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
worth which is in these but not in them But it is not likely that any wise man doth choose the best men for any other cause then because they are the best For if the goodnesse of the faithfull doe goe before election hee should doe very ill that should elect them for any other cause then because they are good XII And certainely whensoeuer any thing is promised to a man vnder a condition which is in the power of mans free-will it is plaine that the fulfilling of the condition by mans free-will is the cause why the promise is fulfilled and the Arminians doe contend that God doth giue yea and that hee is bound to giue grace and sufficient power to beleeue but to vse that grace or not to vse it is in the power of mans free-will XIII Neither is it a hard thing to draw from them that which I would haue For let the Schoole and followers of Arminius tell me what moued God by his consequent will to choose Simon Peter rather then Simon Magus why Gregory rather then Iulian They haue nothing to answer but that it was done because God fore-saw faith in them and incredulity in these Therefore although they should get it granted that by their doctrine fore-seene faith is not made the cause why God hath appointed this man to saluation yet they must needes confesse that according to Arminius fore-seene faith is the cause of the difference betweene the elect and the reprobate and therefore the cause why this man is preferred before the other which surely is no other thing then to be the cause of election For euery election is comparatiue and doth inferre the reiection of one or more XIV So when they deny that by the will of God electing the number of the elect is certaine and determined it must needes be that they would haue mans will to be the cause why the number is such a number and so euery man is the cause why hee is of the number of the elect and therefore also the cause of his owne election XV. Although therefore they would haue this suspicion remoued from them yet they will neuer wipe out this blot by which they are contumelious against God and doe weaken the firmenesse and strength of faith As they which make the eternall election and good pleasure of God to depend on mans free-will will haue saluation to be of him that willeth of him that runneth they doe place some worth vertue in man which is the cause why saluation in the eternall counsell of God is appointed to one rather then to another Whence it comes that faith doth shake and saluation is vncertaine as that which although God doth certainely fore-know yet he doth not certainely and infallibly will it for Election is not an act of the fore-knowledge but of the will of God and this will how can it be certaine if it doth depend on an vncertaine thing to wit on mans will But these things by the way for they shall be more exactly examined in their place CHAP. XVIII The decree of generall election is searched into by which Arminius will haue all men to be elected to saluation vnder the condition of faith I. WE haue taught in the fift Chapter that the antecedent will of God as Arminius hath receiued it after Damascen is a meere forged deuise and a thing contumelious against God This foundation being taken away that vniuersall election common to all men vnder the condition of faith to be performed doth fall downe For this generall election Arminius will haue to belong to the antecedent will of God II. Whereunto adde those things which we haue spoken Chapter 12. where we haue dissolued and vnloosed the chaine of the foure decrees in which the Arminians doe comprehend the whole doctrine of Election There we haue shewed that the second decree by which saluation is not decreed to particular persons but it is determined that they shall be saued who shall beleeue is not the decree of prouidence nor predestination but is the rule of the Gospell which doth prescribe and set downe the way to saluation III. This question is put to slight onely by the name of election for Election cannot be of all men he doth not choose that taketh all Neither in the time of the deluge had Noah beene chosen that hee should liue in the deluge if no man had perished by the flood He is elected who is preferred before others the rest being eyther despised or lesse accounted of IV. And seeing in all the points of faith wee ought to be wise and taught out of the Scriptures much more in so high an argument which doth exceede our capacitie Let therefore the Arminians shew by what place of Scripture all men are said to be elected by that election which is opposite to reprobation for of that it is spoken here and not of the election of seuerall men by the consequent will of God Who euer heard it said that Pharaoh or Iudas did any way belong to the election of God Saint Peter indeede 2. Epist Chap. 1. doth ioyne calling to election commanding vs to make our calling and election sure that is by the earnest endeauour of good workes to effect that the sence of our effectuall calling and the perswasion of our election may daily be increased in vs But he will not therefore haue our calling and election to be the same nor will hee haue all that are any waies called to be elected Yea many are called but few chosen Matth. 