that were staggering and hath so troubled headstrong obstinate persons onely with the sight thereof that they which before did seeme to be desirous of the conflict and greedily to call for the encounter haue by contrary practises whether feare strooke them or their conscience affrighted them begun to shun the hearing of the cause to hate the light and to worke delayes To so excellent a thing both other Princes did exhort you and especially the most renowned Prince IAMES King of great Brittaine who hath alwayes beene most earnest and forward to driue away the errours of all innouators who as he is rightly stiled the Defender of the Faith so he hath his eyes vigilant on all sides carefully watching lest Christian faith should any where receiue any damage And I who to so holy a worke could not bring my trauell haue at least brought my desires It cannot be expressed how earnestly I desired to be present at that reuerend Synode to which the Churches of France appointed me with some of my brethren What were the impediments which hindred my determined iourney I neede not rehearse yet being absent I performed what I could For I sent to the Synode my opinion of the fiue points of the Controuersies which are hindred in Belgia hauing strengthned it with places proofes out of the holy Scripture And when many men and the same good men and of great authoritie and wisedome amongst you had exhorted me that I would write somewhat vpon these controuersies I not vnwillingly obeyed which I haue done not so much in hope of effecting what I would as being ashamed to refuse them and desirous of making triall For I had rather that godly and learned men should finde in me want of prudence then accuse me of negligence Therefore I haue printed my Scheduls and papers and haue reviewed those things which I had meditated vpon these questions which I haue vttered in a plaine and vntrimmed stile that as it were in a leane spare body the force of the truth might clearely appeare And I haue indeauoured to bring light to this darkenesse in which the most quicke-sighted doe often grope at the way I am not ignorant how dangerous a thing it is to vndergoe the hazard of so many iudgements how many there that are ambitiously soure and proudly disdainfull how few there are that take and vnderstand these things how fewer that are taken by them how hard it is to contend with wily and wittie men who euen when they themselues are caught doe so speake as if they had catched others and who in a desperate cause doe so carry themselues as if they were touched with commiseration who vndoe againe the things that haue beene begun by themselues and doe of purpose infold their meanings fearing to be vnderstood like Lyzards who out of the open field doe runne into bushes Nor am I ignorant how hard a thing it is for a man that is imployed whose minde is troubled with other cares and businesse to write punctually and exactly concerning those things whereto the most free studies are scarce sufficient nor men at greatest leasure But your humanitie and wisedome hath moued and stirred me vp to be bold to attempt it For ye know that in great and hard enterprises the endeauour is laudable euen when successe is wanting Nor haue I doubted to consecrate these my labours to you that the worke done for the defence of that cause which ye happily maintaine might manifest it selfe in your name I shall seeme to my selfe not to haue lost my labour though I get no praise if I obtaine pardon Or if by my example I shall stirre vp any to performe some thing more perfectly whereby the truth may stand vnshaken against these innouators which doe naughtily abuse their wits and are of a wicked and vnhappy audacity In the meane while in your wisedome you shall obserue from what beginnings to how great encreases this pestilence hath come and how vnder a shew of the liberty of prophesing the raines are let loose to wanton wits which couer licentiousnesse vnder the name of liberty For whilest as it were for the exercise and shew of wit men dispute of those foundations of faith of which heretofore there was no strife amongst vs the most holy and most certaine things began to be called into doubt and their scholasticall skirmishing forthwith burst out into a serious and earnest fight For when this liberty as it falleth out had passed from the Schooles into the holy Pulpets and so into the Streetes Tauernes and Barbers-shops the whole Country was changed into a certaine sea boyling with tumults Whence hatred hath beene bred in the people and pietie is turned into contention and obedience towards Magistrates is more slack to which euils when the ambition of some men affecting nouelties had ioyned it selfe which stirred vp this fire with winde and fuell laid to it this flame in a short time hath vnmeasurably encreased But by the goodnesse of God and by your authority and prudent vigilancy most illustrious Lords the flame of so great a fire is abated liberty is recouered the Common-wealth is setled the Vniuersitie purged and truth which in many places durst scarce open the mouth or else was disturbed by contrary clamours broke through the obstacles and as it is in the striking of flints it shone more cleare by the very conflict yea truely by it there haue appeared no obscure encreases of pietie in the people by it there is greater concourse to heare the word of God and greater attention For God such is his goodnesse doth vse vices themselues to stir vp vertues which grow sloathfull in idlenesse For zeale and pietre being prouoked doe encrease euen as the fire of the Smiths furnace decaying is set on fire by water poured on Also they that haue learned by experience what snares Sathan doth lay for them that are a sleepe and vnwarie are stirred vp to keepe watch for the time to come There yet remaine some reliques of this disease neither is the malice of the Factions quite asswaged but there is hope that the sides of this wound will in a short space close together againe and mens mindes will be reconciled So that it may be vnlawfull in your Vniuersitie from whence this contagion crept into the whole Country hereafter to teach any doctrine differing from the truth and to call into doubt those things which are piously and prudently determined out of Gods word in your sacred Synode and that hereafter no man be admitted to the sacred Ministery whose faith is not tryed and his consent with his brethren knowne and that the authority be restored to Synodes and their vse be made more frequent that the euills that are breeding may be preuented at their beginnings as when the stinging Scorpion is bruised presently vpon the wound Also it hath beene wisely prouided by you that these things hereafter bee not published among the common sort that the people be not taught
beleeue is of grace therefore to be able to beleeue is not of grace There is indeede naturally in man a possibility of hauing or receiuing faith but it is not in him by nature to be able to beleeue for these things doe very much differ The first notes the susceptability and possibility of receiuing faith the other signisieth the actiue power and faculty of beleeuing which surely is not in man by nature but is onely from grace XXVI Arnoldus pag. 271. layeth this to our charge as a very great errour that we say that the regenerate man cannot doe any good vnlesse hee be moued by grace Truely a great crime and that which is common to vs with the Apostle who doth pronounce that we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but all our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3.5 The same Arnoldus pag. 447. doth make the vse of grace subiect to mans will It is determined saith he that the vse of grace is subiect to mans will that man may vse it or not vse it according to his naturall liberty And a little after he doth confesse that the effect of the mercy of God was made by Arminius to be in the power of man but such a man as is already strengthened with grace To vse which grace or not to vse it to beleeue or not to beleeue he thinkes is in the power of mans free-will Finally the Arminians will haue the efficacy that is the efficiency and working power of it to depend on free-will Arnoldus against Bogermannus pag. 263. and 274. All the operations of grace which God doth vse to worke our conuersion being granted yet the conuersion it selfe doth remaine so free in our power that we may not be conuerted that is that we may conuert or not conuert our selues Greuinchouius pag. 198. I say that the sffect of grace after the ordinary and vsuall rule doth depend on some act of free will as on a foregoing conâ—ition without which it is not The same man pag. 203. and 204. doth say that there câ—n no other common cause be guten of the whole why this grace should beâ—essectuall rather in Paul or Peter then in another then the liberty of the will Perkins said As there can no good either be or be done vnlesse God doth it so there can no euill be auoided vnlesse God hinder it This true and holy sentence Arminius carpeth at and doth depraue pag. 113 and for the words can be auoided he puts is auoided for he saith that there is in all men power of doing good and auoiding euill and that a man may auoide euill and abstaine from sinne although God doth not hold him from it but that the act it selfe is partly from grace and partly from free-will which as it pleaseth doth either admit or refuse grace Here the words of Arnoldus pag. 381. The good vsing of free-will is principally from grace but yet so that man himselfe doth vse well his owne free-will and the liberty of vsing or not vsing grace is left to him For these sectaries are of opinion that the power of beleeuing is vnresistably giuen to all and that the act of beleeuing is so helped by grace that it is left to mans free-will to beleeue in act or not to beleeue to vse grace either well or ill XXVII And they deny that faith is from grace alone but that it is partly from grace and partly from free-will Greuinchouius pag. 208. and 210. It is manifest that free-will and grace are together causes in part And pag. 211. We ioyne grace and free-will together as causes in part He must so speake who saith that Election is for faith fore-seen For God would be very vnfitly said to fore-see that which he alone is to do for this is not to fore-see but to decree Hitherto also pertaineth that conditional decree of sauing men if they shal beleeue for by this it is placed in the power of man to beleeue For this were a foolish decree I will saue him if I shall giue him faith Arminius against Perkins pa. 223. and 224. saith that the totall cause why one beleeueth and another not is the will of God and the free-will of man Arnoldus pag. 228. saith that Arminius gaue the chiefe part of the working of faith to grace viz. because in the working of faith he will haue free-will to haue a part which part that it is not the least yea that it is the greatest in the sence of the sectaries although they would make another shew Arminius and after him Arnoldus pag. 125. doth sufficiently acknowledge We deny saith he that this difference of calling grace is not placed so much in mans free-will as in the will of God And truely in the conuersion of man free-will must haue the chiefe part if it be true that the Arminians contend for to wit that the efficiency and working power of grace doth depend on free-will and that the right vse of grace is made subiect to mans will And that which Arnoldus saith pag. 444. That God doth so worke in man that in the meane while man is not wanting to himselfe he can conuert himselfe And Greuinchouius against Ames pag. 205. Grace doth not determine and conclude vnlesse free-will worke with it in which respect and manner what if we should say that the efficacy of grace doth after a certaine manner depend vpon free-will as concerning the euent If therefore the efficacy of grace as concerning the euent that is the effect doth depend on mans free-will it must needes be that free-will hath farre the greater part in our conuersion and regeneration The same man pa. 214. In comparing betweene themselues Arnold pa. 234. 235. the effectuall helpe of God and the insluence of free-will there is no priority betweene them both And seeing it is in the power of free-will so to vse grace that he may beleeue and obtaine faith we being by faith the sonnes of God Gal 3.26 It appeareth if we may credit Arminius that to be made the sonnes of God is a thing proper to free-will and although it cannot be done without the helpe of grace yet the effect doth depend on mans will So that God is willingly indebted to man for hee is beholding to free-will that he hath sonnes XXVIII This is the malicious and blacke iuyce of the fish Loligo and this is their most pestilent doctrine of which what is to be iudged it is easie to coniecture by those speeches which euery where meet vs in the bookes of these sectaries That Lydia opened her owne heart when yet as Luke witnesseth Act. 16.14 God opened the heart of Lydia And that a man doth separate himselfe although Saint Paul saith who seperates thee 1 Cor. 4.7 And that an vnregenerate man is not altogether dead in sinne and that God doth giue man power of beleeuing if he himselfe will when yet God giueth both to will and to doe Phil.
