a breath Arminius against Perkins Page 57. doth say that Stephen Acts 7.51 doth vpbraide and reproach the Iewes that they did alwaies resist the Holy-Ghost Hence the accure man doth gather that these rebellious Iewes were inwardly affected with the Holy-Ghost But the following words doe declare what it is to resist the Holy-Ghost for Stephen addeth Which of the Prophets haue not your fathers persecuted to wit to persecute the Prophets speaking by the inspiration of the Holy-Ghost and to resist the spirit speaking by their mouths this was to resist the Holy-Ghost XI I confesse that there are some men who doe resist the spirit of grace of whom the Apostle speaketh Hebrewes 10.29 and who doe striue against the inward suggestion of the Holy-Ghost But there the Apostle speaketh of some few who hauing embraced the Gospell with ioy and hauing receiued some tast of the word of God doe a while after with an obstinate minde and on set purpose turne their back to God and doe cast out his grace with indignation and doe sinne wilfully after they haue receiued the knowledge of the truth as it is said verse 26. who that they are the same with them who sinne against the Holy-Ghost doth hence appeare in that the Apostle in the same place doth say that their sâ—luation was past hope and doth say that there remaineth no sacrifice for their sinnes and that there doth rest no hope of reconciliation for them But this doth agree but to some few and not to all to whom eyther the law alone or the Gospell with the law hath beene made knowne All which these Sectaries teach are moued inwardly by the Hoâ—y Ghost and haue a feeling of the true doctrine imprinted in them Neither doe I thinke that the gifts of the spirit which such men as these haue receiued are the gifts of regeneration or the spirit of adoption or the true proper and iustifying faith but onely some assayes of the spirit mouing the heart at whose suggestion the will being warmed with some slight heare rather then enflamed doth cleaue to the Gospell vntill the benummed appetites perceiuing warre to be intended against them haue raised themselues with greater force and hauing shaken out of the heart that superficiall piety haue turned it into hatred and by the very incitations of piety their hidden poyson hath more vehemently burst forth XII Arminius in the same place doth hold vp and as it were vnderproppe their tottering cause with that place of the Prophet Esay Chapter 55.11 where he hath these words So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not returne vnto me voide but shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I senâ—â— Surely this is to hit the nayle on the head The meaning of Esay is plaine for he saith that the promises and threats propounded in the word of God shall be executed and that nothing was saide in vaine and which should not be fulfilled Here is no mention of the quickning efficacy of the spirit affecting mens hearts nor if there were could it thence be proued that the spirit of God did worke in all but in them alone whom he decreed to saue XIII Arnoldus Page 443. doth poure out a showre of places of Scripture and yet hee doth not proue by them that which hee doth intend That place Matth. 23.37 doth not proue it How oft would I haue gathered thy children c. For we haue shewed in the fift Chapter that these children were gathered together Also if they were not gathered together it would not follow that they were called any otherwise then by an outward calling XIV That place Esay 65 2. doth not proue it I haue spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people Nor that Prou. 1.24 I haue called and ye refused For there it is spoken of the outward calling and not of the efficacy of the spirit working in mens hearts XV. Nor that place Psal 81.14 O that my people had hearkened that Israell had walked in my wates I would soone haue subdued their enemies For these words meane nothing else then what they plainely found forth to wit that God would haue laid flat the enemies of Israell if Israell had obeyed God Here is no mention at all of the inward efficacy of the spirit XVI Nor that of Ezechiel Chapter 18. v. 31. Make ye a new heart and a new spirit For it is not proued by this place that man doth make himselfe a new heart seeing God in the 36. Chapter of the same Prophecy saith I will giue you a new heart and a new spirit Much lesse is it hence proued that the Holy-Ghost doth worke in all men XVII Nor that of Saint Iohn Chapter 5.34 I seeke not the testimony of men but these things I say that ye might be saued And verse 40. Ye will not come to me that ye might haue life By which words how it can be proued that the quickning power of the Holy-Ghost doth worke in all men I confesse and it is my dulnesse I cannot conceiue XVIII It is not proued by those words of Saint Paul 1. Tim. 2.4 God would haue all men be saued Of which words wee haue at large proued Chapter 29. that this is the sence