20.16 V. That also is to be obserued that by this generall election it is not decreed who are to be saued but what manner of men are to be saued and that the Arminians draw the ninth chapter to the Romanes to proue this where it is plainely spoken of the good pleasure of God and his mercy towards some seuerall and peculiar persons whom it seemeth good to God to choose For those words I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy speake of some certaine men and not of what qualified men for then he had said Miserâ—tor qualium I will haue mercy on men so qualified and not cuius or quorum of whom Neither had the example of Isaac and Iacob who were particular persons beene applied to explaine the election not of particular persons but the election eyther of all or of men so qualified VI. But I would learne of the Arminians whether Iudas or Pilate whether the high priests and the Scribes by the instigation and accusations of whom our Sauiour was crucified were elected conditionally and comprehended in that generall election If they were not comprehended then that generall and conditionall election which they would haue to be extended to all men falleth to the ground On the other side if Iudas and those high priests were conditionally elected the decree of God concerning the crucifying of Christ could not be absolute because it was done by men which were conditionally elected vnder a
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
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
against which they did willingly harden their heart XXI To the Scripture thus corrupted and depraued hee doth ioyne reasons that are no better God saith he should delude and mock men if hee should offer them saluation and should say that hee desired their saluation and yet doth not call them to that end that they should be saued I answere the end propounded to God in calling by the Law or by the Gospell those whom he knoweth will not follow is not that those whom hee calleth should not be saued But Gods end is to require of man that which he oweth to wit to obey God commanding obedience and to beleeue him promising Nor is it any doubt but that God doth seriously call men For in calling men bee doth seriously declare what is acceptable to him what man doth owe and what he will giue to them that beleeue and obey But wee doe not say with Arnoldus that God is bound to restore to man those powers which he lost and to cure that disability of man which man brought vpon himselfe Furthermore it is wicked audacity to goe about to prescribe meanes to God which vnlesse he follow hee hath no way to escape the crime of iniustice as if he should be compelled to pleade his cause before the tribunall of man XXII Arnoldus proceedeth The same thing saith he God doth teach when he doth expresly declare that he will not be loaden with this vniust suspition that hee should require any thing of vs to the performance whereof he would not giue vs sufficient power I omit that rude kinde of speaking and which is not agreeing to God when he saith that God will not be loaden with that vniust suspition as if God feared the vniust suspitions of men To the thing it selfe therefore I say that this doctrine is most wicked and there is scarce any that is worse For seeing God doth require from vnregenerate men and Infidels their naturall debt that is the perfect fulfilling of the Law it followeth by this speech of Arnoldus that the vnregenerate and infidels themselues haue power by which without the knowledge of Christ and without faith they may perfectly fulfill the Law and be without sinne The Arminians themselues doe say that God doth vnresistably harden some men who although they cannot but sinne yet from them being hardned God doth not lesse require perfect obedience then before their hardning For the creature is by no means no not by the eternall punishments exempted from his subiection to his creator Nor is it to be doubted but that the Diuels themselues who are in eternall torments are bound to beleeue God for they are therefore punished because they doe not loue him Also if any one be punished for disobedience past he is not therefore freed from the obedience that is due for the time to come But this peruerse doctrine which doth gather by the commandements of God what are the powers of men and doth thinke that there is nothing commanded by God to the fulfilling whereof powers are not supplied to man is at large confuted in the 35. Chapter CHAP. XXXVII Of the distinction of grace into sufficient and effectuall grace I. THe distinction of grace into sufficient and into effectuall grace is an old worne distinction in the Schooles But effectuall grace is taken two wayes For it doth either signifie that grace which is apt and fit to