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-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
faith chap. 19. Election for faith fore-seene is confuted by places taken out of the Gospell of Saint Iohn chap. 20. The same is proued out of the eight ninth and the eleauenth Chapter to the Romanes chap. 21. The same Election in respect of faith fore-seene is confuted by reason chap. 22. The opinion of Saint Austin concerning Election for faith fore-seene chap. 23. The arguments of the Arminians by which they endeauour to stablish Election for faith fore-seene are examined chap. 24. whether Christ be the cause and foundation of Election chap. 25. Of Reprobation chap. 26. How farre and in what sence Christ died for all chap. 27. That reconciliation remission of sinnes and saluation is not obtained nor purchased for all and particular men by the death of Christ chap. 28. The obiections of the Arminians are answered by which they endeauour to maintaine and confirme the obtaining of saluation for all men chap. 29. That it was long agoe desputed whether Christ died for al but in a farre other sence chap. 30. Whether God loue all men equally and doth alike desire the saluation of all chap 31. Of free-will the opinions of the parties chap. 32. It is proued out of the holy Scripture that an vnregenerate man is altogether destitute of the power and liberty of free-will in those things which belong to saluation c. 33. 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 chap. 34. The obiections of the Arminians borrowed from the Pelagians and Papists are answered Whether an vnregenerate man doth necessarily sinne and whether necessity excuseth the sinner Also whether God commandeth those things which cannot be performed by man chap. 35. Of the outward and inward calling and whether the one may be without the other chap. 36. Of the distinction of Grace into sufficient and effectuall Grace chap. 37. The opinion of the Arminians concerning vniuersal grace which is also called sufficient grace chap. 38. Vniuersall sufficient grace is confuted by places of Scripture chap. 39. The same sufficient grace is impugned by reasons ch 40. The arguments by which the Arminians maintaine vniuersall sufficient grace are confuted chap. 41. The consent of the Arminians with the Semipelagians is declared chap. 42. The opinion of the Arminians concerning the manner of the operation of grace and of that power which they call Irresistible Of morall perswasion And of the power and act of beleeuing chap. 43. The opinion of the Orthodoxe Church concerning the conuersion of man and of the manner and certainty of conuersion chap. 44. The question of morall perswasion is sifted and whether euery perswasion may be resisted chap. 45. The certainty of the conuersion of the elect and the finall vnconquerablenesse of grace is proued chap. 46. The iudgement of Saint Austin concerning this controuersie chap. 47. That the Arminians doe openly stablish that vnresistiblenesse which they impugne chap. 48. The weake obiections of the Arminians against Irresistibility that is infallible certainty of conuersion are answered chap 49. An addition to the thirteenth Chapter containing some places taken out of the confession of the Church of France and out of the speciall doctors of this age concerning the obiect of Predestination and the iudgement of the Synode of Dordt FINIS THE ANATOMIE of Arminianisme CHAP. I. How soberly we are to deale in this Argument IF in any other Argument especially in this which we are to treate of that rule of Saint Paul is to be kept Rom. 12.3 that no man be wise aboue that he ought but that he be wise vnto sobriety For God hath put a great mist ouer the secrets of his wisedome into which it is a sinne to rush lest while wee search into his Maiesty we be ouerpressed by his glory Prou 25.27 It is better to vnderstand things that are safe then things that are high and to keepe Gods commandements then to pry into his counsels This curiosity hath vndone mankinde Adam whilest he would be like God in the knowledge of good and euill lost his good and learned euill to his losse being punished Hence Heresies haue beene bred whilest men violently carried with the itching of their owne wit runne out beyond the bounds of Gods word Hence haue proceeded those troubles which Sathan hath stirred vp in this age which is as fertill of disputes as it is barren of piety hauing vsed therto men who by their lewd wit and rash presumption daring to call God to account and to prescribe lawes to him haue greatly afflicted the most flourishing Churches of the low-Countries Most safe therefore it is to follow God as our guide to vnderstand so much as hee hath made manifest to vs in his word to command silence to our selues where God himselfe speaketh not But we must haue a very great care least we patronize and maintaine the wisdome and prouidence of God with the damage of his iustice and againe lest while we defend his iustice wee put out the eyes of his prouidence God is not to be thought vniust if hee doe any thing that doth not euery way answere to the rules we haue conceiued in our owne mindes These two things are seriously to be auoided as two fatall and dangerous rockes and yet it is farre worse to set on God the marke of iniustice then to place limits to his prouidence For with lesse perill is God made a carelesse spectator and beholder of sinne then if he be beleeued to be the author and incitor to sinne Neither is there any more capitall mischiefe then to transferre on God the cause of mans wickednesse For thus it comes to pass that men hauing broken their bars doe scot free commit all riot as hauing God the patron and author of their wickednesse And yet to restraine curiositie and to strike our mindes with a religious feare the consideration of our owne meanenesse being compared to the diuine maiestie is much profitable For if any of vs should crush to death an Ant with his foot no man would lay to his charge an action of iniustice for it although the Ant hath not offended him although he hath not giuen life to the Ant although he hath destroyed anothers worke which cannot be restored by man and although betweene man and it there is no infinite inequality but a kinde of certaine and finite proportion But man hath grieuously offended God and yet God hath giuen life to man and there is no proportion betweene God and man but as infinite a distance as betweene a finite and infinite thing If therefore God shall crush those sinfull men which he is able to saue if patiently tolerating the vessels of anger he shall make them the matter of his glory shall any man expostulate with God or thinke goodnesse wanting in him or accuse his iustice CHAP. 2. That we are not therefore altogether to abstaine from the doctrine of Prouidence and
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
cause of this difference is in readinesse to wit in the one faith was fore-seene in the other vnbeleefe was foreseene Did Saint Paul seeme to Arminius eyther not to be quick of vnderstanding or to be scrupulous without cause But least he should be compelled to say this he hath deuised I know not what subtilties and monsters of interpretations Such as are these Of him that calleth that is of Faith And of God that sheweth mercy that is that iustifieth not for workes but for Faith which mercy notwithstanding is common to many reprobates Then also that speech I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy by cuius whom hee would haue qualium what sort of men to be vnderstood And it is not of him that willeth to wit righteousnesse is not For he denyeth that these are to be vnderstood of saluation as if saluation were of him that willeth Euen as to haue mercy if Arminius be beleeued is not to saue but to giue the meanes to righteousnesse And many more such like which are eyther inconuenient or wrested which we haue examined in the 15. chapter XI Adde to these that which is in the eleuenth to the Romanes Rom. 11.5 At this present there is a remnant according to the election of Grace By this remnant or reserued portion are vnderstood those Iewes who cleaued to Christ and who did not fall from the couenant with the rest We haue here therefore the cause why these perseuered in the Faith and haue not fallen from grace to wit because the reseruation was made according to the election of grace Therefore perseuerance in Faith is according to the election of grace and not election according to perseuerance in Faith as Arminius would haue it Arminius that he might shift off this place saith that it is here spoken of election to righteousnesse not of election to Faith which although it be false yet it doth not infringe the force and euidence of this place For whosoeuer is elected to righteousnesse is elected to Faith And surely I cannot sufficiently maruaile at that which Arminius saith Pag. 222. What is that which is by grace Armin. in Perk. pag. 222. It is election to Faith nothing lesse but it is election to righteousnesse as if there were any righteousnesse without Faith Or as if he who refuseth Faith doth not also refuse righteousnesse Surely these things sound of Socianisme and doe shew that there is vnder them some hidden vlcer Also what is it to the purpose to contend that it is here spoken of election to righteousnesse seeing according to Arminius this is not certaine by the will of God but doth depend on mans free-will XII Arnoldus Pag. 346. dealeth more warily He thinks that it is spoken here of the reiection of the Iewes and taking in of the Gentiles But the word remnant or reseruation doth confute this for from hence as also from the former verses it is manifest that he doth enquire the cause why a few of the Iewes onely a remnant doe belong to the couenant being afterwards to explaine how the Gentiles were engrafted into the place of the rest which were reiected and cut off Finally against these places of Scripture the Arminians although they be acute and witty men doe so flye the encounter they doe fight so recoylingly they doe so intangle themselues that they seeme eyther to be vnwilling to be vnderstood or to distrust their owne cause Furthermore if they say true no man yet had vnderstood what Christian Religion is CHAP. XXII The same Election in respect of Faith fore-seene is confuted by Reason I. REason it selfe doth agree to the Scripture For if perseuerance in Faith be considered in Election as a thing already performed no man is elected but he is considered as dead and as hauing finished his course for no man can be said to haue perseuered vntill the end but hee which is come vnto the end II. Hence also it appeareth that Arminius is contrary to himselfe For hee saith Election is of them that beleeue But they that are dead cease to beleeue Therefore that Arminius might be constant to himselfe hee ought to say that Election is of them that cease to beleeue and not of them that beleeue III. Also if election to glory be made for some fore-seene vertue Christ himselfe as hee was man was not predestinated to glory for he was not carried to such a height of glory for the fore-seeing eyther of faith or workes or any vertue for whatsoeuer vertue or holinesse is in Christ as he is man doth flow from the personall vnion with the diuinity and from the purity of his conception by which he was free from originall sinne Therefore this his holinesse cannot be said to be fore-seene but to be decreed Nor was he predestinated for holinesse but to holinesse And that the election of the head should be contrary to the election of the members and that the head should be elected to vertue the members for vertue no reason doth admit IV. Adde to these that while election is said to be for faith fore-seene there is appointed an election which doth not belong to infants that are taken away by an immature and vntimely death because they want faith V. Yea election for faith fore seene cannot be called election but it is an admission and receiuing of them who come to Christ by Faith and of them who by their free-will vsing Grace well doe first choose God in whom they put their trust before they be chosen by God Christ on the contary side saith Iohn 15.16 Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you The Arminians while they contend that it is here spoken onely of election to their Apostâ—ship doe not obscurely confesse that this place doth hurt them if it be there spoken of election to saluation their will is therefore in the worke of saluation that God be chosen by man before man be chosen by God Goe to then let vs grant that it is here spoken onely of election to their Apostleship for that doth not a little further our cause For if the Apostles were elected to their Apostleship not for any fore-seene vertue but were elected to receiue those vertues and gifts by which they might execute their Apostleship it is much more likely that man is not elected to saluation for any fore-seene vertue seeing eternall saluation is a farre greater benefit then the Apostleship and further remoued from the power of man and more exceeding our capacity and therefore it is a thing whereunto we haue much more neede of the helpe of God and which is lesse in the power of mans free-will then the obtaining of an Apostleship VI. By the same doctrine faith in Christ is made a thing of mans free-will in the power whereof it is to vse grace or not to vse it to beleeue or not to beleeue and to vse or not to vse those powers to beleeue which are giuen vnresistably Surely Arminius had