God doth inuite to saluation men of any sort and of euery condition XIX Nor by that place of Peter Epphes 2. Chap. 3. v. 9. God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance For it cannot be drawne out of this place that the Holy-Ghost doth inwardly worke in all men euen in those to whom the Gospell is not preached but onely that God is not the cause of the ouerthrow of any one that he doth not reioyce in the destruction of man as he is man For otherwise as the same man is a sinner God doth loue the execution of his iustice XX. Nor is it proued by that place of Ezechiel Chapter 12.2 Sonne of man thou dwellest in the middest of a rebellious house which haue eyes to see and see not they haue eares to heare and heare not For there by eyes and eares is not to be vnderstood sufficient grace to saluation eyther mediately or immediately nor the operation of the Holy-Ghost working in the reprobates but a knowledge in the heart by which euen against their wills they did acknowledge that those things were right which were taught them by the Prophets for they were admonished by so cleere instructions and stirred vp with so seuere threates that they could not pretend ignorance This knowledge was giuen them not by supernaturall grace working inwardly nor by sufficient grace common to all men by which they might haue beleeued and beene conuerted if they would but by the instructions and documents of the Prophets and by the law of God knowne and perceiued in their minde
against which they did willingly harden their heart XXI To the Scripture thus corrupted and depraued hee doth ioyne reasons that are no better God saith he should delude and mock men if hee should offer them saluation and should say that hee desired their saluation and yet doth not call them to that end that they should be saued I answere the end propounded to God in calling by the Law or by the Gospell those whom he knoweth will not follow is not that those whom hee calleth should not be saued But Gods end is to require of man that which he oweth to wit to obey God commanding obedience and to beleeue him promising Nor is it any doubt but that God doth seriously call men For in calling men bee doth seriously declare what is acceptable to him what man doth owe and what he will giue to them that beleeue and obey But wee doe not say with Arnoldus that God is bound to restore to man those powers which he lost and to cure that disability of man which man brought vpon himselfe Furthermore it is wicked audacity to goe about to prescribe meanes to God which vnlesse he follow hee hath no way to escape the crime of iniustice as if he should be compelled to pleade his cause before the tribunall of man XXII Arnoldus proceedeth The same thing saith he God doth teach when he doth expresly declare that he will not be loaden with this vniust suspition that hee should require any thing of vs to the performance whereof he would not giue vs sufficient power I omit that rude kinde of speaking and which is not agreeing to God when he saith that God will not be loaden with that vniust suspition as if God feared the vniust suspitions of men To the thing it selfe therefore I say that this doctrine is most wicked and there is scarce any that is worse For seeing God doth require from vnregenerate men and Infidels their naturall debt that is the perfect fulfilling of the Law it followeth by this speech of Arnoldus that the vnregenerate and infidels themselues haue power by which without the knowledge of Christ and without faith they may perfectly fulfill the Law and be without sinne The Arminians themselues doe say that God doth vnresistably harden some men who although they cannot but sinne yet from them being hardned God doth not lesse require perfect obedience then before their hardning For the creature is by no means no not by the eternall punishments exempted from his subiection to his creator Nor is it to be doubted but that the Diuels themselues who are in eternall torments are bound to beleeue God for they are therefore punished because they doe not loue him Also if any one be punished for disobedience past he is not therefore freed from the obedience that is due for the time to come But this peruerse doctrine which doth gather by the commandements of God what are the powers of men and doth thinke that there is nothing commanded by God to the fulfilling whereof powers are not supplied to man is at large confuted in the 35. Chapter CHAP. XXXVII Of the distinction of grace into sufficient and effectuall grace I. THe distinction of grace into sufficient and into effectuall grace is an old worne distinction in the Schooles But effectuall grace is taken two wayes For it doth either signifie that grace which is apt and fit to effect and worke as when we call that medicine effectuall and that remedy forcible which although it be not taken by the sicke man yet is apt and fit to heale Or we call that grace effectuall which doth effect