the Arminian Questions were handled at leisure from November to May and all that was needfull was cleerly decided That labour was so blessed by God that the Land which through the Arminian Schisme and Errours was at the point of ruine since that time hath had peace from these turbulent Schismaticks When Arminianisme did take root in Britain But here the pity Britain whose waters mainly had slakened that fire abroad began at once to be scorched at home by some sparks of that flame The hopes of the Arminians in England were but small so long as K. James did live for that good Prince both in word and writing did threaten to burne these Hereticks if any of them should appeare in his Dominions see his Declaration against Vorstius yea so long as Abbot was in grace at Court the Arminians kept a low sayle but after that his Successor even in his owne time had come in favour that unhappy Sect under the patronage of Mountagu and White 's learning began to spread far and neare yea at last silence in a publike Edict was enjoyned to their opposers and all favours conferred on those who had skill and will to promote that Cause many evident disgraces poured on well deserving men for no other reason but their Anti-Arminian spirit All this time our Church was free of these evils but so soon as the advancers of Arminianisme at the English Court began to intermeddle with the affaires of our Kingdome at once these men were eyed who inclined that way prime places were put into their hands for no other vertue the World could discern in them but their boldness to let out their inclination towards the Arminian Errour This way of advancement being perceived incōtinent many among us set their hearts towards that art which was likeliest in haste to promote their fortunes It is to be remarked that the Arminian spirit in Holland leads men to hell another way then here in Britaine The British Arminians decline to Popery but the Belgick to Socinianisme there the Arminians with great boldnesse running after Vorstius Socinus with a marvellous petulancy fell to brangle the Trinitie of the Divine persons yea the simplicity of the Divine nature it self But that Devill finding this his rashnesse to revive openly Manes Arrius did make people abhorre him and flee away hee became more wary so that among us hee lets these old condemned Heresies alone and goes another way to work Hee leads by a new method to the errours of Antichrist A Netherlandish Arminian will scorn the superstitions the Idolatries the Tyrannies of the Romish Church but is much inclined after Vorstius and Socinus under the pretext of Liberty to run licentiously into Heresies condemned in the first Oecumenick Coun cels On the contrary a British Arminian with the Ancients will abhor the Extravagancies of Vorstius and Socinus yet their heart is hot and inflamed after the abominations of Rome God who put Confusion in Babel hath divided Satans Kingdome against it selfe else this subtill Devill might have indangered the safety of the whole Reformed Church But while in Holland the horn of Arminianism is now brokē out in his front long and great and in England the horne of Popery wee trust these two long black ugly hornes shall make that evill spirit both here and there so well knowne that hee shall not be able to doe so much harme any where as once was feared from him however the great Hammer that brake the necke of the beast over Sea was that Nationall Synod and the mayn hope we have to get it mastered here at this time is by the hand of our God in this present Assembly For the story I will say no more but come to the Doctrines The five Arminian Articles The multitude of their singularities was reduced at their own desire both in the Conference at Hage and Synod of Dort to five Articles or rather foure for Grace and Freewill are commonly disputed together The first Article concerns Predestination The state of the question in the first Article the next the Death of Christ the third and fourth Grace and Free-will the fifth Perseverance wee may adde Justification as a sixth whereon both these over Sea and their followers among us run as mad as on any of the former Concerning Election the first and chiefe part of Predestination they teach that it is posterior to Faith Works and Perseverance Arminius at the beginning made faith alone previous to Election but long since his followers and our men also joyne works yea perseverance to the end in faith and works as if God first did foresee by his eternal Prescience some men of their own Free-will assenting to his Cal in time believing and going on to the end in faith and good works and after this foresight did passe his Decree of Election to glory upon these men clothed with the named qualities But wee teach that Faith Works and Perseverance are posterior to Election that this is the cause root fountain whence all grace in us does flow that our Election hath no Antecedent cause condition or good quality on our part but flows meerly from Gods good pleasure and mercy looking upon us lying in our bloud corrupted with