beleeue is of grace therefore to be able to beleeue is not of grace There is indeede naturally in man a possibility of hauing or receiuing faith but it is not in him by nature to be able to beleeue for these things doe very much differ The first notes the susceptability and possibility of receiuing faith the other signisieth the actiue power and faculty of beleeuing which surely is not in man by nature but is onely from grace XXVI Arnoldus pag. 271. layeth this to our charge as a very great errour that we say that the regenerate man cannot doe any good vnlesse hee be moued by grace Truely a great crime and that which is common to vs with the Apostle who doth pronounce that we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but all our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3.5 The same Arnoldus pag. 447. doth make the vse of grace subiect to mans will It is determined saith he that the vse of grace is subiect to mans will that man may vse it or not vse it according to his naturall liberty And a little after he doth confesse that the effect of the mercy of God was made by Arminius to be in the power of man but such a man as is already strengthened with grace To vse which grace or not to vse it to beleeue or not to beleeue he thinkes is in the power of mans free-will Finally the Arminians will haue the efficacy that is the efficiency and working power of it to depend on free-will Arnoldus against Bogermannus pag. 263. and 274. All the operations of grace which God doth vse to worke our conuersion being granted yet the conuersion it selfe doth remaine so free in our power that we may not be conuerted that is that we may conuert or not conuert our selues Greuinchouius pag. 198. I say that the sffect of grace after the ordinary and vsuall rule doth depend on some act of free will as on a foregoing conâ—ition without which it is not The same man pag. 203. and 204. doth say that there câ—n no other common cause be guten of the whole why this grace should beâ—essectuall rather in Paul or Peter then in another then the liberty of the will Perkins said As there can no good either be or be done vnlesse God doth it so there can no euill be auoided vnlesse God hinder it This true and holy sentence Arminius carpeth at and doth depraue pag. 113 and for the words can be auoided he puts is auoided for he saith that there is in all men power of doing good and auoiding euill and that a man may auoide euill and abstaine from sinne although God doth not hold him from it but that the act it selfe is partly from grace and partly from free-will which as it pleaseth doth either admit or refuse grace Here the words of Arnoldus pag. 381. The good vsing of free-will is principally from grace but yet so that man himselfe doth vse well his owne free-will and the liberty of vsing or not vsing grace is left to him For these sectaries are of opinion that the power of beleeuing is vnresistably giuen to all and that the act of beleeuing is so helped by grace that it is left to mans free-will to beleeue in act or not to beleeue to vse grace either well or ill XXVII And they deny that faith is from grace alone but that it is partly from grace and partly from free-will Greuinchouius pag. 208. and 210. It is manifest that free-will and grace are together causes in part And pag. 211. We ioyne grace and free-will together as causes in part He must so speake who saith that Election is for faith fore-seen For God would be very vnfitly said to fore-see that which he alone is to do for this is not to fore-see but to decree Hitherto also pertaineth that conditional decree of sauing men if they shal beleeue for by this it is placed in the power of man to beleeue For this were a foolish decree I will saue him if I shall giue him faith Arminius against Perkins pa. 223. and 224. saith that the totall cause why one beleeueth and another not is the will of God and the free-will of man Arnoldus pag. 228. saith that Arminius gaue the chiefe part of the working of faith to grace viz. because in the working of faith he will haue free-will to haue a part which part that it is not the least yea that it is the greatest in the sence of the sectaries although they would make another shew Arminius and after him Arnoldus pag. 125. doth sufficiently acknowledge We deny saith he that this difference of calling grace is not placed so much in mans free-will as in the will of God And truely in the conuersion of man free-will must haue the chiefe part if it be true that the Arminians contend for to wit that the efficiency and working power of grace doth depend on free-will and that the right vse of grace is made subiect to mans will And that which Arnoldus saith pag. 444. That God doth so worke in man that in the meane while man is not wanting to himselfe he can conuert himselfe And Greuinchouius against Ames pag. 205. Grace doth not determine and conclude vnlesse free-will worke with it in which respect and manner what if we should say that the efficacy of grace doth after a certaine manner depend vpon free-will as concerning the euent If therefore the efficacy of grace as concerning the euent that is the effect doth depend on mans free-will it must needes be that free-will hath farre the greater part in our conuersion and regeneration The same man pa. 214. In comparing betweene themselues Arnold pa. 234. 235. the effectuall helpe of God and the insluence of free-will there is no priority betweene them both And seeing it is in the power of free-will so to vse grace that he may beleeue and obtaine faith we being by faith the sonnes of God Gal 3.26 It appeareth if we may credit Arminius that to be made the sonnes of God is a thing proper to free-will and although it cannot be done without the helpe of grace yet the effect doth depend on mans will So that God is willingly indebted to man for hee is beholding to free-will that he hath sonnes XXVIII This is the malicious and blacke iuyce of the fish Loligo and this is their most pestilent doctrine of which what is to be iudged it is easie to coniecture by those speeches which euery where meet vs in the bookes of these sectaries That Lydia opened her owne heart when yet as Luke witnesseth Act. 16.14 God opened the heart of Lydia And that a man doth separate himselfe although Saint Paul saith who seperates thee 1 Cor. 4.7 And that an vnregenerate man is not altogether dead in sinne and that God doth giue man power of beleeuing if he himselfe will when yet God giueth both to will and to doe Phil.
is spoken of the Antecedent will of God by which God will haue mercy vpon some for so they speake that is vpon such as beleeue and not of his Consequent will by which he hath determined precisely and absolutely to haue mercy on this or that man And yet they forgetting themselues say that this Antecedent will may be resisted when notwithstanding Saint Paul saith in the same place Who can resist his will Either therefore let Arminius deny that the Antecedent will of God is a will but rather call it a wish desire or affection or if he doth contend that it is a will let him confesse that it cannot be resisted To which purpose excellently Saint Austen Enchared Cap. 95. Our God in heauen doth whatsoeuer things hee will both in heauen and earth which is not true if hee hath willed some things and hath not done them And which is more vnworthy of him hath not therefore done them because the will of man hath hindred that the Almighty should not doe what hee willed XIV Arminius indeede doth confesse that God doth not want power to fulfill that Antecedent will whereby he doth earnestly desire all men to be saued But it is not true saith he that the thing which he doth wish seriously desire that he will effect the same by what meanes soeuer he is able but by those meanes by which it is decent and conuement that he should effect it The Father wisheth and doth earnestly desire that his Sonne would obey mâ—n but he doth not violently draw his Sonne to obedience and a little after The similitude of a Merchant who doth desire his wares should be safe and yet casteth them into thâ— sea doth very well square and agree to the purpose God doth earnestly desire that all men should be saued but compelled by the stubborne and incorrigible malice of some men will haue them make losse of their saluation For although God doth earnestly will and intend the saluation of all and singular men yet he will not then put forth his omnipotency least hee should force mans free-will I answere Nothing is effected by these similitudes for they are plaine dissimâ—litudes Arminius vseth examples of men which cannot be made partakers of their vowes but by meanes that are not conuenient and of them who are oftentimes disappointed of their intention But to God there are neuer wanting iust and conuenient meanes by which he should obtaine that which he intends neither can he be disappointed of his intent But you say if God should exercise his omnipotency in conuerting man he should force mans free-will and compell mans voluntary liberty But that I deny For he can without constraint so bend the will that it should follow of its owne accord Without constraint hee suddenly changed the minde of Esau Gen. 33. and the minde of Saul 1 Sam. 19.23 and the minde of the Aegyptians Psal 105.25 and of Kings Pro. 21.1 If God doth make this change of the will in wicked men the liberty of mans free-will vntouched how much more may hee doe it in good and faithfull men God without constraint did change the heart of the Theefe on the Crosse and so doth he of all from whom hee takes their stony heart and giues them an heart of flesh Ezek 36.26 and of those who when they were dead in sinne hee raised vp with a spirituall resurrection Ephes 2.5 We shall see Arminius is of opinion that the vnderstanding is vnresistably indued with light by God and that God doth vnresistably giue power of beleeuing the Gospell to all men to whom the Gospell shall be preached and that hee drawes their affections But when the minde hath fully receiued in this perswasion and the affections doe stir vp the will it is impossible but their will should moue it selfe whether the minde instructed by God doth appoint it and whether the appetite doth force it for these are the onely incitements of the will neither is it moued by any other impulsion The schoole and followers of Arminius are also of opinion that the Elect are drawne of God by effectuall and powerfull grace the effect whereof is most sure because God doth draw them in a congruent and fit time and manner in which he knoweth they will infallibly follow him calling them And yet the Arminians meane not hereby that any force is offred to the will of man but that it is so vehemently affected with a morall and sweet perswasion that it followeth of its owne accord The example of the Theefe doth seeme to mee to be notable aboue all the other whose heart so suddendly changed in a time of aduersity when the faith of the Apostles themselues did shake is an euident lesson how great the efficacie of the holy Spirit is on them who are called by the purpose of God Rom. 8.28 But of this efficacy of calling it shall be spoken more at large in his proper place XV. Hence appeares with how prepostrous diligence Arminius hath turned his wit to the defence of free-will For there lay open to him a most sure and plaine way whereby God might shew forth his power in the conuersion of man without the diminishing of our liberty Nor while hee doth patronize and defend free will ought he to strike against the wisedome and perfection of God whom hee would frustrate and disappoint of his owne end and naturall desire and wish those things which he knowes hee shall not obtaine and propound an end to himselfe which shall neuer be XVI In the meane while the prudent reader shall easily discerne whereto that similitude of the marchant making losse and casting his wares into the sea with his owne hands may belong For Arminius doth not onely expressely say that God is compelled to doe something which he had not intended for the marchant did not intend to doe this but doth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nolens volens betweene willing and nilling but also by these hee doth insinuate that God being driuen from that better end which he had propounded to himselfe turned himselfe to another end lesse to be wished which things whether they be spoken by prudent men to the reproach of God or by vnwise men through ignorance it doth strike horror into pious mindes XVII But in this distinction of the will of God into Antecedent and Consequent the first whereof doth goe before the other doth follow mans will this is farre the worst thing that by it the will of man is made to goe before the election of God For according to Arminius God by his antecedent will would saue all men and giue them power of beleeueing in Christ but by his consequent will doth elect or reprobate seuerall men according as hee fore-knowes their faith or infidelity A deadly doctrine by which the election of man doth depend vpon mans will and our faith is made the cause and not the fruite of our election and man chooseth God and applyeth himselfe to God before he is