and worke in act in which sence effectuall is vsed for efficient and the efficacy is vsed for the effect or for the efficiency The Philosophers say that there is a double efficient cause one in power as the Architect and the Physitian another in act as hee that buildeth and hee that cureth Hence proceedeth that double acceptation of the word efficacy II. The Papists thinke that there is sufficient aide to conuersion giuen to all men with which aide they may so cooperate with the helpe of their free-will that they may be conuerted although there come no other effectuall aide And by effectuall grace they vnderstand that grace which is efficient and doth bring forth its effect III. The Arminians who in the question of grace and free-will doe so dresse and trimme vp Popery as the Papists doe Pelagianisme doe often vse that distinction of sufficient and effectuall grace but with such a floating speech and affected ambiguity that it is hard to know what is effectuall grace with them Arminius against Perkins pag. 245. doth say that that is effectuall grace which doth in very deede worke the effect and hee doth bring these examples God was able to make many worlds but hee did it not effectually Christ was able to saue all men but he did it not effectually Which speech is certainely absurd and deserueth to be laughed at for he speaketh as if God did something not effectually or as if hee had created many worlds ineffectually For in stead of to doe effectually hee ought to haue simply said to doe or to make IV. But Arnoldus being as Diomedes melior patre better then his father doth forsake Arminius For he pag. 397. hath these words That thing is said to be effectuall not which doth effect any thing but which is so powerfull to doe something as is an effectuall remedy and forcible meanes Thus the Patrons of errour are fallen out betweene themselues But here I am bound to patronize and maintaine Arminius against his Scholler For if effectuall grace be taken for that which doth effect and worke in act then this distinction of grace into sufficient and effectuall may be admitted because there are many things of sufficient power to worke which yet doe not worke in act as the absent Physitian and the sleeping Phylosopher But it cannot be said that one grace is sufficient to worke and another is fit and apt to worke for these two are both one neither can any thing be spoken more absurdâ—y then that there is some grace sufficient which is not fit to worke That cannot be an efficient cause which is not of sufficient power V. Therefore according to Arminius the meanes to faith and saluation are administred to all sufficiently but not effectually and efficiently But according to Arnoldus God doth administer these meanes to all men both sufficiently and effectually for he had rather take efficacy for aptitude and fitnesse to worke then for efficiency and the working it selfe that he might say that the efficacy of grace doth not depend on free-will For if he had taken efficacy for efficiency then he must haue said that the efficacy of grace doth depend on free-will For the Schoole and followers of Arminius doe hold this by the teeth and doe cry out with one mouth that the effect or efficiency of grace doth depend on free-will
God indeede doth giue grace and sufficient power to conuersion but that man is conuerted or not conuerted in act is in the power of free-will Arnoldus doth teach this at large 447. We determine saith hee that the vse of grace is subiect to mans will so that man may vse it or not vse it according to his naturall liberty And a little after speaking of a man furnished with the power of grace hee saith that the effect of the mercy of God is in the power of man And pag. 448. he teacheth that if efficacy be taken for efficiency man maketh grace ineffectuall For Arnoldus was ashamed to adde the other member and to say that man made grace effectuall or ineffectuall and yet there are other places brought by vs out of their writings which are equipollent and of like force with this speech as also that which he saith pag. 449. Man if he be not wanting to himselfe may conuert himselfe The Reader therefore shall marke how pestilent this doctrine is which the ARminians restrained as it were with shame doe scarce at any time vtter without ambiguities That the grace of God is effectuall that is efficient and working it is to be attributed to free-will and the efficiency of the grace of God is subiected to the will of man By which speech they meane this that God doth saue man if man himselfe will for this it is to depend on mans will VI. The Orthodoxe Churches doe much differ from this doctrine For how can we be conuerted by the grace of God if wee will seeing that this very thing that we are willing is the grace of God yea it is conuersion it selfe For he that doth seriously desire to be conuerted to God is already in some part conuerted But of these things we haue already spoken