or of that loue wherewith he feeles himselfe to be affected Christ doth beate downe all pride in speaking thus to Peter Matth. 16.17 Blessed art thou Symon Bar-Iona for flesh and blood hath not reuealed this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen And Chap. 11.25 he doth giue thanks to his father that hee hath hidden these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hath reuealed them to babes VII And especially when it is spoken of the loue of God and of obedience to his commandements the Scripture will haue vs to acknowledge that whatsoeuer is done well by vs is receiued from God We loue God because he hath loued vs first Iohn 4.19 For this is one of the effects of the loue of God towards vs that it doth put into our hearts a loue of him God himselfe thus speaketh Ier. 31. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts And Chapter 32. I will put my feare into their hearts that they shall not depart from me And Moses bringeth this reason as the cause why the Israelites did not repent at the law of God ratified with so many threatnings and confirmed with so many miracles Deut. 29.4 The Lord hath not giuen you a heart to perceiue nor eyes to see Let Arminius tell mee whether these men had sufficient power to beleeue or sufficient grace which with the helpe of free-will they might haue rightly vsed if they would Fie on this forgerie And yet was not God the cause of the impenitency and blindnesse of that people For hee that will not heale him that is blinde is not the cause of his blindenesse God did not put this wickednesse in man but he knoweth who they are on whom hee will haue mercy and he hath reason for his actions to enquire into which were not onely rash but also dangerous VIII Saint Paul Galath 3.26 saith That wee are the sonnes of God by faith in Christ If therefore it be in the power of mans free-will being helped with grace to beleeue or not to beleeue to vse that grace or not to vse it it must needes also be in the power of free-will helped with grace to effect that we may be the sonnes of God or may not Which is contrary not onely to piety but also to common sence for who euer effected that he was the sonne of his father or who is beholding to himselfe for any part of his generation IX The same Apostle saith Rom. 9. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of him that sheweth mercy By him that willeth and him that runneth hee vnderstandeth him that worketh for the consideration of workes is excluded from the election or as Arminius had rather from the iustification of man that this benefit might be acknowledged to be receiued from the mercy of God alone Arminius offendeth against this rule For by his doctrine the conuersion of a man by faith and therefore both his righteousnesse and saluation is of him that willeth and of him that runneth of him that worketh that is of him who by the helpe of his free-will doth vse vniuersall grace well and who doth therefore beleeue because to the helpe of grace hee hath brought the power of free-will by which hee hath obtained Faith For as I haue said the Arminians make the cause of faith to be these two ioyned together to wit grace and free-will to vse which free-will to the obtaining of saith and to the conuerting of himselfe is certainely to will and to runne The Apostle therfore ought to haue said It is of man that willeth and runneth and of God which sheweth mercy that free-will might be ioyned with the mercy of God And if as Saint Austin saith fitly Lib. 1. ad Simplic Quaest 2. It may be said That it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth because conuersion and saluation is not by the free-will of man alone why may it not also be said that it is not of God that sheweth mercy because conuersion is not made by the grace of God alone but also by free-will It skilleth nothing that Saint Austin vsed this argument against Pelagius who denied that we were preuented by grace for it hath the same force against the Semipelagians who ioyne free-will to grace Seeing that Saint Paul doth not say That it is not alone of him that willeth but doth altogether exclude free-will X. Finally this argument hath so tormented Arnoldus Page 445. that he would seeme to yeeld to our part for he saith It is not placed in our will that we should obey the calling of God but this thing it selfe is also from the mercy of God But the scoffing and crafty man is very wary least hee should say somewhat that should hurt his owne cause For when he saith that it is not placed in our will he vnderstandeth alone Therfore he would not say that this is wholy placed in the mercy of God alone but tenderly and with a flouting speech he saith that it is placed in the mercy of God He might yea he ought to say so much of free-will that he might agree to himselfe for he thinketh that it is not placed in the grace of God alone nor in free-will alone XI That man cannot be conuerted vnlesse God conuert him and that the whole praise of our conuersion is due to God Ieremy teacheth Chap. 31. v. 18. Conuert me and I shall be conuerted which is also repeated in the last Chapter of the Lamentations I am ashamed of the weake interpretation of the Arminian conferrers at the Hage who pag. 266. by conuerted would haue corrected to be vnderstood There is nothing so cleare and direct in the holy Scripture which may not be corrupted with a foolish and rash interpretation who hauing but little skill in the Hebrew is ignorant that the Verbe shub signifieth to be turned and not to punish and therefore in the contugation Hiphil it is to cause that one be conuerted and not that he be punished Or who doth not see how ridiculous a thing it were if men bruised with afflictions should pray that they might be still afflicted As if any one that were grieuously whipped should desire moreouer that he might be buffeted But Ieremy expoundeth himselfe and doth teach what it is to be conuerted for he addeth being conuerted I will repent and acknowledge my selfe this indeede is to be conuerted Seeing therefore that men who are already conuerted say Conuert me and I shall be conuerted Ier. 31. Draw me and I will runne Cant. 1. And doe ascribe the progresse and the proceeding of their conuersion to God alone how much more is the beginning of our conuersion to be attributed to God alone For if they that are already willing doe confesse that they owe to God whatsoeuer good they doe and that without his grace they cannot moue a foote further how much more is it to be determined that of being
cause of this difference is in readinesse to wit in the one faith was fore-seene in the other vnbeleefe was foreseene Did Saint Paul seeme to Arminius eyther not to be quick of vnderstanding or to be scrupulous without cause But least he should be compelled to say this he hath deuised I know not what subtilties and monsters of interpretations Such as are these Of him that calleth that is of Faith And of God that sheweth mercy that is that iustifieth not for workes but for Faith which mercy notwithstanding is common to many reprobates Then also that speech I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy by cuius whom hee would haue qualium what sort of men to be vnderstood And it is not of him that willeth to wit righteousnesse is not For he denyeth that these are to be vnderstood of saluation as if saluation were of him that willeth Euen as to haue mercy if Arminius be beleeued is not to saue but to giue the meanes to righteousnesse And many more such like which are eyther inconuenient or wrested which we haue examined in the 15. chapter XI Adde to these that which is in the eleuenth to the Romanes Rom. 11.5 At this present there is a remnant according to the election of Grace By this remnant or reserued portion are vnderstood those Iewes who cleaued to Christ and who did not fall from the couenant with the rest We haue here therefore the cause why these perseuered in the Faith and haue not fallen from grace to wit because the reseruation was made according to the election of grace Therefore perseuerance in Faith is according to the election of grace and not election according to perseuerance in Faith as Arminius would haue it Arminius that he might shift off this place saith that it is here spoken of election to righteousnesse not of election to Faith which although it be false yet it doth not infringe the force and euidence of this place For whosoeuer is elected to righteousnesse is elected to Faith And surely I cannot sufficiently maruaile at that which Arminius saith Pag. 222. What is that which is by grace Armin. in Perk. pag. 222. It is election to Faith nothing lesse but it is election to righteousnesse as if there were any righteousnesse without Faith Or as if he who refuseth Faith doth not also refuse righteousnesse Surely these things sound of Socianisme and doe shew that there is vnder them some hidden vlcer Also what is it to the purpose to contend that it is here spoken of election to righteousnesse seeing according to Arminius this is not certaine by the will of God but doth depend on mans free-will XII Arnoldus Pag. 346. dealeth more warily He thinks that it is spoken here of the reiection of the Iewes and taking in of the Gentiles But the word remnant or reseruation doth confute this for from hence as also from the former verses it is manifest that he doth enquire the cause why a few of the Iewes onely a remnant doe belong to the couenant being afterwards to explaine how the Gentiles were engrafted into the place of the rest which were reiected and cut off Finally against these places of Scripture the Arminians although they be acute and witty men doe so flye the encounter they doe fight so recoylingly they doe so intangle themselues that they seeme eyther to be vnwilling to be vnderstood or to distrust their owne cause Furthermore if they say true no man yet had vnderstood what Christian Religion is CHAP. XXII The same Election in respect of Faith fore-seene is confuted by Reason I. REason it selfe doth agree to the Scripture For if perseuerance in Faith be considered in Election as a thing already performed no man is elected but he is considered as dead and as hauing finished his course for no man can be said to haue perseuered vntill the end but hee which is come vnto the end II. Hence also it appeareth that Arminius is contrary to himselfe For hee saith Election is of them that beleeue But they that are dead cease to beleeue Therefore that Arminius might be constant to himselfe hee ought to say that Election is of them that cease to beleeue and not of them that beleeue III. Also if election to glory be made for some fore-seene vertue Christ himselfe as hee was man was not predestinated to glory for he was not carried to such a height of glory for the fore-seeing eyther of faith or workes or any vertue for whatsoeuer vertue or holinesse is in Christ as he is man doth flow from the personall vnion with the diuinity and from the purity of his conception by which he was free from originall sinne Therefore this his holinesse cannot be said to be fore-seene but to be decreed Nor was he predestinated for holinesse but to holinesse And that the election of the head should be contrary to the election of the members and that the head should be elected to vertue the members for vertue no reason doth admit IV. Adde to these that while election is said to be for faith fore-seene there is appointed an election which doth not belong to infants that are taken away by an immature and vntimely death because they want faith V. Yea election for faith fore seene cannot be called election but it is an admission and receiuing of them who come to Christ by Faith and of them who by their free-will vsing Grace well doe first choose God in whom they put their trust before they be chosen by God Christ on the contary side saith Iohn 15.16 Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you The Arminians while they contend that it is here spoken onely of election to their Apostâ—ship doe not obscurely confesse that this place doth hurt them if it be there spoken of election to saluation their will is therefore in the worke of saluation that God be chosen by man before man be chosen by God Goe to then let vs grant that it is here spoken onely of election to their Apostleship for that doth not a little further our cause For if the Apostles were elected to their Apostleship not for any fore-seene vertue but were elected to receiue those vertues and gifts by which they might execute their Apostleship it is much more likely that man is not elected to saluation for any fore-seene vertue seeing eternall saluation is a farre greater benefit then the Apostleship and further remoued from the power of man and more exceeding our capacity and therefore it is a thing whereunto we haue much more neede of the helpe of God and which is lesse in the power of mans free-will then the obtaining of an Apostleship VI. By the same doctrine faith in Christ is made a thing of mans free-will in the power whereof it is to vse grace or not to vse it to beleeue or not to beleeue and to vse or not to vse those powers to beleeue which are giuen vnresistably Surely Arminius had
present with all men and that all men either by the naturall law or by the written law or by the Gospell are so called that it is free for euery man to embrace or refuse the offered grace to beleeue or not to beleeue For they say that Christ obtained reconciliation for all men and that God from eternity elected those whom he fore-saw would beleeue in Christ and perseuere in the faith And therefore that the number of the elect is not determined by the decree of God but that our election is then certaine when the course of our life is measured out These are they who are commonly called Semipelagians Differing from Pelagius in this that they acknowledge nature to be depraued with Originall sinne and that they distinguish nature from grace but yet by a secret agreement they doe fauour Pelagius because they will haue nature so to be a diuerse thing from grace that yet they will haue grace equally to extend it selfe as farre as nature Also they make such a grace the vse whereof doth depend vpon free-will Hee that would throughly know the meaning of these men let him reade the Epistle of Prosper to Saint Austin inserted into the Seauenth Tome of the workes of Saint Austin most worthy to be read with care For he being a very great admirer of Saint Austin and being for this cause accused by these Semipelagians he requireth the helpe of Saint Austin and doth desire to be furnished with arguments whereby hee might defend himselfe against them Surely there you shall plainely know the Arminian vaine and you shall see Arminianisme graphically and liuely painted out And but that the title of the Epistle and the Epistle it selfe did testifie both the Author and the age you would sweare it were the Epistle of one who being prouoked by the Arminians and being ill entreated doth implore the helpe of one more learned That now it cannot be a doubt out of what puddles they haue drawne their opinions and which of the ancient Heretiques they haue propounded to themselues to imitate I shall not much stay the hastening Reader if I lay downe the words of the Semipelagians themselues as they are recited by Prosper himselfe This is saith Prosper their declaration and profession that euery man sinned when Adam sinned and that no man is saued in regeneration by his owne workes but by the grace of God and yet that the propitiation which is in the Sacrament of the bloud of Christ is propounded to all men without exception that whosoeuer will come to faith and baptisme may be saued And that God fore-knew before the making of the world who were to beleeue and who would continue in that faith which afterwards should be helped by the grace of God And that hee Predestinated those to his kingdome whom he hauing freely called he fore-saw would be worthy of Election and would depart out of this life with a good end And therefore that euery man is admonished by the ordinances of God to beleeue to worke that no man might despaire of obtaining eternall life seeing that the reward is prepared for voluntary deuotion But this purpose of the calling of God by which the difference of them that are to be elected and of them that are to be reiected is said to haue beene made eyther before the beginning of the world or in the very creation of mankinde that according to the pleasure of the creator some should be created vessels of honour others vessels of dishonour this they say doth both take away from them that are fallen the care of rising againe and also doth yeeld occasion of sluggish drowsinesse to the Saints because on eyther side labour is superfluous if neither he that is reiected can by any industry and diligence enter nor he that is elected can by any negligence fall away For after whatsoeuer manner they shall behaue themselues nothing can happen to them but what God hath determined and vnder an vncertaine hope the course cannot be constant seeing that the intention of him that doth endeauour is vaine if the Election of him that predestinateth hath appointed anther thing Therefore all industry is remoued and all vertues are taken away if the appointment of God doe preuent the will of man and a kinde of fatall necessitie is brought in vnder this name of predestination These were the words of the Semipelagians altogether like Arminianisme and of the same stampe Let those things also which follow be pondered and considered of They determine that to this gift of saluation all men vniuersally are called either by the naturall law or by the written law or by the preaching of the Gospell that both they that will might be made the sonnes of God and that they might be inexcusable who will not be faithfull because herein is the iustice of God that they who will not beleeue should perish and his goodnesse appeareth herein that he will put backe no man from life but indifferently would all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth And that our Lord Iesus Christ dyed for all mankinde and that no man at all is excepted from the redemption of his bloud although he passe through his whole life in a farre other opinion And a little after They doe not consent that the predestinated number of the elect can neither be encreased nor diminished least the incitations of them that exhort men should haue no place with infidels and those that neglect predestination c. They haue receiued the election of God according to fore-knowledge to wit that therefore God hath made some men vessels of honour and some vessels of dishonour because he fore-saw the faith of euery one Truely this is meere Arminianisme but that the Arminians doe clothe their opinions more gloriously and doe paint them with exquisite colours and doe more sparingly vse the word Merit which not onely the Semipelagians but also the Orthodoxe writers but in another sence then the Papists at this day doe did often vse Finally they doe as they doe who set before their guests old and reiected dainties by putting to them new sauce To this Epistle is added another of the same argument of Hilareus Bishop of Areles to Saint Austin where he doth attribute these things to the Semipâ—lagians God in his fore-knowledge doth elect faith that whom he fore-knew would beleeue him he elected to whom he would giue the holy Ghost that by working good they might obtaine eternall life This fore-knowledge they thus vnderstand to wit that men are said to be fore-knowne for faith which is to follow and that such a perseuerance is giuen to no man from which hee is not suffered to swerue but that he may fall from it and be weakened by his owne will Whatsoeuer is giuen to those that are predestinated they contend that they may loose it or keepe it according to their owne will Which then were false if they did thinke it true that some men haue