concerning this doctrine diuers men thinke diuersly yet Arminius alone hath attained the nature of Predestination lesse then any other and doth greatly stumble in the very entrance He in his Theologicall disputations Disp 13. The. 3. saith that the genus and generall of Predestination is the decree and that saith hee not the legall decree according to which it is said the man that doth them shall liue in them but the Euangelicall decree which speaketh thus This is the will of God that euery one that seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him should haue life eternall And all the Arminians following him doe comprehend the whole doctrine of Predestination in foure decrees The first they will haue to be that whereby God decreed to send his sonne to redeeme mankinde The second that whereby he decreed to giue eternall life to them that beleeue The third that whereby he decreed to giue all men grace and sufficient power to beleeue The fourth that whereby he decreed to giue saluation to these and they particular men whom he fore-knew would beleeue and would perseuere in the faith and as the linkes of a Chaine they so knit these that the latter decrees depend on the former and by the former the way is to the latter XVII By these things it is plaine that Arminius did not vnderstand what the decree of Predestination was For the decree of Predestination is that whereby God hath appointed what he will doe with vs and not what he would haue vs doe Vntowardly therefore doth Arminius place among the decrees of God that will of God whereby he hath appointed those to be saued who shall beleeue seeing that in this will the commandement of God is included Arminius himselfe in the same place doth comprehend Predestination vnder prouidence and doth make predestination a species or part of prouidence If therefore that speech hee that beleeueth shall be saued is not the decree of prouidence certainely it will not be the decree of predestination seeing Predestination is no other thing then prouidence restrained to the saluation or reprobation of men This doth plainely appeare from thence that Arminius doth oppose this decree which hee cals Euangelicall to the legall decree by which it is said He that shall doe these things shall liue in them which is manifestly not the decree of prouidence but the rule of iustice And if not this then certainely not the other seeing the rules of the Gospell doe no more belong to the prouidence of God and therefore not to predestination then the rules of the Law XVIII Therefore of those foure decrees the second is to be wiped out and a place to be appointed for it in the doctrine of the Gospell and not in the eternall decree and secret predestmation And so of those foure linkes the second being taken away the whole chaine is broken and as it were one pin being drawne out the whole ioyning together of that frame is loosed and dissolued XIX Nay what that Arminius doth altogether ouerthrow Election and make it to be a thing onely of name Arnold p. 17â— Dicitis Des soli motum esse qui nam quot sint elects sed numerumtamenstatuitis certis esset ex praecisa Dei ordinatione determinatum qui nec angeripossâ—t nec mâ—nui idquâ— exâ—â—dem ordinatione Longâ— vero aliter Enangelium Idem aiâ— Greuinchouâ—â—s in praeâ—atione For he doth deny that the number of the Elect is determined by the decree of God whence it comes to passe that no man at all is elected For if the saluation of seuerall men were determined by the decree of God it would also be determined that this or that man were of the number and so of seuerall men the whole summe would be certainely and determinately finished But if the number of the elect be not fore-determined by the certaine decree of God the Booke of life containing the number of them that are to be saued Reuel 20. and the number of the brethren not yet fulfilled Reuel 6.11 and whatsoeuer the Scripture saith of the sheepe that were giuen to Christ euen before their conuâ—rsion must needes vanish away XX. And when Arminius will haue all men to be elected by a conditionall election that is so they will beleeue and by their free will rightly vse the grace which is offred them he doth lay downe an election which is not an election because it is equally extended to all He doth not elect that doth not preferre some before others What that by this generall election Simon Magus and Simon Peter were equally elected and the election is extended to Iudas and Pharaoh XXI But that is the most dangerous that Arminius doth make the election of seuerall men to come after faith and so doth make the election of God to depend on mans free-will Whence it comes to passe that the saluation of man is a thing meerely contingent not necessary because it depends vpon a thing that is contingent mutable to wit vpon mans wil. For although God doth certainly fore-know those contingent casuall things which are to be after yet is not therefore the election or saluation of man necessary for a thing is not therefore certaine because it is certainely fore-knowne And because election is not an act of the fore-knowledge of God but of his will the execution whereof if we may giue credit to Arminius doth depend on the fulfilling of the condition which may be hindred by man For the Schoole and followers of Arminius are of opinion that euery man hath power of beleeuing and that God is bound to giue to all men power of fulfilling the condition of the second couenant Arnold p. 262. in Tilen and that the grace of God is but the cause in part of faith and that it is not begot in man by the grace of God alone XXII So while the Arminians will haue euery particular person to be elected by God for faith foreseene that is that they are certainely appointed to saluation whom God fore-seeth will come when they shall be called and will perseuere they doe plainely deny them to be elected For to receiue all that come is not to elect or choose for although the Arminians will haue both precedent and concomitant grace to be giuen by God yet they will haue it in the power of mans free will to refuse grace or not to refuse it Surely Arminius would haue God to predestinate those to saluation whom he from eternity fore-saw would by their owne free-will vse aright his grace But I deny that this can be called Election seeing it is rather a decree of admitting those that will come to Christ when they might not come who if Arminius doctrine get place doe first choose God and apply themselues to him before they be appointed to saâ—uation by God XXIII I let passe that Arminius will haue particular men so to be elected for faith fore-seene that they belong to the election not whom hee hath decreed
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
but as a type hauing no agreement with the thing signified he doth so vse these names as Logiâ—ians vse Socrates or Lawyers Titius and Maeuius for any other man VII But if we exactly weigh what it is to haue hated man being yet in the wombe before hee hath done good or euill we shall easily see that Esau is not onely laid downe hâ—re as a type but also as an example to whom indeede these things agreed although he were not vsed for a type For Malachy from whence these words are taken doth not lay downe Esau as a type but as an example But how that which is said that God hated Esau being yet in the wombe before he had committed any cuill may be drawne to Arminius his purpose and belong to the type of those who will be iustified by faith hee hath seene surely I doe not see VIII Paul addeth What shall we say then is there vnrighteousnesse with God The sense is plaine and depending on those things that went before He had laid downe two twins of like condition and nature neither better then the other whereof yet God loues the one and hates the other and had brought the meere will of God who hath mercy on whom he will to be the cause of this difference and not the fore-seeing of any vertue in the one Hence is bred an obiection whether God be vniust who giueth vnlike things to them that are alike and why he hath not mercy on both What saith Arminius here Why hee takes these things as if Paul demanded whether there is iniustice with God who excludes those from the couenant who would be iustified by the Law which he himselfe made and who would haue them that beleeue in Christ to be iustified This is a bould coniecture whereof there is no step nor mention in that which went before But if it be lawfull for any one to mingle and adde to the Scripture so many things out of his owne wit there is nothing so absurd or impious which may not be proued out of the Scripture What that there is no color nor reason for this here for what shew is there here of iniustice in God or who is so mad that he will expostulare with God because he will iustifie by faith in Christ and obsolue them that are guilty of the breach of the law Truely whosoener doth maruaile or demand why it seemes good to God to saue sinners by faâ—th in Christ doth not require iustice in God but doth peere into the secrets of Gods wisdome And if this had beene the Apostles minde which Arminius doth faine to him it had beene easie to answere that God is not therefore vniust who doth saue them that beleeue and doth supply a better righteousnes to them who cannot be iustified by the Law of the breach whereof they are guilty or in place of the couenant of the law which by sinne is made voide doth set another by which man might be saued Saint Paul answers no such thing but doth bring in God himselfe answering thus I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy and I will haue compassion on whom I will haue compassion which words doe not speake of iustification by faith but of the free election of God whereby of two men alike conceiued in sinne and alike guilty one is preferred before the other Saint Paul doth not say that because the law is violated therefore there is neede of mercy but he doth bring the cause of this difference betweene those that are equall by nature I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy According to Arminius hee should haue said I will haue mercy by what meanes I will I will make such a couenant as shall please my selfe For he will haue God not to speake of the election of seuerall men but of the manner which it pleaseth God to choose to exercise his mercy As if he had said I will haue mercy as I will and not I will haue mercy cuius volo on whom I will Surely this word Cuius of whom doth put this question to flight and doth make dull the weake wit of Arminius for this word marketh out particular persons and not the manner whereby God doth exercise his mercy towards them For he that asked the question What shall we say then is there iniustice with God moued the doubt concerning the hardning and reiection of