it must needes be that God put in man that inclination to sinne which seeing it is an euill thing God should be made the author of that which is euill and to haue inclined man to sinne which cannot be spoken without hainous wickednesse III. It was the least finne which Adam sinned in gluttony but that was farre the greatest that he had rather beleeue the Serpent then God and that being spurred on by ambition he would be like God in the knowledge of good and euill And that while hee obeyed the Serpent hee gaue credit to reproaches cast vpon God Finally because he preferred so small a thing before the commandement of God therefore the lesser the eating of the Apple was the greater was his sinne IV. This ruine beganne at the vnderstanding ouer which Sathan had spread the cloud of false opinion and had cast the imagination of a false good To whose perswasion when man shewed himselfe ready then peruersenesse of the will and inclination of the appetites to sinne followed this darkening of the minde V. This fall happened God indeede not compelling it but yet permitting it There was not wanting power to his omnipotency by which hee was able to hinder this fall neither did enuy turne away his goodnesse God therefore permitted it because he would permit it and because it was good that he should permit it He that is the chiefest good would not haue permitted euill vnlesse it had beene good that euill should haue entred into the world by that permission he made a way for the manifestation of his glory and opened a way to man himselfe to a state farre more excellent For without sinne the mercy of God whereby he pardoneth and his iustice whereby he punisheth had neither of them been made knowne nor had hee made knowne his infinite loue to the church by the sending of Christ into the world to abolish our sinnes and to carry vs to a celestiall glory Neither doe I say these things as if I thought that God doth stand in neede of our wickednesse to the manifestation of his glory but I say that God created man that hee might come to greater perfection then that was in which hee was created And hee could not come to that perfection without the knowledge of Gods iustice and mercy which doth shine forth out of this fall and out of the remedy which he had prepared for this fall To which purpose the words of Saint Austen in his booke de Correp grati Cap. 10. are very proper He that created all things very good and fore-knew that euill things would rise out of those good things knew that it did more pertaine to his omnipotent goodnesse to make good things euen out of euill things then not to suffer euill things to be The like hee saith Encherid Chap. 96. VI. The Arminians bring no other cause of this permission then this Because God would not force mans voluntary liberty nor compell his will neither did he thinke it conuenient to vse his omnipotency in a thing which belongs to mans free will But they doe too negligently touch so great a matter neither doe they sufficiently weigh the moment of things and the circumstances of the fall of Adam For God without the diminishing of mans liberty could haue restrained Sathan and hindred him that hee should not tempt man He could haue forewarned man that he should not beleeue the Serpent He was able not to haue propounded the tree to man by the eating whereof he knew man would sinne Hee could haue giuen man more strength and more light and more vnderstanding He could haue giuen extraordinary strength in the very instant of temptation And yet by these force had not beene offered to mans will nor his liberty violated The Angels are examples hereof whom he doth confirme in good without any constraint By these it is manifest that the fall of man happened God not compelling but yet dispenfing and by his prouidence turning that euent which hee fore-knew from eternity to an end which hee had determined with himselfe from eternity VII Neither is it to be said that God withdrew his grace from man for this were to compell him as the house doth necessarily fall when the pillars are taken away nor that God tooke from him the liberty of his will for so he had brought a necessity of sining but he would not hinder that man should not be tempted by Sathan nor would he helpe him with extraordinary succour And whereas man sinned freely yet that fell out which God from eternity fore-knew would bee and the creatures themselues before the creation of man did testifie that it would come to passe For before Adam had sinned God had put into the Plants healthfull powers to keepe away diseases already had he cloathed the sheepe with fleeces and had formed cattell for the vse of man which are reliefes of humaine infirmity and had beene in vaine created if man had stood in his integrity VIII Now whether the digestion and egestion of meate to be refreshed with sleepe after labour to enioy the marriage bed to grow in stature to haue flesh that may be wounded and burnt to all which man before his fall was obnoxious whether I say these are such things as may perpetually agree to a creature perfectly blessed or whether they doe not secretly testifie what should be the condition of man to come I leaue it to be iudged of by wise men IX And yet it is no doubt but that Adam without any extraordinary helpe had strength to resist Sathan For it is not credible that God gaue a Law to man when he was made at first to the performing of which he did not giue power yet in respect of the fore-knowledge of God the fall of man was certaine For the act of the will may be certaine and defined before God the liberty of mans will being vntouched and intire So it is no doubt but the tortours had power and ability of breaking the bones of Christ when yet in respect of the fore-knowledge and prouidence of God it was impossible that they should be broken The will of man may by a certaine and voluntary motion determine it selfe to some one thing and yet doe that which either the knowledge of God hath certainely fore-knowne or his prouidence hath certainely fore-ordained X. These things are firmely to be held least the fault of man be transferred vpon God For howsoeuer God doth draw good out of the fall of Adam yet he neuer doth doe euill that good may come of it Neither must we think that God would force man to sinne although his glory should manifest y appeare thereby Gods glory must not be further I with the damage of his iustice but after a maâ—ueâ—ous and vnvtterable manner God doth so dispose and gouerne the euents of things that vnauoâ—dably those things happen which he doth condemne and disalow and the diuine prouidence doth keepe a course betweene iniustice and negligence
be for sin But to reprobate men to be willing to condemne are the same thing euen as to elect to be willing to saue is the same thing Therefore God doth not reprobate vnlesse it be for sinne IV. Furthermore it cannot be denied but that reprobation or reiection of the creature from God is the punishment which can be inflicted on the reasonable creature because eternall torments doe necessarily follow it which if we get to be granted it will thence follow that it is not the part of infinite goodnesse and highest iustice to forsake his owne creature and that not because he hath sinned but because it so seemed good to God that hee might seeke matter for his glory out of the desertion and forsaking of the soule which hee created Can the father who knoweth that the happinesse of his sonne depends on him without the crime of cruelty and want of naturall affection forsake his sonue that is innocent and found guilty of no wickednesse especially if by this forsaking his son should fall into eternall torments and by it be made not onely most miserable but also most wicked V. Neither should God deale iustly if he should giue more euill to the creature by infinite parts then he hath giuen good To which when he had giuen esse a beeing a while after without any fault of it he gaue it male esse an euill and miserable being for euer Indeede if God should onely take away that he hath giuen and should bring the creature to nothing there were no cause at all of complaining But to giue an infinite euill to that creature to whom he gaue a finite good and to create man to that end onely that he might destroy him that out of this destruction he might get glory to himselfe the goodnesse and iustice of God abhorreth VI. Yet this is the most grieuous thing that by this eyther reprobation or desertion of man being considered without sinne the innocent is made not onely most miserable but euen most wicked For the auersion and turning away of the will doth necessarily follow the denying of the spirit of God and seeing according to this opinion God hated man that was made by him before man hated God it cannot come to passe but that the hatred of God whereby he hates man by the same opinion should be made the cause of that hatred whereby man hates God and so God should be made the author of sinne VII And if God hated Esau being considered in the vncorruptible masse as not a sinner it must needes be that God hates the innocent creature and hatred in God although it is not an humane affection nor a perturbation yet it is a sure and certaine will of punishing and punishment cannot be iust if it be without offence neither can a man be iustly punished vnlesse he be considered as a sinner VIII If any man should say that God is obnoxious or subiect to no lawes and therefore his actions are not rightly examined according to the rule of iustice seeing hee is tyed to no rules I will anfwere that the nature of God is more mighty then any law That naturall perfection by which it is impossible that God should lie or that he should sinne is also the cause why he could not hate his guiltlesse creature or appoint man to eternall torments for no fault of his Yea if these things were true it were the part of a wise man to suppresse these things not to moue this anagyris or offensiue matter and rather to command silence or ignorance to themselues then to breake into these secrets which being declared doe cast in scruples and doubts and yeeld occasion to the aduersaries of defaming the true religion and by which no man is made fitter to the duties of a Christian or of a ciuill man or to any part of piety IX That could not escape which should say that by reprobation men are not appointed to damnation but onely are passed by or not elected Thus they seeke gentler words that by them the same thing might be said for it is all one whether God doth appoint a man to damnation or doth that from which damnation must necessarily follow Whosoeuer God doth not elect whether hee be said to be omitted and passed by or to be reprobated hee is alwaies excluded from the grace of God damnation doth certainely follow this excluding because without the grace of election there is no saluation For seeing it is manifest to all that men by election are appointed to saluation I would haue it told mee to what they that are not elected but passed by are appointed Surely if election doth appoint men to saluation it is plaine that by reprobation which is called omission or passing by the rest are excluded from saluation and appointed to destruction X. And if God haue appointed the innocent creature to destruction it must needes be that hee hath appointed it to sinne without which there can be no iust destruction and so God would be the impulsiue and mouing cause of sinne Neither could man iustly be punished for that sinne to which he is eyther precisely appointed or compelled by the will of God XI That the decrees of God are eternall and that he hath fore-knowne all things from eternity doth not hinder this opinion which doth maintaine God in election and reprobation to haue considered man as fallen before he considered him as condemned For although the decrees of God are certaine yet there is some order among them as the eternall decree of ouerthrowing the world by fire was in order after the decree of creating the world So although God from eternity had appointed the wicked to punishment yet nothing hinders but that the consideration whereby hee considered men as sinners should be in order before that whereby hee considered men as reprobate or appointed to punishment XII Neither doth it follow of the opinion of the reuerend Synod and the confession of our Churches by which man fallen is the obiect of predestination that God created man to an vncertaine end or to haue missed of that end which he propounded to himselfe The last end propounded to God was the illustration and setting forth of his glory by the manifestation of his goodnesse and iustice that hee might come to this end hee decreed to create man iust but mutable and free The fore-knowledge of the fall of man doth follow this decree not in time but in order and election and reprobation doth in order follow this fore-knowledge XIII They are very farre from the truth which would haue God in electing and reprobating to haue considered man as not created for they doe as much as if they should say that God considered man as nothing and therefore as not man Surely in that very thing that they call him a man they call him somewhat but to consider something as nothing is a thing well-nigh a dreame He that will saue or punish a man must necessarily first haue