defile that act it must not be said to be from God Man is the effector of sinne God the permitter That act in which there is deformity is naturally good in as much as it is from God but morally euill in as much as it is from man The action in which the sinne is is one thing the deformity of the action in which formally the sinne is is another thing To the action it selfe God doth concurre with man but not to the sinne XVI Neither is God to be blamed that he doth concurre with the creature which hee knoweth will abuse his concurrence and assistance to sinning For mans vice cannot straighten the limits of Gods power nor dissolue that eternall law by which the whole frame of nature doth stand nor pull away that naturall necessity whereby the creature cannot moue it selfeâ— without the assistance of God So the Soule although it knowes that the body will abuse her mouing power to halting doth not keep back her mouing force or abstaine from the motion of the body Neither will therefore the power of God be diminished in naturall things or his influence cease because in morall things the will of man is disobedient to the law of God Yea God cannot require obedience from the creature vnlesse he should sustaine it and giue to it power of mouing it selfe XVII As the Sunne is not the cause of darkenesse although darkenesse doth necessarily follow the absence of it So God seeing he is the most exact iustice is not the cause of sinne although inordinate affections blindenesse of minde the prauity of the will doe necessarily follow the deniall of the grace of God This is their meaning which say that God is not the efficient but the deficient cause of sin Yet I could wish men would abstaine from this kinde of speaking XVIII Although wicked men doe worke freely and of their owne motion are carried to sinne God not alluring nor forcing them yet it is certaine that the euents which doe follow thence are directed and gouerned by Gods prouidence For as the downefall of the running water inclining to the lower parts may be turned the channell being guided by the diligence of the conueyor so although wicked men of their owne disposition are prone to sinne yet by the prouidence of God and his secret counsell they are inclined to commit this sinne rather then that that they may serue the execution of the iudgements of God when he will vse them either to punish any ones wickednesse or to try the faith of the godly or to stirre vp their sloathfulnesse This similitude Salomon doth vse Prou. 21. The heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord as the riuers of waters and hee turnes it whether he will By this meanes as Saint Peter saith Act. 4. The wicked doe whatsoeuer things the hand of God and his purpose had determined to be done Hence it is that God saith Esay 5. that hee will whistle for the remote nations to say waste Iudea And Chap. 10. hee cals Ashur the rod of his wrath Ieroboam seekes after nouelties and doth practise a reuolting from Salomon Ahias the Prophet sent from God doth declare to him the euent of this attempt God did not instill this rebellion into his heart which was before conceiued but hardned his minde which was already euill to the daring this wicked attempt that he might vse the wicked man to punish the sinnes of Salomon and Rehoboam As therefore Horse-leaches applyed to the parts of a sicke man while they satisfie their owne gorge doe performe the intent of the Physitian so wicked men whilest they rage against good men besides their owne intention they further the purpose of God as Esay teacheth in his tenth Chapter where God saith that hee had decreed to vse the King of Assiria to punish the hypocrisie of Israel but that this minde was not in the King being led onely by ambition and desire of prey Thus God vsed the wickednesse of the brethren of Ioseph to keepe famine from his people and the treason of Iudas for the death of Christ and by it for our redemption and the ambition of Augustus Caesar taxing the whole Empire for the bringing of Mary out of Galile to Bethlehem that there shee might be deliuered and so the prophesie of Michai be fulfilled Euen they which resist the commandement of God helpe forward his prouidence and like Rowers which set their backes that way which they goe God by the folly of men doth worke the purposes of his wisedome he doth vse vniust men to the exercising of his iustice as if one with a crooked staffe should strike a straight blow XIX Whensoeuer God letting loose the reines to Sathan doth permit him to tempt any man Sathan truely may allure the appetite by propounding Obiects or trouble the phantasie by the alteration of the humours of the body but he cannot compell the will otherwise the man should not sinne but Sathan Neither could God iustly punish a man for sinne to which hee had beene compelled by an outward cause without his owne inclination XX. But because God when hee would auenge the contumacy of his enemies or punish the sinnes of his owne doth sometimes vse Sathan as his minister the holy Scripture doth attribute one and the same euent both to God and to Sathan So 1 Sam. 16. the euill spirit troubling Saul is said to be from God and 1 Chro. 21. Sathan is said to haue rose vp against Israel and to haue stirred vp Dauid to number the people and 2 Sam. 24. it is attributed to God There God is to be considered as a iust iudge and Sathan as an incitour of the wickednesse By these instructions well conceiued the way of exâ—using Saint Austen will easily be found from whom sometimes there fall some speeches which trouble tender eares if they be not moderated with a fit interpretation such is that which he saith of Shemei cursing Dauid in his Booke de Gratia libero arbitrio Cap. 20. What wise man doth vnderstand how the Lord said to this man Curse Dauid For he did not bid him by commanding him that his obedience should be praised bu because God inclined his will which by his owne proper vice was euill to this sinne by his iust and secret iudgement and therefore is it said the Lord bid him And Cap. 22. God worketh in the hearts of men to incline their wils whithersoeuer he will either to good things of his own mercy or to euill things according to their deserts And against Iulian the Pelagian lib. 5. cap. 3. Many other things we might rehearse in which it would plainely appeare that the heart is made peruerse by the secret iudgement of God that the truth which is said might not be heard and so man might sinne that sinne might be the punishment of a former sinne Yea in the same place he doth contend against Iulian that those which are deliuered vp to their owne desires are
that God afterward will not doe some things which before he had promised yea sworne that he would doe V. If any Doctrine be contumelious against God this is accusing him of folly putting vpon him humaine affections and falsely attributing to him wishes of no strength and a desire of no force as if they should bring in God speaking thus I doe indeed earnestly desire to saue you but ye hinder that I cannot doe what I desire I would if you would therefore seeing by you I am frustrated of my intent I will change my purpose of sauing you and my will being otherwise bent I haue determined to destroy you for euer It is certainely plaine that this Antecedent will of God is not a will but a desire and wish which God doth obtaine onely by entreaty and as much as he may by mans good pleasure Armin in Perk. p. 196. Affectus quo Deus desideratomnium hominum singulorum salutem est in deosimplex naturalis extra conditioâ—em Therefore Arminius doth oftentimes call this will a desire and naturall affection and it is common to these sectaries to take those places Psal 81.14 Esa 48.18 where God is brought in speaking as one wishing and desiring and disappointed of his wish as if they were properly spoken when these things are spoken by an Anthropopathy and after the manner of men VI. Furthermore how grieuous a thing it is to be defrauded of ones desire and naturall affection and how disagreeing this is to God who doth not see vnlesse it be he that will willingly be deceiued For if God be most perfectly good yea goodnesse it selfe it must needes be that his affections and naturall desires if he haue any are of highest sanctity iustice and perfection and therefore nothing is so much to be wished as that that naturall affection might be fulfilled and that God might obtaine his desired end There is cause therefore that wee should grieue for Gods cause who is deceiued of that end which is farre the best and who might be made partaker of his wish if man would let him See whether the wit of these nouators doth plunge it selfe and how honourably they thinke of God Hitherto belong those impious and wicked speeches of Vorstius who doth affirme Collat. amic cum Piscat Sect. 27. that something doth happen vnexpected to God and which is bitter and very distastfull to him and doth although it be vnproperly spoken bring very great griefe to him and which doth proceede not from his Antecedent but from his Consequent will hauing tryed all things in vaine Which speach doth doubtlesse abase God below the state of man For if any such thing should happen euen amongst men and any ones endeauour hauing tryed all things in vaine should be deluded it would be an argument either of imprudency or weakenesse or infidelity There is cause therefore we should lament the state of God who vsing an vnprosperous successe hath so ill performed the businesse VII It is also absurd yea impious to affirme that God to whom all things from eternity are not onely foreseene but also prouided for should intend any thing that from eternity hee knew would not come to passe and to haue propounded an end to himselfe to which he knew he should not attaine as if one should leuell at a marke which is not nor euer will be For if God from eternity knoweth that this man shall be damned in vaine doth hee wish from eternity that he should be saued and hee doth from eternity know that he shall not be partaker of his naturall desire and his antecedent will VIII What a thing is it that hereby there is brought in resistance betweene these two wils of God the latter of which doth correct the former for by this Antecedent will God doth desire to doe that which from eternity he is certaine hee shall not doe And God is imagined doing something hardly and vnwillingly and against that end which hee had first intended because mans will comes betweene by which it comes to passe that God doth cease from that end propounded to himselfe which was farre better as if per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon a second aduise he should obtaine some secondary good Arminius doth not dissemble this whose words are these In Perlin Pag. 195. God doth seriously desire all men should be saued but being compelled by the stubborne and incorrigible malice of some men he will haue them make losse of their saluation But God doth nothing vnwillingly neither can he be compelled by man to the changing of his will IX And if these weake affections and ineffectuall desires of which he is disappointed by the stepping betweene of mans will be attributed to God there is no doubt but that God created man floting betweene his Antecedent and Consequent will as not without griefe fore-seeing the fall of man and knowing that hee created a creature which would certainely perish and yet hee would not abstaine from his creation because his decree of creating man could not be abolished so that God bound himselfe in those straights out of which hee could not quit himselfe X. It is not also to be indured that the will of God should remaine vncertaine vntill the condition vnder which God doth Antecedently will any thing be either fulfilled or broken For although the generall affection of God towards all men be not made to depend on mans will yet according to Arminius the effect thereof is vncertaine vntill God by his consequent will hath decreed to saue this or that man But Arminius makes this Consequent will in God to depend on mans free-will and doth make it to come after faith and the right vse of grace Therefore Vorstius Vorstius Amic Costat cum Piscat Sect. 79. 217. a man of a sharpe wit but of an vnfortunate audacity is bold to write that the will of God is after some manner mutable and that some change may be made in some part of Gods decree XI But although all the counsels of God are eternall and immutable neither can God be said to will any thing anew which he hath not willed from eternity yet whosoeuer shall exactly consider this Consequent will of God shall finde that it is made to come after his Antecedent will not onely in order but in time For it is impossible that God should at one time desire to saue all men and to damne some And it must needes be that the Antecedent will of God must cease as blotted and raced out by his Consequent before there can be place for his Consequent will XII And when the Apostle Rom. 9. doth affirme that the will of God cannot be resisted by this distinction there is made a will of God which may be resisted and the execution whereof may be hindred by man XIII And here if any where we may see how little constant the Arminians are For they doe contend that in the ninth Chapter to the Romanes it
soule that sinneth shall die The sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father Whereunto the law of God Deut. 24. is consonant and agreeable which law doth forbid children to be punished for the sinnes of their parents Why then doe we die for anothers sinne Why is the sinne of Adam imputed to vs Or is it credible that he that forgiues vs our sinnes will impute to any one anothers sins What that the punishment is greater then the sinne For when we sinned in Adam onely in potentia in power and possibility yet we are punished in actu in act And that seemeth most cruell that Adam which sinned in act is saued and for the same sinne many are damned who sinned in Adam onely in power and possibility I answere the place in Ezechiel must be taken thus the innocent sonne shall not beare the punishment of his fathers sinne So when God saith in the law that he will visit the iniquity of fathers vpon the children he speaketh of children which walke in their fathers steps and are partakers of the same fault But the sonnes of Adam cannot be said to be innocent as they which not onely sinned in Adam as in the stocke and roote of mankinde but also themselues are borne stained with the same deprauation and prone to the same sinne Secondly I say that that place in Ezechiel makes nothing to the present matter for hee speaketh of the sinnes of the fathers whose sinnes are personall and who in sinning doe not sustaine the persons of their children For Arminius is deceiued in setting downe the cause why those Infidels are reprobated who haue not refused the Gospell viz. Because saith he they refused the grace of the Gospell in their parents In Perkins p. 92. grandfathers great-grandfathers and their fathers by which act they deserued that they should be forsaken by God For I would haue them shew me a solid and sound reason why Infants haue not sinned against the grace of the Gospell in their Parents to whom the grace of the Gospell was offred and by whom it was refused seeing in Adam all his posterity sinned against the Law and by it deserued punishment and forsaking For the reason of the couenant of God is perpetuall that children are comprehended in their Parents VI. Let therefore the Schoole and followers of Arminius learne the cause of this difference and why the sinne of Adam should be imputed to his posteritie but the sinnes of other fathers should not be imputed to their children These therefore I say to be the causes of this difference 1. Because by the sinne of Adam we lost originall purity but wee haue not lost it by the sinnes of our Grand-fathers or great-Grandfathers 2. Because Adam receiued gifts which as he had for himselfe so hee should haue conueyed them to his posterity which seeing hee lost it iustly comes to passe that his posterity should be depriued of those gifts But my Grand-father or great-Grandfather receiued no supernatural gifts from God which by an hereditary right they should deriue to their posterity 3. Then also the sinnes of my Grand-father and great-Grandfather were personall sinnes neither did they in their sinning sustaine the persons of their posterity which cannot be said of Adam Vide Tho. 1.2 quest 81. Art 2. Surely I think that it cannot be said that Ezechias or Iosias who were the posterity of Dauid did in Dauid