is spoken of the Antecedent will of God by which God will haue mercy vpon some for so they speake that is vpon such as beleeue and not of his Consequent will by which he hath determined precisely and absolutely to haue mercy on this or that man And yet they forgetting themselues say that this Antecedent will may be resisted when notwithstanding Saint Paul saith in the same place Who can resist his will Either therefore let Arminius deny that the Antecedent will of God is a will but rather call it a wish desire or affection or if he doth contend that it is a will let him confesse that it cannot be resisted To which purpose excellently Saint Austen Enchared Cap. 95. Our God in heauen doth whatsoeuer things hee will both in heauen and earth which is not true if hee hath willed some things and hath not done them And which is more vnworthy of him hath not therefore done them because the will of man hath hindred that the Almighty should not doe what hee willed XIV Arminius indeede doth confesse that God doth not want power to fulfill that Antecedent will whereby he doth earnestly desire all men to be saued But it is not true saith he that the thing which he doth wish seriously desire that he will effect the same by what meanes soeuer he is able but by those meanes by which it is decent and conuement that he should effect it The Father wisheth and doth earnestly desire that his Sonne would obey mâ—n but he doth not violently draw his Sonne to obedience and a little after The similitude of a Merchant who doth desire his wares should be safe and yet casteth them into thâ— sea doth very well square and agree to the purpose God doth earnestly desire that all men should be saued but compelled by the stubborne and incorrigible malice of some men will haue them make losse of their saluation For although God doth earnestly will and intend the saluation of all and singular men yet he will not then put forth his omnipotency least hee should force mans free-will I answere Nothing is effected by these similitudes for they are plaine dissimâ—litudes Arminius vseth examples of men which cannot be made partakers of their vowes but by meanes that are not conuenient and of them who are oftentimes disappointed of their intention But to God there are neuer wanting iust and conuenient meanes by which he should obtaine that which he intends neither can he be disappointed of his intent But you say if God should exercise his omnipotency in conuerting man he should force mans free-will and compell mans voluntary liberty But that I deny For he can without constraint so bend the will that it should follow of its owne accord Without constraint hee suddenly changed the minde of Esau Gen. 33. and the minde of Saul 1 Sam. 19.23 and the minde of the Aegyptians Psal 105.25 and of Kings Pro. 21.1 If God doth make this change of the will in wicked men the liberty of mans free-will vntouched how much more may hee doe it in good and faithfull men God without constraint did change the heart of the Theefe on the Crosse and so doth he of all from whom hee takes their stony heart and giues them an heart of flesh Ezek 36.26 and of those who when they were dead in sinne hee raised vp with a spirituall resurrection Ephes 2.5 We shall see Arminius is of opinion that the vnderstanding is vnresistably indued with light by God and that God doth vnresistably giue power of beleeuing the Gospell to all men to whom the Gospell shall be preached and that hee drawes their affections But when the minde hath fully receiued in this perswasion and the affections doe stir vp the will it is impossible but their will should moue it selfe whether the minde instructed by God doth appoint it and whether the appetite doth force it for these are the onely incitements of the will neither is it moued by any other impulsion The schoole and followers of Arminius are also of opinion that the Elect are drawne of God by effectuall and powerfull grace the effect whereof is most sure because God doth draw them in a congruent and fit time and manner in which he knoweth they will infallibly follow him calling them And yet the Arminians meane not hereby that any force is offred to the will of man but that it is so vehemently affected with a morall and sweet perswasion that it followeth of its owne accord The example of the Theefe doth seeme to mee to be notable aboue all the other whose heart so suddendly changed in a time of aduersity when the faith of the Apostles themselues did shake is an euident lesson how great the efficacie of the holy Spirit is on them who are called by the purpose of God Rom. 8.28 But of this efficacy of calling it shall be spoken more at large in his proper place XV. Hence appeares with how prepostrous diligence Arminius hath turned his wit to the defence of free-will For there lay open to him a most sure and plaine way whereby God might shew forth his power in the conuersion of man without the diminishing of our liberty Nor while hee doth patronize and defend free will ought he to strike against the wisedome and perfection of God whom hee would frustrate and disappoint of his owne end and naturall desire and wish those things which he knowes hee shall not obtaine and propound an end to himselfe which shall neuer be XVI In the meane while the prudent reader shall easily discerne whereto that similitude of the marchant making losse and casting his wares into the sea with his owne hands may belong For Arminius doth not onely expressely say that God is compelled to doe something which he had not intended for the marchant did not intend to doe this but doth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nolens volens betweene willing and nilling but also by these hee doth insinuate that God being driuen from that better end which he had propounded to himselfe turned himselfe to another end lesse to be wished which things whether they be spoken by prudent men to the reproach of God or by vnwise men through ignorance it doth strike horror into pious mindes XVII But in this distinction of the will of God into Antecedent and Consequent the first whereof doth goe before the other doth follow mans will this is farre the worst thing that by it the will of man is made to goe before the election of God For according to Arminius God by his antecedent will would saue all men and giue them power of beleeueing in Christ but by his consequent will doth elect or reprobate seuerall men according as hee fore-knowes their faith or infidelity A deadly doctrine by which the election of man doth depend vpon mans will and our faith is made the cause and not the fruite of our election and man chooseth God and applyeth himselfe to God before he is
curse What Predestination is The parts of it That Arminius did not vnderstand what the decree of Predestination is and that he hath vtterly taken away Election I SEeing that by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and all men without exception are borne guilty of the curse it is certaine that that no man can be freed from the curse but by the meere grace and fauour of God This grace he hath reuealed to vs in Christ without whom there is no saluation For he put on our nature that by this meanes of his comming betweene and as it were by this knot man might be ioyned with God and hee suffered death that hee might satisfie for our sinnes and so reconciliation being made wee might be restored to the title and degree of the sonnes of God II. This benefit and sauing grace God doth declare to vs by the Gospell wherein that couenant of free grace whereof Christ is the mediator and foundation is propounded III. By this Gospell eternall life is promised to those that beleeue in Christ For as there is no saluation without Christ so without faith Christ cannot be apprehended nor can we come to the saluation appointed onely for the faithfull For as the Apostle saith Heb. 11 Without faith it is vnpossible to please God I call faith not that vaine trust whereby men sleepe in their vices and their consciences are benumbed while they haue a good hope of the mercy of God but a liuely faith which doth worke by charitie Gal. 5.6 which by that very meanes doth increase loue because it driues away feare IV. This faith man hath not of himselfe neither is it a thing of mans free will but the gift of God and the effect of the holy-Ghost who doth draw men by a powerfull calling and doth seale in mens hearts and deepely impresse in their consciences the promises of God propounded in the Gospell V. All men haue not this faith as the Apostie saith 2. Thes 3. for then all men should be conuerted and saued but onely they whom Paul saith are called by the purpose of God Rom. 8.28 and whom God of his meere * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good pleasure hath chosen to saluation VI. Faith is giuen by the meer good pleasure of God neither is it giuen to the worthy but it doth make them worthy when it is giuen For God doth not find men good but makes them so neither doth he foreknow any good in man but that which hee himselfe shall doe as hereafter shall more fully be taught VII This eternall and therefore immutable decree of God is called Predestination which is a part of the prouidence of God For prouidence is called Predestination when it doth apply it selfe to the saluation or condemnation of the reasonable creature and when it doth dispense and dispose the meanes by which men come to saluation for that these things are gouerned by the diuine will and that God according to his good pleasure doth giue to some that which he doth deny to others cannot be doubted For though the Scripture were here silent yet reason would cry out that it is not likely that God who doth extend his care to all things is negligent in this thing alone which is the chiefest VIII Furthermore although there be a Predestination among the Angels as Saint Paul witnesseth who 1. Tim. 5.21 calleth the Angels Flect Here we are to deale onely with the predestination of men as that which alone belongs to vs. IX Predestination is therefore the decree by which in the worke of our saluation God hath from eternity determined what hee will doe with euery man Or thus Predestination is the decree of God by which of the corrupted masse of mankinde hee hath decreed to saue certaine men by Christ and iustly to punish the rest for their sinnes X. Of this Predestination there are two parts the one is election the other is reprobation whereof the first doth necessarily lay downe the second For as often as some are chosen out of many the rest are necessarily reprobated and of them that are chosen some are preferred before others XI Of election and of the Elect there is often mention in the Scripture Many are called but few are chosen Math. 20.16 God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundations of the world were laid Ephes 1.4 The purpose of God according to election doth stand not of workes but of him that calleth Rom. 9.11 There is a remnant according to the election of grace Rom. 11.5 False Christs and false Prophets shall arise and shall shew signes and wonders to seduce if it were possible euen the elect Mark 13.22 XII On the other side that some are reprobates the Scripture doth witnesse 1. Pet. 2.8 Which stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also they were appointed And Iude v. 4. Certaine men are crept in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who were before of old ordained to this condemnation Hitherto belongs that which is said Reuel 20.15 That there is cast into the lake of fire whosoeuer is not sound written in the booke of life Which booke is nothing else but the Catalogue of the Elect determined by the decree of God XIII We haue Iacob and Esau for a notable example of this difference of whom whilest they were yet shut vp in the wombe before they had done either good or euill God doth pronounce I haue loued lacob I haue hated Esau Rom. 9. Also the two Theeues crucified with Christ Two shall be in a bed the one shall be receiued and the other left Luk. 17.34 Not much vnlike that which happened to Pharaohs Butler and his chiefe Baker who being shut vp in the same prison the one was brought forth to honour the other to punishment XIV An example of this difference God hath shewed not onely in Abraham but also in his stocke which for no desert of theirs hee preferred before other Nations When the most high diuided to the Nations their inheritance when he seperated the sonnes of Adam the Londs portion was his people Iacob was the lot of his inheritance Deut. 32. And least any one should suppose that that was done for the vertue of that people fore-seene he thus speaketh to his people Vnderstand therefore that the Lord thy God giueth thee not this good Land to possesse it for thy righteousnesse for thou art a stiffe-necked people Deut. 9.6 XV. And although Predestination doth comprehend reprobation seeing that it is certaine that the wicked are appointed to a certaine end and to their deserued punishments yet the Apostle by the word Predestination doth vnderstand onely Election as Rom. 8. Those that he predestinated he called c. And Ephes 1.5 Hauing predestinated vs to the adoption of children Thomas imitating this manner of speaking doth thus define Predestination 1. Part. Sum. Quest 23. Art 2. Predestination is the preparation to grace in the present and to glory in the world to come XVI But when