of Sathan XVII The sectaries are wont after this manner to accuse vs of ouerthrowing the Gospell The Gospell say they which on condition doth promise life to the beleeuer cannot serue for the executing the decree whereby life is precisely appointed to certaine and determined persons But I affirme that it doth serue because God promiseth life vnder a condition which he decreed to worke in the elect For what letteth that God should not promise life to him that beleeueth and yet decree to giue faith to those certaine and determined persons which he hath elected XVIII Arnoldus pag. 52. hath these words If faith be an effect of election it cannot be comprehended in the decree of election But there is none of vs saith that faith is comprehended in the decree of Election but a purpose or will of giuing faith And this will hath that respect to the decree of election as the part to the whole for the decree of the meanes to the end is included in that decree by which the end is decreed as in the will of building a house the will of prouiding stones and timber is contained XIX It is a thing of small moment which they euery where beate vpon According to the Gospell say they faith is a condition required in sauing and electing but not according to your opinion It is a caâ—umny We acknowledge that faith is a condition required in sauing a man but not fore-required in electing him as Arminius would haue it Faith is a thing without which God doth not elect but not that for the foreseeing whereof he doth elect That faith is required in election although the Scripture doth not say it in the same words yet it may fitly be receiued and according to the meaning of the Scripture if faith be laid downe as a condition following election and without which God will haue no saluation No otherwise then breathing is a condition to life although a man be first appointed to life before to breathing XX. The Arminians in their Epistle against the Walachrian brethren p 43. doe thus explaine their opinion It seemeth most inconuenient to vs to affirme that God in election did decree what he himselfe would worke in man by his spirit For by the decree of absolute election to saluation the conferring of saluation alone and not of faith is decreed This their false and foolish opinion they vphold by this argument Seeing that saluation and faith are most diuers predicates neither doe they make the same thing by it selfe or by accident it cannot possible be but that the decree of conferring saluation is one the decree of conferring faith is another I answere Although saluation and faith are diuers things yet faith is a necessary meanes to saluation and the decree of the end includes also the meanes life and breathing are things no lesse diuers then faith and saluation and yet by the same decree whereby one is appointed to life he is appointed also to breathing because breathing is the meanes to life XXI This obiection of the Arminians is frequent and worne out with vsing If God doth predestinate men to faith as to the meanes by which they should come to saluation it must needes be that God should also predestinate the reprobates to incredulity and impenitency as to the meanes by which they should come to damnation But I deny that this followes for here we speake of the meanes which God himselfe doth supply but incredulity and impenitency are meanes which man himselfe â—ath suggested of his owne The meanes which God findes already made are to be distinguished from those which he makes God in predestinating doth consider man as corrupt and lying in sinne whence it comes to passe that the meanes to damnation are already in man neither is there any neede that they should be supplyed otherwise much lesse by God who neuer is the author of sinne But seeing man is naturally destitute of the meanes of saluation they cannot come to man vnlesse God giue them Neither is incredulity a condition required after the same manner in reprobates as faith is in the elect for that is a condition required before reprobation but this is a condition following election Thence it is that incredulity and impenitency are things deseruing reprobation but faith is a thing not deseruing election nor saluation XXII With that argument another also doth fall to the ground which these Sectaries heape vp euen with a loathsome repetition If God say they doth not elect for fore-seene faith then he doth not reprobate for fore-seene sinne But I deny that these things are alike or that one followeth of another for God foreseeth sinne because he is not the author of sinne but he doth not fore-see faith but doth decree to worke it and this which God decreeth he doth not fore-see it but doeth will it if we would vse significant and fit words and not purposely darken things by an improper kinde of speech And truely the Arminians seeme to mee to strike themselues with their owne stings For if this reason of theirs preuaile why may it not also be lawfull to reason thus If God electeth without the respect of good workes as Arminius will haue it then also he doth reprobate without the respect of euill workes The consequence is the same and yet the Arminians doe not admit this Arnoldus after Arminius doth heape together many things by which he would get enuy to our cause and would loade it with hatred the knowledge whereof is worth the labour for they are cloathed with much art and searched colours In the front hee doth place arguments by which he would proue that our opinion is contrary to the wisedome of God XXIII He therefore Page 217. doth thus argue It is contrary to wisedome first to ordaine absolutely to any one that thing which is lost and therefore is not at all and then to decree that he should obtaine the samething The same homonomy is in the word absolutely which we noted before in Greuinchouius in the sixteenth obiection the answere therefore may be sought for there But it is not true that this is contrary to the wisedome of God no more then absolutely to decree that one should recouer his lost health and yet decree that he should take Phisicke and should obtaine helpe of the Phisitian XXIV He doth repeate the same argument in other words in the same and in the following page but that he also addes That it is contrary to the wisedome of God to ordaine first who shall receiue the reward before he ordaines on what condition they are to receiue it But we doe not teach this For wee determine that all the decrees of God are eternall as concerning the order we doe not part these into two decrees one whereof should be of the persons to be saued the other of the condition whereby they should be saued By one and the same decree God determined to saue certaine men by Faith But if wee should speake
Arminius doth say That God by little and little by the grace of his spirit doth free men from this necessity of sinning It is not therefore presently taken away yea it remaineth alwaies in them in whom the grace of the holy Ghost eyther doth not worke or doth not preuaile The same man Page 406. doth acknowledge that there is in man an impotency and disability of resisting sinne and this impotency what is it else then the necessity of sinning VI. Nay more then this the Arminians doe say that God doth vnresistably harden some men For I vse their owne words Now there is nothing more euident then that he doth necessarily sinne who is vnresistably hardned We haue therefore the confession of these Sectaries that there are some who sinne necessarily and whom the necessity of sinning doth not excuse from their sinne because they haue contracted this necessity to themselues by their owne fault VII It is a meruaile therefore that the Arminians who are otherwise ingenious doe stumble at this straw and had rather patronize and maintaine Pelagius and borrow weapons from him then yeelde to the Scripture and to the euidence of truth For after the same manner doth Caelestius a Pelagian dispute in Saint Austins booke de perfect iustitiae-Ratio 2. Againe saith hee it is demanded whether sinne be of the will or of necessity If of necessity it is not sinne If of the will it may be auoided In Arminius therefore we haue Pelagius raised to life againe VIII We determine therefore that the necessity of sinne doth excuse from sinne if he that sinneth hath not procured this necessity of sinning by his owne fault As also if by necessity constraint and a greater force of the outward agent be vnderstood or a naturall necessity appointed to some one thing by the creator and being voide of knowledge such as is the naturall inclination of heauy things to the center of the earth But necessity doth not excuse sinne if he that sinneth hath procured on himselfe that necessity of sinning and if hee sinneth wittingly and willingly and is delighted with that inclination to sinne IX And that which the Sectaries say that there is no place for punishment if man want the liberty of his free-will may be admitted if by libertie of free-will be vnderstood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is of ones owne accord In which sence many of the ancients especially before Saint Austin doe defend the liberty of free-will For whosoeuer sinneth sinneth of his owne accord But if by the liberty of free-will be vnderstood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an inclination which is alike free eyther to good or to euill in those things which belong to faith and saluation I constantly affirme that man is worthy of punishment although he want this liberty It is sufficient to punishment that he doth not onely sinne of his owne accord but also voluntarily and that hee himselfe is the cause of his necessity of sinning and that hee doth applaude and please himselfe in this voluntary necessitie X. Yet the Arminians doe obstinately persist and doe maintaine that it is in vaine commanded if we baue not power to obey That exhortations promises threats and counsells are in vaine if none of them can be neither perceiued nor performed by man for that were as much as if a song should be sung to a deafe man or as if one should command a blinde man to see or one that is fettered to runne or as if one should thus speake to the dry bones of them that are dead be ye conuerted be ye conuerted and see This is an old obiection of the Pelagians as may be seene in Saint Austin lib. de perfect iustitiae Rat 6. 