murther Vrias 4. I will say somewhat more Adam while hee liued committed many sinnes yet I thinke that onely that first sinne of Adam was imputed to his posterity because onely by this sinne he violated that couenant which was made with him as with the author of mankinde 5. And if any one at this day is depriued of the light of the Gospell because some of his ancestors a thousand yeeres since refused the Gospell as Arminius thinks there is no cause why on the other side one may not be called effectually to saluation because some one of his ancestors beleeued the Gospell For why shall the infidelity of the great-Grandfather be imputed to the great-grandsonne and his faith be not imputed But that the faith of one is imputed to another Arminius himselfe is not of opinion when he saith out of Habacuk 2. The iust shall liue by his owne faith and not by anothers Nor because Adam beleeued the promise of his seede that should breake the serpents head is this his faith therefore imputed to any of his posterity Arnoldus doth seeme to consent to this but I cannot be brought to thinke that the other sectaries doe beleeue the same 6. To beleeue that any one is reprobated because hee resused the Gospell in his greatgrandfathers or their Fathers is plainely conrâ—ary to the opinion of Saint Paul 2 Cor. 5.10 where he saith that euery one shall receiue the things done in his body whether it be good or euill therefore not according to those things which he hath done in anothers body 7. I let passe he absurdities into which Arminius by this meanes would plunge himselfe For it may come to passe that ones Grandfather by the fathers side hath beleeued the Gospell his Grand-father by his mothers side hath refused the Gospell It may come to passe that ones Grandfathers or greatgrandfathers so vpward part haue beleeued and part haue not beleeued I demand of which of them in the purpose of God shall respect be had Shall the faith of the one or the infidelitie of the other be imputed to their posteritie Then also as often as the Gospell is offred to any Nation or Citie there is nothing so likely as that some of those people were borne of Ancestors that were Infidels and that some of them were borne of faithfull Ancestors yet is the Gospell offred to all without any difference Also it will come to passe that some one proceeding of faithfull Ancestors may refuse the Gospell and on the otherside one proceeding of Insideâ—s may be conuerted 8. And if one may be an Infidell by anothers infidelity and may be said to haue refused the Gospell in his Ancestors because some one of his progenitors refused the Gospell a thousand yeares before there will scarce be any of the godly that after this manner hath not refused the Gospell 9. But what will they say to this That it is found by experience that the worst and most wicked progeny of very wicked Ancestors haue beene conuerted to the faith and as the Apostle saith Rom. 5.20 Where sinne abounded there grace abounded What were the ancient Romanes but theeues depopulating and wasting the world and a scourge in the hand of God What was Corinth but the stewes of all Graecia and the Mart or faire of most foule lusts yet neuerthelesse in those cities God by the preaching of the Gospell raised vp most flourishing Churches and there were very many in those dregges which did belong to the election of God 10. But if at any time the posterity is punished for
p. 86. doth roundly affirme that sinne is the meritorious cause of reprobation So Arnoldus p. 151. Election and reprobation of particular persons were made in respect of the fore-sight of faith and incredulity Arnoldus Can any suspect your fidelity that you take the word ex equiuocally in reprobation to note the cause but in election to note the condition It must needes be therefore that they acknowledge that the elect are appointed to saluation for faith fore seene because they beleeue and that fore-seene faith is the cause of the election of particular persons IV. But there is no difference whether you say that Election doth rest on faith fore-seene or that it doth rest on the fore-seeing of faith for both wares faith is made the cause of election in the latter it is made the neerest cause in the former it is made the remote cause for fore-seene faith is made the cause of fore-seeing it and the fore-seeing it is made the cause of election For why doth God fore-know that they will beleeue vnlesse because they will beleeue and why doth he elect vnlesse because he fore-knoweth they will beleeue These are the words of Arminius against Perkins p. 142. In that God fore-knowes he therefore fore-knowes because it will afterward be V. The same men a little after against the Walachrians doe vse although fearefully the word depending that they might make election depending on faith And although say they that word of depending which we are neuer wont to vse in this argument be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 easily subiect to calumny yet if a maleuolent minde be absent it cannot be drawne to the least suspicion of any absurdity Yes it may be drawne to the greatest For Greuinchouius himselfe Pag. 198. doth acknowledge that dependency strictly taken doth argue causality and the dependency of a superiour by an inferiour And truely these men doe not obscurely declare how willingly they would vse this word if they did not feare our pursuite VI. There is extant a Treatise of Greuinchouius with this Title Of election * ex for faith fore seene but that word ex from or for doth not onely note priority but also causality For who would endure a man that should say that Tiberius was from Octauius Augustus or that this yeare is from the former because one went before the other A man that is not vnskiifull of the Latine doth sufficiently know that the praeposition ex is not fit to note onely the priority of faith vnlesse besides the priority there is also some efficiency or dependency Wherefore the same man page 24. hath these words It is altogether conuenient to the nature of lawes and prescribed conditions that the will of the Iudge should be moued to giue the reward by the required and performed condition This performed condition the Arminians say to be faith which if we beleeue them is considered in election as performed They will therefore haue God to be moued by this fulfilled condition that he should giue the reward which if it be true faith is plainely the cause both of decreeing and giuing the reward because it is that which moueth the Iudge VII So in the conference at the Hage the Arminians doe contend that God doth not elect without respect of qualities which thing is true not onely of faith but also of repentance so it be taken thus that God in electing considered men as they that by his gift and bounty would beleeue and be renewed in repentance If you take this respecting otherwise it must needes be that this respecting is the cause for one is said to choose any thing in respect of some quality or vertue who by that qualitie or vertue is moued to choose it otherwise he would not VIII Nay what That the Arminian conferrers at the Hage p. 86. doe vse the word Cause God sendeth his word whether it seemeth good to him not according to any absolute decree but for other causes lying hid in man Then is man the cause why hee is called whence it comes that he is the cause also that he is elected For that which is the cause why God doth call a man to saluation is plainely the cause why God will saue him for these are things connexed and knit together The same men page 109. It is absurd to put the absolute will of God in the decree of election for the first and principall cause that it should goe before the other causes to wit Christ faith and all other causes Here you heare that faith is put among the causes of election wherefore Arnoldus page 53. doth leaue it in the middle whether faith ought to be called the cause or the condition Whether saith hee faith should be called the condition or whether it should be called the cause it alwayes being laid downe for granted that it is the gift of God this alone is the question how faith hath respect to election And a little before he had said If any should say that in the decree of election faith hath the respect of a cause yet he should not thereby deny that it is the gift of God Not obscurely insinuating how prone hee was to that part and perceiued that hee was not rashly to be blamed who hath called faith the cause of our election IX Adde to these that Arnoldus page 186. and the rest with him doe contend that faith is not of those that are elected but that the election is of those that are faithfull We truely out of Saint Paul to Titus chap. 1. v 1. say that faith is of the elect which we so take because election is the cause of faith to which our assertion seeing they oppose theirs as contrary whereby they say that election is of them that are faithfull what else would they but haue faith to be the cause of our election X. Let also the moment and force of their reasons be weighed and considered In the conference at the Hage they professe that they doe not refuse to write with great letters and to subscribe that election is made by Christ without any consideration of good workes And yet doe the same men euen to loathing beate vpon this that Election is the decree of sauing them that beleeue that there is no man elected by God but in respect of faith But I would know why they so earnestly exclude the consideration of workes from election seeing that the earnest endeauour of good workes is a condition no lesse fore-required to saluation then faith Who by these things doth not see that faith is not laid downe by them meerely as a fore-required condition For if faith were thus considered by them it is plaine that the study and endeauour of good workes had beene ioyned and placed in the same degree with faith XI And if God electeth to saluation not those whom he absolutely decreed but those whom hee fore-saw would beleeue it is plaine that God in election hath respect to some dignity and
condition which they might fulfill It might therefore haue come to passe that before this wicked deede they might haue beene conuerted and become faithfull and so had not crucified Christ And truely it cannot be said that Iudas and Caiaphas were elected to saluation vnder the condition of beleeuing in the death of Christ seeing they were appointed to that very thing that by their incredulity and wickednesse Christ might be deliuered to death but if Iudas and Caiaphas had beleeued in Christ Christ had not beene deliuered to death and therefore this decree whereby the Arminians will haue God to haue elected Iudas and Caiaphas and Pilate vnder this condition if they would beleeue in Christ doth infolde a contradiction For they doe as much as if they should bring in God speaking thus I appointed to saue Iudas and Caiaphas if they will beleeue in the death of Christ But if they shall beleeue and shall be faithfull Christ should not be deliuered to death nor be crucified Also of the foure decrees of the Arminians the two former are contrary one to another For by the first decree God decreed to vse the incredulity and perfidiousnesse of Iudas to deliuer Christ to death But by the second decree God elected Iudas vnder the condition of faith in the death of Christ Therefore by the former decree Iudas is absolutely considered as an vnbeleeuer and a reprobate but by the second he is considered as one conditionally elected The schoole of Arminius is painted about with these monsters and Chimeraes contrary one to another which would moue laughter if the church were not troubled by them and the wisedome of God exposed to reproach VII Furthermore by that generall decree whereby all men are said to be elected vnder the condition of faith to be performed Greuinch p. 101 DecretuÌ„ conditionale de quolibet si credat seruando Pag. 2. Decreuit salutem conferre sub conditione fidei prestande ab ijs qui. bus salutem ap plitaret God is openly mocked For it is a foolish decree which is made vnder a condition which condition he that decreed it knew certainely in the very moment he decreed it that it would not be fulfilled especially if this condition cannot be fulfilled but by the helpe and power of him who decrees it For by such a decree God should set a law to himselfe not to man But it is manifest by experience that God doth not minister to all men the meanes that are necessary to the fulfilling of this condition For he will not haue his Gospell preached to all neither doth he giue the spirit of regeneration to all VIII Finally what is to be iudged of this generall election appeares by the consectaries and conclusions which are drawne thence whereof that is the chiefest and farre the worst whereby they denie that the number of the elect is certaine and determined by the will of God electing whence it followeth that the election of particular persons is not certaine by the will of God For if it were certaine by the decree of God that this or that man were of the number of the elect then of seuerall persons ioyned together the whole summe and certaine number would be made vp But that which Arnoldus saith Arnold P. 192. Numerum statuitis certum esse ex precisa dei ordinatione determinatum qui nec angeri nâ—â— minui possit idque ex eadem ordinatione longe viro aliter Euangelium vera predestinationis doctrina que in genera tantum docet quales sunt electi Pag. 192. That the number of the elect may be increased or diminished is such a thing that there is no good man who doth not tremble at the hearing of it For what is it in God to diminish the number of the elect but to change his opinion and to take from the number of the elect those which indeede being not sufficiently well considered of and as hauing cast his accounts amisse he had brought into the white roule of the elect which should rather haue beene carried into the blacke booke of reprobates IX Of the same euill stampe is that of Greuinchouius against Ames Pag. 136. making a halfe an incompleate and so a reuocable election In the Scriptures saith hee men are called elect 1. incompleately according to the present state in as much as they are such to wit faithfull men for the present time the last tearme of their life being excepted in which 2. Election is fulfilled Behold a depending election by which euery most wicked man is incompleately elect and the decree of God is incompleate vntill it be made compleate by man which surely are not dogmata but portenta not doctrines but monstrous opinions which neuer came into the minde of any one of whom the name of Christ is any where heard of X. But the Scripture teacheth that the number of the elect is certaine Reuel 6. The soules which are vnder the Altar are commanded to waite while the number of the brethren is fulfilled Also that which Christ saith of the sheepe that were giuen him euen before their conuersion Iohn 10.1 As also that he saith that all shall come to him as many as are giuen him by the father Iohn 6.37 And that none of his sheepe can be taken out of his hand Iohn 10.28 doe all plainely declare that the number of them is determined by the purpose of God Saint Luke doth also accord in whom Chap. 10. v. 20. Christ thus speaketh to the Apostles Reioyce not that the spirits are subiect to you but rather reioyce that your names are written in heauen No lesse expressely doth the Apostle to the Hebrewes speake Chap. 12. v. 22.23 where hee calleth the church the heauenly Ierusalem the assembly of the first borne which are written in Heauen Hitherto pertaines that book of life concerning which it is spoken in other places And Reuel 20. where they are said to be cast into the lake of fire which are not found written in the booke of life The Arminians Pag. 96. of the conference at Hage doe with a vaine interpretation expound those words of Christ Reioyce that your names are written in the booke of life For they will not haue these words to be taken of election to saluation but they will haue this to be the sence of it Reioyce that according to the present state of faith righteousnesse and obedience ye are accounted for pious and godly men yea for the sonnes of God O good God where is modesty Here is neyther reason nor colour for this For to be accounted faithfull by men is not to haue their names written in heauen Nor was there any cause that the Apostle should so reioyce because men thought well of them seeing that often times happeneth to him that is most wicked and this had beene much lesse then that the diuels did tremble at their voice and fled from them which yet Christ reckons to be but a small thing in