last decree they would haue to be that whereby God hath precisely and absolutely decreed to saue some certaine men for their faith fore-seene XI These are the decrees of the Arminians and this is the summe of their whole doctrine in the searching and viewing of which the labour is not small they doe so enwrap their meanings they doe so hide their mindes that there alwaies lyeth open some hole to scape by whose meaning he that doth not know will easily beleeue they haue wrong done them they doe so parget ouer their errour with beautifull colours as if they were of the same opinion with vs when they are very farre distant from vs Then also if one in expounding their opinion hath not expressed all euen their least distinctions or hath not obserued all their shifts it cannot be said what tragedies they stirre vp how miserably they complaine as it were of force and grieuous slanders and calumny Being ready also to forsweare Arminius and themselues to pluck vp their owne opinions and to maintaine the cause of the Papists finally to doe any thing so they may escape our hands XII But we handle the matter more plainely nor doe we so laboriously cut the election of God into members Neither doe wee prescribe an order to God by which hee should haue digested or yet ought to digest his thoughts and to dispose his decrees We acknowledge there is no generall election seeing there is no election where nothing is left And we acknowledge no election vnlesse it be of seuerall and particular persons and that also to be precise and determined by the purpose of God neither doe we thinke any to be elected but he that shall certainly and infallibly come to saluation Nor doe we beleeue that we be elected from faith or for faith but vnto faith For God doth not elect those that are good by any goodnesse which goeth before election but by his election hee will make them good Nor doth he fore-know any good in vs but what he himselfe is to bring to passe which is not to fore-see but fore-ordaine Neither doe wee make the election of perticular persons to depend vpon mans will Yea and we beleeue that perseuerance and the confirmation of mans will in faith doth proceede from Gods free election of grace by which he decreed to giue to them whom he appointed to an end the meanes to come to that end XV. Wee agree with the Arminians in this that God in electing doth consider a man not onely as fallen but as one that by his gift is to beleeue for those which he appointed to saluation he appointed also to faith and repentance but we doe not thinke that in election faith is considered as accomplished but as that which should be accomplished by the grace of God and which is the effect of our election and that God doth this not by compelling the will but by bowing it and by granting that of its owne accord it should follow him calling Not by a force which is therefore called irresistable because thou canst not resist it although thou wouldst seeing this very thing is a part of this grace that thou shalt not be willing to resist it But that God is bound to giue his grace to men we detest it as an opinion contumelious reproachfull against the maresty of God Also we despise the opinion of the Arminians wherby they determine that God equally desires saluation to all as an opinion contrary to the Scripture to experience XIV Wee say that election is the eternall and therefore immutable decree of God whereby out of mankind fallen corrupted God decreed of his owne meere grace by Christ to saue some certaine men and to giue them the meanes whereby they might come to saluation XV. The decree of giuing faith repentance we make to be a part of that decree For the decree concerning the end includes also the meanes so the decree of making warre doth include Horses Armes and prouision and the will whereby any one hath decreed to builde doth necessarily include the will of gathering together stones and timber Neither doe we thinke it safe to pull asunder the counsels of God and as it were scrupulously to cut them into peeces CHAP. XVII That the Arminians make fore-seene faith the cause of the election of particular persons I. THe Arminian conferrers at the Hage and as many as are their sectaries in many places doe professe that they doe not make faith the cause of Election but onely a precedent condition and some thing pre-required before Election These things they say onely in word For the same men with very great diligence doe heape vp arguments whereby it may be proued that faith is the cause of the election of particular persons But oftentimes there fals from them either vnwilling or vnawares that which they indeauour to presse downe and as Rats they are catched by bewraying themselues II. Nicholas Greuinchouius pag. 103. doth confesse that Arminius was of opinion that election * inuiti did rest vpon fore-seene faith The Remonstrants in the conference at the Hage p. 117. doe vse the same manner of speaking And Arminius in the 47. page of his declaration The decree saith he whereby God decreed to saue some certaine men doth rest on the fore-knowledge of God whereby from eternity he hath knowne who will belieue c. The Arminians page 38. of their answere to the Walachrians haue these words We determine that the fore-seeing of faith and infidelity doth in order goe before the decree of predestination and that this decree doth * inniti rest on that former fore-knowledge Truely he is blinde that doth not see that it is one thing to follow one another thing to rest on him For if the rising starre doth in order goe before the following starre doth therefore the latter rest on the former Arminius therefore doth not lay downe faith onely as an antecedent thing but as something which doth sustaine election in which it is founded and on which election doth rest And he doth no lesse make election depend vpon faith who saith that faith is the foundation then he that saith that it is the cause of Election for the cause giueth to election that it should be the foundation giueth to it that it should stand and be firme Either way alike iniury is done to God whether you say that some vertue which is in man is the cause of the good pleasure of God or whether you say that the good pleasure of God hath his foundation from some vertue of man III. But by those words they doe not obseurely acknowledge that fore-seene faith is the cause of election for they will haue the fore-seeing of faith so to goe before election as the fore-seeing of incredulity doth in order goe before reprobation But that the reprobates are appointed to condemnation for incredulity and because they are vnbeleeuers they euery where acknowledge And Arminius against Perkins
p. 86. doth roundly affirme that sinne is the meritorious cause of reprobation So Arnoldus p. 151. Election and reprobation of particular persons were made in respect of the fore-sight of faith and incredulity Arnoldus Can any suspect your fidelity that you take the word ex equiuocally in reprobation to note the cause but in election to note the condition It must needes be therefore that they acknowledge that the elect are appointed to saluation for faith fore seene because they beleeue and that fore-seene faith is the cause of the election of particular persons IV. But there is no difference whether you say that Election doth rest on faith fore-seene or that it doth rest on the fore-seeing of faith for both wares faith is made the cause of election in the latter it is made the neerest cause in the former it is made the remote cause for fore-seene faith is made the cause of fore-seeing it and the fore-seeing it is made the cause of election For why doth God fore-know that they will beleeue vnlesse because they will beleeue and why doth he elect vnlesse because he fore-knoweth they will beleeue These are the words of Arminius against Perkins p. 142. In that God fore-knowes he therefore fore-knowes because it will afterward be V. The same men a little after against the Walachrians doe vse although fearefully the word depending that they might make election depending on faith And although say they that word of depending which we are neuer wont to vse in this argument be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 easily subiect to calumny yet if a maleuolent minde be absent it cannot be drawne to the least suspicion of any absurdity Yes it may be drawne to the greatest For Greuinchouius himselfe Pag. 198. doth acknowledge that dependency strictly taken doth argue causality and the dependency of a superiour by an inferiour And truely these men doe not obscurely declare how willingly they would vse this word if they did not feare our pursuite VI. There is extant a Treatise of Greuinchouius with this Title Of election * ex for faith fore seene but that word ex from or for doth not onely note priority but also causality For who would endure a man that should say that Tiberius was from Octauius Augustus or that this yeare is from the former because one went before the other A man that is not vnskiifull of the Latine doth sufficiently know that the praeposition ex is not fit to note onely the priority of faith vnlesse besides the priority there is also some efficiency or dependency Wherefore the same man page 24. hath these words It is altogether conuenient to the nature of lawes and prescribed conditions that the will of the Iudge should be moued to giue the reward by the required and performed condition This performed condition the Arminians say to be faith which if we beleeue them is considered in election as performed They will therefore haue God to be moued by this fulfilled condition that he should giue the reward which if it be true faith is plainely the cause both of decreeing and giuing the reward because it is that which moueth the Iudge VII So in the conference at the Hage the Arminians doe contend that God doth not elect without respect of qualities which thing is true not onely of faith but also of repentance so it be taken thus that God in electing considered men as they that by his gift and bounty would beleeue and be renewed in repentance If you take this respecting otherwise it must needes be that this respecting is the cause for one is said to choose any thing in respect of some quality or vertue who by that qualitie or vertue is moued to choose it otherwise he would not VIII Nay what That the Arminian conferrers at the Hage p. 86. doe vse the word Cause God sendeth his word whether it seemeth good to him not according to any absolute decree but for other causes lying hid in man Then is man the cause why hee is called whence it comes that he is the cause also that he is elected For that which is the cause why God doth call a man to saluation is plainely the cause why God will saue him for these are things connexed and knit together The same men page 109. It is absurd to put the absolute will of God in the decree of election for the first and principall cause that it should goe before the other causes to wit Christ faith and all other causes Here you heare that faith is put among the causes of election wherefore Arnoldus page 53. doth leaue it in the middle whether faith ought to be called the cause or the condition Whether saith hee faith should be called the condition or whether it should be called the cause it alwayes being laid downe for granted that it is the gift of God this alone is the question how faith hath respect to election And a little before he had said If any should say that in the decree of election faith hath the respect of a cause yet he should not thereby deny that it is the gift of God Not obscurely insinuating how prone hee was to that part and perceiued that hee was not rashly to be blamed who hath called faith the cause of our election IX Adde to these that Arnoldus page 186. and the rest with him doe contend that faith is not of those that are elected but that the election is of those that are faithfull We truely out of Saint Paul to Titus chap. 1. v 1. say that faith is of the elect which we so take because election is the cause of faith to which our assertion seeing they oppose theirs as contrary whereby they say that election is of them that are faithfull what else would they but haue faith to be the cause of our election X. Let also the moment and force of their reasons be weighed and considered In the conference at the Hage they professe that they doe not refuse to write with great letters and to subscribe that election is made by Christ without any consideration of good workes And yet doe the same men euen to loathing beate vpon this that Election is the decree of sauing them that beleeue that there is no man elected by God but in respect of faith But I would know why they so earnestly exclude the consideration of workes from election seeing that the earnest endeauour of good workes is a condition no lesse fore-required to saluation then faith Who by these things doth not see that faith is not laid downe by them meerely as a fore-required condition For if faith were thus considered by them it is plaine that the study and endeauour of good workes had beene ioyned and placed in the same degree with faith XI And if God electeth to saluation not those whom he absolutely decreed but those whom hee fore-saw would beleeue it is plaine that God in election hath respect to some dignity and