11. Where Caelestius the Pelagian doth thus dispute Againe it is demanded whether man be commanded to be without sinne For eyther hee cannot and it is not commanded or because it is commanded hee can For why should that be commanded which cannot at all be done And Rat. 11. Certainely all those things which are forbidden can as well be auoided as those things which are commanded can be done For that in vaine would be forbidden or commanded which cannot be auoided nor fulfilled Here is very starke Arminianisme Caelestius tooke this argument from Cicero as Saint Austin witnesseth lib. 5. de ciuitate Dei Cap. 9. where hee saith That Cicero whilest by the denying of the fore-knowledge of God hee would make men free made them sacrilegious XI I answere to these things that precepts threates and counsels c. are in vaine if man wanted the faculty of vnderstanding and of willing or nilling something of his owne accord and with reason and iudgement But an vnregenerate man is indued with vnderstanding and hath a will which is moued of its owne accord and incitation and after fore-going knowledge and practicall iudgement Nor is it alwaies true that those precepts are giuen in vaine which cannot be fulfilled For the intemperate man who by custome hath brought on himselfe insensiblenesse and cannot temper himselfe from lust and surfeiting is yet tyed by the lawes of sobrietie and temperance Neither is it any doubt but that the diuell who is necessarily euill and vnfit to yeelde obedience to God is bound to obey God for otherwise he should not sinne in being an enemy to God So from a debtor which hath consumed at dice a great some of money which he tooke vp at vse that which he oweth is not in vaine nor vniustly required nor can the creditor lose his right by the wickednesse of the debtor Seeing therefore that man by his owne fault procured on himselfe the disability of performing that which God would haue done God doth not vainely and vniustly require from him the obedience which he oweth For it is not equall that the sinne of man should profit him and that therefore he should be lawlesse because he corrupted himselfe with his owne wickednesse and brought vpon himselfe the disability of paying to God the debt of nature which God doth require of man considered not as a sinner nor yet as iust but simply as hee is a debtor and in as much as he is a creature subiect and bound to obedience After the same manner that a creditour requiring his debt doth not consider the debtor as he is poore or as he is rich but simply as he is a debtor God making his law doth consider man after this manner and so he doth consider him when he doth adde promises and threates to the Law saying Doe this and thou shalt liue And choose good that thou maist liue c. And make ye a new heart for why will ye die O house of Israell Ezech. 18. He is deceiued surely he is deceiued who thinketh that the commandements of God are the measure of our strength seeing they are the rule of our dutie For in the law we doe not learne what we are able to doe but what wee ought to doe nor what now we are able
V. Man by his owne fault hath brought destruction to himselfe neither can the fall of man be imputed to God Thy destruction O Israell is from thy selfe but in mee is thy helpe Hosea 12.9.10 As in the generation of the Infant the sunne and man doe worke together yet if a monster be generated it is not ascribed to the sunne but to man For therefore is the monster bred because through the defect of the organs or the euill affection of the matter the vniuersall agent cause is withdrawne from the accustomed course Euen so to humane actions God and mans will doe concurre yet if any euill bee in the action it ought not to be ascribed to God but to the disposition of mans will VI. And yet the Scripture doth sometimes vse those phrases of speech which doe yeeld occasion to the prophane of imputing their sinnes to God as being committed by his will and incitation It is well knowne with how great wickednesse the sonnes of Iacob moued with enuy sold their brother Ioseph Of this fact Ioseph himselfe thus speaketh Genes â—0 Yee indeede thought euill against mee but God meant it vnto good that hee might saue much people aliue As if GOD had beene the authour of this fact The Scripture saith of the sonnes of Samuel that they did not obey their fathers admonitions because God would slay them 1. Samuel 2.25 And 1. King 2. the malignant spirit sets himselfe before the tribunall of God and offers to God his seruice to deceiue the Prophets To whom God said Thou shalt deceiue and thou shalt preuaile Goe forth and doe so Shemei curseth Dauid with foule imprecations 2. Samuel 26. which Dauid receiues as done by the incitation of God Let him curse saith hee for God hath said vnto him Curse Dauid Very grieuous calamities followed Dauids adultery with Bathsheba and his murther of Vrias by the rebellion of his sonne Absalon who droue his father from his kingdome and openly abused his wiues Nathan sent to Dauid from God doth declare how these things came to passe in these wordes Thou didst this secretly but I will doe these things before all Israell 2. Sam. 12. Satan afflicted Iob the Chaldees steale away his goods what saith this seruant of God to these things The Lord saith hee hath giuen and the Lord hath taken away Blessed be the name of the Lord. In the fourth Chapter of the Acts Saint Peter saith thus Against thy holy childe Iesus whom thou hast annointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate and the Gentiles and the people of Israell are assembled together to doe whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsell haue determined before to bee done Saint Paule in his first chapter of the Epistle of the Romans speaking of the people that were worshippers of Idols and were giuen ouer to all wickednesse saith that God gaue them vp to vile and wicked affections that they might doe these enormious things God himselfe doth witnesse Exod. 10. Rom. 9. That he hardned Pharaohs hart Finally who doth not tremble at these words of God which are set downe in the sixt Chap. of Esay Make the hart of this people fat and make their eares heauy and shut their eyes Least they see with their eyes and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts and so conuert and be healed Least any prophane person should abuse these things to the vnloosing of the claspe of intemperancy and least any whose heart is hardned against the word of God should impute the hardnesse of it to God who cannot be resisted As that yong man in Plautus In â—ulularia thus excusing himselfe Deus mihi impulsor fuit God was an incitor to me it was he drew mee to her therefore some things are to be set downe wherby this question may be cleered and the truth may be brought out of this darkenesse VII Before all other things wee admonish that the middle way be kept betweene the two extreames One whereof is to make God the authour of sinne the other is to assigne any thing to be done God being vnwilling ignorant or not regarding as if sitting in a watch-tower he did expect casuall euents depending vpon chance or vpon mans pleasure Let him runne into neither of these who would acknowledge the prouidence of God without damage of his iustice not fathering his sinnes vpon him and would not call in ignorance or neglect of things in God for the defence of his iustice VIII First therefore it must be graunted that sinne is not committed without Gods permission Neither ought this word of permitting offend any one as if it derogated from the care and prouidence of God seeing Saint Paul himselfe in the 14. chapter of the Acts doth vse this word where he saith to the men of Lycaonia God in times past * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suffered all nations to walke in their owne wayes therefore God suffered sinne To permit sinne is not to hinder it when thou canst thence it comes to passe that there are so many meanes of permitting sinne as of hindring it God doth hinder sinne two manner of wayes either by his Iustice or by his Power By his Iustice he hindereth sinne by commanding by forbidding by admonishing by threatning and by promising By his power he doth hinder it when he doth take away ability or remoue the occasion of sinning or by the efficacy of his spirit doth change and encline to piety our wils that are prone to sin The former is a morall impediment the latter a naturall or euen a supernaturall According to these meanes of hindering sinne the meanes of permitting it are also diuers For God doth permit sinne either by vnloosing the Law and giuing liberty of sinning or by not drawing away the ability of sinning which might hinder men from sinning in act After the former manner God doth neuer permit sinne after the latter manner he doth permit it which he doth in not hindring that man should assay it and in not giuing a certaine succour and measure of his grace which if it were present the sinne might be preuented IX This permission is a certaine act of the diuine will seeing it is voluntary for God doth nothing vnwitting or vnwilling God therefore permits sinne because he will permit it neither had he permitted it if it had not beene good that it should be permitted for if there were not euill it would not be known what is good euen as we should not know what light were vnlesse there were a night neither had his iustice whereby he punisheth nor his mercy whereby he pardoneth beene made knowne nor his wisedome whereby he can draw good out of euill nor his infinite loue whereby hee sent his sonne into the world that he might die for vs not that God doth stand in neede of our wickednesse to illustrate his glory but because otherwise man could not come to that full felicity to which hee was created For God cannot be perfectly knowne and therefore not
perfectly loued so long as his iustice and mercy is vnknowne So that by the very fall of man God hath framed to man a step to a more perfect condition and although in the respect of many particular persons which perish it might haue beene wished that man had not sinned yet in respect of the vniuersall good whereof regard is rather to be had God ought not to haue vsed his power to haue hindred sinne that it might not haue beene committed X. Furthermore although God doth permit the Diuels and men to sinne yet doth hee not so let loose the reynes to them but that they are held fast bound by the bonds of his prouidence and whilest they wander out of the path of righteousnesse they are yet included within the limits of his prouidence that they should not hurt them whom God loues For although mans will hath corrupted it selfe yet is not therefore the gouernment of God diminished to which the willes of men are subiect how much soeuer they are aduerse to his commandement and driuen with the spirit of rebellion doe gnash their teeth against his gouernment XI The principall faculties of the soule are two the Vnderstanding and the Will the one by which man knoweth and the other by which hee moues himselfe By the vnderstanding we are learned or vnlearned by the will we are eyther good or euill That which in the vnderstanding is to affirme or deny that in the will is to desire or to refuse God doth not put wicked desires into the minde but he doth often cast darknes into the mind and in his iust iudgement doth blinde the vnderstanding striking the rebells with a giddinesse and making them drunke with the spirit of sleepe yea truely no otherwise then the master doth iustly blow out his seruants candle which by night he doth abuse at dice So God doth take away the light of his knowledge when man doth abuse it to the contempt of God and to the liberty of sinning Howbeit God hauing taken away this light the erring will doth stumble and grieuously offend but hardnesse of heart doth of it selfe follow this blindnesse of minde For Saint Iohn ioyneth these together as hanging one vpon another Chap. 12.40 God hath blinded their eyes and hardned their hearts By this meanes latter sinnes are made the punishment of former sinnes as Saint Austin teacheth at large in his fift booke against Iulian. Chap. 3. For by the very same thing whereby man by his latter sinnes is made more wicked by the same he is also made more miserable Not that sinne is sent from God as a punishment but because God doth vse for a punishment that sinne which is not from him And hence doth that doctrine of a bare and carelesse permission vanish because a iudge doth not punish by a carelesse permission but by decreeing or iudging according to iustice XII The subministration and furnishing of the outward meanes of saluation such as are the word and sacraments doe also worke to this obduration and hardnesse of heart For vnlesse God moue the heart by the powerfull grace of his spirit mans wickednesse is more stirred vp by those outward helpes and hauing cast off this troublesome yoake he is carried through by-waies and doth violently throw down himselfe with greater ruine And then is fulfilled that which is said in the 81. Psalme I gaue them vp to their owne hearts lusts that they might walke in their owne counsells But yet that you might know that this hardnesse of heart doth proceede from man himselfe the Scripture doth not onely say that God hardned Pharaohs heart but Pharaoh himselfe is said to haue hardenâ—d his owne heart Exod 8.15 Neyther is that of Saint Paule Rom. 1. any otherwise to be vnderstood That God deliuereth ouer the wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a reprobate minde