originall sin and in that case choosing us of his free mercy to be members of his Son to whō hee will give grace and glory though others as good and nothing worse then wee are permitted to lie still in the masse of corruption for the glory of his mercy to us and justice towards them without any ground of gloriation to the one or complaint to the other as if any wrong were done them when they are past by This our Doctrine of Election it is cleer from Scripture Our first argument for absolute election is from Eph. 1.3 1. see Ephes 1.3 Blessed be God who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in Christ according as hee hath chosen us in him that we should be holy and blamelesse before him in love having predestinated us to the adoption of children according to the good pleasure of his will Here wee are chosen to be holy and blamelesse not because wee were holy therefore we were chosen Holinesse is made posteriour to our Election Now Faith Perseverance Charity and such graces are all parts of holinesse are all fruits of the holy Spirit Here also all spirituall blessings for which God is to bee praised flows from this originall Election is the rule according to which God distributes these graces Adoption also is made a fruit of Election yea the only reason of this Election is made Gods good pleasure By this place of Scripture Augustine beat downe the Pelagians who taught an Election of foreseene works a Praedest c. 8. Praesciebat ergo ait Pelagianus qui futuri erant sancti immaculati per liberum voluntatis arbitrium ideo eos ante mundi Constitutionem elegit quia tales futuros praescivit
God foresaw saith the Pelagian who should be holy unblameable by their own freewill and therefore hee did elect them before the foundation of the World because hee foresaw they would be such What answers hee to this Arminian Objection in the mouth of the Pelagians b Intueamur Apostoli verba atque videamus utrum propterea nos clegit quia sancti futuri eramus an ut essemus benedictus inquit Deus c non quia futuri eramus sed ut essemus nempe certum est nempe manifestum est ideo quippe tales eramus futuri quia elegit ipse praedestinans ut per gratiam ejus tales essemus cernitis proculdubio cernitis quanta manifestatione Apostolici eloquii defondatur haec gratia contra quam merita extollunt humana tanquam homo aliquid det Deo retribuatur ei Let us behold the Apostles words and see whether therefore hee did elect us because wee were to be holy or that wee might be such Blessed says the Apostle be God who has chosen us not because wee were to be such but that we might bee such Why the matter is certain it is manifest for we were to be such because God predestinating did choose us that wee by his grace might become such you see doubtlesse you see with what evidence of Apostolike utterance this grace is defended against which humane merits extols it selfe as if man did give any thing to God and it were rendred to him So does the Father convince the Pelagians from these same words hee also closes the mouthes of the Semipelagians who taught that albeit works and holineffe was not prior to Election yet Faith or at least some beginnings of faith behoved on our part to go before to these thus he speaks c De dono Perseverantiae cap. 7. Audiant ipsi in hoc testimonio praedistinarisecunduÌ„ propositum ejus qui universa aperatur ipse ut inerpiamus credere operatur qui universa operatur nec fides ipsa praecedit non enim quia credimus sed ut credamus elegit nos Let even these heare in this passage predestinated according to his purpose who works all things hee that works all things works also that wee begin to believe neither doth faith it selfe goe before his worke for he has chosen us that wee might believe not because we did believe Against both the whole and half Pelagians so he concludes triumphantly d Contra istam veritatis tam claram tubam quis homâ— sobriae vigilantisque sidei voces ullas admittat humanas Our second argument from Rom. 11.5 Against so cleare a trumpet of Truth what person of sober and watchfull faith will admit the contrary voice of any man Another Scripture Rom. 11.5 Even so also at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace and if of grace it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace Here the Reason is given why among the misbelieving obstinate wicked Jews there was a few remnant who did believe and were saved the grace faith salvation of this Remnant is ascribed to their Election as the Cause this Election is affirmed to come alone of Gods Grace and denied to have proceeded of any of their works yea these things are not simply affirmed that the grace and salvation of the remnant came from Election that this Election was of grace that it was not of works but farther works and grace in this matter of Election are declared to be incoÌ„patible so that those who make our Election to depend on works or to be posterior in Gods mind to his foreknowledge of our works say what they will they are enemies of the grace of God This place is so cleer that Arminius so