particular men not concerning the manner by which it seemed good to God to saue men or to haue mercy on them IX And these words I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy and it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy By which saluation and election is expresly ascribed to the good pleasure of God Arminius doth darken and obscure them for he thus interpreteth them It is not of him that willeth that is righteousnesse is not But in the former verses it is not spoken of righteousnesse but of election Also those wordes I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy are taken out of Exodus Chap. 33. v 19. Where it is spoken of saluation not of righteousnesse But grant that it is here spoken of righteousnesse will it not hence follow that faith is not of him that willeth and therefore neither saluation for saluation is by righteousnesse and righteousnesse is by faith X. The obstinacy and affected stupidity of these sectaries doth maruallously bewray it selfe in one thing Paul bringeth in the demander thus speaking Why doth he yet complaine for who hath resisted his will By which words it doth manifestly appeare that in this Chapter it is spoken of the will of God which cannot be resisted and that Arminius is willingly blinde while he affirmeth that it is here spoken of the antecedent will of God which hee thinkes may be resisted XI What That Arminius doth secretly accuse Saint Paul of stupid dulnesse or of preposterous and needelesse modesty for what neede was there in the businesse of the election and reprobation of seuerall persons to stop the mouth of demanders by saying O man what art thou that repliest against God seeing by the doctrine of Arminius there is at hand an easie and ready answere That God elected this man because he foresaw he would beleeue and hee reprobated that man because he foresaw he would not beleeue Did not the Apostle see these things Or did he see them but did enuy to vs the cleere solution of this knot that might bring light to this darkenesse The ignorance of Paul shall be alwaies better to mee then the sharpe vnderstanding of another XII Maruailous is the wit and ridiculous audacitie of Arnoldus Coruinus in expounding this chapter He in his worke against Tilenus Chap 9. doth thus expound the type of Iacob and Esâ—u Surely saith he as there the yonger was preferred before the elder so also it was figured that saluation should not be by the Law although it was first giuen but
worth which is in these but not in them But it is not likely that any wise man doth choose the best men for any other cause then because they are the best For if the goodnesse of the faithfull doe goe before election hee should doe very ill that should elect them for any other cause then because they are good XII And certainely whensoeuer any thing is promised to a man vnder a condition which is in the power of mans free-will it is plaine that the fulfilling of the condition by mans free-will is the cause why the promise is fulfilled and the Arminians doe contend that God doth giue yea and that hee is bound to giue grace and sufficient power to beleeue but to vse that grace or not to vse it is in the power of mans free-will XIII Neither is it a hard thing to draw from them that which I would haue For let the Schoole and followers of Arminius tell me what moued God by his consequent will to choose Simon Peter rather then Simon Magus why Gregory rather then Iulian They haue nothing to answer but that it was done because God fore-saw faith in them and incredulity in these Therefore although they should get it granted that by their doctrine fore-seene faith is not made the cause why God hath appointed this man to saluation yet they must needes confesse that according to Arminius fore-seene faith is the cause of the difference betweene the elect and the reprobate and therefore the cause why this man is preferred before the other which surely is no other thing then to be the cause of election For euery election is comparatiue and doth inferre the reiection of one or more XIV So when they deny that by the will of God electing the number of the elect is certaine and determined it must needes be that they would haue mans will to be the cause why the number is such a number and so euery man is the cause why hee is of the number of the elect and therefore also the cause of his owne election XV. Although therefore they would haue this suspicion remoued from them yet they will neuer wipe out this blot by which they are contumelious against God and doe weaken the firmenesse and strength of faith As they which make the eternall election and good pleasure of God to depend on mans free-will will haue saluation to be of him that willeth of him that runneth they doe place some worth vertue in man which is the cause why saluation in the eternall counsell of God is appointed to one rather then to another Whence it comes that faith doth shake and saluation is vncertaine as that which although God doth certainely fore-know yet he doth not certainely and infallibly will it for Election is not an act of the fore-knowledge but of the will of God and this will how can it be certaine if it doth depend on an vncertaine thing to wit on mans will But these things by the way for they shall be more exactly examined in their place CHAP. XVIII The decree of generall election is searched into by which Arminius will haue all men to be elected to saluation vnder the condition of faith I. WE haue taught in the fift Chapter that the antecedent will of God as Arminius hath receiued it after Damascen is a meere forged deuise and a thing contumelious against God This foundation being taken away that vniuersall election common to all men vnder the condition of faith to be performed doth fall downe For this generall election Arminius will haue to belong to the antecedent will of God II. Whereunto adde those things which we haue spoken Chapter 12. where we haue dissolued and vnloosed the chaine of the foure decrees in which the Arminians doe comprehend the whole doctrine of Election There we haue shewed that the second decree by which saluation is not decreed to particular persons but it is determined that they shall be saued who shall beleeue is not the decree of prouidence nor predestination but is the rule of the Gospell which doth prescribe and set downe the way to saluation III. This question is put to slight onely by the name of election for Election cannot be of all men he doth not choose that taketh all Neither in the time of the deluge had Noah beene chosen that hee should liue in the deluge if no man had perished by the flood He is elected who is preferred before others the rest being eyther despised or lesse accounted of IV. And seeing in all the points of faith wee ought to be wise and taught out of the Scriptures much more in so high an argument which doth exceede our capacitie Let therefore the Arminians shew by what place of Scripture all men are said to be elected by that election which is opposite to reprobation for of that it is spoken here and not of the election of seuerall men by the consequent will of God Who euer heard it said that Pharaoh or Iudas did any way belong to the election of God Saint Peter indeede 2. Epist Chap. 1. doth ioyne calling to election commanding vs to make our calling and election sure that is by the earnest endeauour of good workes to effect that the sence of our effectuall calling and the perswasion of our election may daily be increased in vs But he will not therefore haue our calling and election to be the same nor will hee haue all that are any waies called to be elected Yea many are called but few chosen Matth. 20.16 V. That also is to be obserued that by this generall election it is not decreed who are to be saued but what manner of men are to be saued and that the Arminians draw the ninth chapter to the Romanes to proue this where it is plainely spoken of the good pleasure of God and his mercy towards some seuerall and peculiar persons whom it seemeth good to God to choose For those words I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy speake of some certaine men and not of what qualified men for then he had said Miserâ—tor qualium I will haue mercy on men so qualified and not cuius or quorum of whom Neither had the example of Isaac and Iacob who were particular persons beene applied to explaine the election not of particular persons but the election eyther of all or of men so qualified VI. But I would learne of the Arminians whether Iudas or Pilate whether the high priests and the Scribes by the instigation and accusations of whom our Sauiour was crucified were elected conditionally and comprehended in that generall election If they were not comprehended then that generall and conditionall election which they would haue to be extended to all men falleth to the ground On the other side if Iudas and those high priests were conditionally elected the decree of God concerning the crucifying of Christ could not be absolute because it was done by men which were conditionally elected vnder 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
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
ipse â—d aicat noâ— habitu sen qualitate inherente iustificari Idem dicit Vorst Cat. Errâ—rum Sibr. P. 61. 54. Impiutper paenetentiam iustificatur That Arminius doth acknowledge faith not onely to be an action and therefore aworke but doth also contend that faith is imputed for righteousnesse not as an instrument that is not as it apprehendeth Christ but as it is a worke and an action The words of Arminius are reported by the Walachrian brethren in their Epistle and they are these Faith is imputed for righteousnesse not as it is an instrument but as it is an action although it be by him whom it apprehendeth Neither doe the Arminians in their answere deny it but doe willingly acknowledge that these are Arminius his words and Pag. 87. they doe defend him The same men in the page going before doe confesse that Peter Bertius a man of speciall name amongst the Arminians is of opinion That the very act of faith is imputed to vs for righteousnesse in a proper sense and therefore that we are iustified by faith as by an inherent qualitie which vlcer I doe not touch here But I onely take that which makes for the present matter to wit seeing that faith it selfe is not onely an action and a worke but that also according to the minde of the Arminians wee are iustified by faith in as much as it is an action and a worke and an inherent vertue it is plaine that the fore-seeing of faith is excluded by that very eternall good pleasure of God which the Apostle vseth to exclude the foreseeing of workes seeing that faith it selfe is also a worke and an action yea and doth iustifie as it is an action if Arminius be beleeued XVII Hitherto pertaines that which is said Rom. 9.11 The purpose of God which is according to election not of workes but of him that calleth because faith it selfe is a worke and doth iustifie as it is a worke as the Arminians will haue it and to vse grace aright is with them to worke XVIII The Scripture speaketh of the decree of election as of a certaine immutable decree 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God standeth sure and hath this seale the Lord knoweth them that are his And Romanes 9. That the purpose of God which is according to election might stand And Iohn 10.28 I giue to my sheepe eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand And chap. 6.37 All that the father giueth me shall come to me whereunto adde that which is Mark 13. that the elect cannot be deceiued Did Pilate thinke it was an vnlawfull thing to change the title of the crosse which was written by him and will it be a thing worthy the maiesty and wisedome of God to cancell those things he writ and hauing changed his opinion to wipe out those which hee had set into the white register of the elect Hee therefore doth not thinke well of God and doth subuert the doctrine of the Gospell who will haue the decree of the election of men to be mutable and reuocable and to depend on mans will We haue heard that Greuinchouius doth deny the decree of election to be peremptory and absolute while we liue here And the whole Schoole of Arminius doth cry out with one voyce that the number of the elect is not certaine and determined by the election and will of God But if the number of the elect be not certaine by the will of God then neither is election it selfe certaine And