and vile affections For this reprobate minde these vile affections are not put into the wicked by God but they being in the vngodly God hauing put out his light doth suffer these vile affections to exercise their authority ouer them as Thomas teacheth Lib. 2. Quest 79. Art 1. XIII Furthermore they are two sorts of them whose hearts are hardned for besides that hardnesse of heart which is common to all the reprobates whereby a man is left to himselfe whence it commeth that hee doth alwaies grow worse there are some that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men of a high ranke of wickednesse whom God doth deliuer to Sathan with a peculiar and extraordinary vengeance such as were Pharaoh Saul and Iudas XIV Euery positiue being doth depend vpon God as vpon the first and principall entity neither can the creature moue it selfe without the assistance and sustentation of God For by him we liue and moue and haue our bring Acts 17. Neither doth he onely worke by influence into the creatures or assist them by a generall power and influence but also by his peculiar assistance by which he doth sustaine and direct seuerall actions The euents which follow of seuerall actions doe declare this which he doth witnesse doe not happen by chance but of his purpose God so willing Deut. 19.5 Exod. 21.13 If an Axe falling out of the hand of him that cutteth wood doth kill one that passeth by God doth affirme that it was done by him The Lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord Pro. 16.33 XV. Furthermore although God by his concurrence doth giue his influence into humane actions sustayning the agent and directing the actions setting bounds to them ordering the euents and drawing good out of euill yet must it not therefore be thought that God doth instigate to euill actions or to haue forced Eue to the eating of the forbidden tree To the clearing of which assertion we say that God doth not onely worke by the creature but also worke with the creature both God and the creature are concurrent causes to one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the bringing forth of one effect and these two taken together are the totall cause of any action which creature if it doth worke voluntary may by his concurrence pollute the action wherein there is the concurrence of God and determinate it to euill By this meanes the whole fault doth remaine with the creature For God effectually infusing into the creature doth not take away from it the free contribution of its owne power If man sinneth any thing in an humane action the concurrence of God is naturall but the concurrence of the creature is morall whatsoeuer was naturall in the eating of the forbidden Apple was from God whatsoeuer was morall and straying from the path of iustice was from man As God doth giue to a lame liuing creature the power of going yet is not his lamenesse from God so though God doth giue to man the faculty of willing and doth sustaine the naturall motion of the will and the act of willing yet if any euill come which doth
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
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
Vorstius in his book intituled the Conference with Piscator Sect. 18. If we are adopted by faith we are also elected by faith But I deny that that will follow for Adoption is after Election as the Apostle teacheth Ephes 1.5 He predestinated vs to the adoption He which saith we are adopted by faith doth not therefore say that we are elected by faith or for faith but he saith that by faith we are affected with the sense of the fatherly loue of God to vs and that the beleeuers receiue the spirit of adoption VI. He doth defend himselfe by the words of the Apostle 2 Thes 2. He hath chosen vs from the beginning through faith But here Vorstius doth wickedly cut short the words of the Apostle and doth present them lame vnto vs. The words of Saint Paul are these God from the beginning hath chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the spirit and beliefe of the truth Hee doth not say that we are elected for faith fore seene but that we are elected to obtaine saluation by faith And if it may be gathered from this place that we are elected for faith fore-seene it will be proued by the same place that we are elected for sanctification or regeneration fore-seene which doth not please Arminius He doth vrge that place of Saint Iames chap. 2. Hath not God chosen the poore of the world rich in faith but in vaine for therefore they are rich in faith because God hath giuen them faith and he hath therefore giuen it them because they are elected If I say God hath elected the Saints which doe enioy glory doe I therefore thinke that God elected them for the fore-seeing of the glory to come And if it be lawfull for the Arminians to take these words of Christ I giue my life for my sheepe as being spoken by anticipation or preuention of those who were not yet his theepe but were to be why may it not be lawfull for vs also to take these words God chose the beleeuers as being spoken by an anticipation of those which doe not beleeue in act but are considered as those who are to beleeue VII Vorstius addeth that Mat. 22. few are said to be elected because few haue the wedding garment But I deny that this is to be found there Christ shuts vp with this sentence the parable of those that were called to the wedding wherof onely few obayed him calling them Many are called few chosen In which words the reason is not yeelded why he was cast forth that had not on the wedding garment but why of many that were called there came but a few Which thing that the Reader might not obserue Vorstius hath vsed a double deceit for hee hath omitted those words many are called and then also instead of Nam For he hath sâ—t downe Quia because that he might perswade that here the cause was rendred why he that was vndecently apparelled was call out For he knew that the particle Nam for doth often set downe the note or marke but not the cause as Mâ—t. 26.73 and in many other places but in this place it is no doubt but that here the cause is signified For the cause is noted why of so many that were called so few followed him calling to wit because although many are called yet few are chosen Whence it is manifest that this place if any other doth hurt Arminius VIII The other things which he doth heape vp that hee might proue that they that are elected are those that be ecue are nothing to the purpose For the elect are the beleeuers and the belecuers are the erect But they are not elected because they are belecuers but that they might bereeue IX There is no more force in the obiection which he bringeth out of the 2. Pet. Chap. 1. Make your calling and election sure Out of which words he doth inferre that calling is before election But Peter doth not here set calling before election but the certainty of our cailing before the certainty of our election I willingly acknowledge that that certainty is first in order But that election is before calling Saint Paul teacheth Rom. 8. Whom he predestinated hee called whom he called he iustified whom he iustified he glorified For as iustification is before glorification and calling before iustification so predestination is before calling X. Greuinchouius against Ames Pag. 171. Arnâ—ldus after Armun us vseth the samâ— argument P. 282. doth thus dispute I say that by your predestination the Gospell is inuerted For this is the sâ—ntence of the Gospell If thou beleeuest thou shalt liue but this your predestination saith if you are predestinated to life you shall beleeue I answere it is one thinâ— to inuert or turne the sentence another thing to ouerturne it For this sentence is conuertible whosoeuer is elected shall beleeue and whosoeuer doth beleeue is elected For we speake of that faith which Saint Paul Tit. 1.1 calleth the faith of the elect Doe not the Arminians rather inuert the Gospell which faith that faith is of the elect but they say that faith is not of the elect but that election is of the faithfull That which Greuinchouius in that place doth stuffe in concerning reprobation shall be examined in his owne place XI The same man pag. 130. doth thus argue Saluation is the reward of faith 1 Pet. 1.9 the crowne of righteousnesse the reward of labour the prize of our strife and finished course the inheritance of the sonnes of God that is of the faithfull Iohn 1.12 Gal. 4.30 And because it is hard to see how these things can be drawne to election for faith fore-seene seeing it is not there spoken of election nor of faith foree-seene he addeth these words Therefore Election to saluation is not the decree concerning the end of men as they are men simply but of the saluation of men as they are such sort of men to wit of them that are faithfull and of them that perseuere in the faith This also we confesse in that sense which we said before but it were better to say of them that were to perseuere because God electing doth not consider faith and perseuerance as a thing performed but as a thing to be performed and that by his bounty and gift XII He further addeth The will of bestowing the reward the wages c. doth necessarily presuppose the fore-seeing of faith and perseuerance in faith by the couenant of the Gospell if thou beleeuest and doest perseuere thou shalt be saued Here you digresse from the question For it was spoken of election for faith foreseene but you speake of saluation which is bestowed after faith God electing to saluation doth fore-see that faith will come before the obtaining of saluation but he doth so fore-see it that God foreseeth that which he himselfe is to worke which to speake properly is not to fore-see but to will Furthermore eternall life is called the reward of faith because it is not to be had but
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
gouerned by the will In these actions the will is free vnlesse when some externall force compels or some vnauoidable necessity doth vrge men being vnwilling XII There are also some actions that are ciuill as to sell to buy to bargaine to play to build to paint In these things the will of man is free and doth freely incline it selfe to one or other For hee that doth these things at the command of another yet is willing to obey him that commandeth and therefore is driuen to doe it not onely by anothers will but also by his owne Of this liberty the Apostle speaketh Corinth 7.37 He that standeth stedfast in his heart hauing no necessity but hath power ouer his owne will hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin doth well For in this place the Apostle vnderstandeth by that which is done well not that which is done agreeable to Gods law but that which is done prudently and fitly to the present time and purpose XIII Also in actions that are ciuilly honest the will of man is moued by its owne pleasure as when a heathen man helpes vp him that is fallen or sheweth the way to him that is out of it XIV The like liberty is in the obseruation of Ecclesiasticall pollicy and in those workes commanded by the law of God which doe belong to an outward operation for the most wicked men doe performe holy rites and religious ceremonies doe bestow almes doe heare and reade the word of God XV. But especially in euill actions man is free For hee is not onely of his owne accord carried to sinne but also of two or more euills most freely hee doth choose eyther and doth voluntarily apply himselfe to that to which his minde leads him Wherefore seeing man that is naturally euill is gouerned by his owne euill will and that one is for that cause said to be free because he doth what he listeth it is manifest that man is therefore the seruant of sinne because he is in subiection to his owne will and because he doth sinne voluntarily and freely and that man is therefore a seruant because he is free XVI They that say that an vnregenerate man by this seruitude naturall deprauation doth necessarily sin ought not to be reprehended for an vnregenerate man must needes sin Thus the diuels doe necessarily sinne but yet freely for they sinne being not constrained nor determined and appointed to any one thing onely by any outward cause forcing them But they are led by their owne motion by their ingrafted wickednesse and with their knowledge after the same manner that the Saints that are glorified are necessarily and immutably good but yet voluntarily