God crept vpon them and that sometimes they felt some temptations of desparation But as soone as they shooke off that opinion of precise election they were healed of these diseases and their piety grew hot No doubt wee had bid piety and sanctitie of manners farewell if this sect had not rose vp which hath triumphed ouer vices and hath raised vp piety almost dead I doe not search into their manners thus much I say their writings relish of anger and are full of bitternesse But to the purpose I deny that by our doctrine iust occasion of sinning is taken and the raines let loose to intemperance But nothing hath euer beene said so holily nor so truely which may not be drawn to the worser part and be corrupted by a sinister interpretation Saint Paul suffered the same calumny who in the sixt Chapter to the Romanes doth with an opportune prolepsis and timely preuention remoue from himselfe this opinion speaking thus Shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound XXX Wee deny therefore that these things which they imagine doe follow of our doctrine If God hath predestinated any one to faith and repentance he ought not therefore to be lesse carefull how he may please God and yeelde obedience to him For repentance is carefulnesse it selfe They therefore so speake as if they should say that the elect ought to want carefulnesse because God hath predestinated them to carefulnesse XXXI Neither doth the beneficence and bounty of God hinder the vigilancy and watchfulnesse of man So God giueth vs our daily bread and yet by this he doth not hinder our labour He doth in vaine expect from God succours for his life who doth sit idle with his armes a crosse The same God which giueth vs foode exhorts vs to labour for his blessing doth not come vpon sloath but vpon diligence XXXII Furthermore nothing letteth that a man should with lesse diligence follow that labour the euent whereof is determined by the certaine decree of God whether this decree be knowne to vs or whether it be not knowne Christ was not ignorant of the tearme of his life vpon earth and yet did hee auoide the dangers and escaped the hands of the Iewes more then once Ezechias being recouered from his disease knew that he had yet fifteene yeeres to liue in which time it is no doubt but he receiued foode and had care of his health God had reuealed to Paul that none of the passengers that were in the same ship should be drowned and yet for all that he exhorted the Saylors to labour and commanded them to be kept in the ship who hauing let downe the boate would haue fled The Arminians will not deny but that the euent of their warres was determined by the purpose of God yet they would not thence inferre that it was in vaine to sight couragiously The Scripture doth testifie in many places that God hath set to euery one the limits of his life and that the number of our daies is determined by the purpose of God and yet he is not to be dispraised who sends for the Phisitian in his sicknesse or hee who before the battell puts on armour For the industry of man must serue the decree of God neither is it right that the liberality of God should be a cause of negligence to vs. So the infant moueth it selfe in the wombe and doth it selfe helpe its owne natiuity although that power which it hath of mouing is from God Surely seeing faith and repentance are the meanes to saluation nothing is so contrary to reason as to vse the end for the abolishing of the meanes Wherefore Saint Paul Philip. 2. doth acknowledge that it is receiued from God both to will and to doe and yet in the same place he doth exhort to worke out our saluation with feare and trembling whom wee had rather beleeue then Arnoldus whose words are these Page 273. It seemes to me that the conscience of sinne is altogether extinguished in him who knoweth that he is deliuered from sinne by the absolute and immutable ordinance of God What Was the conscience of Dauid hardned to sinne or did he loose the sence of sinne after that God signified to him by the Prophet Nathan that he had taken away his sinne No he sorroweth and doth grieuously lament his sinne for griefe and repentance doth stick fast in the minde euer after pardon is obtained So Saint Paul 1. Tim. 1. saith that God had mercy on him and yet in the same place he doth detest his sinne XXXIII Wee are to thinke the same thing concerning prayer as concerning the labour and endeauour of good workes For we doe rightly and piously aske of God those things which are determined by his certaine purpose For God who hath determined to doe good to vs will giue that good to our prayers and not to sloathfulnesse and security Iosaphat did not in vaine pray before the fight 2. Chro. 20. although he was not ignorant that God had already decreed what should be the euent of the battell The Apostles knew well enough that their sinnes were forgiuen them by God and yet they did daily pray Forgiue vs our trespasses Christ did not doubt of his resurrection and of the obtaining of glory after the combat and yet he did pray by night and went aside into the mountaine to pray XXXIV I let passe that euery man euen the best is obnoxious and subiect to temptations which assailing him he is to flie for the helpe of God least his faith faile or sloathfulnesse and negligence creepe vpon him XXXV Doth not Saint Paul also witnesse Rom. 8. that the holy-Ghost prayeth in vs and doth suggest sighes and prayers whence hee is called by Zacharie the spirit of supplication Zach. 12.10 Which seeing it is the effect of the good pleasure of God and the fruit of election it were a maruaile if election it selfe should keepe vs back from prayer XXXVI And if any man that is elected doth yet doubt of his saluation he hath somewhat to aske of God to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a full perswasion and the sustaining of his staggering faith and the increase of charity and zeale and the obtayning of glory and if he be certaine of his saluation hee must aske the increase of this confidence hee must aske perseuerance in faith and good works hee must pray to bee kept backe from sinne to which he feeleth himselfe prone he must pray for the fulfilling of the promises of God he must pray against the temptations of Sathan who although hee cannot ouerthrow the elect yet he doth prick their heele and doth dig into them with his goades XXXVII That is of the same lumpe wherewith Arnoldus from Arminius Pag. 304. doth vpbraide vs. Your doctrine saith he doth make the seruants and Ministers of God sloathfull in their ministery because from thence it followeth that their diligence can profit none but those whom God will absolutely saue and who cannot perish and
frowardnesse by what meanes it doth blow vp a man while he burst and lift him vp on high that it might throw him downe headlong For one that is filled with Armianisme may say thus God indeede is willing to saue me but he may be disappointed of his will hee may be defrauded of his naturall defires which are farre the best Those whom God will saue by his Antecedent will hee will destroy by his Consequent will Also his election doth rest on the fore-seeing of mans will I were a miserable man if my saluation depended vpon so vnstable a thing The same man will also reason thus God giueth to all men sufficient grace but hee hath not manifested Christ to all men therefore there is some grace sufficient without the knowledge of Christ Also the same man will easily beleeue that God doth mocke men for he hath learned in the schoole of Arminius that God doth seriously desire intend the saluation of all and singular men and yet that neuerthelesse he doth call very many by a meanes that is not congruent that is by a meanes in a time and measure which is not apt nor fit by which meanes whosoeuer is called doth neuer follow God calling But what doe I know whether he calleth by a congruent and agreeable meanes or no Adde also these famous opinions that vnregenerate men doe good workes that they are meeke thirsting after and doing the will of the Father that faith is partly from grace and partly from free-will Nay what that any maintainer of the sect of Arminius shall dare to set lawes to God himselfe and to say that God is bound to giue to all men power of beleeuing And that the iustice of God doth require that he may giue to man that which is his owne and that man himselfe may determine and open his owne heart to receiue the word of God O your fidelity Are these your famous incitations to holinesse of life Doth Arminius traine vp men to piety by these instructions Surely if any one is stirred vp to good workes by these things hee is thereby the more corrupted For God had rather haue sinnes with repentance then righteousnesse with pride God will not stirre vp men to repentance with the losse eyther of our faith or his glory Nor are we onely to doe our endeauour that men be stirred vp to repentance but we must also see that it be done by meanes that are conuenient and not contumelious against God CHAP. XXV Whether Christ be the cause and foundation of Election I. WE say that no man is saued but by and for Christ and that Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and price of our redemption the foundation and meritorious cause of our saluation But we doe not say that he is the cause of election or the cause why of two considered in the corrupted masse one is preferred before another There are not wanting examples of most wicked men to one whereof God so dispensing the Gospell hath beene preached whence it came to passe that he was conuerted and did beleeue but to the other the Gospell hath not beene preached The Scripture doth not say that the death of Christ is the cause of this but doth fetch the cause from the good pleasure of God who hath mercy on whom he will For the loue of the father doth alwaies goe before the mediation of the sonne seeing that the loue of the father to the world was the cause why he sent his sonne Yea truely seeing Christ himselfe as he is man is elected and the head of the elect hee cannot be the foundation and cause of election For as hee is the head of men as he is a man so is he the head of them that are predestinated as he is a man predestinated to so great honour which came to him by the meere grace of God II. Wherefore the Apostle calleth Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the price of our redemption and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the propitiation Coloss 1. Rom. 3. but he doth not say that he is the cause why some men should be elected rather then others III. Reason it selfe doth consent For as the recouery of the sicke-man doth in the intention alwaies goe before the vsing of the Phisitian so it must needes be that in the minde of God the thought of sauing men was not in time but in order before the thought of sending the Sauiour IV. Adde to these that the mediation and redemption of Christ is an action whereby the iustice of God is satisfied which is not signified by the word Election for it is one thing to be a mediator and another thing to be the cause of Election or of the preferring of one before another in the secret counsell of God Whence it is that Christ is the meritorious cause of our saluation but not of our election which is as much as if I should say that Christ is the foundation and cause of the execution of the decree of Election but not the cause of Election it selfe V. It is of no small moment that Christ Iohn 15.13 saith That he layeth downe his life for his friends chap. 10. v. 11. he calleth himselfe the good shepheard that layeth downe his life for his sheepe And if Christ be dead for his friends and for his sheepe it must needs be that when he died for them he did consider them as being already friends and sheepe although many of them were not then called as Christ himselfe doth testifie who in the sixteenth verse of the same chapter doth call those also his sheepe who were not yet conuerted And if Christ dying for vs considered vs as his friends and sheepe it is plaine that before the death of Christ there was already destinction made betweene his friends and enemies betweene the sheep and goates and therefore that the decree of Election was in order before the death of Christ and that the opinion of Arminius is to be hissed out as an opinion subuerting the Gospell whereby hee thinkes that the election had not place when Christ died Certainly he that died for his sheepe died for the elect and not for them who were to be elected after hee was dead By these things it is plaine that by those friends and sheepe for which Christ died are not vnderstood those onely who loue God and follow Christ but all those whom God loueth and whose saluation hee decreed for whom Christ died when they did not yet loue God and when they were enemies to him And therefore they are called enemies Rom. 5.10 because they did not loue God but yet euen then they were highly loued by God and were appointged to saluation in Christ For in a diuers respect they were both friends and enemies sheepe and goates Friends because God loued them enemies because they did not yet loue God VI. Neither is iniurie done to Christ if the loue of the Father and his good pleasure be said to goe in order
before the decree of sending his sonne seeing Christ himselfe doth witnesse it Iohn 3.16 God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne c. where the loue of the father is manifestly set before the sending of the sonne which is so to be vnderstood as that the sonne is not excluded from the act of election it selfe seeing that he also is one God with the father but this was done by him not as hee is mediator but as he is God VII Neither is any iniury done to Christ if the will of the father concerning the sauing of men be said to goe before the redemption of Christ seeing that this redemption is also after sinne for the disease is before the medicine VIII Nor is any thing detracted from the greatnesse of the price of our redemption if his will who offered the price be said to goe before it IX The very definition of the decree of election doth proue this thing for election is the decree of sauing certaine men by Christ in which definition Christ is laid downe not as the cause of election but as the meanes of the execution of it and as the meritorious cause of saluation X. It is maruailous how much the Arminians insult here For because wee make the loue of God to goe not in time but in order before the mediation of the sonne they so deale with vs as if we taught that God loued vs without Christ and as being considered without faith in Christ which doth differ as much from our opinion as that which doth differ most Be it farre from vs that wee should say that God would euer bestow saluation vpon vs but that together and in the same moment he considered vs in Christ as being to be saued by him Nor was there any cause why we for that thing should be accused of Sicianisme we haue nothing to doe with that Alastor and hellish monster which doth altogether ouerthrow the benefit of Christ But it is one thing to say that the loue of the father doth in order goe before the mediation of the sonne and another thing to say that God loueth vs without the sonne It is one thing to dispose the thoughts of God in order and another thing to separate them and pull them asunder Arminius who in the beginning of his booke against Perkins calleth himselfe a wirty fellow doâ—h craftily yea wickedly catch at and hunt after points of priority in order to pull asunder those things which cannot be seperated Hee doth therefore as much as if one should say that the thought of creating man was first in order in God before the thought of adorning him with holinesse and righteousnes and would thence inferrre that God would first create man not iust or first to haue considered him as not holy If any man saith that in the decree of God the thought of ouerthrowing of the world was before the thought of ouerthrowing it by fire hee doth not therefore say that God first thought of ouerthrowing it without fire All the purposes of God are eternall although there be a certaine order and dependency betweene them XI That place of Saint Iohn Chap. 3. vexeth Arminius God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten sonne c. where the loue of God is laide downe as the cause by which it came to passe that he gaue the sonne He doth therefore endeauour to delude so direct a place by a witlesse cauell That loue saith he is not that by which he will giue eternall life which appeareth by the very words of Iohn who doth ioyne faith betweene this loue and eternall life The Reader therefore shall obserue that Arminius himselfe doth acknowledge that there is a kinde of loue of God towards men which doth goe before his decree of sending his sonne But hee saith that God by that loue is not willing to giue eternall life What then will hee doe by it For this thing hee ought to shew Will God by that loue leaue men in death Is it possible that God should loue the creature created by him to life but he must needes by the same loue will that it should liue I am ashamed of so weake a subtilty Yea truely in that he sent his sonne by that loue it is sufficiently manifest that by that loue he was willing man should be restored to life But saith he faith commeth betweene that loue and eternall life What then Cannot I will the recouery of him that is sicke although the Phisition come betweene my will and his recouery Surely he maketh those things opposite and contrary which are appolite and ioyned together But I doe not see how he rather fauoureth Socinus who saith that Christ is not the cause of Election then he that saith that Christ is not the cause of the loue whereby God would send Christ into the world and prouide for vs a redeemer Or why there should be a greater offence in making the redemption of Christ to be the medium and meane betweene the loue of God by which hee elected vs and betweene our saluation then if it be made the medium a meane betweene the loue of God by which he will giue Christ for vs and betweene our saluation For on both sides redemption is made the meanes and not the first cause Let vs not therefore enuy God the father this praise that his good pleasure thould be made the fountaine and first originall of our Election XII Obserue moreouer that that Election whereof Arminius will haue Christ to be the foundation is that generall election whereby all men are conditionally elected which seeing wee haue largely consuted Chap. 18. whatsoeuer the Arminians doe bring to proue that Christ is the foundation of election doth vanish away Surely there was no cause why they should so earnestly labour to proue that Christ was the foundation of that election by which Pharaoh and Iudas were elected Of which imaginary election he shall haue the true character and portraiture who hath brought in God speaking thus I decreed to send my sonne to saue all men who shall beleeue but who and how many they shall be I haue not determined onely I will giue to all men sufficient power to beleeue but he shall belecue who will himselfe XIII Arminius doth defend himselfe against so euident a truth by one little word of the Apostle Ephes 1.4 He hath elected vs in Christ But it is one thing to be elected in Christ and another thing to be elected for Christ so that Christ should be the cause why one is elected rather then another The meaning of the Apostle is cleere To elect is nothing else then to appoint to saluation Therfore to elect in Christ is to appoint to saluation to be obtained in or by Christ For whosoeuer God hath decreed to saue he hath giuen them to Christ and hath considered them as ioyned to Christ Hee seeketh a knot in a bulrush who by farre fetched interpretations would darken