effect and worke as when we call that medicine effectuall and that remedy forcible which although it be not taken by the sicke man yet is apt and fit to heale Or we call that grace effectuall which doth effect and worke in act in which sence effectuall is vsed for efficient and the efficacy is vsed for the effect or for the efficiency The Philosophers say that there is a double efficient cause one in power as the Architect and the Physitian another in act as hee that buildeth and hee that cureth Hence proceedeth that double acceptation of the word efficacy II. The Papists thinke that there is sufficient aide to conuersion giuen to all men with which aide they may so cooperate with the helpe of their free-will that they may be conuerted although there come no other effectuall aide And by effectuall grace they vnderstand that grace which is efficient and doth bring forth its effect III. The Arminians who in the question of grace and free-will doe so dresse and trimme vp Popery as the Papists doe Pelagianisme doe often vse that distinction of sufficient and effectuall grace but with such a floating speech and affected ambiguity that it is hard to know what is effectuall grace with them Arminius against Perkins pag. 245. doth say that that is effectuall grace which doth in very deede worke the effect and hee doth bring these examples God was able to make many worlds but hee did it not effectually Christ was able to saue all men but he did it not effectually Which speech is certainely absurd and deserueth to be laughed at for he speaketh as if God did something not effectually or as if hee had created many worlds ineffectually For in stead of to doe effectually hee ought to haue simply said to doe or to make IV. But Arnoldus being as Diomedes melior patre better then his father doth forsake Arminius For he pag. 397. hath these words That thing is said to be effectuall not which doth effect any thing but which is so powerfull to doe something as is an effectuall remedy and forcible meanes Thus the Patrons of errour are fallen out betweene themselues But here I am bound to patronize and maintaine Arminius against his Scholler For if effectuall grace be taken for that which doth effect and worke in act then this distinction of grace into sufficient and effectuall may be admitted because there are many things of sufficient power to worke which yet doe not worke in act as the absent Physitian and the sleeping Phylosopher But it cannot be said that one grace is sufficient to worke and another is fit and apt to worke for these two are both one neither can any thing be spoken more absurdâ—y then that there is some grace sufficient which is not fit to worke That cannot be an efficient cause which is not of sufficient power V. Therefore according to Arminius the meanes to faith and saluation are administred to all sufficiently but not effectually and efficiently But according to Arnoldus God doth administer these meanes to all men both sufficiently and effectually for he had rather take efficacy for aptitude and fitnesse to worke then for efficiency and the working it selfe that he might say that the efficacy of grace doth not depend on free-will For if he had taken efficacy for efficiency then he must haue said that the efficacy of grace doth depend on free-will For the Schoole and followers of Arminius doe hold this by the teeth and doe cry out with one mouth that the effect or efficiency of grace doth depend on free-will
to that question whereby it is demanded whether God doth giue to seuerall men sufficient grace this place of the fift of Esay is not properly brought where it is not spoken of that sufficient grace which God doth offer or giue to seuerall men but of that which he giueth to a whole nation For the gift of the spirit and the power of beleeuing which Arminius will haue to be giuen to seuerall men is a gift which is giuen to particular men seuerally and not to a whole nation taken together But concerning this sufficient grace a particular Treatise is to be made CHAP. XXXVIII The opinion of the Arminians concerning vniuersall grace which is also called sufficient grace I. IN that Series and ranke of the foure decrees in which the Arminians doe comprehend their whole doctrine of Predestination the third decree was this whereby they say that God decreed to administer and supply the meanes necessary to faith and repentance sufficiently on all and seuerall men Arnoldus will haue these meanes to be effectually administred to all because by efficacy hee vnderstandeth aptitude and fitnesse to effect and worke II. Not that these Sectaries will haue the meanes to faith and saluation to be equally administred to all For they will haue them to be supplied to some more sparingly to some more liberally yet to all in that measure that may suffice to beleeue if they will and by which all men are disposed to viuification so that it is not hindred by God but that all men may haue faith and by beleeuing be saued III. And they thinke that God doth irresistably giue to all men the * Arnold page 407. power of beleeuing But not the act of beleeuing it selfe whereunto although God doth giue sufficient grace to all men yet they will haue it to be in the power of free-will to vse this grace or not to vse it to beleeue or not to beleeue For God doth not * Arnold page 336. Diâ—at Arminius gratiam quia facultas credindi datur quam plurimis dicat omnibuâ— communâ—m esse an proinde negaâ— gratiam esse Arminius in Perkins p. 256. 