much and more shall be spoken when wee treate of the manner by which the grace of God doth certainely worke conuersion in vs which manner the Arminians call by an odious and rude word irresistibilitie VII But in the tearme of sufficient grace they doe not onely differ one from another but euery one of them differeth from himselfe For they will haue sufficient grace to beleeue power of beleeuing to be giuen to all particular men * Arnal p 405. Licet sit generalis gratiae quod homines dons istis pessint recte vti tamen quod actu recte ijs vtantur à speciali gratia est Potentia eniminactum non producitur nisi per auxilium alterius gratiae subsiquentis quae specialis est quia non omnibus contingis And yet the same men say that no man can beleeue in act and vse well this vniuersall grace without speciall grace O your faithfull stability Can that be called sufficient grace which doth neuer bring forth that effect for which it is giuen vnlesse some other speciall grace come to it Is that a sufficient cause which doth neuer worke alone Or is any thing lesse agreeable to reason then with Arminius to make one kinde of grace which is sufficient by which the sinner may be conuerted but is not conuerted and another which is effectuall by which the sinner is conuerted Is it not of the same power and faculty to be able to doe and to doe to be able to see and to see Surely a giddinesse hath ceased on these men while they study for subtiltie VIII I am deceiued if Vorstius did not discerne this and therefore in the twentie and twentie one sections Collat. cum Piscat he doth make two kindes of grace one sufficient and altogether necessary which God doth giue to all them that are called the other extraordinary superabounding and singular by which men are indeede conuerted and hee doth reiect them that say none at all are conuetted by that former grace For he saith that God hath not promised to conuert all that are conuerted with this more then sufficient helpe and superabounding efficacy of grace IX But we taking the tearme of effectuall grace for that grace which is apt and fit to worke that for which it is giuen and appointed doe acknowledge no sufficient grace which is not effectuall that is apt to worke that for which it is giuen and appointed whether it doth effect and worke alone or with others which I do purposely adde because oftentimes to one effect and perfect action many causes doe concurre as to Learning Nature Art and exercise doe concurre to the ferâ—iâ—ity and fruitfulnesse of the field the goodnesse of the soile the sunne raine and conuenient manuring doe concurre X. And seeing that in the concourse of causes to the producing of one effect there are certaine causes that doe not onely worke with others but which doe also worke by others and doe giue efficacie and power to the adioyning causes So in the conuersion of man the holy Ghost and the preaching of the word doe concurre but the spirit doth giue efficacy to the word For in vaine are the eares beaten on vnlesse God open the heart and with the word doth inspire his secret power XI And we acknowledge that there is no grace absolutely sufficient eyther to conuersion or to faith or to saluation without the spirit of regeneration and knowledge of Christ And we condemne the schoole of Arminius teaching that all men euen the heathens to whom the name of Christ hath not come are indued with sufficient and sauing grace to come to faith and by it to saluation XII Yet the outward meanes to saluation that are largely administred without the inward efficacy of the holy Spirit may in some measure be called sufficient grace not onely because they suffice to make them inexcusable but also because these meanes ought to suffice to come to saluation if man were such as he ought to be For if any thing is wanting to that grace the defect is bred on his part who is called not on his part who calleth who by the rule of iustice is not bound to supply inward dispositions because man is bound to giue them of his owne and to bring them of himselfe Nor is God bound to restore them to man after man hath lost them by his owne fault Therefore God doth iustly say Esay 5. What ought I to haue done more to my vineyard that I haue not done to it For speaking after the manner of men God is said that he ought to doe that which his iustice doth require and which if he should not doe there would seeme to be cause of expostulating But that God doth there speake of the outward meanes doth hence appeare because he compareth the benefits bestowed vpon Israel to a planting in a fruitfull place to a digging to fencing with a hedg to gathering out stones and to the building of a Tower But there is no mention of the secret vegetation and growth of it of the fauourable fitnesse of the ayre of the seasonable raine which are things rather of an inward and secret power Furthermore