long as hee lived durst never ascribe Election to good works as his followers now do yea the Lutherans to this day dare not doe it but the place refutes even that which they say that Election is of Faith albeit not of works clearly enough especially as Arminius expounded Faith for hee made Election and Justification to depend on Faith not as it is an instrument applying Christ but as it is an Evangelicall work which God hath appointed under the Gospell to be a saving quality of it selfe as perfect obedience should have beene under the Law In this sense Faith is a true worke and who denyes Election to be of works denyes it as well to be of Faith which is a work But take Faith as you will this place removes it from Election for it ascribes Election to Gods grace alone excluding Faith works or what ever is in us The clearnesse of this place changed Augustine his minde and delivered him from that Lutheran errour wherein long he lay believing Election to have beene of Faith albeit not of works e Ad hoc perduxi ratiocinationem ut dicerem non ergo elegit Deus opera cujusquam in praescientâ—a sed fidem in praescientia elegit ut quem sibi crediturum esse praesciret ipsum eligeret sed nondum diligentius quaesieram nec adhuc inveneraÌ„ qualis sit Electio gratiae de qua Apostolus Our third argument from Rom. 8.28 This was the issue of my argumentation that I said God has not chosen any mans works in his foreknolwedge but hee has chosen faith in his foreknowledge but I had not at that time diligently enough enquired neither had I yet found what was that Election of Grace of which the Apostle spake A third Scripture is Rom 8.28 Whom hee did predestinate them hee also called and whom hee c. Here Election is made prior to calling and Justification as they to glorificatioÌ„ much more to faith works perseverance which are all posteriour to calling wee must first bee Justified before we can persevere to the end we must first be called by the Word Spirit before we can believe Faith then and works and perseverance are posterior to effectual vocation much more to Election which in this Scripture is set before vocation it selfe yea before all the consequences and effects of vocation The Arminians cannot get away from the grip of this place but by wresting of it pittifully both at Hage CoÌ„ference and in the Synod and all their posteriour writs they with a strange impudence avow that Predestination Vocation Justification in this place is no wayes relative either to grace or glory but only to the crosse and affliction of all the malepert Wresters of Scriptures that live this day the Remonstrants are the chief This present subterfuge is Socinus his Invention a wicked Heretick who denyes the merit the power and the true satisfactions of Christs death bloud and so indeed hee hath reason if his grounds be true For with Arrius he spoyls Christ of his Godhead which if hee did want his bloud and death could not be satisfactory for any one sin yet this most pernitious heretick the Arminians think no shame to follow in wresting
the present Scripture but to little purpose for the analogie of the whole Scripture the scope of this Text will not let them expound Predestination Calling and Justification as Socinus would if we admit in this place three of their greatest friends of our greatest foes to be Judges Pelagius Arminius Molina From them all wee have testimonies that this place cannot admit Socinus interpretation but I must haste A fourth Scripture is Our fourth argument from Rom. 9.11 Rom. 9.11 For the Children being not yet born neither yet having done any good or evill that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but of him that calleth c. The purpose of God according to Election is understood here of Gods Eternall Predestination as Pelagius and Arminius both in their Commentaries on the place confesse this Election is ascribed only to God who calls all works are excluded because they were none there could be none the persons not yet being borne our Adversaries run here two divers ways from this text Spalato understands works as existing not as future saying that Jacob was elected not for any works which hee had done but for those which hee was to doe which was before God in his prescience This Pelagian subterfuge Augustine treads downe in the first birth f Vestrae ealiginis latebra propter quod profecto â sipitis quia dicente veritate non ex operibus sed ex vocante vos dicitis ex futuris operibus quae Deus illum facturum esse praesciebat Iacobum esse dilectum atque ita contradicitis Apostolo dicenti non ex praesentibus operibus sid ex futuris This is the lurking hole of your darknes wherefore truly you erre for the truth saying not of works but of him that calleth you say Jacob was loved for the works which God foresaw he was to doe and so you contradict the Apostle saying not of works as if he could not have said not of works present but for works to come Arminius flies another way granting that Jacobs Election was not of works yet avowing it was of faith this hole Augustine stopped long agoe