them to iust and deserued punishments for their sinnes IV. The definition of Thomas doth not please me who saith that the decree of Reprobation is the will of permitting one to fall into sinne and of laying vpon him the punishment of damnation for his sinne For the permission whereby God doth permit doth not belong to predestination but to his prouidence although it serue to predestination V. It is the opinion of the Arminian sect that Reprobates may be saued For saith Arminius that decree is not of the power but of the act of sauing Very ill spoken For where the act of God is determined by his decree in vaine is the power by which this act may be resisted This opinion doth draw with it other opinions no better then it selfe for errors are tyed together among themselues like serpents egges For if a Reprobate may be saued he that is not written in the booke of life may effect that hee be now written in and so the number of the elect will not be certaine nor the decree of Reprobation be irreuocable and peremptory as they speake vnlesse after finall perseuerance in incredulity Also hence it will follow that a reprobate may if he will obtaine faith and conuert himselfe whence it would come to passe that faith should not be of the meere grace of God which wee shall see hereafter to be the opinion of Arminius VI. God is after the same manner the cause of Reprobation as the iudge is the cause of the punishment of them that are guilty and sinne is the meritorious cause Seeing therefore the consideration of sinne doth moue the iudge and the iudge doth condemne to punishment it appeareth that sinne is the remote cause of damnation and not onely a condition necessarily fore-required and that the iudge is the next and neerest cause VII Furthermore although sinne be the cause of appointing to punishment yet it is not the cause of the difference betweene the Elect and Reprobate For examples sake Two men are guilty of the sâ—me crime and it pleaseth the king to condemne one and to absolue and free the other his sinne indeede that is condemned is the cause of his punishment but it is not the cause why the king is otherwise affected to the other then to him seeing the fault on both sides is alike The cause of the difference is that something thing steppeth betweene which doth turne the punishment from one of them which in the worke of predestination is nothing else but the very good pleasure of God by which of his meere good pleasure he gaue certaine men to Christ leauing the rest in their inbred corruption and in the curse due vnto them For which difference it is great wickednesse for vs to striue with God seeing hee is not subiect nor bound to any creature and punisheth no man vniustly giuing to one the grace that is not due and imposing on the other the punishment that is due VIII Here it is demanded what is that sinne for which God doth reprobate to wit whether men are Reprobated onely for the sinne which is deriued from Adam and for that blot which is common to Reprobates with the elect or whether they are also reprobated for the actuall sinnes which they are to commit in the whole course of their life The answere is at hand For although naturall corruption be cause sufficient for Reprobation yet it is no doubt but that God hath decreed to condemne for the same cause for which hee doth condemne and hee doth condemne the Reprobates for the sinnes which they haue committed in act For in hell they doe not onely beare the punishment of originall sinne but also of actuall sinnes Therefore also God hath appointed them to damnation for the same sinnes Now to Reprobate and to appoint to punishment are all one God doth so execute any thing in time according as he from eternity decreed to execute it Now he doth punish in time for actuall sinnes therefore also hee decreed from eternity to punish for them Thence it is that the punishments of the men of Capernaum was to be greater then the punishment of the Sodomites and the punishment of him that knew the will of his master greater then the punishment of him that knew it not because there is a great difference betweene the actuall sinnes for which they are punished Nothing hindreth that God considering a man lying in his naturall corruption and deprauation should not also consider him as poluted with those sinnes which he was to commit by that naturall deprauation IX Arminius doth not thinke that any man is Reprobated for originall sinne for he contends that Christ hath obtained the remission of it for all mankinde But he will haue man to be reprobated onely for the fore-seeing of actuall sinnes that is for the breach of the law and the contempt of grace In which thing he doth seeme not to be constant to himselfe For seeing all actuall sinnes doe flow from originall sinne it cannot be that the cause and fountaine of actuall sinnes should be remitted by God and yet the sinnes that flow from thence should not be remitted As if God should forgiue a man intemperance but should punish him for adultery for actions doe flow from habits and naturall inclinations as the second acts doe flow from the first X. Without doubt incredulity and the reiection of the Gospell are among the sinnes for which any one is reprobated For by this reiection we sinne against the Law by which God will iudge vs For the law commandeth that God be loued with all our heart and that he be obeyed in all things and without exception and therefore also that he be beleeued when he speaketh and that hee be obeyed when hee commandeth vs to beleeue whatsoeuer it shall be which he shall eyther command or shall say XI That hee should be Reprobated for reiecting the Gospell and despising the grace of Christ to whom the Gospel was neuer preached is against all reason For whom the Gospell doth not saue it leaueth vnder the law to be iudged by it which law doth then binde a man to beleeue in Christ when Christ is preached to him Nor is it the Schoole master to Christ but to them who haue meanes to come to the knowledge of Christ After the same manner as the law did not binde them to belecue the prophecy of Ieremy who neuer heard of the name of Ieremie nor could it be knowne to them XII And although reprobation cannot be said to be the cause of sinne because sinne goeth before reprobation yet it cannot be denied but that reprobation is the cause of the denying of grace and of the preaching of the Gospell and of the spirit of adoption which is peculiar to the elect For seeing this denying is a punishment it must needes be that it is inflicted by the will of a iust iudge These are the words of Arminius Page 58. against Perkins Effectuall grace is denyea by
the decree of Reprobation and a 〈◊〉 after God by the certaine accree of Reprobation determinea not to giue faith anâ— repentance to some to wit by yeelding them his effectuall grace by which they would certainely belecue and be conuâ—rted There is no cause therefore that we should be traduced by the Arminians in this respect seeing that the principall of their sect doth say the same thing And it is easie to tell the cause why God should not be bound to giue to all men faith and repentance For God who hath not wrought the disease is not bound to giue to all men the remedies of the disease nor to giue the ability of performing those things which are due from man to God For this impotency disability in performing proceeded from man himselfe not from God And the fulfilling of the law is a naturall debt Which law seeing it is violated by the retection of the Gospell it is plaine that it is also a naturall debt to beleeue the Gospell not before it is preached Arnold Page 3.6 Dicat Arminius gratâ—am quaâ—aâ—u tas creâ—eâ—didaâ—â— quaÌ„plurimis dâ—â—at emmbus câ—mmunâ—m esse ac proinde nâ—gat graâ—iam esse Et P 262. Respondeo Dâ—um cum nâ—uum loe lus gratia pro enit cultae admistae remissi nem proâ—itâ—â— sub noua obedientiae conditione teneri maxiâ—â— vires 〈◊〉 quibus â—â—mo condi tonâ—m stuÌ„ possit implere alioqui non pâ—ssit â—udicars â—st im gratiâ—msincere offerre but then when it is preached XIII The Arminians are of opinion that no man is reprobated but hee that hath contemned that grace which doth leade to Christ and they make incredulity the speciall cause of reprobation not onely in them to whom the Gospell is preached but a so in them who haue not heard the name of Christ spoken off Arminius maketh these guilty of the contempt of grace For he saith that there is giuen to all men vnresistabâ—y the faculty of beleeuing and the power of obtaâ—ning faith if they will Yea they say that sufficient meanes to be eeue were administred to the heathen who before the comming of Christ liued in the inmost part of Spaine or Scythia And they lay downe a certaine vniuersall sufficient grace common to all men but when they come to explaine that grace sometimes they place it in the common notions and naturall light sometimes in the contemplation of the creatures sometimes in any generall knowledge of the law Of which cursed doctrine and how by these things they doe not obscurely passe into the campe of Pelagius shall be spoken in their due places XIV But here we are euery where set vpon by their darts and the Arminians doe abundantly cast reproaches vpon vs and doe faigne to themselues monsters which they may kill The conferrers at the Hage Page 122. after they haue belched out some calumnies doe thus conclude their speech These things are briefely spoken Collat. Hag Non potuit se conuertere impeditus sciticet a dinina voluntate against that absurd detestable and abhominable opinion Good words I pray you These terrible vizards doe not fright vs. They imagine that we teach that in fidelity doth flow from reprobation as if reprobation were the cause of infidelity The good men sing this Cuckowes song to vs sixe hundred times attributing to vs the doctrine which we neither beleeue nor teach For if one hath not decreed to giue to him that is blinde the remedies by which he might recouer his sight hee is not therefore the cause of his blindnesse nor hath hee appointed him to blindnesse XV. They ground on a false foundation on which they build those things which are worse For they thus beginne their speech of Reprobation Page 118. It is knowne to the Contraremonstrant brethren that such as Election is on the one part such Reprobation ought to be on the other part This is the fountaine of their error this false beginning hath led aside those acute men into by waies The respect of Election is one the respect of Reprobation is farre other For sinne and in fidelity is not a condition required after the same manner in the reprobates as faith is a condition required in the elect For sinne is a condition fore-required in reprobates but faith is a condition following election Reprobation is made for sinne but election is made to faith Sinne is the cause of the appointing to punishment faith is the effect of election God findeth sinne but worketh faith Sinne followeth reprobation onely in the necessity of consequence but not in the necessity of the consequent But faith doth follow election both waies By these things that calumny is abundantly washed off which Arnoldus Page 228. and in many other places doth sprinkle vpon vs that we deny that the reprobates are reprobated for sinne XVI It yeeldeth an occasion to the Arminians of falsely accusing vs because we say that the decree of reprobation is precise and absolute nor doe we agree to Arminius who teacheth that the reprobates indeede are not saued but yet they might be saued and who denieth that the number of the reprobates is determined by the decree of God But here is nothing from whence it can be drawne that reprobation is the cause of sinne or that any one is reprobated without the beholding of sinne XVII Arnoldus doth carpe at our opinion with certaine little obiections Page 219. Ye say that the reprobates haue beene excluded of God from saluation in his decree for one sinne but that they shall be excluded in time for another diuerse sinne It is a calumny wee neither thinke nor say it He doth heape vp the same false accusation Page 229. and 238. where hee saith that men are reprobated as onely considered in the sinne of Adam XVIII In the same page he doth thus vainely argue It is not the part of wisedome to be willing that they should hope for good who are excluded from it by the absolute decree of God But I deny that vnbeleeuers and prophane men are excluded from God by the absolute decree of God after that manner as you take the word absolute that is without respect to their sinnes Neither doth it fauor of folly to command that they who are excluded from eternall life by the absolute that is by the certaine and ineuitable decree should contend and aspire to eternall life seeing that they are therefore excluded from life because they haue not aspired to it XIX The same man Page 226. Ye determine saith he that God hath precâ—sely reprobated from saluation some sinners lying in the fall of Adam without the consideration of impenitency Is is a slander Our Churches doe not beâ—eeue it The confession of the Churches of France of England of the Low-Countries doth not say it Indeede in the decree of reprobation is included the will of not giuing faith and finall repentance to reprobates but it doth not follow thence that reprobation is without the consideration of impenitency
and common to all another particular which is onely peculiar to the elect VIII We doe very much differ from this opinion We acknowledge that Christ died for all but we denie that by his death saluation and forgiuenesse of sinne is obtained for all men Or that reconciliation is made for Cain Pharaoh Saul Iudas c. Neither doe wee thinke that remission of sinnes is obtained for any one whose sinnes are not remitted or that saluation was purchased for him whom God from eternity hath decreed to condemne For this were a vaine purchaâ—e We denie that election is after the death of Christ as for many other causes so also because Christ in the very agony of death gaue a notable proofe of election in the theefe whose heart he affected and enlightned his minde after an vnvtterable manner the other theefe being left and neglected And seeing Christ doth euery where say that he died for his sheepe and for those whom his father gaue him he doth sufficiently declare that he died for the elect IX And when we say that Christ died for all we take it thus to wit that the death of Christ is sufficient to saue whosoeuer doe beleeue yea and that it is sufficient to saue all men if all men in the whole world did beleeue in him And that the cause why all men are not saued is not in the insufficiency of the death of Christ but in the wickednesse and incredulity of man Finally Christ may be said to reconcile all men to God by his death after the same manner that we say that the Sunne doth enlighten the eyes of all men although many are blinde many sleepe and many are hid in darkenesse Because if all and seuerall men had their eyes and were awake and were in the middest of the light the light of the Sunne were sufficient to enlighten them Neither is it any doubt but that it may be said not onely that Christ died for all men but also that all men are saued by Christ because among men there is none saued but by Christ After the same manner that the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 15.20 that all men are made aliue by Christ because no man is made aliue but by him CHAP. XXVIII That reconciliation remission of sinnes and saluation is not obtained nor purchased for all and particular men by the death of Christ I. FIrst whosoeuer saith that by the death of Christ reconciliation is obtained for all and singular men although hee consider Pharaoh and Iudas not as reprobates but simply as sinners yet hee saith that reconciliation is obtained for them who haue neuer beleeued nor neuer were to beleeue And seeing it is not equall nor iust that reconciliation should bee obtained for such the death of Christ is vsed wrongfully to obtaine something that is vniust and to doe something which is contrary to the iustice of God II. And who but hee that doth willingly shut his eyes will euer beleeue that the reconciliation of Iudas was obtained by the death of Christ seeing that the death of Christ was the very crime of Iudas and by it he was brought to the halter III. And seeing that at the very time in which Christ did die many were already tormented in hell he must needes be of a shallow braine who thinketh that by the death of Christ saluation or reconciliation was obtained for them IV. Also by this doctrine God is openly mocked For Christ is imagined to obtaine that from his father which he knew would neuer profit as if God should grant to his sonne the saluation of that man which from eternity he decreed to condemne For if Christ obtained reconciliation and remission of sinnes for Pharaoh and Iudas whether considered as Reprobates or considered as sinners hee knew well enough that that obtaining of it would not be for their good or profit Christ therefore is brought in asking this of his father I pray thee receiue into grace those whom I know thou wilt neuer receiue into grace and whom I know certainely are to be condemned For Christ in his death and before his death knew full well the secrets of election Surely these men seeme to doe their endeauour that Christian Religion should be made a laughing stocke V. Also they expose God to derision while they will haue God at the same time to loue and hate the same man to loue him because hee giueth his sonne for him and would haue reconciliation to be obtained for him but to haue hated him because from eternity he decreed to condemne him VI. And if Christ obtained remission of sins for Iudas it must needs be that God granted that to Christ asking it that he forgaue the sins of Iudas Which if it be true it necessarily followeth that God doth abolish his owne acts and condemning Iudas punished those sins which were remitted and so men should be punished for those sins the pardon whereof is obtained the testament of Christ by which they wil haue saluation to be purchased for all men should be made void VII Neither is God onely thus mocked but also he is made to mocke mankinde For it is manifest by vse and by the experience of all ages that the Gospell is scarce preached to euery tenth man and that the name of Christ is vnknowne to the greatest part of the world which thing that it is done by the prouidence of God so dispensing there is none that will deny vnlesse he that thinkes that all things are carried confusedly and that they doe proceede without reason or order And if reconciliation and saluation by Christ be purchased for all men why doth not God publish this benefit through the whole world Why doth he suffer this reconciliation to be vnknowne to the greatest part of mankinde Why doth he keepe in and hide from so many men the grace which doth belong to them and which is obtained for them without the knowledge of which no man can be saued They answere that God doth it because men shew themselues vnworthy of this grace As if any man could be worthy of it or could shew himselfe worthy of it Who knoweth not that the Gospell is preached to them that are most vnworthy And where sinne hath abounded Rom. 5.20 there grace hath abounded And if God is hindred by the vnworthinesse of man that he should not make knowne to him the reconciliation obtained the same vnworthinesse could and ought to hinder the obtaining of reconciliation For when reconciliation was obtained God did then fore-know the vnworthinesse that would follow with no lesse certainty then if it had beene present VIII And when they say that Christ died for all as concerning the obtaining of saluation but not as concerning the application of it they doe plainely confesse that Christ did not obtaine that this reconciliation should be applied to all Whence it commeth to passe that this obtaining of reconciliation is vaine yea and ridiculous For they speake as much as if