comparison of hauing their names written in heauen Surely that speech to be written in heauen is referred not to the opinion of men but to the purpose of God And this phrase is taken from the Prophets with whom that is said to be written before God which is fastened and determined by his decree So Esay 4. v. 3. they are said to be written for life who were to be preserued by the purpose of God And Chap. 65.6 Behold it is written before me I will not keepe silence but will recompence As if hee should say it is certaine and determined by mee to reuenge these wicked deedes XII I am ashamed of that shift whereby some of them say that therefore the names of the Apostles are said to be written in heauen because they were elected to their Apostleshippe For so the name of Iudas himselfe was written in heauen in which respect he had so little cause to reioyce that euen his very Apostleshippe turned to his destruction Then also we haue the words of the Apostle to the Hebrewes which are plainely agreeable to these by which he calleth the faithfull the first begotten which are written in heauen which cannot bee drawne to the election to an office seeing it belongeth to all the faithfull and the elect XIII The question of the booke of life is a greater and longer question not belonging to this place I am not ignorant that there is a certaine booke of life which is not the booke of election but the Catalogue of them who professe themselues to be members of the Church and are visibly grafted into the couenant of which book there is mention Eze. 13.9 Psal 69. ver 29. out of which booke there is no doubt but some are blotted But when they are throwne headlong into hell as many as are not written in the booke of life it is plaine that in this booke is set downe the certaine and determined number of men who while other are appointed to the fire they alone are reserued to life the number of whom can be encreased or diminished no more now then in the last iudgement XIV These things concerning that generall and conditionall election Now let vs come to the absolute election of seuerall persons which the Arminians would haue to rest and depend on the fore-knowledge of faith and to be made for faith fore-seene The former of these elections hath the second place in the series and ranke of the foure decrees laid downe by Armintus the latter election hath the fourth place that doth pertaine to the antecedent will of God this to the consequent that doth goe before this doth follow mans will Arminius saith that God is disappointed of that but cannot be disappointed of this CHAP. XIX The election of particular persons in respect of faith foreseene is confuted It is prooued that men are not elected for faith but to faith OVt of the great abundance of places which the holy Scripture doth supply to vs we wil tithe and choose out some that are most cleare and most weighty I. Saint Paul to the Ephesians Chapter 1. vers 3.4 hath these words God hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world The Apostle doth plainely enough teach that spirituall blessings and therefore faith are giuen vs according to the eternall election as we were elected Whence it followeth that election is necessarily before these blessings both in order and time So hee that saith that the Souldiers receiued their donatiue and beneuolence as it seemed good to their Generall doth manifestly say that first it seemed good to the Generall before it was done and that the certaine and absolute will of the Generall went before this largesse and gift Neither are those words of lesse moment which follow He elected vs in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue You see that we are elected to holinesse and not from holinesse or for holinesse and if we be elected to holinesse then also are we elected to faith wherein our holinesse chiefly consists It cannot be denyed that faith is a part of our holines vnlesse by him who also denieth that incredulity in the prophane is a part of their prophanenesse and vice For by faith we are not onely sanctified efficiently but also formally no otherwise then the wall is formally whited by the white colour And if the Arminians could get it granted that the holinesse which is spoken of here doth consist onely in charity yet they would effect nothing nor would it euer the lesse be proued out of this place that we are chosen to faith for he that is elected to charity is necessarily elected to faith which begets charity Gal. 5.6 Nor is it credible that any one is elected to one part of holinesse and not to the other Being beate therefore from hence they seeke other refuges Arnoldus p. 66. by elect would haue they that are called to be vnderstood as if election and calling were the same thing but many are called few are chosen Matth. 20. Therefore among these elect if Arnoldus be beleeued there will be many reprobates neither will this election be opposed to reprobation The same man pag. 142. doth contend that these elect are the faithfull which is false in that sense he takes it to wit that they are considered as being already faithfull when they are elected For how can they that are considered as being faithfull be elected to holinesse seeing in that they are faithfull they are already holy Paul indeede speakes to the Ephesians whom hee calleth faithfull and blessed but not if now they were faithfull and blessed they were therefore faithfull before they were elected This good man therefore hath deuised another subtilty and would haue Paul to speake not of the election of particular persons but of the election whereby any one people is elected to the calling by the Gospell If this be true it must needes be that among the elect before the foundation of the world there were many reprobates But the following words doe not admit this interpretation for the Apostle saith we are elected that we should be without blame in loue He will haue vs to be elect that we might endeauour to holinesse and good workes Now good workes are of particular men and not of a Nation neither by the elect can here be vnderstood the nations admitted into the couenant seeing Saint Paul includes himselfe in this number Hath chosen vs in Christ c. Arnoldus himselfe doth sufficiently declare how little he trusts to this exposition while hee ioynes another which ouerthrowes this He saith that here it is spoken of the election to glory and therefore by holinesse would haue saluation vnderstood But the Apostle doth fitly preuent this starting hole for hee addes that we might be holy and blamelesse but to be blamelesse is a
should say that God fore-saw the Sunne would be round or shining for God himselfe turned it into roundnesse and put the light into it How greatly the Arminians erre here and that it followes of their doctrine that faith is not the gift of God although sometimes they speake otherwise shall be seene in the right place XII Thither also belong the words which are in the eleuenth verse of the first chapter Ephes 1.11 Being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counfell of his owne will If God hath predestinated any one to saluation he worketh also all things which are necessary to the execution of that decree and if all things then also faith Faith therefore is something after predestination for it is a part of the execution of that decree XIII There is a noteable place Acts 13.48 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They beleeued as many as were ordained to eternall life While Paul preached to the men of Antiochia some beleeued some refused the Gospell Saint Luke brings this cause why they did not beleeue to wit the ordination and decree of God Election therefore is before faith because the election of God is the cause why men beleeue According to Arminius Saint Luke ought to haue spoken thus And as many as beleeued were elected by God in reward of their faith But contrariewise hee saith they beleeued because they were elected Socinus and after him Arminius doe depraue and corrupt this place with very great wickednesse For by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that were ordained they vnderstand they that were disposed prepared and inclined or well affected as if Luke had writ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Certainely a bold euasion and an interpretation without colour and example For neyther the Scripture nor any man that I know euer tooke the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this sence To which purpose when many examples may be heaped vp yet they are most fit which are taken out of the booke of the Acts it selfe that it may appeare in what sence Saint Luke doth alwaies take this word Chap. 15.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they decreed or determined that Paul should goe vp And Acts 28.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they had appointed him a day So Saint Paul Rom. 13.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The powers that are are ordained or appointed by God So S. Chrisost Hom. 30. vpon the Acts doth interpret this place of the Acts as many as were ordained to saluation where he rendreth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seuered by God and fore-determined Then also although the word were ambiguous reason it selfe would conuince this For none of the vnregenerate can be well disposed or well affected to eternall life But all these men of Antiochia before they beleeued the Gospell were vnregenerate therefore they were ill disposed to the obtaining of saluation Let the schoole and followers of Arminius tell me what disposition was in the theefe who was crucified with Christ to beleeue before he did beleeue Or in the Apostle Paul when like a wolfe he did rage against the flocke of Christ and swelling with Pharisaicall pride was a most eager maintainer of righteousnesse by the Law yea also common sence doth abhorre that kinde of speaking which they deuise For wee are not wont to say that one is well disposed or prone or well affected to blessednesse but to vertue This inclination must be to doe something and not to enioy or obtaine something So one may be said to be inclined to the exercise of his body but not to health to the combat not to the reward or victory Or if any one please to take the word dispositum disposed for cupido desire there is no man who is not disposed to saluation It is not for nothing that the Greeke hath not the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simply and alone but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as many as were appointed By which preterpluperfect tense is plainely signified not a present disposition but an ordination that went before It is to no purpose that they therefore gather that by those that are ordained are vnderstood those that are disposed because in that place they are opposed to them that are vnworthy For Luke here makes no opposition nor if he did would it any thing hinder vs who know that by the very election to faith and saluation men are made worthy and therefore also we are opposed to those that are vnworthy In the meane time let the Reader iudge what and how wicked a doctrine this is which doth make men to be worthy before they beleeue and that some are found among Infidels who are worthy of saluation XIV Marke 13.22 False Christs and false Prophets shall arise and shall shew signes and wonders to seduce if it were possible the very elect There is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a cause and reason of it giuen in the word Elect For the cause is noted why some cannot be finally deceiued to wit because they are elected Election therefore is before perseuerance in faith to the end as being the cause of perseuerance And that which is the cause of perseuerance in faith is the cause of faith That which is the cause why one doth alwaies beleeue is the cause why hee doth beleeue Therefore the opinion of Arminius doth fall to the ground by which he determineth that not onely faith but also perseuerance in faith is before election and that God in electing doth consider it as a condition already performed and fulfilled XV. The words of the Apostle ought not to be omitted 2. Tim. 1.9 He hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen vs in Christ Iesus before the world beganne These words seem to me to be diametrically directly contrary to Arminianisme For the Apostle doth not onely deny that we are saued for the fore-seeing of workes but also he brings the eternall decree of God to exclude the respect of workes But if God hath not elected vs for the foreseeing of workes then certainly not for the fore-seeing of faith which doth beget and effect workes And if God hath not elected any one for the fore-seeing of faith then certainely not for the right vsing of grace nor for the obedience of faith for as much as this vsing and this obedience is manifestly a worke Neither is it any doubt but that to embrace the Gospell by faith is a kinde of worke and action of the will XVI What Arnold cont Gomarum Pag. 4â— Arminius dicit ipâ—um credere in Christum nobis in iustitiam imputari non vt infirumentum P. 35. dicet fidem estimati pro â—â—edien iâ— opâ—re Vorst Cat. Error on Siber P. 41. Fides nobis ad iustitiam 〈◊〉 putatur formalâ—er Bretius Epist ad Sabr P. 69. 70. Non est inâ—ptum dicere cum Deus