when the Semipelagians would have been at it g Numquid dixit non ex operibus sed ex credente prorsus etiam hoc abstulit homini ut totum daret Deo dicens sed ex vocante non quacunque vocatione sed qua vocatione fit credens Did the Apostle say not of works but of him that believeth even this also did the Apostle take from man that hee might give all to God saying but of him that calleth not with every call but by such a call wherewith wee are made to believe One other Scripture Our fift argument from Acts 13.48 Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to life eternall believed Gods Ordination to life eternall goes before faith beliefe is here an effect ascribed to Election as the cause whence it comes To flie this Argument the Aeminians follow Socinus to a worse errour then they would eschew they expound ordained to eternall life those who before all faith and calling by their own free wil were fitted and disposed for faith and salvation This is such an high degree of Pelagianisme that the Lutherans and Papists also for the most part do abhor it Second article stated IN the second Article of Redemption they Second Article stated teach that Christ by his death intended the universall Redemption of all men without distinction of Elect and Reprobate that hee by his death did actually impetrate to all the favour and grace of God that the application of the graces impetrated depends alone on the free-will of man some according to their Liberty making use of that purchased gift Others to whom that grace and salvation was alike purchased and intended on Gods part by their own neglect and contempt according to the same liberty of their will rejecting it We teach that Christ did give his life and bloud alone for those who get good by it only for the faithfull even the Elect his own members Horrible absurdities follow on the Arminian Tenet Absurdities consequent to the Arminian tenet some whereof they acknowledge and others are bound on their back by inevitable consequences to wit that the fruit of Christs death depends absolutely upon the contingent assent of mans free will that notwithstanding his death it was possible and very contingent that all men had perished that no soul had bin freed from hell by his bloud that God should never have had any Church at all that now by the vertue of his death true grace is given to all that all Pagans as well under the Law as Gospell who never heard of Scripture are truly reconciled to God by his death that all Infants even of Pagans are saved by Christ who die before the years of discretion That in no man is any original sinne but every one when hee is born is put in the state of innocency that Baptisme is not necessay for no sin is therein remitted because there is none then to be remitted But how ever see how our doctrine is grounded on Scripture Our first argument that Christ died only for the Elect from Iohn 17.9 Iohn 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world but for those thou hast given me out of the world for they are thine Christ had no intention to give his life for them for whom hee avows hee would not pray at that same time when hee was going to die shall he give his life for those for whom hee would not open his mouth to pray for his own only for his Fathers proper ones who are given over and recommended to him for these only and not the World hee avows hee does then pray Another Ephes 5.24 Our second argument from Christ is the head of the Church Ephes 5.24 and a Saviour of the body Christ also hath loved his Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it and present it to himselfe a glorious Church Christ here gives himselfe to death not for all but for the Church only he is a Saviour only of the body of these whom hee loves as his spouse whom he sanctifies and presents to God one day glorious without spot such are not the world of the damned A third Scripture Our third argument from John 10.14 Iohn 10.14 I am the good shepheard and know the sheep and am knowne of mine and lay downe my life for my sheep for whom hath Christ laid downe his life Only for his sheep for those that are his for those that know him as their shepheard of whom he taketh notice as of his sheep but for the Goates of the world whom he knows not over whom hee never bare rule who never were in his fold hee layes not downe his life A fourth Scripture Our fourth from Ioh. 15.13 Iohn 15.23 Greater love than this hath no man that