Scripture I. THis doctrine which doth place in an infidell and vnregenerate man grace which either mediately or immediatly may suffice to the obtayning of faith or saluation without any knowledge of the Gospell and faith in Christ doth pull vp Christian Religion by the rootes and is contrary to Scripture and experience II. First of all it must needes be that all doctrine in matter of our saluation which doth not rest it selfe on the testimony of the scripture must fall to the ground But the Scripture doth no where say that God is bound to giue increases of grace to them who haue rightly vsed naturall light and vnderstanding It doth no where say that a man without faith can rightly worship God It doth no where say that God is bound to giue to all men mediately or immediatly power to beleeue and fulfill those things which are commanded in the Gospell It doth no where say that supernaturall grace is giuen to all men by which they may rightly vse naturall light It doth no where say that the Gentiles who are ignorant of Christ are led by the holy Ghost These are the forgeries of idle men whom an euill itching of wit and a bad custome of disputing hath ceased on III. This doctrine is confuted by all those places of Scripture by which we haue proued that an vnregenerate man doth want free-will in those things which belong to saluation For thereby it is proued that an vnregenerate man hath not power of beleeuing and cannot worship God with that worship which is pleasing to him nor dispose himselfe to regeneration IV. Adde to these the testimony of the Apostle Ephes 2.12 where speaking of the Gentiles before the word of God had beene made knowne to them he saith that they were without Christ hauing no hope and without God in the world You see that they who are without Christ haue not God and how can they be said to be without God whom these Sectaries say haue sufficient grace by the helpe whereof they may beleeue and worship God and vse rightly the light of nature Surely these things cannot stand together V. The same Apostle Rom. 10.14 saith How shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard By these words he doth plainely enough teach that the Gentiles to whom Christ was not knowne could not beleeue But Arminius will haue the power of beleeuing to be giuen mediately or immediately to euery man VI. The Apostle proceedeth How shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard and how shall they heare without a preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent Let these words be weighed and considered of Saint Paul is of opinion that Christ cannot be beleeued in vnlesse the Gospell be heard and that the Gospell cannot be heard vnlesse preachers be sent This being laid downe I say that God doth doe nothing in vaine but he should in vaine giue power of beleeuing the Gospell to all vnlesse he should send those who should preach the Gospell now to the greater part of men he doth not send the preachers of the Gospell therefore he doth not giue to them all the power of beleeuing nor sufficient grace to beleeue VII The same Apostle 2 Tim. 1. saith that God hath called vs with a holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace The Arminians therefore doe falsely thinke that God doth giue supernaturall light and the knowledge of his Gospell to them who by free-will haue rightly vsed sufficient grace and the light of nature For if this were true our calling should be altogether for workes and according to workes For the good vsing of sufficient grace and of that light which is naturally engrafted in man is a good worke for the beholding of which the Arminians will haue God to call man by the Gospell and to enlighten him with greater vnderstanding The Arminian conferrers at the Hage pag. 86. doe say That God doth send his word whether it seemeth good to him not according to any decree but for other causes lying hid in man These men will haue the cause why God should send his word to some rather then to others to be in man himselfe and not in the good pleasure of God Which speach doth plainely make man to be called in respect of workes and according as man is affected and fitted to obey him calling when yet it is manifest by experience that the most vnworthy and worst affected men are often called by the word of the Gospell as the Romanes the Corinthians c. And where sinne abounded there grace abounded Rom. 5. That it might not be of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9. VIII Christ saith Iohn 15.5 Without me you can doe nothing That which is said to the Apostles is said to all for as many of vs as are without Christ can doe nothing These Sectaries doe offend against this saying of Christ when they teach that they who haue not knowne Christ and who doe want faith may beleeue and worship God with a worship pleasing to him and may doe the will of the father IX Whom God hateth from the wombe to them he doth not giue sufficient and sauing grace for this were to loue them But God hated Esau from the wombe Rom. 9.13 therefore