and freely For it is not credible that the Saints haue lost their liberty by their glorification There is a kinde of necessity which is voluntary neither is liberty contrary to necessity but to constraint and seruitude Wherefore Saint Austin Enchirid. Chap. August lib. 22. de ciuit Cap. 30. Nec ideo libertō arbitrium non habebunt quia peccata eos delectare non poterunt c. Enchirid cap. 105. Multo liberius◠erit arbitrium quod omnino non poterit seruire peccato 105. ciuitat lib. 22. Cap. vlt. doth teach that by the necessity of not sinning which shall be in the Saints their free-will shall be rather increased and confirmed then diminished What is more free then God And yet he is necessarily good and doth good things For as Thomas saith Tom 8. De libro arbitrio Quest 24. Art 3. It is no part of free-will to be able to choose euill The same man doth in many places say that constraint and not necessity is contrary to the liberty of the will but especially in the same Tome Quest 10. De process diuin personarū Art 2. XVII There are moreouer habits and actions that is vertues and workes which doe helpe forward to saluation and which are proper to the faithfull Such as are the true knowledge and feruent loue of God saith and repentance and holy actions flowing from these vertues In and about these things the will of a man that is vnregenerate and standing in his pure and meere naturals is not free here is no free-will of man no inclination no disposition Surely it had beene a very hard thing to finde in Paul raging against the Church and in the theefe crucified for his robberies whom Christ conuerted in the very agony of his death any dispositions or preparations to repentance XVIII I doe not deny but that there are memorized many things of heathen men which were done honestly and profitably for ciuill society for concord and for the defence of their countrie But seeing Without faith we cannot please God Heb. 11.6 And seeing that that action alone is acceptable to God which is done with Faith for Whatsoeuer is done without faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 and which is referred to the glory of God as the Apostle commandeth 1. Cor. 10.31 It is plaine that those honest deedes of the heathen were not without fault and that they could not come to saluation by such ciuill vertues nor that any one could by them be disposed to faith or true repentance The right outward duties of ciuill vertues are of one sort the duties of faith and Christian piety are of another sort And truly in my iudgement the heathen iudge who in giuing sentence and in diuiding possessions doth iudge equally and well is no more iust before the tribunall of God then the theeues who equally and iustly diuide the pray among themselues For whosoeuer doth want faith in Christ is not the Sonne of God and therefore cannot be an heire and iust possessor of worldly goods although he excell in ciuill vertues For a kinde of doubtfull light and some seedes of equity are left in man for ciuill society And they to whom the light of the Gospell doth shine if they giue themselues ouer to vices should be confounded with shame being vrged by these examples XIX But after God hath enlightned the minde of any one with his light and hath touched his heart with repentance and hath wrought in him faith in Christ then the will of man beginneth to moue it selfe willingly and freely to holy actions to which it is not forced by phisicall or naturall necessity but it is so turned by a milde and effectuall eyther perswasion or influence that the will may freely and willingly follow God calling For otherwise that were not a good worke whereunto one should be drawne by constraint or should be compelled by a naturall necessity He that doth good vnwillingly doth wickedly Such a man is sufficiently rewarded if God pardon his obedience for although God hate euill yet he will not therefore compell to good Because a good worke is not good but when it is voluntarily XX. And although man is freely moued to the workes of piety yet the whole praise of the good worke is due to God who worketh in vs
or of that loue wherewith he feeles himselfe to be affected Christ doth beate downe all pride in speaking thus to Peter Matth. 16.17 Blessed art thou Symon Bar-Iona for flesh and blood hath not reuealed this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen And Chap. 11.25 he doth giue thanks to his father that hee hath hidden these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hath reuealed them to babes VII And especially when it is spoken of the loue of God and of obedience to his commandements the Scripture will haue vs to acknowledge that whatsoeuer is done well by vs is receiued from God We loue God because he hath loued vs first Iohn 4.19 For this is one of the effects of the loue of God towards vs that it doth put into our hearts a loue of him God himselfe thus speaketh Ier. 31. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts And Chapter 32. I will put my feare into their hearts that they shall not depart from me And Moses bringeth this reason as the cause why the Israelites did not repent at the law of God ratified with so many threatnings and confirmed with so many miracles Deut. 29.4 The Lord hath not giuen you a heart to perceiue nor eyes to see Let Arminius tell mee whether these men had sufficient power to beleeue or sufficient grace which with the helpe of free-will they might haue rightly vsed if they would Fie on this forgerie And yet was not God the cause of the impenitency and blindnesse of that people For hee that will not heale him that is blinde is not the cause of his blindenesse God did not put this wickednesse in man but he knoweth who they are on whom hee will haue mercy and he hath reason for his actions to enquire into which were not onely rash but also dangerous VIII Saint Paul Galath 3.26 saith That wee are the sonnes of God by faith in Christ If therefore it be in the power of mans free-will being helped with grace to beleeue or not to beleeue to vse that grace or not to vse it it must needes also be in the power of free-will helped with grace to effect that we may be the sonnes of God or may not Which is contrary not onely to piety but also to common sence for who euer effected that he was the sonne of his father or who is beholding to himselfe for any part of his generation IX The same Apostle saith Rom. 9. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of him that sheweth mercy By him that willeth and him that runneth hee vnderstandeth him that worketh for the consideration of workes is excluded from the election or as Arminius had rather from the iustification of man that this benefit might be acknowledged to be receiued from the mercy of God alone Arminius offendeth against this rule For by his doctrine the conuersion of a man by faith and therefore both his righteousnesse and saluation is of him that willeth and of him that runneth of him that worketh that is of him who by the helpe of his free-will doth vse vniuersall grace well and who doth therefore beleeue because to the helpe of grace hee hath brought the power of free-will by which hee hath obtained Faith For as I haue said the Arminians make the cause of faith to be these two ioyned together to wit grace and free-will to vse which free-will to the obtaining of saith and to the conuerting of himselfe is certainely to will and to runne The Apostle therfore ought to haue said It is of man that willeth and runneth and of God which sheweth mercy that free-will might be ioyned with the mercy of God And if as Saint Austin saith fitly Lib. 1. ad Simplic Quaest 2. It may be said That it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth because conuersion and saluation is not by the free-will of man alone why may it not also be said that it is not of God that sheweth mercy because conuersion is not made by the grace of God alone but also by free-will It skilleth nothing that Saint Austin vsed this argument against Pelagius who denied that we were preuented by grace for it hath the same force against the Semipelagians who ioyne free-will to grace Seeing that Saint Paul doth not say That it is not alone of him that willeth but doth altogether exclude free-will X. Finally this argument hath so tormented Arnoldus Page 445. that he would seeme to yeeld to our part for he saith It is not placed in our will that we should obey the calling of God but this thing it selfe is also from the mercy of God But the scoffing and crafty man is very wary least hee should say somewhat that should hurt his owne cause For when he saith that it is not placed in our will he vnderstandeth alone Therfore he would not say that this is wholy placed in the mercy of God alone but tenderly and with a flouting speech he saith that it is placed in the mercy of God He might yea he ought to say so much of free-will that he might agree to himselfe for he thinketh that it is not placed in the grace of God alone nor in free-will alone XI That man cannot be conuerted vnlesse God conuert him and that the whole praise of our conuersion is due to God Ieremy teacheth Chap. 31. v. 18. Conuert me and I shall be conuerted which is also repeated in the last Chapter of the Lamentations I am ashamed of the weake interpretation of the Arminian conferrers at the Hage who pag. 266. by conuerted would haue corrected to be vnderstood There is nothing so cleare and direct in the holy Scripture which may not be corrupted with a foolish and rash interpretation who hauing but little skill in the Hebrew is ignorant that the Verbe shub signifieth to be turned and not to punish and therefore in the contugation Hiphil it is to cause that one be conuerted and not that he be punished Or who doth not see how ridiculous a thing it were if men bruised with afflictions should pray that they might be still afflicted As if any one that were grieuously whipped should desire moreouer that he might be buffeted But Ieremy expoundeth himselfe and doth teach what it is to be conuerted for he addeth being conuerted I will repent and acknowledge my selfe this indeede is to be conuerted Seeing therefore that men who are already conuerted say Conuert me and I shall be conuerted Ier. 31. Draw me and I will runne Cant. 1. And doe ascribe the progresse and the proceeding of their conuersion to God alone how much more is the beginning of our conuersion to be attributed to God alone For if they that are already willing doe confesse that they owe to God whatsoeuer good they doe and that without his grace they cannot moue a foote further how much more is it to be determined that of being