asunder For all that are glorified are iustified all that are iustified are called by that effectuall calling which is peculiar to the elect all that are so called are appointed that they should be conformable to the image of Christ Let the sectaries tell me whether glorification iustification and calling doe not belong to all the elect For Arminius while he doth restraine this conformity to afflictions he maketh many elect that are not conformable to Christ because many of the seruants of God euen of the best haue had peace without interruption and quietnesse with honour Doe the Arminians wipe themselues out of the number of the elect who in the height of peace forgetfull of the crosse of Christ haue moued this sinke pernicious and deadly to themselues and to the Church I am not ignorant that these things are spoken by the Apostle to the comfort of the afflicted to whom all things turne to good But what lets that hee should not comfort them by those lessons which might belong to all So the Apostle Saint Peter 1. Pet. 2. when hee had commanded seruants to be subiect to their masters not onely if they were good but also if they were euill and rough a little after he doth exhort them to patience by those instructions which are common to all Christians admonishing them that it is pleasing to God if any of them endure troubles for conscience sake that Christ being innocent therfore suffered that he might leaue vs an example that we might walke in his steppes And it is no doubt but that these that are here said to be predestinated to conformity vnto the image of Christ are the same with those who in the same place he saith are called by the purpose of God But they that are afflicted for Christ are not onely called but also all the elect among whom there are many that are free from persecutions III. Especially obserue that Saint Paul here doth speake of the election of particular persons those whom he Predestinated and those whom he glorifyed for but some and that a few are glorified These Innouators will haue the election of particular persons to be after calling and they will haue them to be elected whom God fore-seeth will follow him calling and they make election to rest vpon this foreseeing But Saint Paul here maketh election to be before calling when hee saith Whom he predestinated them also he called whom he called them also he iustified whom he iustified them also he glorified For as in order and time iustification is before glorification and calling before iustification so also the predestination of seuerall persons is before calling IV. But it is worth the labour to consider the linkes of that Apostolicall chaine Whom he predestinated he called whom he called he iustified whom he iustified he glorified Doe not you see how we are predestinated to our calling and by our calling to iustification And seeing that we are iustified by Faith it followeth that we are predestinated to Faith For how can he be predestinated to iustification by Faith who is not predestinated to Faith These things strike at the life V. I let passe that the Arminians doe ouerturne those words of S. Paul whom he iustified them also he glorified while they affirme that many are iustified who are reprobates This they cleerely shew in their Epistle against the Walachrians Pag 40. They who beleeue for a time may be said to be iustified whom the euent doth shew to be reprobates VI. In the same chapter v. 16. he saith The spirit of God beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God I demande whether this tesiemony of the spirit be certaine or doubtfull If it be doubtfull the spirit of God is accused of a lie If it be certaine I demand on what foundation doth this certainty rest Doth it rest on the power of free-will Why this is a doubtfull and deceitfull certainty Or is this testimony certaine because it is giuen to none but them whom God hath certainely appointed to saluation Why this is that very thing which we affirme and the Arminians deny VII There is no lesse force in the ninth chapter to the Romanes where the Apostle doth throughly and largely treate of Election and reprobation The scope of the Apostle is to teach that election and saluation is not of the workes of the law but of God calling and hauing mercy and his scope is not as Arminius faines to treate of iustification by faith I will not repeate those things which are spoken chap. 15. where we hauer pressed Arminius torturing the Apostle that he might draw him against his will to the patronage of his cause VIII Thus much the carefull Reader shall obserue that Paul after he hath spoken of the purpose of God according to Election doth presently lay downe Iacob for an example of that Election whom God loued before he had done any good or euil and therefore before he had beleeued for to beleeue is to doe something and so Election went before Faith Yea although to beleeue the Gospell and obey it were not an action yet if election went before the consideration of workes it must needes also goe before the consideration of Faith from which workes doe flow For if Faith should goe before Election God in electing could not consider Faith but as bringing forth workes for otherwise he had considered Faith not as it is but as it is not IX Also that which he saith v. 16. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy were false if God had mercy on men for faith fore-scene For the Arminians doe hold this stedfastly and defend with greatest diligence that God giueth all men power of beleeuing in Christ yea and that he is bound to giue it and how great grace soeuer God may giue to beleeue in act yet it is in the power of mans free will to vse this grace or not to vse it to beleeue or not to beleeue and that that man is elected by God whom he foresaw would beleeue and whom he considereth as already beleeuing According to this doctrine it may rightly be said that saluation is of him that willeth and of him that runneth and not onely of God that sheweth mercy But if Paul therefore said that it is not of him that willeth because it is not alone of him that wiâ—leth why shall it not be also lawfull to say that it is not of God that sheweth mercy because it is not alone of him shewing mercy but also of mans free will X. But if to that question whereby it is demanded why God of one and the same Masse hath loued one and hated another why hee had mercy of one and hardned the other it may be answered that it was done because God fore-saw that the one would beleeue and the other would not beleeue Saint Paul ought not to haue blamed the demander and commanded him to be silent seeing the
after the fight of faith neither can we come thither but by labour but it is not giuen for the labour neither are we chosen to saluation for the fore-seeing of labour or faith but God who doth predestinate vs to the reward doth also predestinate vs to the fight As Paul testifieth Phil. 1.26 It is giuen to you in the behalfe of Christ not onely to beleeue in him but also to suffer for him It is also a kinde of reward freely bestowed as Saint Ambrose teacheth Epist 1. Lib. 1. The reward of liberality and of grace doth differ from the stipend of vertue and wages of labour In the meane while the Reader shall note by the way that the Arminians striue for election vpon the fore-seeing of workes For eternall life in the holy Scripture is called the wages or reward not onely of faith but also of workes of almesdeedes of patience according to that of Matthew Chap. 19. Call the labourers and giue them the pay If therefore it may thence be proued that election is for faith fore-seene because eternall life is called the reward of faith why shall not the same election be for workes foreseene seeing eternall life is often called the reward of workes especially seeing to beleeue is it selfe a worke and that the chiefest worke and the Arminians are of opinion that we are iustified by faith as it is a worke as shall be seene in his owne place XIII The same man P. 170. and 188. doth much please himselfe in this argument If predestination is such as you faine it to be then the will of God concerning the saluation of a man that is to be saued is two fold and contradictory to it selfe One whereby he doth will and ordaine saluation to him that doth not beleeue that is not for faith fore-seene The other whereby in time he will not saue the same man vnlesse as he is faithful But I deny that these things are contrary To elect to saluation him that doth not beleeue that he may beleeue and to will the saluation of him that beleeueth So if a father should appoint his little sonne of two yeeres old to the office of a Senator or of a Pastor of the Church and afterward should haue care to furnish with learning the same sonne when he is growne great that he might come to this office doth this father will contrary things because hee appointed him to this office at the first being vnlearned and afterward being learned XIV The same man Pag. 194. doth thus dispute What men soeuer and howsoeuer qualified and in what order soeuer God in time doth saue the same men and so qualified and in the same order he hath decreed to saue But in time he first giueth Christ then according to his wisedome he doth iustly administer the meanes that are necessary to faith and repentance both sufficiently and effectually and them that repent beleeue in act he doth receiue into grace And finally those that perseuere in Faith he saueth Therefore he hath decreed to saue in the same manner and order those men and so qualified or so considered Ans The maior proposition doth mingle false and true things together that those that are false might lye hid in the multitude nor is it in all respects true There is no doubt but that whatsoeuer men what sort of men God in time doth saue the same men the same sort of men he hath decreed to saue But that God doth saue them in the same order in which he decreed is one way true and another way false It is true that God doth saue in the same order in which he decreed to saue but it is not true that God in executing or sauing doth follow the same order which he did in decreeing For in decreeing he first thinkes of the end before he thinkes of the meanes Contrariwise in executing hee beginneth with the meanes and helpes and finisheth in the end So the Phisitian doth first intend health before physicke but in executing he doth first apply the medicines before he healeth Greuinchouius therefore doth erre who from the order which God doth follow in executing his decree doth gather what should be his order in decreeing In the meane while by the way obserue in Greuinchouius the spirit of Arminius He dares not say that God giueth faith but that hee giues onely the meanes to faith because he will haue it to be in the power of free-will to vse these meanes and that faith is but the gift of God in part XV. The argument of Arnoldus pag. 181. hath the same fault These things saith he are thus coupled together that God will first haue one belecus before he will haue him be saued wher as your predestination teacheth cōtrarily that God doth first will to saue a man and then he willeth that he should beleeue In these words he doth confound the order of decreeing with the order of executing for in the execution of his decree God will first haue him to beleeue before he will haue him to be saued but in decreeing God doth first decree to giue saluation before he decreeth to giue faith and he first thought of the end before he thought of the meanes XVI The same man pag. 195. doth contend that these are things incompatible and which cannot stand together that God would saue Peter absolutely and that he would not saue him but vpon the condition of faith I answere there is an homony my and equiuocation in the word absolutely If by absolutely be vnderstood certainely precisely or necessarily these are not contrary to will to saue Peter certainely and precisely and to will that Peter should be saued by faith Euen as these things are not contrary To will absolutely that Peter should liue and to will that he should liue by foode and by breathing But if by these words To will to saue absolutely be vnderstood that God will saue without faith then we are slandered for there is none of vs of this opinion none beleeues it but that this is the meaning of Greuinchouius the following words declare for he addes These things are contrary to will that the same man should beleeue and that he should not beleeue Which of vs yea what Christian hath euer said that God doth will that a man should not beleeue in Christ and yet hee doth ascribe that opinion to Caluin citing in the margent his Institutions lib. 1. chap. 18. § 13. where there is no such thing nor hath there beene any more rigid and precise maintainer of faith in Christ then that holy man Therefore after his sicke minde hath vomited out this poison against vs he triumphs as of a thing well performed as the Cocke crowing vpon the dunghill These things saith he when you haue reconciled I will say you are a great artist in reconciling But it was not for Ames a man well deseruing of the Church to labour in reconciling the doctrine of the Gospell with the blasphemy
as Arnoldus doth imagine nothing would thereby be derogated from the wisedome of God The father doth often decree to giue something to his children before he hath determined on what condition or by what labour In this place Arnoldus hath stuffed in many things of vnresistablenesse and of reprobation which wee haue put off to another place Therefore from the wisedome of God he passeth to the iustice of God which he doth contend to be violated by vs. XXV Therefore Pag. 224. hee beginneth with a calumny You determine saith he that God decreed to saue some men without the beholding of Faith I say he doth falsely accuse vs For although God doth not elect vs for faith yet hee doth elect vs to faith and faith is a part of the definition of election But if of two that are alike sinners he electeth one to saluation not considering obedience as a thing already performed but electing him to performe obedience God shall not therefore be vniust for concerning his owne he doth what he will according to that I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy c. It is enough that although he giueth to the one the grace that is not deserued yet he imposeth no punishment on the other but what is due In the meane while the Papists haue cause to reioyce who haue sound a patron of merit in Arnoldus For it is said to be merit when the reward is giuen to any one for righteousnesse Eternall life is a reward and that it might be giuen for righteousnesse Arnoldus will haue it giuen for the beholding of obedience performed therefore it is giuen to him that merits it XXVI It is idle which he addeth Pag. 225. By the decree whereby God hath decreed to giue saluation to none but to him that beleeueth he sheweth that he doth rather loue obedience then the creature But contrarywise by your decree God is made to loue men although they be sinners rather then righteousnesse which is contrary to iustice Surely these things are knit together with a very wicked art For first he imagines that we teach that God will saue other men then beleeuers Secondly he doth craithy compare that loue wherewith God loueth obedience with that loue wherewith God loueth the creature seeing the loue of obedience which is the very iustice of God is rather to be compared with the