257. Quanti refutatio tuâ— Quid enim si quis dicat omnes in vniuersum hominâ—s habere potentieâ— credendt saluâ—m consequâ—ndi sâ— velint Et hanc ipsam potentiam esse naturaeh minum dium â—as collatam quo tuo argumento confutabis illum supply these sufficient meanes by a precise intention of sauing any particular person but he doth minister to all and particular men those means which suffice to shew that God doth seriously from his heart desire the saluatioÌ„ of al men that it is not hindred by him but that all men shold be saued IV. They say moreouer that there are some men to whom this sufficient grace is administred more sparingly to whom notwithstanding God is prepared to giue more meanes if they will vse those well which they haue according to that speech To him that hath it shall be giuen These are the words of Arminius against Perkins Page 259. 260. The Gentiles while they were made destitute of the knowledge of God yet God hath not left them without a testimony but euen at that time he made knowne to them some truth concerning his power and goodnesse he also preserued the law engrauen in their mindes which good things if they had rightly vsed at least from their conscience hee would haue giuen them greater grace according to that saying to him that hath shall be giuen Neither doe they doubt to say that the Gentiles destitute of the knowledge of the Gospell may as well come to those good things which are offered in the Gospell as those to whom the Gospell is preached Heare the words of Arnoldus Pa. 105.106 which when I read I trembled at Although saith he many nations are destitute of the ordinary preaching of the Gospell yet they are not precisely excluded from the grace of the Gospell but alwaies the good things which are offered in the Gospell doe remaine equally propounded to them as to the rest who doe enioy the priuiledge of the preaching of it so that they performe the conditions of the couenant Oh * Arnold page 360. Deus indiscriminatiâ—â— statuit media ad finem administrare Et page 372. Etiam Ethnicis ante adnentum Christi media ad fidem in Christum sufficienter efficaciter administrata Et page 443. Deus nihil a nobis exigit ad qued vires sufficientes non det Ibid Si peteres ab homine aliquid nec daret ad obliquendum colligeret vbi non sparsit the faith of God and men Hath Satan so much liberty that in this light of the Gospell he should stirre vp men who should openly teach and write and that vnder a pretence of piety that an entrance into heauen doth lie open and that saluation is propounded as well to heathens and infidels to whom not so much as the name of Christ is knowne as to those to whom Christ is preached But of these things hereafter But by the way it is to be obserued how this man doth confute those things which himselfe hath laid downe and by the adding of an absurd and impossible clause doth destroy those things which he had builded vp For he saith that saluation is no lesse propounded to heathen men then to Christians so that they fulfill the conditions of the Couenant These conditions are Faith and Repentance but how should he beleeue in Christ who is ignorant of Christ how should he repent to whom God hath not giuen the spirit of regeneration Thus is the Reader openly deluded V. Nay what shall wee say to this that they doe not onely affirme that God doth giue sufficient grace and power of beleeuing to all men but that also they contend that God is bound and tied to giue this grace and they make lawes to God himselfe That there is danger lest an action of iniustice should be entred against God or that he had no reason of his iustice vnlesse some one of the Arminian sect had helped him with profitable counsell Arnoldus page 262. hath these words God when hee doth propound the new couenant of grace and doth promise remission of the fault committed vnder the condition of new obedience hee is most of all bound to giue power whereby man may fulfill that condition For otherwise it cannot be iudged that God doth seriously offer this grace Boldly and imperiously spoken His affinia habet Vorstius Collat cuÌ„ Piscat Sect. 19. Vuelferi verba hac sunt lib de officiâ— hominis Christiani F. 3. Causa huius erroris est quod creditum fuit nullum salutarem iustificantem fidem vnquam suisse nisi fidem in Christum Vide Bertium Discept Epist 73. 67. The cause of this assertion hee doth render page 443. God saith he doth shew that he will not be loaden with this vniust suspition that hee should require any
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