the fore-skinne of your heart All which places are besides the purpose for they doe not say that which Arnoldus doth apply to them to wit that these things are done by vs but they onely commanded them to be done and I meruaile how so great a negligence hath crept on a man of a sharpe and acute wit Yea if these places should say that man gaue himselfe a new heart that he did sanctifie and quicken and saue himselfe yet it would not thence follow that these things are done by our free-will for it is familiar to the Scripture to say that those are done by vs which God doth worke by vs Thus man openeth to God knocking Reuel 2.20 Thus the Apostles raised the dead Thus the Pastors of the Church forgiue sins Mat. 18. Iohn 21. Thus they saue soules 1 Tim. 4.16 When yet without wickednesse they cannot arrogate to themselues the title of the Sauiour of soules XVII And whether this doctrine tendeth of the concurrence of free-will with grace and of the faculty whereby man may beleeue vse grace if he will or not beleeue refuse grace and the totall cause of faith is assigned not to grace alone but to grace with free-will whether I say this doctrine drawne out of the ditches and puddles of the Semipelagians doth tend it is easie to know For it tendeth thither that mans merits might closely be brought in as it were by vndermining wayes For a though these Sectaries doe at the first view seeme to beare a hatred to merits yet in many places they doe establish them The Epistle against the Walachrians hath these words pag. 44. Those whom God calleth and to whom he doth before hand vouchsafe the grace of preaching we confesse for the most part to be such men that their vertues doe deserue no lesse then this free bestowing of gifts Behold then some men who deserue the bestowing of the gifts of God and that before regeneration Arnoldus pag. 328. God giueth to the creature performing obedience that which is theirs of due Arminius against Perkins pag. 218. God of his promise and of due debt doth giue life to him that worketh And Arnoldus pag. 433. doth speake of some who by the helpe of grace doe not make themselues vnworthy and doe not deserue that the spirit should cease to worke in them XVIII It liketh me well for a corollary to set downe here the famous sentence of Saint Austin ad Simplicium quest 2. This is manifest that we will in vaine vnlesse God shew mercy but I doe not know how it can be said that God sheweth mercy in vaine vnlesse we doe will for if God hath mercy we are willing because it belongeth to that mercy that we should be willing for it is God that doth worke in vs to will and to doe of his good will And in the same place The effect of the mercy of God cannot be in the power of man that he should in vaine haue mercy if man be vnwilling because if he will haue mercy on them he can call them after that manner that is fit for them that they should be moued and vnderstand and follow CHAP. XXXVI Of the outward and inward calling and whether the one be without the other I. ALthough the workes of God which are euery where before our eyes doe abundantly testifie and euen against mens wils do shew the infinite power goodnesse and wisdome of God yet this light is but dimme and nearer to darkenesse in comparison of the light of the word of God whereby hee doth not onely giue vs assurance of his omnipotency maiesty and prouidence but doth also reueile to vs his will For surely the contemplation of the creatures doth not touch men with the sence of sinne nor doth shew to a man the way of saluation and reconciliation with God yea there can be no profitable and sauing contemplation of nature vnlesse those things which in a doubtfull light and in worne-out letters are hardly read doe by the word of God as it were through spectacles appeare plaine and distinct to vs Then at length doe we contemplate heauen with filiall eyes as the entry of our fathers house when God by his word hath dispelled this mist from our mindes and hath declared sure tokens of his fatherly loue II. Furthermore although the knowledge of the creatures doth not suffice to saluation yet the Gentiles who were instructed by no other teacher then nature are therefore inexcusable because they doe not vse these although small helpes to as good purpose as they might and because they endeauour to choake or depraue those naturall good notions and sparkes of goodnesse and equity which are put into them by nature Therefore they alone doe profit in piety by the teaching of the creatures and are by the prickes of conscience stirred vp to the feare of God to whom God hath vouchsafed the prerogatiue of his word III. But yet not all they that heare the word of God doe come to saluation but those in whom the preaching of the Gospell piercing deepely and being admitted into them doth change their hearts and shed in their mindes a heauenly light And these sauing effects are not to be ascribed to the eloquence of man obtained to perswade but to the secret efficacy of the holy Ghost which is the true doctor of our soules and that singer of God engrauing the law on the stony tables of our hearts Thence it is that the Gospell is called in the Scripture a two-edged sword a hammer breaking the stone the arme of God and the power of God to saluation Without which efficacy of the holy Ghost preaching is but a dead letter and a vaine sound striking mens eares effectuall onely to this that the condemnation of the stubborne and rebellious hearer should be the greater Hence ariseth a double calling one outward which is wrought by the outward publishing of the Gospell the other inward which is wrought by the powerfull drawing and change of the heart by the Holy-Ghost by whom the word is made effectuall This inward change doth consist of two parts viz. The enlightning of the minde and the change of the will which change of the will though it be latter in time yet it is worthier in dignity In so much that the enlightning of the minde without the renewing of the heart doth turne to our greater condemnation This inward change is in the Scripture called conuersion regeneration the new birth creation and resurrection IV. Here wee haue somewhat to doe with the Arminians and there is no small controuersie betweene vs For they say that the word of God whensoeuer and amongst whomsoeuer it is preached is neuer destitute of its quickning power neither is any one outwardly called but hee is also inwardly drawne And therefore they refuse the distinction of vocation or calling into outward and inward These are the words of Arminius against Perkins Page 57. The word is vnprofitable without the Holy-Ghost wherefore
present with all men and that all men either by the naturall law or by the written law or by the Gospell are so called that it is free for euery man to embrace or refuse the offered grace to beleeue or not to beleeue For they say that Christ obtained reconciliation for all men and that God from eternity elected those whom he fore-saw would beleeue in Christ and perseuere in the faith And therefore that the number of the elect is not determined by the decree of God but that our election is then certaine when the course of our life is measured out These are they who are commonly called Semipelagians Differing from Pelagius in this that they acknowledge nature to be depraued with Originall sinne and that they distinguish nature from grace but yet by a secret agreement they doe fauour Pelagius because they will haue nature so to be a diuerse thing from grace that yet they will haue grace equally to extend it selfe as farre as nature Also they make such a grace the vse whereof doth depend vpon free-will Hee that would throughly know the meaning of these men let him reade the Epistle of Prosper to Saint Austin inserted into the Seauenth Tome of the workes of Saint Austin most worthy to be read with care For he being a very great admirer of Saint Austin and being for this cause accused by these Semipelagians he requireth the helpe of Saint Austin and doth desire to be furnished with arguments whereby hee might defend himselfe against them Surely there you shall plainely know the Arminian vaine and you shall see Arminianisme graphically and liuely painted out And but that the title of the Epistle and the Epistle it selfe did testifie both the Author and the age you would sweare it were the Epistle of one who being prouoked by the Arminians and being ill entreated doth implore the helpe of one more learned That now it cannot be a doubt out of what puddles they haue drawne their opinions and which of the ancient Heretiques they haue propounded to themselues to imitate I shall not much stay the hastening Reader if I lay downe the words of the Semipelagians themselues as they are recited by Prosper himselfe This is saith Prosper their declaration and profession that euery man sinned when Adam sinned and that no man is saued in regeneration by his owne workes but by the grace of God and yet 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 baptisme may be saued And that God fore-knew before the making of the world who were to beleeue and who would continue in that faith which afterwards should be helped by the grace of God And that hee Predestinated those to his kingdome whom he hauing freely called he fore-saw would be worthy of Election and would depart out of this life with a good end And therefore that euery man is admonished by the ordinances of God to beleeue to worke that no man might despaire of obtaining eternall life seeing that the reward is prepared for voluntary deuotion But this purpose of the calling of God by which the difference of them that are to be elected and of them that are to be reiected is said to haue beene made eyther before the beginning of the world or in the very creation of mankinde that according to the pleasure of the creator some should be created vessels of honour others vessels of dishonour this they say doth both take away from them that are fallen the care of rising againe and also doth yeeld occasion of sluggish drowsinesse to the Saints because on eyther side labour is superfluous if neither he that is reiected can by any industry and diligence enter nor he that is elected can by any negligence fall away For after whatsoeuer manner they shall behaue themselues nothing can happen to them but what God hath determined and vnder an vncertaine hope the course cannot be constant seeing that the intention of him that doth endeauour is vaine if the Election of him that predestinateth hath appointed anther thing Therefore all industry is remoued and all vertues are taken away if the appointment of God doe preuent the will of man and a kinde of fatall necessitie is brought in vnder this name of predestination These were the words of the Semipelagians altogether like Arminianisme and of the same stampe Let those things also which follow be pondered and considered of They determine that to this gift of saluation all men vniuersally are called either by the naturall law or by the written law or by the preaching of the Gospell that both they that will might be made the sonnes of God and that they might be inexcusable who will not be faithfull because herein is the iustice of God that they who will not beleeue should perish and his goodnesse appeareth herein that he will put backe no man from life but indifferently would all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth And that our Lord Iesus Christ dyed for all mankinde and that no man at all is excepted from the redemption of his bloud although he passe through his whole life in a farre other opinion And a little after They doe not consent that the predestinated number of the elect can neither be encreased nor diminished least the incitations of them that exhort men should haue no place with infidels and those that neglect predestination c. They haue receiued the election of God according to fore-knowledge to wit that therefore God hath made some men vessels of honour and some vessels of dishonour because he fore-saw the faith of euery one Truely this is meere Arminianisme but that the Arminians doe clothe their opinions more gloriously and doe paint them with exquisite colours and doe more sparingly vse the word Merit which not onely the Semipelagians but also the Orthodoxe writers but in another sence then the Papists at this day doe did often vse Finally they doe as they doe who set before their guests old and reiected dainties by putting to them new sauce To this Epistle is added another of the same argument of Hilareus Bishop of Areles to Saint Austin where he doth attribute these things to the Semipâ—lagians God in his fore-knowledge doth elect faith that whom he fore-knew would beleeue him he elected to whom he would giue the holy Ghost that by working good they might obtaine eternall life This fore-knowledge they thus vnderstand to wit that men are said to be fore-knowne for faith which is to follow and that such a perseuerance is giuen to no man from which hee is not suffered to swerue but that he may fall from it and be weakened by his owne will Whatsoeuer is giuen to those that are predestinated they contend that they may loose it or keepe it according to their owne will Which then were false if they did thinke it true that some men haue