knowledge of the truth And Verse 6. Christ gaue himfelfe a ransome for all Also that to Titus Chap. 2. The grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared But that here by all are vnderstood any and men of whatsoeuer state and condition the very context and coherence of the place doth proue In that place to Timothy the Apostle would haue Kings to be prayed for in that place to Titus hee commandeth seruants to be faithfull and not to purlome Of this exhortation this is the cause and reason because the promise of saluation did belong to Kings although at that time they were strangers from Christ and to seruants although they were of an abiect and base state neither is any condition of men excluded from saluation Saint Austin doth thus take this place of the first to Timothy Enchirid. ad Laurent Cap. 103. And Thomas in his commentary vpon this Epistle And this thing is confirmed by the very words of the Apostle for he saith God would haue all men be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth Now it is manifest by experience that God doth not giue yea nor doth not offer to all and particular men the knowledge of the truth V. It is frequent in the Scripture to take the word all for the word any as Luke 12.42 Ye tithe Mint and Rue omneolus and all manner of hearbs And Mat. 9.35 Christ healed omnem morbum euery disease for euery kinde of disease You haue the like example Colos 1.28 In this sense Heb. 2. Christ is said to haue dyed for all VI. Furthermore there is no doubt but that the Apostle commandeth vs to pray not onely for Kings in generall but also for all seuerall Kings For we to whom the secrets of Election are vnknowne ought to hope well of euery one But he that commandeth vs to pray for Nero doth not therefore determine that God will saue Nero but onely forbiddeth vs to despaire of him VII The sense therefore of these words God would haue all men to be saued is this God doth inuite men of all sorts to saluation and doth exclude no condition of men from saluation For if God should absolutely will or should seriously desire all and particular men to be saued there would not be wanting meanes to him whereby he might effect what hee would and be made partaker of his desire his iustice yet remaining intire and mans liberty being not touched nor infringed VIII That place maketh no more to the purpose which they bring out of Rom. 14.15 Destroy not him with thy meate for whom Christ dyed For to destroy there is not to condemne but to scandalize and to offend the conscience of any by which deede as much as is in vs we would lead him to destruction For to destroy any one absolutely is not in our power So with the Apostle 2 Cor. 10.8 to destroy is the same thing as to offend with scandall and to slacken him that is doing the workes of piety IX In the second Epistle of Peter Chap 2. Vers 1. Christ is said to haue redeemed the false Prophets who denyed him but there it is not spoken of redemption from eternall death but of the freedome from ignorance and errour and the darkenesse of that age by the light of the Gospell which those false Prophets did corrupt by the mingling of false doctrine For to take redemption for any kinde of freedome is vsuall in the Scripture insomuch that resurrection is called the redemption of our bodies Rom. 8.22 Ephes 4.30 X. In the same Epistle Chap. 3. ver 9. Peter saith God is not willing that any should perish to wit because he is not the cause of the perishing of any one and because he admitteth all who are conuerted neither doth he reiect any one But he is not bound to restore to all those powers which were lost by mans fault nor to giue faith to all seeing man by his owne fault brought vpon himselfe the inability of beleeuing as wee haue proued at large in the eleauenth Chapter XI Ezechiel 18.23 God saith these words I am not delighted with the death of a sinner but that he should be conuerted and liue These words say nothing else then that God will not the death of that sinner who is conuerted But if he be not conuerted Arminius himselfe will not deny but that God doth will his death as the Iudge doth will the punishment of him that is gui ty God is not delighted with the death of a sinner as hee is a man but yet no man can deny but that God loueth the execution of his iustice XII Indeede in the 1 Tim. 4.10 God is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sauiour of all men But the Apostle there speaketh of the preseruation in this present life and of the prouidence of God which is extended to the preseruation of all men which care Dauid Psal 36. doth extend euen to the beasts for there God is called the preseruer of men and beasts The precedent words of the Apostle doth declare this We hope in the liuing God for he speaketh of God as he doth giue life to things created by him Alike place you haue Act. 17.25 XIII Arminius pag. 220. against Perkins doth bring the promise made to Adam concerning the seede of the Woman which saith hee doth belong to all particular men I answere that by this promise it is onely promised that Sathan shall be ouercome by the seede of the Woman but that it belongeth to all and particular men it is no where said The doctrine of the Gospell preached to Adam doth not so pertaine to all his posteritie as the precepts of the naturall law because the obedience of the law is a naturall debt but the doctrine of the Gospell is a supernaturall remedy Thence it is that the sinne of Adam against the law of God is imputed to all his posteritie but his faith by which he beleeued the Gospell is not imputed to his posteritie Nor if Adam by his incredulitie had refused the promise of the seede of the woman had therefore his posteritie fell from the hope of saluation Nay what that this promise of the seede of the Woman to breake the Serpents head is manifestly restrained to the faithfull alone For Sathan doth bruise the heele of the children of God alone seeing he killeth the rest with a deadly wound XIV The Arminians being driuen from the holy Scripture flie to their reasons and as they vse the Scripture without reason so they vrge reasons without Scripture They charge vpon vs this syllogisme as it were with a great dart when yet it is but a slender twig Whatsoeuer all men are bound to beleeue is true But all men are bound to beleeue that Christ dyed for them Therefore that is true The minor part of this Syllogisme is false and doth beare many exceptions For they to whom Christ hath not beene preached and who haue heard nothing of
truth but a naturall auersion and disability II. Wherefore the Scripture doth call the change of man by the spirit of regeneration sometimes another birth Iohn 3. sometimes the creation of the new man Ephes 4.24 It calleth it another resurrection from the dead Reucl. 20.6 Luke 15.32 Iohn 5.25 Not that creation and resurrection is in all things like to regeneration and the change of the soule but only in this thing of which it is here spoken to wit as the Carkasse cannot dispose nor prepare it selfe to the resurrection and a thing that is not created cannot further any thing to the creation of it So man in the state of sinne and before his regeneration hath nothing whereby he may dispose himselfe or further his regeneration and spirituall new birth III. The Arminian conferrers at the Hage Page 279. doe roundly confesse that by our spirituall death the liberty of doing well or ill is separated from the soule I demand therefore whether an vnregenerate man furnished with that sufficient and vniuersall grace which is giuen euen to Reprobates hath free-will of doing well or ill in those things which belong to saluation If he haue not why doe the Arminians contend he hath If hee hath it is plaine by their owne confession that he is not dead in sinne But there is a speciall force in the word borne For if there were any seeds and reliques of spirituall life in an vnregenerate man as Arnoldus is of opinion there were no neede to be borne againe and that the new man should be formed but God were to be prayed to that he would againe raise vp those sparkes and reliques of spirituall life and would vouchsafe to kindle and increase it as it were by adding fuell to it IV. Adde to these those places which teach vs that without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. That all men haue not faith 2. Thess 3. because it is the gift of God Philip. 1.19 Ephes 2.8 Seeing therefore what soeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.25 it is plain that in things which belong to saluation and to the worship of God hee doth nothing but sinne that wants faith such as are all the heathen and vnregenerate men In which place to the Romanes it is to be noted that the Apostle speaketh of the vse of meates which he will haue vs to eate with faith that is with a certaine knowledge that the vse of meates is allowed by God and is agreeable to his word Seeing therefore that euen in things which are of their owne nature indifferent wee sinne when we vse them without such a faith how much more are we to thinke that the heathens sinne in euery action that pertaineth to saluation and the worship of God because they are altogether destitute of this faith Hitherto pertaine those places which teach vs that God is the author of euery vertue and euery good worke that is done by vs. We are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiency is of God 2. Cor. 3.5 And Christ himselfe Iohn 15.5 Without me ye can doe nothing And in the same place we are compared to branches cut off and appointed to the fire vnlesse wee haue beene engrafted into Christ by whom wee liue and beare fruit The Apostle Ephes 2.8 doth teach that saluation and faith is not of our selues but of the gift of God For by grace ye are saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God How farre is this from Arminius who will haue the totall cause of faith not to be grace alone but grace and free-will And least any of Arminius followers should seeke a refuge and should say that the power of beleeuing is giuen to all vnresistably but that the act of beleeuing is so helped by grace that it is also from free-wil the Apostle doth fitly preuent such a weake subtilty Phil. 1.29 where he saith It is giuen to you in the behalfe of Christ not onely to beleeue on him but also to suffer for his sake You see that not onely the power of beleeuing is giuen vs but also the act it selfe to beleeue Agreeable to this is that Iohn 6. No man can come to me vnlesse my father draw him Where to come is to beleeue in act and not to haue the power and faculty of beleeuing which is brought into act by free-will No lesse direct is that of the Apostle Philip. 2.13 It is God which worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Now to will is to will in act and not to haue the power of willing God himselfe Ezechiel 36.27 saith I will put my spirit within you and will cause you to walke in my statutes Therefore hee doth not onely giue the power of walking in his statutes but also doth cause that we really walke and doth worke in vs the very act After what manner and how farre the elect may resist the efficacy of the spirit shall hereafter be seene It is sufficient to the present question if we winne this of them that God doth not onely giue the power whereby we may beleeue but also that hee doth giue and worke in vs the act of beleeuing to beleeue it selfe We meete sometimes with places where the Arminians say that not onely the power of beleeuing but that also the act of beleeuing to beleeue it selfe is giuen by God But they will haue this act so to be giuen by God in as much as he giueth knowledge to the minde and doth raise vp the fainting affections which doe put forward the will to beleeue and that this is done by a morall perswasion and after the same manner that wee are moued by obiects But this is not to giue faith and the act of beleeuing For surely hee that doth perswade that doth propound obiects and doth inuite the appetite to runne doth not giue the act of running to runne it selfe Wherefore the Arminians doe deny that faith it selfe is infused or imprinted on the heart by God but that the will is inuited to beleeue onely by a morall perswasion and by a courteous allurement With a like fraud that they might seeme to attribute some great thing to God they say that God doth giue the power of beleeuing and that vnresistably But when they come to explane the manner whereby these powers are supplied it is manifest that they deny that the power of beleeuing is giuen to man by God For they thinke that God doth giue these powers no otherwise then by enlightning the vnderstanding with knowledge and by stirring vp the appetites which certainely is not to giue the power of beleeuing For hee which in the darke doth with a torch giue light to the wandring traueller and doth stirre him vp to goe doth not thereby giue him the power of going VI. And least any man should in any part arrogate to himself the prayse eyther of that knowledge which he hath obtained
God indeede doth giue grace and sufficient power to conuersion but that man is conuerted or not conuerted in act is in the power of free-will Arnoldus doth teach this at large 447. We determine saith hee that the vse of grace is subiect to mans will so that man may vse it or not vse it according to his naturall liberty And a little after speaking of a man furnished with the power of grace hee saith that the effect of the mercy of God is in the power of man And pag. 448. he teacheth that if efficacy be taken for efficiency man maketh grace ineffectuall For Arnoldus was ashamed to adde the other member and to say that man made grace effectuall or ineffectuall and yet there are other places brought by vs out of their writings which are equipollent and of like force with this speech as also that which he saith pag. 449. Man if he be not wanting to himselfe may conuert himselfe The Reader therefore shall marke how pestilent this doctrine is which the ARminians restrained as it were with shame doe scarce at any time vtter without ambiguities That the grace of God is effectuall that is efficient and working it is to be attributed to free-will and the efficiency of the grace of God is subiected to the will of man By which speech they meane this that God doth saue man if man himselfe will for this it is to depend on mans will VI. The Orthodoxe Churches doe much differ from this doctrine For how can we be conuerted by the grace of God if wee will seeing that this very thing that we are willing is the grace of God yea it is conuersion it selfe For he that doth seriously desire to be conuerted to God is already in some part conuerted But of these things we haue already spoken much and more shall be spoken when wee treate of the manner by which the grace of God doth certainely worke conuersion in vs which manner the Arminians call by an odious and rude word irresistibilitie VII But in the tearme of sufficient grace they doe not onely differ one from another but euery one of them differeth from himselfe For they will haue sufficient grace to beleeue power of beleeuing to be giuen to all particular men * Arnal p 405. Licet sit generalis gratiae quod homines dons istis pessint recte vti tamen quod actu recte ijs vtantur à speciali gratia est Potentia eniminactum non producitur nisi per auxilium alterius gratiae subsiquentis quae specialis est quia non omnibus contingis And yet the same men say that no man can beleeue in act and vse well this vniuersall grace without speciall grace O your faithfull stability Can that be called sufficient grace which doth neuer bring forth that effect for which it is giuen vnlesse some other speciall grace come to it Is that a sufficient cause which doth neuer worke alone Or is any thing lesse agreeable to reason then with Arminius to make one kinde of grace which is sufficient by which the sinner may be conuerted but is not conuerted and another which is effectuall by which the sinner is conuerted Is it not of the same power and faculty to be able to doe and to doe to be able to see and to see Surely a giddinesse hath ceased on these men while they study for subtiltie VIII I am deceiued if Vorstius did not discerne this and therefore in the twentie and twentie one sections Collat. cum Piscat he doth make two kindes of grace one sufficient and altogether necessary which God doth giue to all them that are called the other extraordinary superabounding and singular by which men are indeede conuerted and hee doth reiect them that say none at all are conuetted