in that good estate wherein hee was created righteous had received a power not to sin not to die a power not to fall from his good estate to him was given the helpe of Perseverance not such a gift whereby hee should persevere but such with out the which hee was not able by his free will to persevere But now unto the Saints by the grace of God predestinated unto the Kingdome of God not only such a helpe of perseverance is given but such that perseverance it self is given to them not only so that without that gift they cannot persevere but also that through that gift they cannot but persevere for he has not only said without mee yee can do nothing but hee saith also you have not chosen me but I have chosen you and appointed you that you should goe on and beare fruit and that your fruit should remain in which words he shews that he has not only given righteousnesse but perseverance therein for Christ having so set them that they go and bring forth fruit and their fruit abides who dare say perchance they shal not continue for without repentance are the gifts and calling of God Christ praying for them that their faith fail not without doubt it shall not fail to the end and so shall persevere to the end and the end of their life shall finde it remayning for now a greater liberty is needful against so many and so great temptations which were not in Paradise being guarded with the gift of perseverance that this world with all his lusts terrours errours might be overcome the Saints prevaile against all threats all allurements all power The current of Scripture and Fathers runs so straight against the totall and finall apostacie of the Saints that Arminius for all his boldnesse durst not so long as hee lived set his brest against that stream albeit his Schollers since have mainly set themselves to evert this Article which is the chiefe ground of all the comfort that the soul of man hath in this miserable pilgrimage Of all their contrary argumentations consider All baptized Infants are not regenerate but one Milions of these who were baptized in their infancy fall away finally and totally but all these who were baptized in their infancy were truly regenerate sanctified justified and put in the state of salvation Ergo millions of these who were truly regenerate justified sanctified and put in the state of salvation fall away totally and finally In this Popish argument the Arminians triumphed at the beginning as our men do yet but after a little triall both Papists and Arminians finde it so foolish and impertinent that long ago they have cast it away It is easie to shew the falsity of the Minor that al Baptized Infants are truly regenerate c. Scriptures Fathers Schoolmen are all to the contrary but leaving these I only shew that this assertion is against the Scottish Confession the twenty fifth Article restifies that the Reprobate only doth communicate in the outward benefits of the Sacraments that they get no fruit of Christs death that in this life their sins are not forgiven them that these blessings belong only to the Elect that the Reprobate at their best are but chaff and at no time are good wheate who therefore avow that the Reprobate sometimes to wit in their infancy are truly regene rate justified sanctified who avow that Reprobates get many fruits of Christs death and their Sinnes some times forgiven them they contradict cleerely our confession yea almost al the confessions of the reformed Churches If they will believe their good friend D. Francis White hee will assure them that none but Papists and Lutherans will affirm reprobate infants by baptisme to be regenerate How farr the chiefe Arminian tenets are contrary to Scripture I I have shewn Arminianisme is contrary to the Confession of the Church of Scotland Consider in a few lines how much they are opposite to the Confession of our Kirk and so I close They teach that our Election is of Faith Works Perseverance as antecedent either Causes or Conditions or at least Qualities fore seen in us Our Confession Article 8. sayes that God hath chosen us of meere grace that faith to believe in Christ and all grace we lost in Adam is given us after our Election Again they teach that Christ died for all that in death he stood in the place of all without distinction of elect and reprobate that all have the benefit of his death Our Confession sayes Art 8. that Christ suffered for us that is the elect of whom alone the whole Article speaketh Also that the benefits which the elect have common with the reprobate are but their Creation no ways their Redemption and their Adoption thereby to be the sons of God And in the 25 Article it is said that the Reprobates have no benefit of Christs Death Resurrection or Ascension Lastly they teach that many of Christs faithfull members fall away and lose not only all grace but salvation it selfe Our Confession Art 25. contradicts affirming that all the faithfull continue in the estate of Justification that albeit their sins be great yet they are not imputed but covered with Christs righteousnesse Again it is one of the faithfuls priviledges to goe on constantly to the end till they bee conformed to Christs glorious bodie And in the 21 Article that the faithfull in such a manner become flesh of Christs flesh and bone of his bone that hee abides in them and they in him for ever no lesse then the God-head abides in the manhood of Christ giving to it life and Immortality Our Confession crosseth their Doctrine of free will justification other their popish errours more cleerly but with those I doe not meddle lest by further prolixity I should lōger with-hold so great an Assembly from their most weighty Affaires FINIS