he did not giue him sufficient and sauing grace For although Malachy speaketh these things of a temporall reiection yet it sufficeth to the present matter that this reiection as Arminius confesseth is laid downe by Saint Paul as a type of the spirituall reiection So that there are some whom God hath reiected with a spirituall reiection before they haue done either good or euill therefore hee doth not giue them sufficient meanes to faith or to saluation for this cannot be made to agree with hatred X. Were those Israelites furnished by God with sufficient grace to whom God himselfe Deut. 29.2 doth say that among so many miracles he did not giue a heart to vnderstand nor eyes to see God hath not giuen you a heart to perceiue and eyes to see and eares to heare vnto this day This place hath driuen Arnoldus to his shifts therefore hee seeketh for helpe from his audacity For those words I haue not giuen you a heart to perceiue he saith haue no other meaning then that ye haue not a heart And these words I haue not giuen you hee doth quite blot out yet a while after by the weakenesse of his forehead as being ashamed of it leauing this exposition he doth adde Although God hath not giuen them such eyes and eares it doth not follow that God was vnwilling to giue these things to them but God was willing to gine these things to them and they were wanting to themselues by their pride ignorance and sluggish dulnesse But hee doth not cleare himselfe by this yea rather hee doth more entangle himselfe For I demand whether they had an
the life or for a short time If not to the end then this promise is in vaine yea and absurd because by it God should promise that he would so long giue them his grace vntill he should againe take it away and destroy them for euer Also the words themselues doe witnesse that it is spoken of a perpetuall grace For God doth promise that he will cause that they should not depart from his waies in which words finall perseuerance is promised XVII And if the grace of God may be finally hindred in all and particular men it might come to passe that it should be hindred in all men and so there wold be none elected there would be no church and Christ should haue dyed in vaine For nothing can be imagined more absurd then to suppose that God decreed that some men should beleeue and be saued and that that should be done vnresistibly and yet that he did not decree of any one man nor of any particular person There is nothing more absurd then to determine that it must needes be that some be saued and yet that there is no man who may not be damned By what meanes can any certainety be made or concluded out of many vncertainties Or is it credible and likely that the decree of God as concerning the whole Church cannot be deluded and yet may be made frustrate in the seuerall members of the Church XVIII Nor doth the truth finde any small refuge in the words of Christ Iohn 6.44.45 No man can come to me except the father who hath sent me draw him and I will raise him vp at the last day It is written in the Prophets They shall be all taught of God Euery man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the father commeth to me Euery word is a thunderbolt The Arminians thinke that there are many that heare and learne of the father who doe not come nor follow This is diametrically and directly contrary to the words of Christ Euery man that hath heard and hath learned of the father commeth to me For he speaketh of a certaine manner of hearing and learning which is peculiar to the elect and which doth worke in their heart what he commandeth The same Arminians doe affirme that many are drawne who notwithstanding doe not come But here also they offend against the words of Christ where he saith No man can come to me except the father draw him and I will raise him vp at the last day For he speaketh of a certaine sure kinde of drawing and obedience by which whosoeuer are drawne and doe come shall be raised vp by Christ at the last day Hee speaketh therefore of a kinde of drawing which cannot finally be resisted XIX Out of the same place of Saint Iohn this argument is framed Whosoeuer hath heard and hath learned of the father doth come Whosoeuer is drawne hath heard learned Therfore whosoeuer is drawne doth come XX. By the same place the opinion of the Arminians is refuted whereby they teach that all men are drawne and that sufficient grace is giuen to all For the scope of Christ is to set downe the cause why the Iewes of Capernaum could not come to wit because they were not drawne by the Father that on the contrary he might teach that they would haue come if they had beene drawne by which words hee doth not obscurely teach that all who are drawne doe come XXI These proofes brought out of this place are not grounded on the word drawing which wee know to be many times taken more largely and to be sometimes vsed for an invitation which is not obeyed but they are grounded on the whole