matters For who are these some Are they not some certaine persons Therefore God doth vnresistibly worke that certaine persons should beleeue Is it likely that God doth vnresistibly cause that some should beleeue and hath not appointed who they should be For so it would come to passe that God predestinated some men to beleeue vnresistibly and that he predestinated none Is it possible that God should cause that some men should beleeue vnresistibly and yet tbat the same men should not beleeue vnresistibly As if I should say that God doth cause that some should die who yet certainely doe not die And seeing by the opinion of Arminius there is none of the elect who may not be reprobated and cause that God should be disappointed of his intention it is a meruaile how God should cause vnresistibly that some should beleeue when there is none of them who beleeue and are conuerted but many finally resist and so perish Whatsoeuer may happen to seuerall men may also happen to all Nor can the purpose of God be certaine of causing vnresistibly that some should be conuerted vnlesse some be vnresistibly conuerted Euen as the purpose of God of causing some to be drowned cannot be certaine vnlesse some be drowned The same men Collat pag. 292. say That to conuersion there is required a power which must in many parts exceede euery created power although it should not worke vnresistibly For that nature may be effectually conuerted something is required that is more powerfull then it selfe These things seeme to me to be such as cannot stand together that the power of the spirit by which wee are conuerted doth in many parts exceede the power of nature and yet that it may be so resisted by nature that it may be ouercome and may finally be hindred for of such a resistance is it spoken here There is no cause therefore to feare lest irresistibility being thrust at by the Arminians should fall downe seeing that on the one part they doe hold it vp and vnderproppe it from falling yet it is worth the labour to know with what obiections they doe enforce it CHAP. XLIX The weake obiections of the Arminians against Irresistibility that is the infallible certainty of the conuersion of the elect are answered I. THese Sectaries doe lay the chiefe foundation of their cause in that their false opinion and already confuted by vs. That God doth not administer and supply the meanes to conuersion and faith by any absolute and precise decree For if God calling men doth precisely and absolutely intend the conuersion of no one man it is not needefull that the conuersion of any one should precisely follow the supplying of those meanes This their foundation seeing it hath beene ouerwhelmed and cast downe by vs the other things which they would build vpon this must needes fall II. The Arminian conferrers at the Hage doe very ill heape together many things to the ouerthrowing whereof there is neede of no great contention In the front of the battell they set that place in the Acts Chapter 7.15 Where Stephen doth lay it to the charge of the rebellious Iewes that they haue alwaies resisted the holy-Ghost Whence they inferre that the holy-Ghost when he worketh in man doth not worke conuersion vnresistibly III. But they doe vnwisely proue that which is not in controuersie For we doe not teach we doe not acknowledge that irresistibility which they attribute to vs. This conclusion therefore doth not hurt vs who doe willingly confesse that the holy-Ghost doth not alwaies so worke in mens hearts that hee taketh away all resistance Furthermore they suppose a thing which is most false as a thing true and granted to wit that the holy-Ghost wrought in those Iewes and that they resisted the inward operation of the Spirit Stephen chargeth the Iewes that they alwaies resisted the eu dent testimony of the holy-Ghost speaking by the Prophets This the following words of Stephen doe declare Which of the Prophets haue not your fathers persecuted c. Nor if Stephen should speake of the holy-Ghost dwelling in the impious and vnbeleeuing Iewes which yet is very false would it thence follow that he spake of the spirit of Adoption and of the grace peculiar to the elect which doth certainely and infallibly worke faith and conuersion in them alone IV. With this place there likewise fall to the ground those places in which the Scripture Psal 78. Esay 63. Matth. 23.37 Prou. 1.24 c. saith that the Iewes tempted God and stirred him vp to wrath and made sad the spirit of his holinesse that the chickens would not be gathered that they who were called refused c. All these say I are nothing to the purpose The Scripture there speaketh of vngodly and rebellious persons but in this question it is spoken of the faithfull and the elect and the question is whether it may be that they may neuer be conuerted and may finally resist the spirit of adoption To the prouing of this the places which speaketh of Reprobates which we confesse doe finally resist God calling and doe want the spirit of adoption are plainely besides the purpose Finally these Sectaries doe not proue that in all these places it is spoken of a finall resistance of which alone it is spoken here But say they God Ezechiel 18.31 doth command the Israelites to make them a new heart and a new spirit Whence they gather that man may performe what he is commanded or resist God commanding I am ashamed of this olde trifle and Pelagian colewort so often brought againe and as often reiected First of all what neede is there to proue that an vnregenerate man is able not to obey this commandement of making him a new heart seeing this alone he is able to doe to wit nor to obey and he cannot obey And that man can doe whatsoeuer God commandeth is an heresie of the Pelagians already confuted by vs The precepts of God are not the measure of our powers but the rule of our duty the summe of our debt the matter of our prayers the scope of our strife But of these things more then enough VI. Fourthly they pretend that place Esay 5. What could more haue beene done to my Vineyard which I haue not done to it Whence they inferre that the grace of God doth not worke conuersion in man vnresistibly This is a prodigious consequence and if it were good yet the conclusion would touch neither the question nor vs who confesse that in the elect themselues conuersion is not wrought without some resistance Adde to these that to the question wherein it is spoken of the conuersion of seuerall men a place speaking of the calling of a whole nation is vnwisely brought When it is spoken of the certainty of the conuersion of the elect they ought not to bring a place speaking of the rebellion of an incredulous and vnbeleeuing nation Finally they deale so as they who are very carefull lest they should say any thing
that should make to the purpose VII By the way the Reader shall obserue that vnproper phrases and spoken after the manner of men ought not to be taken as properly spoken God is figuratiuely said to haue wished and expected fruit from his vine Desires and griefe as if hauing spent his labour in vaine he had failed of his propounded end cannot happen to God When God doth wish the conuersion of men as Psal 81.14 he doth insinuate nothing else then that the conuersion of man is acceptable to him So when he is said to expect fruit from the Vine or from the Fig-tree that is from the Church or from particular men and when the Vine disappointed his hope not presently to plucke it vp by the rootes vnderstand that God doth require and demand obedience and that when that which ought to be done is not done he is not presently ready to punish but doth deferre it Luke 13.9 God doth not expect those euents which hee fore-knoweth will not come to passe Much lesse doth he expect those euents in the godly which hee himselfe is to worke VIII They stumble at the same stone when they cite that of Ezechiel Chap. 12. Vers 2. Sonne of man thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house who haue eyes to see and see not c. Whence they inferre that man indeede hath eyes and eares and power of conuerting himselfe but he is able to resist Vnwisely spoken for who doth deny that man is able to resist yea of his owne nature hee can doe nothing else Why doe they heape vp to vs the examples of reprobates and wicked men in the question whereby it is demanded whether it may come to passe that hee who is elected can finally resist grace and fall from it By the way the Reader shall remember that of the same people to whom eares eyes are here attributed God doth thus speake Deut. 29.4 The Lord hath not giuen you a heart to vnderstand nor eyes to see nor eares to heare to this day For there are two kindes of eyes some which onely the faithfull haue to wit the eyes of faith some which reprobates may haue who seeing and willing doe perish who seeing doe not perceiue and doe heare heauily with their eares Mat. 13.26.27 these mens eyes are carnall and cloudy these men naturall reason being their guide haue a superficiall knowledge which doth not affect the heart or if any diuine light hath risen to them it doth rather dazle their eyes then enlighten them yea that knowledge which they haue they endeauour to choake willingly groping at noone day IX The places of Scripture which they adde they doe in the same manner mis-alleadge Zach. 7.11 Esay 6.9 Mat. 13.4 Acts 28.25 and 26. By which places no other thing can be proued then that reprobates and rebellious persons may refuse the grace of God and resist his admonitions which we willingly confesse But what is this to finall resistance in the Elect X. They doe gloriously boast of the words of Christ Mat. 11.21 Woe vnto thee Corazin woe vnto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty workes which were done in you had beene done in Tyre and Sydon they would haue repented long agoe in sacke-cloath and ashes The like place you haue Ezech. 3.6 Out of the place of Matthew they thus dispute That grace by which some men to whom it is giuen haue not beene conuerted and others had beene conuerted if the same had beene giuen to them is resistible But the grace of conuersion is such Therefore the grace of conuersion doth not worke vnresistibly There was no cause that they should so labour in the prouing of either proposition seeing wee willingly admit of the conclusion Wee know that the elect themselues doe resist the grace of God although not perpetually nor so that the grace of God should be finally hindred The question is whether it may come to passe that the elect may so resist the grace of God that they may neuer be conuerted or that they may extinguish it and finally hinder it The good men doe not touch this question but doe wander other where X. Yet doe they not vphold those two propositions with fit proofes The Maior and first proposition they thus proue If Grace worke conuersion in man by an vnresistible force it should alwayes and euery where worke with the like efficacy But I deny that that will follow For although grace should vnresistibly worke conuersion in all men that are conuerted yet it might come to passe that it should worke in some men with greater efficacie to wit in those who are so affected that they doe presently and without delay follow God calling and are inflamed with greater zeale and feruency then others who obey more slackly and slowly XII They proue the Minor and second proposition by the example of the men of Tyre But they suppose without any proofe that Christ in this place doth speake of true conuersion by which they are conuerted to whom God doth giue true faith and repentance Which surely is a great demand For seeing the men of Tyre and Sydon did not pertaine to the election of God because they neuer were conuerted if the miracles had beene done amongst them which were done amongst the men of Corazin they might haue beene touched with a reuerence and haue beene affected with the sence of their sinne and haue beene cast downe with that repentance which is bred by the feare of punishment such as was the repentance of Ahab 1 King 21. and of the greater part of the Niniuites as the ruine of Niniuie a while after doth declare as we learne Neh. 1.1 and out of the last Chapter of Tobias In which thing the men of Tyre had beene more praise-worthy then the men of Corazin who among so many miracles did not feele the least touch of griefe nor gaue any signes of repentance But I deny that it was in the power of the men of Tyre to obtaine true faith and to perseuere in it without which yet there is no true repentance And truely the Arminians seeme to me to accuse God of deceitfull enuie and ill will because hee knew that the men of Tyre were so affected that if those miracles had come to them they had seriously repented and come to saluation and yet he enuied this benefit to them which notwithstanding he bestowed on a people whom hee knew would neither be conuerted by miracles nor by preaching XIII In the seauenth place they thus dispute They who may resist the word of Grace and saluation may also resist the spirit of repentance But men may resist the word of grace and saluation Therefore the same men may also resist the spirit of repentance We admit of the conclusion in that sence which I haue often said They proue the Minor by the examples of reprobates whom we know doe finally resist But here it is spoken of the elect and the question is whether they may so resist