surely they iustly make election mutable who make it to depend on mans will for they will haue election to rest on faith fore-seene and faith it selfe to depend on mans free-will Indeede they say that preuenting and accompanying grace is necessary to beâ—eeue but the vse of this grace they will haue to be in the power of mans will which alwaies hath this liberty that it may vse that grace or not vse it And we shall see in his place that the Arminians teach that the grace of God is not the totall cause of faith but onely a cause in part Finally you may euery where finde that election is made by the purpose and good pleasure of God and for his meere grace as 2 Tim. 1.19 Ephes 1. ve 5.6 and 11. Rom 9.15 and 11. ver 3. But I finde no where that any one is elected for faith fore-seene neither doe the Arminians proue it any otherwise but by consequences farre fetched which we will examine in their place and order CHAP. XX. Election for faith fore-seene is confuted by places taken out of the Gospell of Saint Iohn THis contention will cease if we stand to the testimony of Christ himselfe in the Gospell according to Saint Iohn hee faith many things which cut this knot and leaue no place for doubting I. Iohn 6 37. he thus speaketh to the Iewes Whatsoeuer my father giueth me shall come to me To come to Christ is to beleeue for so Christ himselfe expounds it verse 35. He that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst He might haue said in both places Hee that commeth shall not hunger nor shall thirst but in the latter place he puts beleeue for come that wee might know that we come to Christ by beleeuing The meaning therefore of Christ is that those that are giuen him by the father will beleeue in him and they are giuen to the sonne who are therefore giuen that hee might saue them and they might be his flocke The sense therefore of these words whatsoeuer my father giueth to me shall come is this Whosoeuer my father giueth me to be saued shall beleeue in me They are giuen then to Christ before they can come or can beleeue for therefore they come to Christ and beleeue because they are giuen him But Arminius will haue them beleeue before they be giuen for he will haue them to be elected and therefore to be giuen to Christ for faith fore-seene Christ saith that therefore they come because they are giuen him the sectaries on the contrary say that therefore they are giuen because they come In another place the head-strong obstinacy of these men doth no lesse discouer it selfe by them who are giuen to Christ they would haue the faithfull to be vnderstood as if Christ had said he that beleeueth in me will come to me But we haue already proued that to come is the same that it is to beleeue The sence therefore of these words of Christ according to Arminius will be this Whosoeuer doth beleeue shall beleeue in me Adde to these that seeing in the Arminian election faith and perseuerance in faith is considered as already performed and therefore they that are elected are considered as dead or in the very limits of life and death they cannot be said to come who haue not already measured out the course of their life Neither by them who are giuen to Christ
againe their negligence can hurt none but those whom God will absolutely destroy and who cannot be saued The Pelagians obiected the same things to Saint Austin Lib. de bono perseu Chap. 14. August de bono perseu cap. 14. â—iunt praedestinationis definitionem vtilitati praeâ—â—catronis aduersam Whereunto wee haue already largely answered For the same reasons which stirre vp the carefulnesse of the hearers to repentance and good workes are also of power to stirre vp pastors diligently to vndergo their office and to prick forward their hearers to repentance For although the elect cannot perish yet wee know that God doth bring the elect to saluation by the word and sacraments and by the ministery of the Gospell whose decree our obedience must serue And although the minister of the word dealing perfunctoriously and carelesly cannot cause that he that is elected should perish yet hee hurts himselfe and shall beare the punishment of that negligence in the day of iudgement Therefore although he did not hurt others yet hee should very much wrong himselfe Saint Paul a most vehement maintainer of election doth professe that he endureth all things for the elect that they may obtaine saluation 2. Tim. 2.10 XXXVIII As concerning the Reprobates if this reason of Arminius preuaile by the like reason we shall neyther eate nor drinke nor shall parents be bound to be carefull of the health of their children because this negligence can hurt none but them whom God will haue to perish who by his decree hath set sure bounds to the life of euery particular person which cannot be pulled backe nor passed ouer And if it were manifest to the pastors which of their flocke were Reprobates then there were some colour for the doubting whether they ought to be carefull for the saluation of them that are Reprobates But seeing that this is vnknowne to them they ought to scatter the seede of the word euery where and leaue the euent to God XXXIX Arnoldus Page 307. saith that which in my iudgement is exceeding bad If any one saith he should teach that God himselfe hath precisely appointed to nourish one for some time in this life and that he would so prouide the bread where with he should be nourished that he could not but haue it aboundantly I grant that such a one neede not be warned that hee should be carefull how to prouide himselfe bread But I affirme that such an one needes and ought to be warned to prepare himselfe bread because the same God who doth promise bread and hath decreed to giue it doth also declare in his word that he will giue this bread to our labour and by the meanes of our carefulnesse Therefore he that will giue the bread doth also giue strength will and industry whereby this bread should be prepared So that Arnoldus yeelds that to himselfe which no man in his right sense would yeeld to him XL. Furthermore the certainty of Election may be taken two manner of waies eyther for the immutability of the decree of God or for that certaine perswasion whereby any one doth beleeue that he is elected Of the former kinde of certainty it is onely spoken here the latter doth require a peculiar treatise But by the way we say that we beleeue none of those things which Arnoldus doth falsely attribute to vs whereof this is one that all men are bound to beleeue that they are elected to eternall life Nay we teach that he that will not beleeue in Christ and repent is bound to beleeue that saluation gotten by the death of Christ doth not pertaine to him Of the same stampe is that calumny when he saith that we command wicked men to be secure as they that can lose saluation by no euill deedes Fie on that abhominable doctrine To say I am elected therefore I may be wicked is the speech of a reprobate man who will therefore be wicked because God is good By this meanes that loue wherewith God in Christ hath loued vs which is the most vehement incitation to loue God is turned into a pillow on which prophane security may sleepe Whosoeuer God hath elected he hath giuen him or will giue him the holy-Ghost by which he abstaineth from so prophane a thought So him whom hee hath appointed to life he hath appointed also to foode and to breathing He were ridiculous who should say if God hath decreed that I should liue till I am eighty yeeres old what neede I eate seeing it cannot be but I must liue so long Surely the destruction of such a man is neere for God hath determined to vse this his sencelesse peeuishnesse to punish him XLI In the meane while wee admonish that the certainty of the election of seuerall persons is carefully to be distinguished from that certainty whereby seuerall men beleeue themselues to be elected The former is the certainty of the decree the latter is the certainty of faith For if Arminius could proue that piety and the endeauour of good workes is extinguished by the perswasion of election yet it would not thence follow that the decree of God concerning the election of particular persons is not certaine and precise But it would onely follow that this decree is not to be beleeued by vs to be certaine Whence it appeares how ill Arminius and Arnoldus doe reason who thereby inferre that the decree of God concerning the election of particular persons is not absolute nor precise because the confidence of election doth make some men more negligent to the workes of piety XLII Adde to these those things which we haue laid downe in the second chapter where we haue shewed how many waies the doctrine concerning election is profitable to good manners and to the discipline of piety which notwithstanding wee would haue thus to be taken not that euery one is to expect a reuelation of his election but the Gospell is to be heard and this promise whereby God doth promise life to them that beleeue is throughly to be fastned in our minde and to be embraced with our whole heart By which perswasion whosoeuer shall feele himselfe to be liuely affected with the loue of God and to be driuen to repentance shall easily gather that he is elected and that the thing promised in the Gospell doth belong to him For although election is in nature before faith and repentance as the cause from whence these vertues flow yet faith and repentance is better knowne to vs and we are alwaies to proceede from the things that best are knowne whence it commeth to passe that many times we goe to the cause by the effects which order in the schooles is called Resolutiuus XLIII And if we would imitate Arminius it were an easie thing to lay these things vpon him and to teach how many waies his doctrine doth offend against the wisedome and goodnesse of God and therefore also against his iustice How many waies occasion may thence be taken either of distrust or of
the decree of Reprobation and a 〈◊〉 after God by the certaine accree of Reprobation determinea not to giue faith anâ— repentance to some to wit by yeelding them his effectuall grace by which they would certainely belecue and be conuâ—rted There is no cause therefore that we should be traduced by the Arminians in this respect seeing that the principall of their sect doth say the same thing And it is easie to tell the cause why God should not be bound to giue to all men faith and repentance For God who hath not wrought the disease is not bound to giue to all men the remedies of the disease nor to giue the ability of performing those things which are due from man to God For this impotency disability in performing proceeded from man himselfe not from God And the fulfilling of the law is a naturall debt Which law seeing it is violated by the retection of the Gospell it is plaine that it is also a naturall debt to beleeue the Gospell not before it is preached Arnold Page 3.6 Dicat Arminius gratâ—am quaâ—aâ—u tas creâ—eâ—didaâ—â— quaÌ„plurimis dâ—â—at emmbus câ—mmunâ—m esse ac proinde nâ—gat graâ—iam esse Et P 262. Respondeo Dâ—um cum nâ—uum loe lus gratia pro enit cultae admistae remissi nem proâ—itâ—â— sub noua obedientiae conditione teneri maxiâ—â— vires 〈◊〉 quibus â—â—mo condi tonâ—m stuÌ„ possit implere alioqui non pâ—ssit â—udicars â—st im gratiâ—msincere offerre but then when it is preached XIII The Arminians are of opinion that no man is reprobated but hee that hath contemned that grace which doth leade to Christ and they make incredulity the speciall cause of reprobation not onely in them to whom the Gospell is preached but a so in them who haue not heard the name of Christ spoken off Arminius maketh these guilty of the contempt of grace For he saith that there is giuen to all men vnresistabâ—y the faculty of beleeuing and the power of obtaâ—ning faith if they will Yea they say that sufficient meanes to be eeue were administred to the heathen who before the comming of Christ liued in the inmost part of Spaine or Scythia And they lay downe a certaine vniuersall sufficient grace common to all men but when they come to explaine that grace sometimes they place it in the common notions and naturall light sometimes in the contemplation of the creatures sometimes in any generall knowledge of the law Of which cursed doctrine and how by these things they doe not obscurely passe into the campe of Pelagius shall be spoken in their due places XIV But here we are euery where set vpon by their darts and the Arminians doe abundantly cast reproaches vpon vs and doe faigne to themselues