loue wherewith God loueth his goodnesse and mercy For although God loueth his owne iustice more then the creature yet hee doth not loue his iustice more then his goodnesse by which he doth doe good to the creature for God doth no lesse giue cleare and certaine proofes and effects of his goodnesse then of his iustice which goodnesse is also a kinde of iustice if iustice be taken not strictly for that vertue by which rewards are giuen to the iust and punishments to the vniust but for that generall vertue wherby God doth doe all things conueniently and as it is meete And although all things are equall in God yea all the attributes of God are one vertue and the very essence of God yet the Scripture doth extoll the goodnesse of God with farre greater praises then his iustice So in the Law God doth visite the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation but doth extend his mercy to thousands of generations So Psal 36. The iudgements of God are compared to the mountains and his goodnesse to the deepe And Psalme 30. His goodnesse is extended to a life or an age but his anger is restrained to a moment Saint Iames doth consent to this Chap. 2. v. 13. saying that mercy doth boast it selfe and glory ouer iustice because God hath manifested to vs more euident arguments of his goodnesse then of his iustice God is therefore rightly called Optimus maximus The most good and the most great but most good is set first and then most great And if you would repeate the matter from the beginning you shall finde that in the first place the decree of creating is to be laid downe in which there is goodnesse but not iustice XXVII Arnoldus doth more largely presse the same things Chap. 9. where he saith that the iustice of God is violated by vs while wee will haue God to haue ordained men to saluation without the beholding of any obedience which as I haue already said is not our opinion I confesse indeede that God doth loue his owne iustice more then man but I deny that he doth more loue the manifestation or execution of his iustice then the manifestation of his mercy and goodnesse towards man God doth more loue that which is due to him by the creature then hee doth loue the creature it selfe But he doth not more loue that which is due to him from the creature then hee doth loue that which he oweth to himselfe to wit the manifestation of his glory by doeing good to the creature Surely there was danger that God could not maintaine his iustice vnlesse these innouators had issued forth who patronize his iustice preferring it before his goodnesse and wisedome And this is the place where Arnoldus will haue God to be a debtor Iustice saith he doth appoint that God should giue to the creature performing obedience that which is his Neuer was any thing said more harsh by the most vehement maintainers of mans merits Surely Arnoldus is prepared to say to God giue me that which is mine for this thy iustice requireth O proudely spoken But let vs proceede to other things XXVIII A little after he doth endeauour to proue that we offend against the same goodnesse of God in the doctrine of reprobation But wee haue appointed a peculiar chapter for the examining of these things as also there shall be a place of examining those things which he doth euery where without order stuffe in of Reprobation and of Free will and of Christ the foundation of election XXIX It is not to be omitted that it is familiar with the Arminians to inuey against the doctrine of Election which is beleeued in our Churches and that vnder the pretence of piety and exhortation to good workes For they say that precise election doth extinguish all the endeauour of good workes prayers hearing of the word and doth takeaway euery pious enterprise For if one beleeue that hee were predestinated to faith and to good workes hee will leaue the care to God of mouing man infallibly and would shake off all wholsome feare because hee is perswaded that his saluation cannot be lost nor his faith cast off These and other things borrowed from the Pelagians and still warme from the anuile of the papists they carry about as it were the Circousean pompe with a great clamour Also these craftie men speake this as men taught by experience For they say that while they were of opinion with vs they felt that vice growing on them by this doctrine and that a languor and diminishing of the loue of
againe their negligence can hurt none but those whom God will absolutely destroy and who cannot be saued The Pelagians obiected the same things to Saint Austin Lib. de bono perseu Chap. 14. August de bono perseu cap. 14. â—iunt praedestinationis definitionem vtilitati praeâ—â—catronis aduersam Whereunto wee haue already largely answered For the same reasons which stirre vp the carefulnesse of the hearers to repentance and good workes are also of power to stirre vp pastors diligently to vndergo their office and to prick forward their hearers to repentance For although the elect cannot perish yet wee know that God doth bring the elect to saluation by the word and sacraments and by the ministery of the Gospell whose decree our obedience must serue And although the minister of the word dealing perfunctoriously and carelesly cannot cause that he that is elected should perish yet hee hurts himselfe and shall beare the punishment of that negligence in the day of iudgement Therefore although he did not hurt others yet hee should very much wrong himselfe Saint Paul a most vehement maintainer of election doth professe that he endureth all things for the elect that they may obtaine saluation 2. Tim. 2.10 XXXVIII As concerning the Reprobates if this reason of Arminius preuaile by the like reason we shall neyther eate nor drinke nor shall parents be bound to be carefull of the health of their children because this negligence can hurt none but them whom God will haue to perish who by his decree hath set sure bounds to the life of euery particular person which cannot be pulled backe nor passed ouer And if it were manifest to the pastors which of their flocke were Reprobates then there were some colour for the doubting whether they ought to be carefull for the saluation of them that are Reprobates But seeing that this is vnknowne to them they ought to scatter the seede of the word euery where and leaue the euent to God XXXIX Arnoldus Page 307. saith that which in my iudgement is exceeding bad If any one saith he should teach that God himselfe hath precisely appointed to nourish one for some time in this life and that he would so prouide the bread where with he should be nourished that he could not but haue it aboundantly I grant that such a one neede not be warned that hee should be carefull how to prouide himselfe bread But I affirme that such an one needes and ought to be warned to prepare himselfe bread because the same God who doth promise bread and hath decreed to giue it doth also declare in his word that he will giue this bread to our labour and by the meanes of our carefulnesse Therefore he that will giue the bread doth also giue strength will and industry whereby this bread should be prepared So that Arnoldus yeelds that to himselfe which no man in his right sense would yeeld to him XL. Furthermore the certainty of Election may be taken two manner of waies eyther for the immutability of the decree of God or for that certaine perswasion whereby any one doth beleeue that he is elected Of the former kinde of certainty it is onely spoken here the latter doth require a peculiar treatise But by the way we say that we beleeue none of those things which Arnoldus doth falsely attribute to vs whereof this is one that all men are bound to beleeue that they are elected to eternall life Nay we teach that he that will not beleeue in Christ and repent is bound to beleeue that saluation gotten by the death of Christ doth not pertaine to him Of the same stampe is that calumny when he saith that we command wicked men to be secure as they that can lose saluation by no euill deedes Fie on that abhominable doctrine To say I am elected therefore I may be wicked is the speech of a reprobate man who will therefore be wicked because God is good By this meanes that loue wherewith God in Christ hath loued vs which is the most vehement incitation to loue God is turned into a pillow on which prophane security may sleepe Whosoeuer God hath elected he hath giuen him or will giue him the holy-Ghost by which he abstaineth from so prophane a thought So him whom hee hath appointed to life he hath appointed also to foode and to breathing He were ridiculous who should say if God hath decreed that I should liue till I am eighty yeeres old what neede I eate seeing it cannot be but I must liue so long Surely the destruction of such a man is neere for God hath determined to vse this his sencelesse peeuishnesse to punish him XLI In the meane while wee admonish that the certainty of the election of seuerall persons is carefully to be distinguished from that certainty whereby seuerall men beleeue themselues to be elected The former is the certainty of the decree the latter is the certainty of faith For if Arminius could proue that piety and the endeauour of good workes is extinguished by the perswasion of election yet it would not thence follow that the decree of God concerning the election of particular persons is not certaine and precise But it would onely follow that this decree is not to be beleeued by vs to be certaine Whence it appeares how ill Arminius and Arnoldus doe reason who thereby inferre that the decree of God concerning the election of particular persons is not absolute nor precise because the confidence of election doth make some men more negligent to the workes of piety XLII Adde to these those things which we haue laid downe in the second chapter where we haue shewed how many waies the doctrine concerning election is profitable to good manners and to the discipline of piety which notwithstanding wee would haue thus to be taken not that euery one is to expect a reuelation of his election but the Gospell is to be heard and this promise whereby God doth promise life to them that beleeue is throughly to be fastned in our minde and to be embraced with our whole heart By which perswasion whosoeuer shall feele himselfe to be liuely affected with the loue of God and to be driuen to repentance shall easily gather that he is elected and that the thing promised in the Gospell doth belong to him For although election is in nature before faith and repentance as the cause from whence these vertues flow yet faith and repentance is better knowne to vs and we are alwaies to proceede from the things that best are knowne whence it commeth to passe that many times we goe to the cause by the effects which order in the schooles is called Resolutiuus XLIII And if we would imitate Arminius it were an easie thing to lay these things vpon him and to teach how many waies his doctrine doth offend against the wisedome and goodnesse of God and therefore also against his iustice How many waies occasion may thence be taken either of distrust or of
XX. Arnoldus addeth Your doctrine determines that God doth exact faith from the reprobates and that he decreed to condemne them if they should not beleeue when yet it is impossible for them that they should beleeue in Christ with a sure perswasion of minde not onely because God doth not giue them power of beleeuing but also because if thâ—y were furnished with power to beleeue yea if they should beleeue in Christ they would beleeue that which were false because Christ hath not died for them But it is contrary to the iustice of God to exact such an obedience and then to punish the creature for not performing such an obedience which is absolutely impossible to the creature He doth abundantly repeate the same thing in other places but especially Page 261. and 262. Here are many things faise First it is false that faith is exacted and required of all the reprobates for it is required onely of them to whom the Gospell is preached Neither is it true that faith is absolutely and without condition required of all those to whom the Gospell is preached for it is required vnder a condition to wit that they be conuerted and repent But if they doe not repent we teach and cry out that the benefit of Christ doth not pertaine to them and that they hope and beleeue in Christ in vaine so long as they are aduerse and contrary to God inuiting them to repentance And it is also false that God is vniust if he command them to beleeue and obey who for their inbred deprauation cannot beleeue and obey and to whom God doth not giue power of beleeuing for man himselfe hath brought this impotency and disability on himselfe and this deprauation in man is voluntary and God exacting from man that he should beleeue him speaking by Christ doth require nothing which man doth not owe For to obey the law is a naturall debt For God speaking by Christ cannot be refused or contemned but the law also is broken as we haue already taught at large in many places especially Chap. 11. Where we haue taught that the power of beleeuing was giuen vs in Adam and that Adam had it before the fall but an occasion of vsing it was wanting And therefore also this power was lost in Adam Page 262. in Tileaum Nor is God bound to restore it as Arnoldus setting lawes to God himselfe would haue it By these things also we meete with that false accusation wherewith Arnoldus doth pursue vs Page 230. Ye determine saith he that faith is required of reprobates and yet that the meanes to performe obedience to faith are precisely denyed For it is not required of all but of them to whom Christ is made knowne nor is it required of these absolutely but with condition of repentance Neither is any thing required of them although they be reprobates but what they owe. XXI But Arnoldus doth adde to this a foule calumny wherewith