in themselues Wee doe not deny that doubtings doe sometimes creepe on godly and good men but yet those doubtings must needes diminish little by little as they are more affected with the sence of the grace of God and as their faith is increased But it is not needefull that he who is already conuerted and doth beleeue should feele himselfe to be drawne vnresistibly that is to be so drawne as he cannot resist For wee place the infallible certainty of conuersion not in the sence of man who doth feele that hee cannot resist but in the decree of God by which it must needes be that they come to Christ whom hee hath elected to saluation So the cause that the bones of Christ could not be broken was not in the hardnesse of those bones but in the purpose of God who forbad they should be broke And therefore it may come to passe that they who shall certainely be saued by the decree of God doe not certainely know of their saluation and are often troubled with rising doubts There are some to whom after many yeeres of their life led soberly and godly the confidence of saluation is at last giuen them at their death Nor is it needefull that the faithfull man should trie himselfe whether hee be drawne with an vnresistible power but whether after serious and earnest repentance hee doth so wholy rest himselfe in the death of Christ and in the promise of God that thereby he might be stirred vp to piety and to the feare of God Whosoeuer doth feele himselfe to be thus affected ought not scrupulously to weigh and examine the poyses and drammes of the efficacy of the spirit of God and of vnconquerable grace but so to order himselfe that he may represse his rising doubts by prayer and by the remembrance of the promises of God and that hee may breake and bruise the serpentine power of his lusts resisting the Spirit XXIV And if any one doth otherwise we are not they who can preuent all euils or cure vices knowing that by the best documents and lessons the occasion of sinning may be taken and that the best things may be wrested to the worse part XXV I omit that these Sectaries ioyne those things which cannot be coupled together and doe make those things apposite and agreeing which are opposite and disagreeing For they faigne that hee that hath true faith may doubt whether he be seriously and indeede conuerted Which surely is impossible for true faith doth stirre vp in man serious and true repentance and the loue of God which cannot be in man but it must be felt XXVI Finally the discommodities which these Sectaries doe pick out of our doctrine may be auoided but the doctrine of the Arminians doth enwrap mens consciences in vnauoydable euills For hereby is man puffed vp with pride teaching that man can separate himselfe that he can conuert himself that he can conuert himself before he be conuerted in act by God that man hath wherof he may boast that God is bound to giue him sufficient grace that God doth giue to man what he is indebted to him that the grace of God is not the totall cause of faith that the grace of God is subiected to mans free-will And on the other side Arminianismâ— doth vexe mens consciences with a carefull doubting For who can be certaine of his saluation if our saluation is not certaine by the election and decree of God And if the number of the elect be not certaine by the will of God Or if God hath elected no man but being considered as already dead Or if the certainty of saluation doth rest on the strength of free-will in the power whereof it is to perseuere or not to perseuere to beleeue or not to beleeue to cause that God should be partaker of his desire or should faile of his propounded end Surely if there be place giuen to this deadly doctrine faith and Christian humilitie is lost For it must needs be that they must be most doubtfull who are most proud It must needes be that the expectation of those men must hang in suspence who make the will of man a floating and vnstable thing the foundation of their hope Surely Satan doth therefore puffe vp these men with pride that they might be burst in pieces and doth lift them vp on high that being cast downe from on high he might more grieuously break them and crush them to pieces XXVII But to that our obiection by which we said That if God doth worke in vs onely by the manner of perswasion he is not the efficient cause of faith but onely the stirrer vp thereof by the manner of an obiect as Satan himselfe doth make it manifest who is not the efficient cause of the sinne of man although he doth stirre vp and instigate and worke effectually in the sonnes of rebellion to this obiection the Arminians answere nothing But they obiect on the contrary side If God say they doth conuert those which are his which are farre the lesser part vnresistibly and Satan doth auert and turne away the greater part resistibly therin Satan is of more power then God who by lesse and inferiour helpes can execute his purpose in many more men These good men doe alwaies put that their word vnresistibly for certainely and infallibly But to the purpose I deny that they whom God doth draw and effectually conuert are fewer then they whom Satan doth auert and turne away Indeede it is not to be doubted but that some in the beginnings of their conuersion are remoued from that beginning by the subtlety of Satan But these are but few in comparison of them who neuer felt any assaults or pricks of repentance Satan doth not auert these seeing these are auerse by their owne nature And whatsoeuer Satan doth is but small in comparison of the efficacy of the spirit of God in the elect For Satan found men prone to sinne and thrust them foreward that were falling nor is it any doubt but that the reprobates are not carried so much by the impulsion of Satan as by their owne Certainly it is a greater thing to heale a few that are deadly wounded then to exacerbate and make more angry grieuous the wounds of many and to poure vinegar on the Vlcer It is farre more easie to thrust them forward that are falling then to raise them that are fallen to kill ten that are about to die then to restore one to life that is dead XXVIII And here they exclaime that mans nature is auerted and ouerthrowne while it is necessarily determined and limited to one thing I answere If by the word necessitie be vnderstood not constraint nor naturall necessitie such as is the poise and inclination of all heauy things to the center of the world but an infallible certainty and that voluntary and spontaneus by such a necessity nature is not ouerthrowne The nature of Angels is necessarily determined and limited to that which is good and yet
to permit that they being tempted by Sathan should of their owne free-will fall into sinne and should fall into the pit of eternall death as the most iust stipend of their sinne Secondly of his grace by Christ to free some of them out of the pit of sinne and death by certaine meanes and to accompany them with his spirit whom he freed and at length to giue them eternall life and to others he decreed not to vouchsafe this grace but rather to blinde them and harden them with Sathan and to destroy them with eternall destruction c. The same man in the same place The speciall predestination of the elect is the eternall most wise and immutable decree of God whereby he determined with himselfe from eternity according to the good pleasure of his will freely to deliuer by Christ some certaine and set men fallen with all the rest into the deepe pit of sinne and death The same man lib. 5. de Natura Dei cap. 2. quest 4. By ascending after this order from the effects to the causes and by descending from the causes to the effects Election and Reprobation may and ought to be considered by vs to wit that God from eternity determined by a firme decree first to create all men then to suffer them to fall into sinne and for sinne to be obnoxious to eternall death Lastly to free by that meanes which he hath freed some men by Christ and to giue them eternall life but to reiect the rest from this grace and being left in their sinnes at length to punish them eternally for their sinnes Bucer vpon the ninth Chapter to the Romanes They that will plainly and simply follow Gods word may easily free themselues from these things for they stick fast to this that God doth witnesse of himselfe viz. that he out of mankinde destroyed by their first father chose some men to be framed by him to a new and blessed life and he accounted the rest the vessels of his wrath Philip Melanchton in his Theologicall Common places loco de Praedestin doth repeate these words more then once It is certaine that this is the cause of Reprobation to wit sinne in man Vuolfangus Musculus loco de Elect. Chap. 5. It is manifest that our election is not made for any respect of our quality It must needes be therefore that we seeke the respect of our election in God electing For the sence of our owne basenesse and deprauation doth driue vs thither Dauid said What is man that thou art mindfull of him and the son of man that thou didst predestinate him when thou didst fore-know that he would be euill and depraued Dauid Paraeus in his commentary on the ninth chapter to the Romanes Page eight hundred and sixeteene will haue Iacob and Esau to be considered as sinners by God electing The cause saith he was the eternall purpose of God whereby he determined to make such difference of them Esau was wicked and Iacob was no lesse wicked for they were both conceiued in sinne and yet God loued the one and hated the other not for any inherent or fore-seene difference but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to election whereby he elected one but not the other The same man page 819. The pleasure or will of God calling is his purpose according to election in Christ that is the purpose of God whereby out of the perished masse he seperated some from others by choosing these and leauing the rest which purpose is called Predestination containing vnder it Election and Abiection The Pastors of the Walachrian Churches in their Epistle doe with one consent thus define Predestination This is the opinion of them who cleaue to the old and receiued confession of our Churches That God from eternity according to the immutable good pleasure of his will decreed to saue some men whom by his meere bounty in Christ Iesus he seuered out of corrupted mankinde c. Iohn Piscator a most rigorous maintainer of Predestination out of the entire and vncorrupted Masse and of reprobation without the beholding of sinne hath very lately set forth a treatise digested into ten Aphorismes the second whereof is conceiued in these words This Predestination hath two species or kindes the one whereof is called Election the other Reprobation by a Metonimy of the effect For election and reprobation are properly referred to mankinde already made and fallen but Metonimically the decree it selfe of Electing or Reprobating is so named The learned man doth at length see that it must needes be that in election and reprobation man be considered as already fallen and in the corrupted Masse But he hath deuised another higher decree whereby God doth neither elect nor reprobate but doth only decree to elect and reprobate Of which decree there is no mention made in the Scripture Finally the Synode of Dordt in the seuenth Canon doth thus define election Election is the vnchangeable purpose of God by which before the foundation of the world according to the free good pleasure of his will of his meere grace he hath chosen out of all mankinde to saluation in Christ a certaine and set number of men neither better nor more worthy then others but lying in the common misery with others and fallen from originall righteousnesse into sinne and destruction by their owne fault c. The same Fathers in the 15. Canon of Reprobation doe thus speake The holy Scripture doth manifest and commend vnto vs this eternall and free grace especially when it doth further witnesse that not all men are elected but that some are not elected or are passed by in the eternall election of God To wit those whom God according to his free iust vnreprouable and immutable good pleasure decreed to leaue in the common misery into which they had cast themselues by their owne fault and not to giue to them sauing faith and the grace of conuersion c. FINIS