coherence of this place and on the course of the speech which doth more then certainely demonstrate that it is here spoken of a kinde of drawing with which whosoeuer are drawne doe come In which sense the word drawing is vsed in the beginning of the Canticles Draw mee and we will runne after thee Which also Saint Austin doth acknowledge Lib. 1. against the two Epistles of the Pelagians where when hee had admonished the Reader that Christ did not say lead but draw he addeth Who is drawne if he be already willing And yet no man commeth vnlesse he be willing He is therefore after a marueilous manner drawne that he should be willing by him who knoweth to worke inwardly in the very hearts of men not that men vnwilling should beleeue which cannot be but that of vnwilling they might be made willing XXII Nor is it credible that that grace is finally resistible whose chiefe office is to take away finall resistance for so it should not doe that for which it is ordained especially seeing that Christ saith Iohn 4.14 Whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I shall giue him shall neuer thirst but the water which I shall giue him shall be in him a well of water springing vp to euerlasting life For it doth manifestly appeare that it is here spoken of a kinde of grace which being once well admitted and receiued into the heart is neuer lost but doth remaine to eternall life and like an euerlasting fountaine is neuer dryed No lesse direct are the words of Christ Iohn 6.35 He that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst and Vers 51. He that shall eate of this bread shall liue for euer All which were false if true faith which doth seriously apprehend Christ might be shaken off and be finally lost For then there would be some who after the eating of the heauenly bread should perish for euer XXIII And if there be any certainty of saluation or any full perswasion of the Saints it must needs be that the grace of God in them cannot be ouercome nor finally extinguished for otherwise this certainety were vaine and deceitfull For how can he be certaine of his saluation who doth beleeue that the grace of God may be hindred and abolished by a finall resistance And that on Gods part there is no absolute and peremptory election but when the course of our life is finished And that on mans part the free-will of man in most holy men is furnished with power whereby it may altogether driue away the spirit of God XXIV But the Scripture in sixe hundred places doth teach and command certaine and sure confidence of our saluation Saint Paul saith Rom. 8.16 The spirit doth witnesse together with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God Can there be any more certaine witnesse and more worthy of credit then the spirit of God Surely the Scripture doth teach how certaine this inward testimony is while it calleth the spirit a seale deepely imprinting the promises of God on our hearts and the pledge of our inheritance Ephes 1.13 and Chap. 4.30 and 2 Cor. 1. So also 1 Iohn 5.10 He that beleeueth on the sonne of God hath the witnesse of God in himselfe This testimony is beyond all exception which testimony whosoeuer doth not feele in himselfe he ought rather to thinke
is one thing to pull out the eyes of the blinde and it is another thing not to cure him that is blinde It is sufficiently manifest that God doth not giue to all men all the meanes necessary to saluation For there are infinite people to whom he doth not send preachers of the Gospell And to very many to whom the Gospell is preached hee doth not giue faith and the spirit of Adoption But they alone beleeue who are fore-ordained to eternall life Act. 13. All which things are aboundantly proued in the former Chapters Neither yet can God therefore be accused of folly or dissembling who doth call those whom hee knoweth will not follow to whom he doth not giue the power of comming For hee doth not deale dissemblingly nor vnwisely who doth require from man that which hee is not able if he owe it and if man himselfe is the cause of his disability For God hath not lost his right by the wickednesse of man nor is he bound to supply to all men the meanes of paying what they owe and of performing what they are commanded Nor doth he vnwisely or dissemblingly call the virgins who wanted oyle although hee would not administer oyle to them of which they themselues ought in time to haue had a care Neither is it any doubt but that God doth require from euery man yea from the heathen themselues the perfect obedience of the law which notwithstanding that it can be perfectly fulfilled by them the Arminians themselues vnlesse it be fearefully and doubtfully dare not affirme God doth not in vaine call those whom he knoweth will not follow because he doth not deale vainely who doth exact that which iustice doth require Nor is it equall that although in a promiscuous and mingled multitude there are many reprobates the word of God should therefore