he would odiously burâ—en our cause Ye will haue saith he faith to be required of the reprobates that they might be made inexcusable and their damnation might be aggrauated Wee say indeede that their damnation is thereby made the greater but we doe not say that this end was propounded by God So when we say that one goeth forth to warre that he may be slaine wee signifie what is to happen not what end should be intended And it is not for vs to enquire scrupulously into the end which God propounded to himselfe Yet these two ends are certaine to wit to require of man what is due and also by this meane to bring the elect to saluation XXII He doth bend at vs another dart Page 286. Your doctrine saith he doth repugne the Euangelicall threates For seeing the intent of God in the propounding of them is that men should be driuen from impenitency and so should be saued You on the contrary side teach that God doth deny to some men the meanes that are necessary to repentance because he hath determined not to saue them First it may be doubted whether there are any Euangelicall threats for the threatnings which are contayned in the bookes of the Gospell are not a part of the Gospell For seeing the word Euangelium Gospell doth signifie a good message I doe not see how threatnings can belong to a good message They who beleeue not the Gospell shall be punished not by the Gospell but by the law But howsoeuer it be I see nothing here which doth repugne these threates by which God doth intend to require from man that which is due and that which the law it selfe requireth to wit that God be obeyed Seeing that the denying of grace and of the restoring of the powers which man by his owne fault lost doth very well agree with such a declaration of threatnings These things are not repugnant to propound life to man on the condition of obedience and not to restore to man those powers of obedience which hee lost by his owne fault XXIII Neither are these things repugnant to propound life to any one vnder a condition and to appoint the same man to death for his fore-seene disobedience XXIV The same man since Arminius Page 269. for that which he addeth concerning Infants shall hereafter be handled doth thus inuey against our opinion Your opinion saith he causeth that publike prayers cannot be offered to God as it is meete they should to wit with faith and confidence that they shall profit all them that heare the word because according to your opinion amongst them there are many whom God not onely will not haue to be saued but whom he will haue to be condemned by his absolute eternall and immutable will which goeth before all things and causes Yet the Apostle commandeth that prayers be made for all men and addeth this reason because it is good and acceptable to God who would haue all men to be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth XXV I answere that it is falsely supposed by Arminius that publike prayers ought to be poured out with this confidence that they shall profit all them that heare the word This faith were rash and not resting on the word of God especially seeing the ministers of the word haue for the most part known many that are disobedient and openly prophane nor doe they doubt but that besides these there are many that are sicke and ill affected with inward and hidden vices who yet make a shew of piety Certainely the similitude of the seede sowne into diuers ground and of a differing disposition and with an vnlike successe doth in this case bring more feare then confidence And yet because the secrets of reprobation are vnknowne to vs we doe rightly pray for all because we hope well of euery one I doe not see whereto this obiection belongs vnlesse to stop and stay the Reader with a childish declamation because this very obiection doth no lesse pursue Arminius who although he will not haue the
before they impugne it By this meanes they doe not refute our opinion but their owne forgeries For examples sake Christ Iohn 3.17 speaketh thus God sent not his sonne into the world to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saued Greuinchouius Page 21. doth faigne that wee thus interprete this place God sent his Sonne into the Elect When notwithstanding there by the world is manifestly vnderstood this region of the earth and his habitation among men He wantonly sporting with an vnconstant licentiousnesse doth attribute many such things to vs. This one example which I will adde shall be instead of many Page 76. hee doth bring vs in thus speaking Ye Reprobates why doe you cease Hauing gotten so fit a price of redemption that if ye will beleeue or eate through a Rock ye may goe right from hence into the kingdome of Heauen And a little after Hee hath also vouchsafed you to wit the Reprobates his calling although ye are appointed to eternall punishments for no desert of yours that being more blinded and stupified ye might procure to your selues a greater iudgement Behold the mans pastime and his Theologicall spleene I doe not doubt but his heart leapt for ioy when hee writ these things as a thing brauely carried But the good man doth trifle and fight with his owne shadow for these things doe quite differ from our opinion For we doe not command the Reprobates that is they that perseuere in impenitency vnbeleefe to beleeue a lie or while they perseuere in impenitency to flatter themselues with a vaine hope vnder the pretence of faith in Christ Nor doe we say that they are appointed to eternall punishments for no desert of theirs seeing they haue procured this destruction to themselues by their owne sinnes Nor doe we teach that any one is onely therefore called by God that he might procure to himselfe greater iudgement although oftentimes men by their calling are made inexcusable because by the knowledge of their dutie the fault of the neglect of their duty is made greater and it is a greater fault not to doe what you know then not to know what you should doe The scope and intent of God calling to the Reprobates is to require of them that which they owe to the elect is to giue the efficacy of their calling that they might be saued to them both that hee might make knowne what is acceptable to him and what obedience is pleasing to him XX. But Greuinchouius shall not goe scot-free it seemeth good to lay these things vpon him and to present to your view the prodigious doctrine of the Arminians the curtaine being as it were drawne aside and that without any false accusation For putting on the person of an Arminian I may thus speake to the Reprobates Be of a good courage ye Reprobates for although ye are reprobates yet ye may be saued It is true indeede that no reprobates are saued but yet there is none of them who may not be saued For Christ hath obtained for you saluation but not the application of saluation He hath obtained good things for you but hee hath not obtained for you that you should euer possesse those good things in act For he hath obtained that reconciliation which in the very moment wherein he procured it he certainly knew would not profit you Hee hath obtained for you the remission of those sinnes which he certainely knew were not to be remitted For this reconciliation is not applied but on a condition which hee knew was not to be fulfilled And that ye may know how well Christ wisheth you I tell you that hee doth intercede for you with a generall intercession but not with a particular without which no man is saued For by the death of Christ reconciliation is obtained for you but not the communication of the reconciliation Neither is the application of the obtained reconciliation procured for you but God by it hath gotten to himselfe liberty and faculty to saue you By which death Christ is made a redeemer without any certaine purpose of God who were to be redeemed and is made the head of the Church without any members that are certaine God indeede sending his Sonne into the world was moued with some inclination and affection towards men but without any certaine will of sauing men For the decree of sending his Sonne went in order before the decree of sauing By which decree all men are elected although many from eternity were reprobated God indeede did desire to saue all and that seriously but he is disappointed of his end by you neither hath hee attained to what hee did desire which doth very much grieue him Know also this O reprobates that Christ procured and purchased saluation for you all but he is not willing it should be knowne but to some few when yet without this knowledge no man can be saued Also although he hath obtained reconciliation for you yet hee hath not obtained faith for you without which there is no saluation Wherefore God calleth you to saluation but not after a congruent and agreeable manner whereby they that are called doe not follow And yet be not out of heart God giueth to you all the power of beleeuing that you may beleeu in act if ye wil for it is in the powr of your own free-will to vse grace or not to vse it that ye may be saued although certainly you are to be damned Kindely spoken yea rather wickedly spoken and to the scorne of God and men For who doth not tremble at the shape of so prodigious a doctrine Who doth not grieue at the case of the Christian Church to the deforming of which and to the turning of it into a monster no slow wits haue conuerted all their subtlety When therfore Greuiuchouius Page 70. being touched with pitty towards vs doth professe that he is ready to helpe our infirmity and ignorance it is a doubt whether he be worthier of laughter or of pitty CHAP. XXIX That it was long agoe disputed whether Christ died for all but in a farre diuerse sence SAint Austin being dead his wrightings of Predestination of Grace and of Free will were diuersly receiued by diuers men This disease especially possessed Aquitania Amongst these contentions issued out the heresie of those that were called Predestinati whereof Sigebert in his Chronicle to the yeere 415. doth make mention These taught that the indeauour of good workes did nothing profit a reprobate man and againe that wicked deedes did nothing hurt the man that was elected although hee gaue himselfe ouer to lust gluttony and rapine Lucidus a certaine priest of Aquitania was infected with this error to whom there is extant an Epistle of Faustus an Aquitan Bishop of Rhegiū whereunto are subscribed the names of eleuen Bishops of the Arelaten counsell In this Epistle an Anathema is laid vpon them who say that Christ died not for all also on them who say that God would not haue
to will and to doe of his good pleasure Phil 2. So although the infant in the mothers wombe doth moue it selfe and doth helpe forward his owne natiuity yet it hath that power of mouing from God Therefore euen as if any one doth ascribe the whole praise of the forming of the infant the generation and birth of it to God alone he doth not thereby hinder the birth of the infant or diminish the vigour of it So he that doth ascribe to God the whole praise of our regeneration and holy actions doth not thereby hinder the endeauour of good workes nor weaken the will of man or binde it with the bonds of naturall necessity XXI Here therefore a distinction is to be vsed For if it be spoken of the beginning of conuersion and of the first entrance of regeneration and faith that is of the procuring or forming of faith and repentance in our soules wee contend that free-will doth nothing here and that our soules in the very beginnings are not onely meerely passiue but also that they doe with their greatest endeauour resist the worke of God forming in vs the rudiments and draughts of the new man so that man in this case is not free vnlesse it be to resist God But after regeneration begunne and after God hath giuen to man a heart of flesh for his heart of stone then man doth freely moue himselfe to those workes which are acceptable to God And as there are secret but yet certaine increasings of regeneration so this liberty doth increase by little and little fainting euery day with the resistance of our lusts By this meanes mans will doth cooperate and worke together with God yet so that whatsoeuer good is done is due to God alone No otherwise then as when a scriuener doth guide the shaking hand of the childe and doth at the first frame it to make letters the childe indeede doth indeauour to forme the letters and doth striue with all his power yet the right forming of the letters is not to be ascribed to the childe but to the scriuener This example seemeth to me to be most fit because it teacheth that God doth not onely worke with our will as the Semipelagian Synergists or maintainers of our cooperation with God of this our age would haue it but also that God doth worke by our wills and doth bend them by an effectuall motion which motion after what manner and how farre man may resist shall hereafter be taught XXII Wee therefore say that the act of beleeuing and repenting is so farre the act of man in as much as man himselfe beleeueth and repenteth and not God and in as much as no man beleeueth and repenteth but he doth it willingly But we say that the grace of God alone doth create and giue the first being to faith in vs and that it is the gift of God and by the power of the regenerating spirit that wee doe willingly and freely beleeue and repent For the question is not who beleeueth whether man or God but what doth bring forth faith in man and whether it be in the power of free-will helped with grace to beleeue or not to beleeue and to vse grace or not to vse it XXIII From this doctrine the foundations and proofes whereof shall be brought out of the holy Scripture in the next chapter Arminius and his Sectaries doe infinitely and exceedingly differ For they are of opinion that an vnregenerate man hath power of beleeuing and repenting The Arminian conferrers at the Hage Page 272. doe affirme that