monsters which they may kill The conferrers at the Hage Page 122. after they haue belched out some calumnies doe thus conclude their speech These things are briefely spoken Collat. Hag Non potuit se conuertere impeditus sciticet a dinina voluntate against that absurd detestable and abhominable opinion Good words I pray you These terrible vizards doe not fright vs. They imagine that we teach that in fidelity doth flow from reprobation as if reprobation were the cause of infidelity The good men sing this Cuckowes song to vs sixe hundred times attributing to vs the doctrine which we neither beleeue nor teach For if one hath not decreed to giue to him that is blinde the remedies by which he might recouer his sight hee is not therefore the cause of his blindnesse nor hath hee appointed him to blindnesse XV. They ground on a false foundation on which they build those things which are worse For they thus beginne their speech of Reprobation Page 118. It is knowne to the Contraremonstrant brethren that such as Election is on the one part such Reprobation ought to be on the other part This is the fountaine of their error this false beginning hath led aside those acute men into by waies The respect of Election is one the respect of Reprobation is farre other For sinne and in fidelity is not a condition required after the same manner in the reprobates as faith is a condition required in the elect For sinne is a condition fore-required in reprobates but faith is a condition following election Reprobation is made for sinne but election is made to faith Sinne is the cause of the appointing to punishment faith is the effect of election God findeth sinne but worketh faith Sinne followeth reprobation onely in the necessity of consequence but not in the necessity of the consequent But faith doth follow election both waies By these things that calumny is abundantly washed off which Arnoldus Page 228. and in many other places doth sprinkle vpon vs that we deny that the reprobates are reprobated for sinne XVI It yeeldeth an occasion to the Arminians of falsely accusing vs because we say that the decree of reprobation is precise and absolute nor doe we agree to Arminius who teacheth that the reprobates indeede are not saued but yet they might be saued and who denieth that the number of the reprobates is determined by the decree of God But here is nothing from whence it can be drawne that reprobation is the cause of sinne or that any one is reprobated without the beholding of sinne XVII Arnoldus doth carpe at our opinion with certaine little obiections Page 219. Ye say that the reprobates haue beene excluded of God from saluation in his decree for one sinne but that they shall be excluded in time for another diuerse sinne It is a calumny wee neither thinke nor say it He doth heape vp the same false accusation Page 229. and 238. where hee saith that men are reprobated as onely considered in the sinne of Adam XVIII In the same page he doth thus vainely argue It is not the part of wisedome to be willing that they should hope for good who are excluded from it by the absolute decree of God But I deny that vnbeleeuers and prophane men are excluded from God by the absolute decree of God after that manner as you take the word absolute that is without respect to their sinnes Neither doth it fauor of folly to command that they who are excluded from eternall life by the absolute that is by the certaine and ineuitable decree should contend and aspire to eternall life seeing that they are therefore excluded from life because they haue not aspired to it XIX The same man Page 226. Ye determine saith he that God hath precâ—sely reprobated from saluation some sinners lying in the fall of Adam without the consideration of impenitency Is is a slander Our Churches doe not beâ—eeue it The confession of the Churches of France of England of the Low-Countries doth not say it Indeede in the decree of reprobation is included the will of not giuing faith and finall repentance to reprobates but it doth not follow thence that reprobation is without the consideration of impenitency
that God afterward will not doe some things which before he had promised yea sworne that he would doe V. If any Doctrine be contumelious against God this is accusing him of folly putting vpon him humaine affections and falsely attributing to him wishes of no strength and a desire of no force as if they should bring in God speaking thus I doe indeed earnestly desire to saue you but ye hinder that I cannot doe what I desire I would if you would therefore seeing by you I am frustrated of my intent I will change my purpose of sauing you and my will being otherwise bent I haue determined to destroy you for euer It is certainely plaine that this Antecedent will of God is not a will but a desire and wish which God doth obtaine onely by entreaty and as much as he may by mans good pleasure Armin in Perk. p. 196. Affectus quo Deus desideratomnium hominum singulorum salutem est in deosimplex naturalis extra conditioâ—em Therefore Arminius doth oftentimes call this will a desire and naturall affection and it is common to these sectaries to take those places Psal 81.14 Esa 48.18 where God is brought in speaking as one wishing and desiring and disappointed of his wish as if they were properly spoken when these things are spoken by an Anthropopathy and after the manner of men VI. Furthermore how grieuous a thing it is to be defrauded of ones desire and naturall affection and how disagreeing this is to God who doth not see vnlesse it be he that will willingly be deceiued For if God be most perfectly good yea goodnesse it selfe it must needes be that his affections and naturall desires if he haue any are of highest sanctity iustice and perfection and therefore nothing is so much to be wished as that that naturall affection might be fulfilled and that God might obtaine his desired end There is cause therefore that wee should grieue for Gods cause who is deceiued of that end which is farre the best and who might be made partaker of his wish if man would let him See whether the wit of these nouators doth plunge it selfe and how honourably they thinke of God Hitherto belong those impious and wicked speeches of Vorstius who doth affirme Collat. amic cum Piscat Sect. 27. that something doth happen vnexpected to God and which is bitter and very distastfull to him and doth although it be vnproperly spoken bring very great griefe to him and which doth proceede not from his Antecedent but from his Consequent will hauing tryed all things in vaine Which speach doth doubtlesse abase God below the state of man For if any such thing should happen euen amongst men and any ones endeauour hauing tryed all things in vaine should be deluded it would be an argument either of imprudency or weakenesse or infidelity There is cause therefore we should lament the state of God who vsing an vnprosperous successe hath so ill performed the businesse VII It is also absurd yea impious to affirme that God to whom all things from eternity are not onely foreseene but also prouided for should intend any thing that from eternity hee knew would not come to passe and to haue propounded an end to himselfe to which he knew he should not attaine as if one should leuell at a marke which is not nor euer will be For if God from eternity knoweth that this man shall be damned in vaine doth hee wish from eternity that he should be saued and hee doth from eternity know that he shall not be partaker of his naturall desire and his antecedent will VIII What a thing is it that hereby there is brought in resistance betweene these two wils of God the latter of which doth correct the former for by this Antecedent will God doth desire to doe that which from eternity he is certaine hee shall not doe And God is imagined doing something hardly and vnwillingly and against that end which hee had first intended because mans will comes betweene by which it comes to passe that God doth cease from that end propounded to himselfe which was farre better as if per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon a second aduise he should obtaine some secondary good Arminius doth not dissemble this whose words are these In Perlin Pag. 195. God doth seriously desire all men should be saued but being compelled by the stubborne and incorrigible malice of some men he will haue them make losse of their saluation But God doth nothing vnwillingly neither can he be compelled by man to the changing of his will IX And if these weake affections and ineffectuall desires of which he is disappointed by the stepping betweene of mans will be attributed to God there is no doubt but that God created man floting betweene his Antecedent and Consequent will as not without griefe fore-seeing the fall of man and knowing that hee created a creature which would certainely perish and yet hee would not abstaine from his creation because his decree of creating man could not be abolished so that God bound himselfe in those straights out of which hee could not quit himselfe X. It is not also to be indured that the will of God should remaine vncertaine vntill the condition vnder which God doth Antecedently will any thing be either fulfilled or broken For although the generall affection of God towards all men be not made to depend on mans will yet according to Arminius the effect thereof is vncertaine vntill God by his consequent will hath decreed to saue this or that man But Arminius makes this Consequent will in God to depend on mans free-will and doth make it to come after faith and the right vse of grace Therefore Vorstius Vorstius Amic Costat cum Piscat Sect. 79. 217. a man of a sharpe wit but of an vnfortunate audacity is bold to write that the will of God is after some manner mutable and that some change may be made in some part of Gods decree XI But although all the counsels of God are eternall and immutable neither can God be said to will any thing anew which he hath not willed from eternity yet whosoeuer shall exactly consider this Consequent will of God shall finde that it is made to come after his Antecedent will not onely in order but in time For it is impossible that God should at one time desire to saue all men and to damne some And it must needes be that the Antecedent will of God must cease as blotted and raced out by his Consequent before there can be place for his Consequent will XII And when the Apostle Rom. 9. doth affirme that the will of God cannot be resisted by this distinction there is made a will of God which may be resisted and the execution whereof may be hindred by man XIII And here if any where we may see how little constant the Arminians are For they doe contend that in the ninth Chapter to the Romanes it