by that former grace For he saith that God hath not promised to conuert all that are conuerted with this more then sufficient helpe and superabounding efficacy of grace IX But we taking the tearme of effectuall grace for that grace which is apt and fit to worke that for which it is giuen and appointed doe acknowledge no sufficient grace which is not effectuall that is apt to worke that for which it is giuen and appointed whether it doth effect and worke alone or with others which I do purposely adde because oftentimes to one effect and perfect action many causes doe concurre as to Learning Nature Art and exercise doe concurre to the ferâ—iâ—ity and fruitfulnesse of the field the goodnesse of the soile the sunne raine and conuenient manuring doe concurre X. And seeing that in the concourse of causes to the producing of one effect there are certaine causes that doe not onely worke with others but which doe also worke by others and doe giue efficacie and power to the adioyning causes So in the conuersion of man the holy Ghost and the preaching of the word doe concurre but the spirit doth giue efficacy to the word For in vaine are the eares beaten on vnlesse God open the heart and with the word doth inspire his secret power XI And we acknowledge that there is no grace absolutely sufficient eyther to conuersion or to faith or to saluation without the spirit of regeneration and knowledge of Christ And we condemne the schoole of Arminius teaching that all men euen the heathens to whom the name of Christ hath not come are indued with sufficient and sauing grace to come to faith and by it to saluation XII Yet the outward meanes to saluation that are largely administred without the inward efficacy of the holy Spirit may in some measure be called sufficient grace not onely because they suffice to make them inexcusable but also because these meanes ought to suffice to come to saluation if man were such as he ought to be For if any thing is wanting to that grace the defect is bred on his part who is called not on his part who calleth who by the rule of iustice is not bound to supply inward dispositions because man is bound to giue them of his owne and to bring them of himselfe Nor is God bound to restore them to man after man hath lost them by his owne fault Therefore God doth iustly say Esay 5. What ought I to haue done more to my vineyard that I haue not done to it For speaking after the manner of men God is said that he ought to doe that which his iustice doth require and which if he should not doe there would seeme to be cause of expostulating But that God doth there speake of the outward meanes doth hence appeare because he compareth the benefits bestowed vpon Israel to a planting in a fruitfull place to a digging to fencing with a hedg to gathering out stones and to the building of a Tower But there is no mention of the secret vegetation and growth of it of the fauourable fitnesse of the ayre of the seasonable raine which are things rather of an inward and secret power Furthermore
thing from vs to the performing whereof hee will not giue vs sufficient power And this hee saith is shewed by God when hee teacheth that hee doth not gather where hee hath not scattered VI. Nor is the audacity of Verstius lesse Collat. cum piscat Sect. 8. God saith he by the law of his nature that is of his naturall iustice goodnesse and prouidence is alwaies bound at the least to will those good things to men without which they cannot eyther be men or simply attaine to that end which is propounded to them by God Behold men that are ready to giue sentence vpon God himself if he shall do any thing that is not equall or is against that rule of iustice laid downe by them It cannot be said how much these things doe differ from Christian modesty Surely if those things were true which they affirme it were the part of pious and prudent men to keepe in these things lest they should seeme to goe about eyther to prescribe something to God in the worke of saluation or to put God in mind of his dutie VII This doctrine doth rest on two false principles First that God doth require nothing of man which cannot be performed by man Secondly that the condition of the new couenant that is Faith is not commanded by the law nor is a naturall debt and that the power of beleeuing is not lost by the fall of Adam The former of which principles is drawne out of the dregges of Pelagianisme and is refuted by vs in the 44. and 35. Chapter The latter we haue ouerthrowne in the whole eleauenth Chapter The law is the naturall debt of man This law commanding that God be loued and worshipped doth command also that hee be beleeued speaking and promising Therefore when man by the sinne of Adam lost the power of obeying God and of louing him he lost also the powers of beleeuing his promises When God doth require this faith of man hee doth require nothing but what man doth owe and hee is not bound to restore to man those powers of beâ—eeuing which he lost Neither can he be accused of iniustice if hee doe not restore them nor in this thing is he subiect to the lawes of the Arminians or doth feare their aduerse and contrary iudgements VIII But when they come to explaine the nature of this vniuersall grace they doe very little differ from the Pelagians For Pelagius lest he should seeme to be an enemy to grace doth ascribe to it euery good worke that is done by man But by grace hee did vnderstand nature it selfe because it had beene made and created by God But according to Arminius nature is one thing vniuersall Grace is another Neuerthelesse he will haue sufficient grace to be giuen to all particular men and that nature is in no man to whom God doth not giue sufficient grace to obtaine faith and by faith saluation whence it commeth to passe that according to Arminius sufficient grace doth extend it selfe as farre as nature Pelagius doth confound nature with grace but Arminius doth ioyne nature and grace together so that nature is in none to whom grace is not giuen which grace how little it doth differ from nature doth hence appeare in that the Arminians will haue the right vse of this grace to be nothing else then the right vse of that naturall light and knowledge which is engrafted in euery one by the contemplation of the creatures and by the law of nature so that the vse and office of grace and nature is altogether the same when rather the Scripture teacheth that the right vse of grace consisteth in the change of nature If these things are true all the arguments both of vs and of the auncients doe fall to the ground by which they doe proue that the grace of God is a thing diuerse from nature and that because nature is giuen to all and the grace of God is the priuiledge but of some For Arminius will haue sufficient grace to faith and by faith to saluation to be common to all men IX Arnoldus pag. 418. doth call that sufficient grace which is giuen to all men supernaturall grace lest hee should seeme to confound it with nature but a little after he addeth It is demanded whether that grace be not present to all men by which they may rightly vse that light of nature not yet restored to the integrity thereof as reliques and remainds of that light that is may worship God according to the measure of those remainds Doe you heare that all men haue that grace whereby they may rightly vse nature and worship God and that that grace is present with all men and therefore also to Infidels and to the vnregenerate and to them that know not Christ and that the power of that grace which is common to all men is placed in the right vse of nature The same man pag. 405 doth say It is the property of generall grace that men should be able rightly to vse those gifts And hee speaketh of the gifts of nature X. The same man pag. 112. speaking of vniuersall grace doth say that there is a certaine calling which is common and that there are common documents instructions of nature by which God doth call all men whatsoeuer to some measure of the knowledge of himselfe and doth leaue them gifts according to the measure of the calling XI Yet he denieth that of this common grace which is giuen to all by which all men may rightly vse the gifts of nature that it will follow he reof that grace and nature are of an equall extent For saith he although it be in the power of generall grace that all men may rightly vse those gifts yet it is from speciall grace that they may rightly vse them in act For that power is not brought into act but by the helpe of another subsequent and following grace which is speciall because it doth not happen to all This learned man surely hath assigned and set downe a foâ—nd and vnsit cause why this common and sufficient grace is not equally extended as farre as nature to wit because this common grace hath neede of the helpe of speciall grace Which is as much as if I should say that the seeing faculty in man doth not extend as farre as mans nature because it hath neede of the light of the sunne that it may see in act as if that which doth want the helpe of some thing may not extend it selfe as farre as nature There is scarce any naturall faculty which can worke without the helpe of some other faculty or of some inward or outward aide and so there will be nothing at all naturall in man I omit that Arnoldus doth strike himselfe with his owne sting for while he saith that sufficient grace doth not worke without the helpe of some other speciall grace he doth plainely deny it to be sufficient CHAP. XXXIX Vniuersall sufficient Grace is confuted by sundry places of
which are naturally engrafted the contrary habits of faith hope charity humility patience c. should succeede Which habits are not obtained by vse and by actions as the Arminians thinke pag. Per spiritus sancti operationem vires homini dantur ad eliciendos actus conuersioâ—â—s concomitante porro spiritu credit beâ—â—agit home crebris fidâ—â— charitatis patientiae actibus habitum spei fidei c. sibi comparaet 65. against the Walachrians but are imprinted and infused by the Spirit of God who doth stirre vp holy actions and motions which doe strengthen faith and charitie and increase it by exercise For man helped by the spirit of God doth not giue himselfe faith or charity or obtaine them by exercise and industry but they are giuen by God and are nourished and increased by voluntary and spontaneus actions inspired by God And that the will is rather the seate of vertues then the sensitiue appetites reason it selfe doth proue For it is more like that the reasonable appetite which is peculiar to man is adorned with vertues rather then the appetite which is common to vs with beasts which if it were the seate of the vertues of righteousnesse holinesse and charity the sensitiue faculty ceasing after death vertue also would cease and the will of the separated soule would be altogether voide of righteousnesse and holinesse And if any one doth suppose that the appetites may be called iust subiectiuely and that they are the subiect of righteousnesse and holinesse because they obey the minde enlightned by God there is no cause why the will freely subiecting it selfe to that perswasion ought not also after the same manner be called iust and holy and the subiect of righteousnesse and holinesse And seeing that the rectified will of a wise and pious man is wont to rule ouer the affections and to compell them into the compasse who doth not see that vertue is rather in that part which being rectified doth rule ouer the affections then in the affections which doe for the most part slackly obey this holy command I confesse indeed that Christian vertues doe in some part pertaine to the sensitiue appetities But after the same manner that the art of training vp a horse which doth properly reside in the horse-man doth in some part belong to the horse whom the industry of the rider hath broake to the circuits and compasse and hath taught to moue himselfe with an ordered motion Could there be none more commodious meanes inuented of maintaining the liberty of the will of man then by depriuing it of all vertue Surely the Arminians shew themselues stout patrons of the liberty of free-will if they spoyle the will of vertues that it might be free and doe shake off the bonds of holy habits from the will lest it should be too much bound For as they teach that the will before the fall was not indued with spirituall gifts lest it should be thought by the fall to be defiled with vices and lest contrary vices and a natural deprauation should be thought to haue succeded in the place of those spirituall gifts which were lost So they also deny that the habits of faith and charity c. are infused into the will by God lest the will being changed by that infusion should lose the power of finally resisting the holy-Ghost For they thinke that iniury is done to the will if the liberty of casting it selfe headlong into hell be taken away which surely is an vnhappy liberty and for the defence whereof these Sectaries ought not to apply themselues with all their strength as if it stood vs so much vpon so to be free that wee might resist God to the end and destroy our selues Neither was this a fit cause of making the will such a silly and single thing naturally indued neither with vices nor vertues but a thing that may be turned and winded euery way and like the prime and first matter capable of euery impression seeing that on the contrary the will of man is naturally euill and euen incorporated in vices as we haue abundantly proued Chap. 33. and men according to their will especially are eyther good or euill We determine therefore that Christian vertues are not obtained by vse and industry but are infused by God into the minde and into the will who doth not onely giue power of beleeuing but also to beleeue in Christ it selfe and doth worke in vs actuall faith As he who by his certaine and absolute purpose hath decreed to giue faith to them whom hee decreed to saue whereby they might be saued The effect of which grace we determine doth not depend on mans free-will and that it is not in our power to beleeue and to be conuerted if we will seeing that on the contrary God giueth to the elect that they might will to be conuerted to beleeue giuing them both to will and to doe according to his good pleasure CHAP. XLV The question of morall perswasion is sifted and discussed and whether euery perswasion may be resisted THE Arminians determine that the efficacy of the spirit of God working in our hearts is in a morall perswasion For they deny that those habits of Faith Hope and Charity are infused into mens hearts by God lest the liberty of free-will should be violated and lest conuersion should be made by an vnresistible and vnauoidable necessity but rather by a gentle invitation which man may eyther resist or obey This their opinion doth rest on this false principle that there is no perswasion which may not be so resisted that the effect thereof may at length be hindred We contend that this principle is false For there is a perswasion so effectuall that it doth necessarily draw a man to ascent which although thou maist resist if thou wouldst yet thou canst not be willing If one in a scorching drought should offer sweete wholesome drinke to him that is a thirst and should with a friendly perswasion invite him to drinke and should disswade and hinder nothing on the contrary I say that it cannot be but that hee who is thirsty should take the drinke offered him A man hath fallen into the hands of enemies who loade him with chaines and cast him into prison and bring him neere the punishment Now if one should enter the same prison who should loosen the chaines open the gate and shew him a sure way of escape and should exhort him that he should flie and free himselfe from the present danger I doe not thinke that such a man could obtain of himselfe that he should not obey such perswasion And if in humane things there are many such like perswasions which you cannot be willing to resist How much lesse can that perswasion be resisted when to the euidence and certainty of the perswasion and to the excellency of those heauenly good things which the Gospell doth offer to vs and to the knowledge of the present danger the diuine power hath also