not be preached to that multitude and the naughtinesse of wicked men should defraud the good and that thereby something should be taken away and detracted from the commodities of the elect Nor is the Gospell preached in vaine to those that are obstinate seeing that by their obstinacy and by the punishments that follow it the godly are brought to a wholesome feare and are turned and drawne to prayer and to the acknowledgement of the mercy of God to them God did not in vaine send Moses to Pharaoh â— Zâ—ch 3. and Ezechiel to the Iewes although God himselfe fore-warned that Pharaoh would not obey Moses nor the Iewes Ezechiel Therefore here is no absurdity how odiously soeuer they cry out vpon it These scoffing men that they might procure enuy to vs doe boastingly cast out these things among the vnskilfull common people and doe raise bubbles in a shell which are blowne away with the least breath XIX They also heape together reproachfull calumnies falsely attributing those things to vs which we doe not beleeue To wit that God calleth those who are not conuerted purposely and onely for this end that they might be inexcusable Which thing farre be it from vs that wee should say Wee say indeede that this doth happen but wee doe not say that this is the onely end propounded by God Wee doe not thinke that the reprobates are onely therefore called that they might be made inexcusable although by despising that calling they bring greater damnation vpon themselues God indeede doth offer his Gospell to those that will reiect it but not to that end that they might reiect it The end propounded to God in calling those whom hee knoweth will not obey is to require that which they owe and to declare what is acceptable to him Doth hee not also call warne and threaten them that at the least they might be so much constrained by feare that they might not hurt those that are good And that by the example of their stubbornenesse which goeth not vnpunished the godly might learne to feare and by comparing their condition with those to whom God hath not vouchsafed the like grace they might more earnestly loue God for the prerogatiue granted to them XX. These Sectaries obiect againe That by this meanes some men haue matter and cause of security ministred to them and of the contempt of those meanes which God is wont to vse to worke conuersion such as are the preaching of the word c. For if no man can conuert himselfe before this vnresistible drawing and as soone as he is vnresistibly drawne he must needes be altogether conuerted then all our care and diligence is voide and vnprofitable And to others there is matter of perpetuall doubtings ministred as long as they feele no such drawing We haue already aduertised that this opinion is falsely laid vpon vs. That God doth draw a man vnresistibly We onely say that the elect although they may resist a long time yet at length they obey God calling and their voluntary conuersion is wrought certainely and infallibly and that it cannot come to passe that they should neuer be conuerted or being conuerted that they should finally fall away and the grace of God should be at length extinguished and be finally ouercome by the resistance of the flesh XXI We deny that security or contempt of the word can follow from such drawing seeing that that grace it selfe doth create in vs care and diligence See I pray how ill these things square together and how vnfitly it is said that the grace of God doth hinder godly carefulnesse seeing that this carefulnesse it selfe is a part of grace For how should grace by which a man is regenerated corrupt him Or how should grace by which he is stirred vp and pricked forward giue him ouer to a languishing idlenesse Therefore they doe as if I should say that a man is killed by the resurrection or that hee is blacked ouer with a white colour For they say that negligence is brought by that grace which doth beget godly care XXII And there is no doubt but that the same absurdity may be drawne from the opinion of Arminius whereby he thinkes that some men are drawne of God by a congruent and agreeable manner and time by which they that are called doe most certainly follow For I may say that by this doctrine mens consciences are cast into a deep sleep for there wil be some men who will speake thus To what purpose is it to be carefull Our endeauor is in vaine if we are not drawn after a congruent manner And I doubt whether I am drawne after a congruent manner or no. Hence commeth negligence and a faith floating in vncertainty XXIII That is no better which they adde That to some men there is matter of perpetuall doubtings so long as they feele no such drawing This absurdity is very absurdly vrged by the Arminians who with all their power doe impugne the certainty of saluation whilest they command men to doubt of perseuerance For let vs imagine that doubtings of saluation are bred by this our doctrine Doe they condemne that in vs which they alow