neuer said that election had beene for saith foreseene if he had thought that God had certainely decreed to giue faith to some certaine men whom hee elected to saluation for he acknowledgeth no precise and necessary decree of God of giuing to any one the very act of beleeuing For this speech were vnapt God elected Paul because he fore-saw that hee would giue him Faith If in election faith be considered as already performed and as that on which election doth rest it must needes be that God hath not wrought it Otherwise God should be said to be willing to saue a man because he determined to giue him faith when on the contrary side he doth therefore giue faith to one because he hath decreed by his certaine and immutable will to saue him VII What is to be thought of this doctrine Armin. in Perk. p 283 224. Causa totalis cur iste credat isâ—e non est voluntas Dei liberum arbitrium hâ—minis may be gathered by the consequents which they build on this foundation such as are these The election of God in this life is not certaine nor irreuocable the number of the elect is not certaine and determined by the will and election of God the grace of God is not the totall cause of faith which is a grieuous speech and ouerthroweth the foundations of faith as we haue already proued and hereafter more shall be spoken of the same thing VIII What a thing is it that by this opinion no man can beleeue that he is elected For if any one did beleeue he were elected hee would beleeue also that his faith was after his election So he that beleeueth he is a man was a man before he beleeued it and if faith and perseuerance in faith doth goe before election he who beleeueth in Christ may indeede presume or hope that he is elected after he hath perseuered but he cannot beleeue that hee is already elected seeing according to Arminius no man is elected but after hee hath beleeued and when he hath ceased to beleeue Hath therefore this pernicious doctrine torne the bowels of the Churches of the Low-Countries that it might pull out of their mindes he confidence of Election and that no man vnlesse it were impudently and falsely might beleeue that hee is elected by God to saluation CHAP. XXIII The opinion of Saint Austen concerning Election for faith fore-seene WEE are beholding to Pelagius and his sectaries for the learned Treatises of Saint Austen full of good fruit wherein he hath explained more fully and more plainely then any other the heads of Christian faith concerning Grace Free will and Predestination For before Pelagius his time these things were handled generally and grosely and not exactly enough Saint Austen himselfe in his booke of the Predestination of the Saints Chap. 3. and of his retractations lib. 1. cap. 24. and in many other places doth confesse that he at the beginning writ with little consideration concerning these things the holy man was not ashamed to change his opinion after hee sharpned his wit at this whetstone of contentions and the sparkes of truth broke out of the disputation The heresie of Pelagius being driuen away the reliques of the Pelagians did yet remaine in France who to keepe backe enuy least they should seeme to fauour Pelagius they did distinguish nature from grace But they did affirme that sufficient grace was offred to all men and that it did extend as farre as nature they did acknowledge an election but it was conditionall and not absolute For they were elected by God whom he fore-saw would beleeue and vse his grace well And these are their opinions That election is for faith fore-seene and that the number of the elect is not determined by the certaine decree of God They said that the fruit of the doctrine of Saint Austen concerning election according to the purpose of God was eitâ—er desperation or a benummed sluggishnes if the reprobate man cannot be saued by any labour and contention nor he that is elected be depriued of the kingdome by any negligence It is not amisse to set downe their words taken out of the Epistle of Prosper to Saint Austin which is incerted in the seauenth Tome of Saint Austins works They determine that the propitiation which is in the Sacrament of the bloud of Christ is propounded to all men without exception that whosoeuer will come to faith and to baptisme may be saued And that God fore-knew before the making of the world who were to beleeue and who by faith which afterwards was to be assisted and helped by the grace of God were to remaine And that he predestinated those to his kingdome who being freely called he fore-saw would be worthy of election and would depart out of this life with a good end c. But they say that the opinion of Saint Austen doth take away from them that are fallen the care of rising againe and doth yeelde occasion of a heauy dulnesse to the Saints c. They doe not yeelde that the predestinated number of the elect can neither be encreased nor diminished this is meere Arminianisme the very same opinion we are assailed with the same calumnies wherewith Saint Austin was Against these Semipeâ—agians the holy man writ a Booke of the PRedestination of the Saints out of which Booke it will not be from the purpose to take out and alledge some places Chap. 3. We reade the Apostle saying it I obtained mercy that I might be faithfull He doth not say because I was faithfull It is giuen then to him that is faithfull but it is giuen him also that he might be faithfull Chap. 17. Let vs vnderstand the calling whereby men are elected not they which are elected because they beleeued but they which are elected that they might beleeue For this the Lord himselfe doth make plaine enough when he saith Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you For if they were therefore chosen because they beleeued they had first chosen him by beleeuing in him that they might deserue to be elected And a little after They did not choose him that he might choose them but that they might choose him he chose them because his mercy preuented them according to his grace not according to their desert And in the same chapter God then elected the faithfull but it was that they might be so not because they were already so By choosing them he maketh them rich in faith as heires of a kingdome and rightly because he is said to choose that in them which that he might worke in them he hath chosen them Doth any one heare our Lord saying Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you and dares he say that men beleeue that they might be chosen when rather they are chosen that they might beleeue Chap. 18. He chose vs in him before the world was made that we might be holy and without spot Therefore not because we were holy but that
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
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
and common to all another particular which is onely peculiar to the elect VIII We doe very much differ from this opinion We acknowledge that Christ died for all but we denie that by his death saluation and forgiuenesse of sinne is obtained for all men Or that reconciliation is made for Cain Pharaoh Saul Iudas c. Neither doe wee thinke that remission of sinnes is obtained for any one whose sinnes are not remitted or that saluation was purchased for him whom God from eternity hath decreed to condemne For this were a vaine purchaâ—e We denie that election is after the death of Christ as for many other causes so also because Christ in the very agony of death gaue a notable proofe of election in the theefe whose heart he affected and enlightned his minde after an vnvtterable manner the other theefe being left and neglected And seeing Christ doth euery where say that he died for his sheepe and for those whom his father gaue him he doth sufficiently declare that he died for the elect IX And when we say that Christ died for all we take it thus to wit that the death of Christ is sufficient to saue whosoeuer doe beleeue yea and that it is sufficient to saue all men if all men in the whole world did beleeue in him And that the cause why all men are not saued is not in the insufficiency of the death of Christ but in the wickednesse and incredulity of man Finally Christ may be said to reconcile all men to God by his death after the same manner that we say that the Sunne doth enlighten the eyes of all men although many are blinde many sleepe and many are hid in darkenesse Because if all and seuerall men had their eyes and were awake and were in the middest of the light the light of the Sunne were sufficient to enlighten them Neither is it any doubt but that it may be said not onely that Christ died for all men but also that all men are saued by Christ because among men there is none saued but by Christ After the same manner that the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 15.20 that all men are made aliue by Christ because no man is made aliue but by him CHAP. XXVIII That reconciliation remission of sinnes and saluation is not obtained nor purchased for all and particular men by the death of Christ I. FIrst whosoeuer saith that by the death of Christ reconciliation is obtained for all and singular men although hee consider Pharaoh and Iudas not as reprobates but simply as sinners yet hee saith that reconciliation is obtained for them who haue neuer beleeued nor neuer were to beleeue And seeing it is not equall nor iust that reconciliation should bee obtained for such the death of Christ is vsed wrongfully to obtaine something that is vniust and to doe something which is contrary to the iustice of God II. And who but hee that doth willingly shut his eyes will euer beleeue that the reconciliation of Iudas was obtained by the death of Christ seeing that the death of Christ was the very crime of Iudas and by it he was brought to the halter III. And seeing that at the very time in which Christ did die many were already tormented in hell he must needes be of a shallow braine who thinketh that by the death of Christ saluation or reconciliation was obtained for them IV. Also by this doctrine God is openly mocked For Christ is imagined to obtaine that from his father which he knew would neuer profit as if God should grant to his sonne the saluation of that man which from eternity he decreed to condemne For if Christ obtained reconciliation and remission of sinnes for Pharaoh and Iudas whether considered as Reprobates or considered as sinners hee knew well enough that that obtaining of it would not be for their good or profit Christ therefore is brought in asking this of his father I pray thee receiue into grace those whom I know thou wilt neuer receiue into grace and whom I know certainely are to be condemned For Christ in his death and before his death knew full well the secrets of election Surely these men seeme to doe their endeauour that Christian Religion should be made a laughing stocke V. Also they expose God to derision while they will haue God at the same time to loue and hate the same man to loue him because hee giueth his sonne for him and would haue reconciliation to be obtained for him but to haue hated him because from eternity he decreed to condemne him VI. And if Christ obtained remission of sins for Iudas it must needs be that God granted that to Christ asking it that he forgaue the sins of Iudas Which if it be true it necessarily followeth that God doth abolish his owne acts and condemning Iudas punished those sins which were remitted and so men should be punished for those sins the pardon whereof is obtained the testament of Christ by which they wil haue saluation to be purchased for all men should be made void VII Neither is God onely thus mocked but also he is made to mocke mankinde For it is manifest by vse and by the experience of all ages that the Gospell is scarce preached to euery tenth man and that the name of Christ is vnknowne to the greatest part of the world which thing that it is done by the prouidence of God so dispensing there is none that will deny vnlesse he that thinkes that all things are carried confusedly and that they doe proceede without reason or order And if reconciliation and saluation by Christ be purchased for all men why doth not God publish this benefit through the whole world Why doth he suffer this reconciliation to be vnknowne to the greatest part of mankinde Why doth he keepe in and hide from so many men the grace which doth belong to them and which is obtained for them without the knowledge of which no man can be saued They answere that God doth it because men shew themselues vnworthy of this grace As if any man could be worthy of it or could shew himselfe worthy of it Who knoweth not that the Gospell is preached to them that are most vnworthy And where sinne hath abounded Rom. 5.20 there grace hath abounded And if God is hindred by the vnworthinesse of man that he should not make knowne to him the reconciliation obtained the same vnworthinesse could and ought to hinder the obtaining of reconciliation For when reconciliation was obtained God did then fore-know the vnworthinesse that would follow with no lesse certainty then if it had beene present VIII And when they say that Christ died for all as concerning the obtaining of saluation but not as concerning the application of it they doe plainely confesse that Christ did not obtaine that this reconciliation should be applied to all Whence it commeth to passe that this obtaining of reconciliation is vaine yea and ridiculous For they speake as much as if