it was necessary that vertue should be wrought for the repressing of pride mens wills should be left to themselues that if they would they might remaine in the helpe and assistance of God without which they could not perseuere and God should not worke in them that they might will The will it selfe by its owne infirmity would faile among so many and so great temptations and they could not therefore perseuere because failing by their infirmity they could not be willing or by the infirmity of their will they could not be so willing that they might be able Therefore the infirmity of mans will was helped that by the grace of God it might be driuen vnauoidably and inseperably and therefore although weake yet it should not faile nor be ouercome by any aduersitie Hee suffered and permitted Adam the strongest man to doe what he would but hee hath preserued to the weake that they should will inuincibly by him that giueth it and inuincibly should not forsake it Obserue the words vnauoydably vnseperably and inuincibly he vsed not the word irresistibility which the Iesuites had not yet coyned But he vsed words which haue no lesse force to set out the power of the most certaine and finally insuperable and vnconquerable grace of God in them who are elected according to the purpose of God And yet he doth vse the word resisting Chap. 14. where he thus speaketh No free-will of man doth resist God being willing to saue For to will or nill is so in the power of him that willeth or nilleth that it cannot hinder the will of God nor ouercome his power Excellently spoken although Arminius cry out against it CHAP. XLVIII That the Arminians doe plainely stablish that vnresistiblenesse which they impugne I. VNresistiblenesse is painted by the Arminians as a monster whose beard they pluck whom they prick with needles and goades We haue already taught that they doe build castles in the ayre and paint gourdes and vaine conceits and doe impugne their owne dreames For we acknowledge no such vnresistiblenesse as they faigne II. But this is the greatest meruaile that they themselus doe build vp do euery where stablish that vnsistiblenesse which they doe falsely attribute to vs and doe impugne with all their forces You may say they are blinde-folded fencers who fighting with their eyes shutte doe beate the ayre and wound themselues III. The Arminians against the Walachrians page 68. Doe deny that they say That the holy-Ghost doth worke vpon the will by no other meanes then such as may be resisted But say they wee would haue these things restrained to none but to that ordinary manner of conuersion which the spirit for the most part doth vse not doubting but that the conuersion of some one or other is sometimes wrought by an extraordinary meanes Here wee haue them confessing themselues guilty For by this saying they ouerthrow from the foundation whatsoeuer they haue builded vp For if God conuert some men vnresistibly and doth giue them faith by his precise and absolute will it is impossible that these should be elected for faith fore-seene and by an election which doth rest on the fore-seeing of faith For he who is absolutely and vnresistibly appointed to faith must needes be absolutely appointed to saluation He should doe foolishly who should faigne God decreeing thus I indeede decreed to saue this man if he will beleeue But I will giue him faith vnresistibly Election cannot depend on the fore-seeing of that condition which God hath decreed certainely and infallibly to doe Thus God did not decree that Philip should liue if hee had breath but hee hath certainely decreed to giue him breath that he might liue IV. Hence it appeareth with what equity these Sectaries deale with vs For falsely attributing vnresistiblenesse to vs they cry out that thereby mens wills are compelled and that it cannot be called obedience to which man is vnresistibly compelled yet the same men doe thinke that there are some who are conuerted vnresistibly and after an extraordinary manner and whose conuersion they doe not deny to be obedience V. Adde to these that old and worne opinion among the Arminians which we euery where meete in their writings That God doth call some man after a manner that is not congruent and agreeable whereby they that are called doe neuer follow although they be able to follow That some againe are called in that manner state measure and time which is congruent and agreeable by which meanes whosoeuer are called doe certainely and infallibly follow God calling Also wee haue before in the 44. Chapter brought the words of Armini us himselfe whereby he determineth that such a calling is made by the decree of God and administred by his certain and sure predestination And iustly For why should God choose this apt state this fit time and this congruent manner whereby they that are called doe certainely and infallibly follow vnlesse because he will haue them certainely and infallibly to follow Surely these things maintaine the same vnresistiblenesse which is beleeued by vs that is a certaine and infallible euent from the preordination of God They endeauour indeede to qualifie their opinion by peecing to it this clause Those whom God doth call after a congruent manner are indeede certainely and infallibly conuerted but so that they may not be conuerted For if Arminius be beleeued they may doe that which neuer hath beene nor neuer shall be which God certainely fore-knew should not be and which if it should come to passe the purpose and preordination of God which Arminius doth here acknowledge should be made voide VI. The same men doe stablish vnresistiblenesse by that their old opinion whereby they teach that God in our conuersion doth vnresistibly enlighten the vnderstanding and stirre vp the affection It is something that they confesse that part of our conuersion and regeneration is wrought vnresistibly to wit the enlightning of the minde the raysing vp of the affections But I further affirme that by that vnresistible enlightning of the minde if it be cleere and euident and by that raising of the affections if it be vehement the will is necessarily affected and drawne to a spontaneus assent as wee haue at large proued VII They doe no lesse hurt and wound themselues when they teach that the power of beleeuing is giuen vnresistibly For what powers of beleeuing are there but by faith For habits are the efficient causes of operations as the first acts are the causes of the second Or what powers of beleeuing can there be without faith If therefore the powers of beleeuing are giuen vnresistibly it is plaine that faith also and therefore the assent of the will is giuen vnresistably seeing that the power and faculty of beleeuing is placed formally in faith it selfe The Arminians of the Hage Collat. pag. 269. doe grant that God doth vnresistibly cause that alway there are some who beleeue By which grant they doe plainely disturbe their owne
matters For who are these some Are they not some certaine persons Therefore God doth vnresistibly worke that certaine persons should beleeue Is it likely that God doth vnresistibly cause that some should beleeue and hath not appointed who they should be For so it would come to passe that God predestinated some men to beleeue vnresistibly and that he predestinated none Is it possible that God should cause that some men should beleeue vnresistibly and yet tbat the same men should not beleeue vnresistibly As if I should say that God doth cause that some should die who yet certainely doe not die And seeing by the opinion of Arminius there is none of the elect who may not be reprobated and cause that God should be disappointed of his intention it is a meruaile how God should cause vnresistibly that some should beleeue when there is none of them who beleeue and are conuerted but many finally resist and so perish Whatsoeuer may happen to seuerall men may also happen to all Nor can the purpose of God be certaine of causing vnresistibly that some should be conuerted vnlesse some be vnresistibly conuerted Euen as the purpose of God of causing some to be drowned cannot be certaine vnlesse some be drowned The same men Collat pag. 292. say That to conuersion there is required a power which must in many parts exceede euery created power although it should not worke vnresistibly For that nature may be effectually conuerted something is required that is more powerfull then it selfe These things seeme to me to be such as cannot stand together that the power of the spirit by which wee are conuerted doth in many parts exceede the power of nature and yet that it may be so resisted by nature that it may be ouercome and may finally be hindred for of such a resistance is it spoken here There is no cause therefore to feare lest irresistibility being thrust at by the Arminians should fall downe seeing that on the one part they doe hold it vp and vnderproppe it from falling yet it is worth the labour to know with what obiections they doe enforce it CHAP. XLIX The weake obiections of the Arminians against Irresistibility that is the infallible certainty of the conuersion of the elect are answered I. THese Sectaries doe lay the chiefe foundation of their cause in that their false opinion and already confuted by vs. That God doth not administer and supply the meanes to conuersion and faith by any absolute and precise decree For if God calling men doth precisely and absolutely intend the conuersion of no one man it is not needefull that the conuersion of any one should precisely follow the supplying of those meanes This their foundation seeing it hath beene ouerwhelmed and cast downe by vs the other things which they would build vpon this must needes fall II. The Arminian conferrers at the Hage doe very ill heape together many things to the ouerthrowing whereof there is neede of no great contention In the front of the battell they set that place in the Acts Chapter 7.15 Where Stephen doth lay it to the charge of the rebellious Iewes that they haue alwaies resisted the holy-Ghost Whence they inferre that the holy-Ghost when he worketh in man doth not worke conuersion vnresistibly III. But they doe vnwisely proue that which is not in controuersie For we doe not teach we doe not acknowledge that irresistibility which they attribute to vs. This conclusion therefore doth not hurt vs who doe willingly confesse that the holy-Ghost doth not alwaies so worke in mens hearts that hee taketh away all resistance Furthermore they suppose a thing which is most false as a thing true and granted to wit that the holy-Ghost wrought in those Iewes and that they resisted the inward operation of the Spirit Stephen chargeth the Iewes that they alwaies resisted the eu dent testimony of the holy-Ghost speaking by the Prophets This the following words of Stephen doe declare Which of the Prophets haue not your fathers persecuted c. Nor if Stephen should speake of the holy-Ghost dwelling in the impious and vnbeleeuing Iewes which yet is very false would it thence follow that he spake of the spirit of Adoption and of the grace peculiar to the elect which doth certainely and infallibly worke faith and conuersion in them alone IV. With this place there likewise fall to the ground those places in which the Scripture Psal 78. Esay 63. Matth. 23.37 Prou. 1.24 c. saith that the Iewes tempted God and stirred him vp to wrath and made sad the spirit of his holinesse that the chickens would not be gathered that they who were called refused c. All these say I are nothing to the purpose The Scripture there speaketh of vngodly and rebellious persons but in this question it is spoken of the faithfull and the elect and the question is whether it may be that they may neuer be conuerted and may finally resist the spirit of adoption To the prouing of this the places which speaketh of Reprobates which we confesse doe finally resist God calling and doe want the spirit of adoption are plainely besides the purpose Finally these Sectaries doe not proue that in all these places it is spoken of a finall resistance of which alone it is spoken here But say they God Ezechiel 18.31 doth command the Israelites to make them a new heart and a new spirit Whence they gather that man may performe what he is commanded or resist God commanding I am ashamed of this olde trifle and Pelagian colewort so often brought againe and as often reiected First of all what neede is there to proue that an vnregenerate man is able not to obey this commandement of making him a new heart seeing this alone he is able to doe to wit nor to obey and he cannot obey And that man can doe whatsoeuer God commandeth is an heresie of the Pelagians already confuted by vs The precepts of God are not the measure of our powers but the rule of our duty the summe of our debt the matter of our prayers the scope of our strife But of these things more then enough VI. Fourthly they pretend that place Esay 5. What could more haue beene done to my Vineyard which I haue not done to it Whence they inferre that the grace of God doth not worke conuersion in man vnresistibly This is a prodigious consequence and if it were good yet the conclusion would touch neither the question nor vs who confesse that in the elect themselues conuersion is not wrought without some resistance Adde to these that to the question wherein it is spoken of the conuersion of seuerall men a place speaking of the calling of a whole nation is vnwisely brought When it is spoken of the certainty of the conuersion of the elect they ought not to bring a place speaking of the rebellion of an incredulous and vnbeleeuing nation Finally they deale so as they who are very carefull lest they should say any thing
that should make to the purpose VII By the way the Reader shall obserue that vnproper phrases and spoken after the manner of men ought not to be taken as properly spoken God is figuratiuely said to haue wished and expected fruit from his vine Desires and griefe as if hauing spent his labour in vaine he had failed of his propounded end cannot happen to God When God doth wish the conuersion of men as Psal 81.14 he doth insinuate nothing else then that the conuersion of man is acceptable to him So when he is said to expect fruit from the Vine or from the Fig-tree that is from the Church or from particular men and when the Vine disappointed his hope not presently to plucke it vp by the rootes vnderstand that God doth require and demand obedience and that when that which ought to be done is not done he is not presently ready to punish but doth deferre it Luke 13.9 God doth not expect those euents which hee fore-knoweth will not come to passe Much lesse doth he expect those euents in the godly which hee himselfe is to worke VIII They stumble at the same stone when they cite that of Ezechiel Chap. 12. Vers 2. Sonne of man thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house who haue eyes to see and see not c. Whence they inferre that man indeede hath eyes and eares and power of conuerting himselfe but he is able to resist Vnwisely spoken for who doth deny that man is able to resist yea of his owne nature hee can doe nothing else Why doe they heape vp to vs the examples of reprobates and wicked men in the question whereby it is demanded whether it may come to passe that hee who is elected can finally resist grace and fall from it By the way the Reader shall remember that of the same people to whom eares eyes are here attributed God doth thus speake Deut. 29.4 The Lord hath not giuen you a heart to vnderstand nor eyes to see nor eares to heare to this day For there are two kindes of eyes some which onely the faithfull haue to wit the eyes of faith some which reprobates may haue who seeing and willing doe perish who seeing doe not perceiue and doe heare heauily with their eares Mat. 13.26.27 these mens eyes are carnall and cloudy these men naturall reason being their guide haue a superficiall knowledge which doth not affect the heart or if any diuine light hath risen to them it doth rather dazle their eyes then enlighten them yea that knowledge which they haue they endeauour to choake willingly groping at noone day IX The places of Scripture which they adde they doe in the same manner mis-alleadge Zach. 7.11 Esay 6.9 Mat. 13.4 Acts 28.25 and 26. By which places no other thing can be proued then that reprobates and rebellious persons may refuse the grace of God and resist his admonitions which we willingly confesse But what is this to finall resistance in the Elect X. They doe gloriously boast of the words of Christ Mat. 11.21 Woe vnto thee Corazin woe vnto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty workes which were done in you had beene done in Tyre and Sydon they would haue repented long agoe in sacke-cloath and ashes The like place you haue Ezech. 3.6 Out of the place of Matthew they thus dispute That grace by which some men to whom it is giuen haue not beene conuerted and others had beene conuerted if the same had beene giuen to them is resistible But the grace of conuersion is such Therefore the grace of conuersion doth not worke vnresistibly There was no cause that they should so labour in the prouing of either proposition seeing wee willingly admit of the conclusion Wee know that the elect themselues doe resist the grace of God although not perpetually nor so that the grace of God should be finally hindred The question is whether it may come to passe that the elect may so resist the grace of God that they may neuer be conuerted or that they may extinguish it and finally hinder it The good men doe not touch this question but doe wander other where X. Yet doe they not vphold those two propositions with fit proofes The Maior and first proposition they thus proue If Grace worke conuersion in man by an vnresistible force it should alwayes and euery where worke with the like efficacy But I deny that that will follow For although grace should vnresistibly worke conuersion in all men that are conuerted yet it might come to passe that it should worke in some men with greater efficacie to wit in those who are so affected that they doe presently and without delay follow God calling and are inflamed with greater zeale and feruency then others who obey more slackly and slowly XII They proue the Minor and second proposition by the example of the men of Tyre But they suppose without any proofe that Christ in this place doth speake of true conuersion by which they are conuerted to whom God doth giue true faith and repentance Which surely is a great demand For seeing the men of Tyre and Sydon did not pertaine to the election of God because they neuer were conuerted if the miracles had beene done amongst them which were done amongst the men of Corazin they might haue beene touched with a reuerence and haue beene affected with the sence of their sinne and haue beene cast downe with that repentance which is bred by the feare of punishment such as was the repentance of Ahab 1 King 21. and of the greater part of the Niniuites as the ruine of Niniuie a while after doth declare as we learne Neh. 1.1 and out of the last Chapter of Tobias In which thing the men of Tyre had beene more praise-worthy then the men of Corazin who among so many miracles did not feele the least touch of griefe nor gaue any signes of repentance But I deny that it was in the power of the men of Tyre to obtaine true faith and to perseuere in it without which yet there is no true repentance And truely the Arminians seeme to me to accuse God of deceitfull enuie and ill will because hee knew that the men of Tyre were so affected that if those miracles had come to them they had seriously repented and come to saluation and yet he enuied this benefit to them which notwithstanding he bestowed on a people whom hee knew would neither be conuerted by miracles nor by preaching XIII In the seauenth place they thus dispute They who may resist the word of Grace and saluation may also resist the spirit of repentance But men may resist the word of grace and saluation Therefore the same men may also resist the spirit of repentance We admit of the conclusion in that sence which I haue often said They proue the Minor by the examples of reprobates whom we know doe finally resist But here it is spoken of the elect and the question is whether they may so resist