instructed in the doctrine of the Gospell but that strong natured and laborious Origen who had the Scripture at his fingers ends being vnable to endure Martyrdome chose rather to burne incense to the Diuell Many among miracles and in the midst of the light of the Gospell are incredulous as the men of Capernaum or else are giuen to their belly and gluttony as daily experience doth witnesse Neither doth this therefore come to passe because some of the vnregenerate are more capable of morall perswasion then others seeing all men are altogether auerse from God and dead in sinnes Also you may see the most wicked men and worst affected to be conuerted to the faith of Christ as the Romanes the Corinthians c. that God hath chosen the foolish things of the world and where sin hath abounded there grace hath abounded On the other side you may see many not so euilly disposed as the men of Tyre and Sydon that are not called by the preaching of the Gospell then which there is no other perswasion more wholesome There are some ages in which the gate of the Church is wide open and there is a great concourse of people in it as the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 16.19 A great doore and effectuall is opened to me And 2 Cor. 2. When I came to Troas to preach the Gospell a doore was opened to me of the Lord. On the contrary there are some times in which the passage to the Church is as it were stopped vp and the efficacy of the Gospell doth seeme to be diminished when the Pastors of the Church doe finde much stubbornenesse in the people a brawnie skin drawn ouer their consciences the hardnesse whereof doth turne and blunt the edge of preaching This doth not happen because in some ages men are borne better or because God doth vse other meanes and instructions to the teaching of them then of others but because it seemed good to God to soften the hearts of these and to reueale to them his arme and his power of saluation and to fasten the sword of the word of God with greater force into their mindes and that according to his good pleasure and election of grace Eâ—â—y â—3 Rom. 1. by which as many as are appointed to eternall life doe beleeue Acts 13. By this motiue God himselfe did stirre vp the minde of Saint Paul being at Corinth and did exhort him to speake freely Feare not saith he but speake and hold not thy peace for I am with thee and no man shall set vpon thee to hurt thee for I haue much people in this Citie CHAP. XLVI The certainty of the conuersion of the Elect is proued and that Grace cannot be ouercome I. THe chiefe foundation of our opinion of the certainty of the conuersion of the elect and of the inseperable grace of God wee place in the immutable certainty of the election of God For seeing that God by his certaine and determined decree appointed some certaine men to saluation as wee haue at large proued it must needes be that they whom he appointed to the end hee appointed also to those meanes without which no man is saued to wit Faith and Repentance This decree seeing it cannot be hindred it is certaine that the faith of the elect cannot so be hindred that they should finally fall away The truth of which doctrine while these Sectaries doe oppugne they doe cast themselues into absurd and enormious opinions such as are these That Election is not irreuocable nor peremptory before death That those that are elected may be reprobated That the number of the elect is not certaine and determined by the decree and will of God but that their number may be encreased and diminished That all men are conditionally elected That God is often disappointed of his intention wish and desire Which dreames full of feuer-like subtiltie and vaine dotages that I may speake no worse of them are as I thinke abundantly confuted by vs. II. Wee haue heard Saint Paul Ephes 1.3.4 teaching that the grace of God is giuen according to election Hence it appeareth that the grace of God which is giuen to the elect can no more be hindred then election it selfe For the effects of an immutable cause cannot but be most certaine Vaine and voide were that election which should be made destitute of those meanes without which there is no saluation and obserue that Saint Paul speaketh of the holy and faithfull Ephesians least any Arminian should say that the Apostle speaketh of vniuerâ—all Election Finally as many places of Scripture as there be which teach that they doe beleeue that are ordained to eternall life Acts 13. that they alone come that is doe beleeue who are giuen to Christ by the father that is are elected to saâ—uation in Christ Iohn 6. and that all that are predestinated are called iustified and glorified Rom. 8. and that God hath elected vs to holinesse Ephes 1. and not by holinesse or for holinesse they doe all plainely proue that faith and holinesse doe so depend on Election and so â—leaue to it that it cannot be but that he who is elected must at length be conuerted The faith of the elect cannot altogether be blotted out and finally be extinguished but the election of God must also be wiped out and must perish Whosoeuer God calleth by his purpose shall certainely come because God neuer faileth of his purpose III. Agreeable to these things are the words of the same Apostle Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the spirit of God are the sonnes of God Here I demand whether it is possible that he who is the sonne of God should be made the sonne of the diuell If there is any modesty left in them they dare not say this openly although it doth plainely enough follow from their opinion by which they determine that the elect may be reprobated This therefore being laid downe that the sonnes of God cannot be made the sonnes of the diuell I demand whence is this impossibilitie of falling away and why cannot hee who is led by the spirit of God which is called the spirit of adoption be made the childe of the diuell The cause of this impossibility must either be the election of God or mans free-will but not mans free-will as we haue at large proued therefore it is the election of God by which it commeth to passe that it is an impossible thing that the faith of the elect should be finally lost and extinguished IV. And with what great efficacie God doth worke in mens hearts the Apostle teacheth Ephes 1.19 where hee wisheth that it were made knowne to the Ephesians What is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to vs ward who beleeue according to the working of his mighty power The Apostle doth purposely heape vp emphaticall and significant words whereby he might declare that power and effectual strength farre differing from the phrase of Arminius in whose writings these speeches are often found that
chosen of God Whence it comes to passe that on the one side mans pride is blowne vp as it were with bellowes and on the other side faith is vndermined as it were with trenches and confidence doth decay For what certainty can there be of our saluation if our election depend vpon so instable a thing But of these things more at large in their proper place Now those examples with which Arminius doth support that double will of God are to be examined XVIII God saith he by his antecedent will would stablish the throne of Saule for euer but by his consequent will he would ouerthrow it as it is 1. Sam. 13 13. but there is no such thing to be found for Samuell doth not say that God would stablish the kingdome of Saule but he saith God had established thy kingdome for euer betweene which there is a great deale of difference If God had established it it had beene his will to stablish it But because hee did not establish it it is certaine it was not his will to establish it XIX There is no more force at all in the other example Christ saith hee by his antecedent will would gather the Iewes as a Hen gathereth her chickens but by his consequent will hee would scatter them through all nations Math. 22.37 But this place signifieth quite another thing Christ speakes to Hierusalem and saith that hee would haue gathered his children together but Hierusalem her selfe resisted with all her power Hierusalem is one thing and her children another who here are expresly distinguished from the citty By Hierusalem vnderstand the Priests the Leuites the Scribes and the prince of the people for these did most of all withstand Christ By the children of Hierusalem understand the people Christ saith that hee would haue gathered together these children neither is it to be doubted but that he gathered together many of them although the rulers were vnwilling This place therefore maketh nothing for that Antecedent will which these men would haue not to be fulfilled when indeede it was fulfilled as much as seemed good to God Then also these words how often would I they misvnderstand them of the Antecedent will which is the decree of God when to will is here nothing else then to inuite and command So Saint Austen thinkes Encherid Chap. 97. Or rather saith he shee indeede would not haue had her children to be gathered together by him but euen shee vnwilling hee gathered those of her children whom he himselfe would 〈◊〉 XX. The other examples are vnworthy that we should stay long vpon them By his Antecedent will saith he those were called to the wedding which by his Consequent will were declared vnworthy By his Antecedent will hee without the wedding garment is inuited by his Consequent will hee is cast out By his Antecedent will the Gospell is offered to the Iewes by his Consequent will it is taken away In all these things that will of God whereby men are called is no other thing then to command and inuite not to decree that by his Antecedent will which afterward hee hath broken off by his Consequent will XXI Neither are wee scrupulously to enquire why God hath called them whom hee knoweth will not follow The end why God doth this is euident to wit to require of men that which they owe. To search any farther into the intent of God is to make God obnoxious to accounts and to breake into his secrets XXII It is not to be ouerpassed that Arminius will haue God equally desire to saue all men by his Antecedent will but when he is prepared to the effect execution of that will he doth those things which are contrary to that will For hee preacheth the Gospell to those that are very wicked as to the men of Capernaum he doth deny that fauour to those that are lesse wicked as to the men of Tyrus Sydon and he doth suffer many wilde people and stupid with their barbarous cruelty to be ouerwhelmed in darkenesse But why so because saith hee their Ancestors refused the Gospell O ridiculous reason Should hee that doth equally desire the saluation of all be hindred with so light an impediment and which is contrary to his iustice as shall afterward be taught Thus though Arminius doth teach that God would by his Antecedent will saue all seuerall men it is yet manifest by experience that God through many ages hath denyed and doth yet deny to most nations those meanes without which they cannot be saued and doth onely supply those meanes which meanes alone none euer vsed well XXIII But God saith he seeing hee is very good by nature cannot but wish well to all men by his Antecedent and primary will as being created after his own image These things were spoken by them rightly agreeably to the nature of God if we were borne without originall sinne But seeing the image of God is almost blotted out and in place of it the image of the Diuell hath succeeded no reason doth compell vs to beleeue that God is willing to saue all and singular men but the holy Scripture doth teach that some are saued by the meere grace of God and by election according to his purpose the rest being left in their naturall perdition and appointed to damnation for those sinnes which they were to commit of their owne accord XXIV All these things are not therefore spoken that we should reiect this distinction of the wil of God into his Antecedent and Consequent will For we know that among the decrees of God some are before and some are after in order But wee denie that there are two decrees of God betweene which mans will steppeth in as if mans will came betweene the decree of creating man and the decree of condemning certaine men But we denie that the will of man doth so come betweene the two decrees of God that the first or Antecedent decree is broken off by the will of man and that God is compelled to absist from that end which he had propounded to himselfe and which he did seriously intend We deny also in the worke of our election the precise will of God to depend on the fore-seeing of any power or action of mans free-will or the Consequent will of God to be suspended on mans will Concerning which thing it shall be diligently spoken in the proper place CHAP. VI. Of the sinne of Adam I. GOD hauing created man enlightned his minde with a supernaturall light and adorned his will with righteousnes and holinesse but so that he was mutable for otherwise God had created a God and not a man for not to be able to change is a prerogatiue peculiar to God whereby he is distinguished from all created things II. Arminius whom the old way hath alwaies displeased Articul Perpend Pag. 18. is of opinion That an inclination to sinning was in man before his fall although not so vehement and inordinate as now it is If this be true