conuersion doth goe before faith and that man doth helpe somewhat to his owne conuersion before hee hath faith And turning ouer the writings of these Sectaries I finde that they determine that by the corruption of nature mans vnderstanding is darkened and his affections are depraued but I no where finde in their writings that his will is of its owne nature deprâ—ued and prone to sinne But they attribute to it pronenesse eyther to good or euill and an equall inâ—anation to either part Wherefore in the regeneration of a man they will indeede haue his vnderstanding to be enlightned vnresistably and his affections to be drawn for so they speake but they say that the will keepes her owne liberty of beleeuing or not beleeuing of repenting or not repenting And they will not haue the viuification and reuiuing of the will in our regeneration to consist in this that of being naturally euill it is made good by the infusion of some vertue but that by the illumination of the vnderstanding the amendâ—ment of the affections the will is made able to put forth that faculty of willing or nilling which is ingrafied in it This the Arminians of the conferrence at the Hage teach Page 25. And also the same men a little after say these words In our spirituall death the spirituall gifts are not properly seperated from the will of man because they were neuer engrafted in it Surely those men are of opinion that the will of Adam before his fall was not furnished with righteousnesse and holinesse For it cannot be denyed but that these vertues are spirituall gifts which certainely is a prodigious and monstrous diuinity XXIV The same men doe affirme that sufficient grace is giuen to all men euen to vnregenerate and heathen men to whom the name of Christ hath not come whereby they may obtaine faith if they will And that an vnregenerate man is not altogether dead in sinne Arnold p 403. Home corruptus potestlumine natura recte vti et habet aliquas reliquias vite spiritualis but that there are in him reliques and remainds of spirituall life and power of fulfilling the law of nature for they thinke that God doth exact and require nothing from man to the performing whereof hee would not giue him sufficient power otherwise say they God should gather where hee hath not scattered They say therefore that God is bound to giue to all men the power of fulfilling that which he commandeth and of beleeuing in Christ XXV Notable are the words of Arminius pa. 244. against Perkins Doest thou saith he deny that free-will is flexible and pliant to either part I adde further and that also without grace for it is flexible of its owne nature and as it is addicted to euill in the state of sinne so it is capable of good which capablenesse grace doth not giue it for it is in it by nature Hee therefore doth differ from himselfe when hee addes that free will is not bowed to good without the grace of God For how doe these things stand together that free-will is flexible to good without grace and yet it is not bowed to good without grace In vaine is that power which is neuer brought into act For whence doth hee gather that that thing may be done which he himselfe knoweth neuer was done nor neuer shall be Hitherto pertaineth that which he saith pag. 257. To be able to beleeue is in nature to
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
things the Arminians bring some arguments but so light that they are dispearsed onely with a breath Arminius against Perkins Page 57. doth say that Stephen Acts 7.51 doth vpbraide and reproach the Iewes that they did alwaies resist the Holy-Ghost Hence the accure man doth gather that these rebellious Iewes were inwardly affected with the Holy-Ghost But the following words doe declare what it is to resist the Holy-Ghost for Stephen addeth Which of the Prophets haue not your fathers persecuted to wit to persecute the Prophets speaking by the inspiration of the Holy-Ghost and to resist the spirit speaking by their mouths this was to resist the Holy-Ghost XI I confesse that there are some men who doe resist the spirit of grace of whom the Apostle speaketh Hebrewes 10.29 and who doe striue against the inward suggestion of the Holy-Ghost But there the Apostle speaketh of some few who hauing embraced the Gospell with ioy and hauing receiued some tast of the word of God doe a while after with an obstinate minde and on set purpose turne their back to God and doe cast out his grace with indignation and doe sinne wilfully after they haue receiued the knowledge of the truth as it is said verse 26. who that they are the same with them who sinne against the Holy-Ghost doth hence appeare in that the Apostle in the same place doth say that their sâ—luation was past hope and doth say that there remaineth no sacrifice for their sinnes and that there doth rest no hope of reconciliation for them But this doth agree but to some few and not to all to whom eyther the law alone or the Gospell with the law hath beene made knowne All which these Sectaries teach are moued inwardly by the Hoâ—y Ghost and haue a feeling of the true doctrine imprinted in them Neither doe I thinke that the gifts of the spirit which such men as these haue receiued are the gifts of regeneration or the spirit of adoption or the true proper and iustifying faith but onely some assayes of the spirit mouing the heart at whose suggestion the will being warmed with some slight heare rather then enflamed doth cleaue to the Gospell vntill the benummed appetites perceiuing warre to be intended against them haue raised themselues with greater force and hauing shaken out of the heart that superficiall piety haue turned it into hatred and by the very incitations of piety their hidden poyson hath more vehemently burst forth XII Arminius in the same place doth hold vp and as it were vnderproppe their tottering cause with that place of the Prophet Esay Chapter 55.11 where he hath these words So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not returne vnto me voide but shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I senâ—â— Surely this is to hit the nayle on the head The meaning of Esay is plaine for he saith that the promises and threats propounded in the word of God shall be executed and that nothing was saide in vaine and which should not be fulfilled Here is no mention of the quickning efficacy of the spirit affecting mens hearts nor if there were could it thence be proued that the spirit of God did worke in all but in them alone whom he decreed to saue XIII Arnoldus Page 443. doth poure out a showre of places of Scripture and yet hee doth not proue by them that which hee doth intend That place Matth. 23.37 doth not proue it How oft would I haue gathered thy children c. For we haue shewed in the fift Chapter that these children were gathered together Also if they were not gathered together it would not follow that they were called any otherwise then by an outward calling XIV That place Esay 65 2. doth not proue it I haue spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people Nor that Prou. 1.24 I haue called and ye refused For there it is spoken of the outward calling and not of the efficacy of the spirit working in mens hearts XV. Nor that place Psal 81.14 O that my people had hearkened that Israell had walked in my wates I would soone haue subdued their enemies For these words meane nothing else then what they plainely found forth to wit that God would haue laid flat the enemies of Israell if Israell had obeyed God Here is no mention at all of the inward efficacy of the spirit XVI Nor that of Ezechiel Chapter 18. v. 31. Make ye a new heart and a new spirit For it is not proued by this place that man doth make himselfe a new heart seeing God in the 36. Chapter of the same Prophecy saith I will giue you a new heart and a new spirit Much lesse is it hence proued that the Holy-Ghost doth worke in all men XVII Nor that of Saint Iohn Chapter 5.34 I seeke not the testimony of men but these things I say that ye might be saued And verse 40. Ye will not come to me that ye might haue life By which words how it can be proued that the quickning power of the Holy-Ghost doth worke in all men I confesse and it is my dulnesse I cannot conceiue XVIII It is not proued by those words of Saint Paul 1. Tim. 2.4 God would haue all men be saued Of which words wee haue at large proued Chapter 29. that this is the sence God doth inuite to saluation men of any sort and of euery condition XIX Nor by that place of Peter Epphes 2. Chap. 3. v. 9. God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance For it cannot be drawne out of this place that the Holy-Ghost doth inwardly worke in all men euen in those to whom the Gospell is not preached but onely that God is not the cause of the ouerthrow of any one that he doth not reioyce in the destruction of man as he is man For otherwise as the same man is a sinner God doth loue the execution of his iustice XX. Nor is it proued by that place of Ezechiel Chapter 12.2 Sonne of man thou dwellest in the middest of a rebellious house which haue eyes to see and see not they haue eares to heare and heare not For there by eyes and eares is not to be vnderstood sufficient grace to saluation eyther mediately or immediately nor the operation of the Holy-Ghost working in the reprobates but a knowledge in the heart by which euen against their wills they did acknowledge that those things were right which were taught them by the Prophets for they were admonished by so cleere instructions and stirred vp with so seuere threates that they could not pretend ignorance This knowledge was giuen them not by supernaturall grace working inwardly nor by sufficient grace common to all men by which they might haue beleeued and beene conuerted if they would but by the instructions and documents of the Prophets and by the law of God knowne and perceiued in their minde
them raine from heauen and fruitfull seasons and filled their hearts with foode and gladnesse no mention of supernaturall grace And I deny that the law written or printed on the heart can be a Schoole-master to Christ to those who are altogether ignorant of Christ for the law doth not lead vs to a thing vnknown but after that the grace of Christ is offered by the Gospell the law by threats and terrours doth compell to the embracing of it that what we cannot attaine to in the law we might finde in Christ Therefore the morall Law might be to the Israelites a Schoole-master to Christ because Christ was shadowed to them by the ceremoniall law and was foreshewed by Prophesies IV. And in what sence that of Esay Chap. 5.4 What was more to be done to my vineyard that I haue not done ought to be taken we haue taught in the thirty seauenth Chapter Surely nothing can be pulled out of this place for sufficient grace which is common euen to them to whom the word of God was neuer preached seeing that by this vineyard the lewes were vnderstood to whom the word of God was preached and the meanes to saluation were abundantly supplyed Nor doth Esay speake of the grace which is giuen to particular men but that which is giuen to a whole Nation taken together and that the meanes which Esay doth number vp are externall and not internall doth appeare by the same place where God is compared to a Vine-dresser which planted a Vineyard in a fruitfull soyle he made a trench about it he set vp a hedge and built a Wine-presse and a Tower but he doth not infuse the groath and vitall iuyce nor doth send the sunne and the seasonable raine God therefore saith that he outwardly supplied whatsoeuer things could be administred to conuersion for man ought to bring inward dispositions of his owne Neither is God bound to restore to man these dispositions which he lost by his owne fault Indeede God in that place saith that he looked for grapes and behold wilde grapes But this expectation is attributed to God after the manner of men God is said to expect something from man when he doth require something from him and when he doth deferre the punishment if at any time due fruits are not brought forth and doth not presently with the Axe cut vp by the roote the vnfruitfull fig-tree as Christ teacheth Luke 13. Vers 7.8 9. V. They doe often reckon vp that old and worne out argument To him that hath it shall be giuen Mat. 25.29 By which words they say Christ doth insinuate that God will bestow greater grace vpon him who hath well vsed the light of nature Thus they lay the Scripture on a racke that they may wrest any thing from it whereunto it is vnwilling Christ doth there bring the parable of the Talents and saith that the talent which the wicked seruant had hid was taken from him and giuen to the seruant who had encreased his Masters estate by doubling the fiue talents For saith he to him that hath shall be giuen and he shall haue abundance but from him that hath not shall be taken away euen that which he hath By the talents are the gifts of God vnderstood and especially the knowledge of God by the Gospell which knowledge hee is said to hide who doth detaine the truth in vnrighteousnesse and doth keepe in the knowne truth This talent therefore cannot be that sufficient grace which doth happen to infidels and vnregenerate persons but that grace which God doth bestow on his domesticall seruants Neither by him that hath is vnderstood a man in his meere naturals or some heathen man furnished with sufficient grace but a man furnished with the knowledge of the Gospell which is giuen to one for that end that by edifying his neighbour he might spread the knowledge farre abroad and like mony put out to vse it might be encreased with daily additions VI. Arnoldus pag. 368. hath these words It is connenient to the iustice and goodnesse of God that he should giue or be prepared to giue meanes necessary to faith to all them for whom he gaue Christ to death and of whom he requireth faith so that on his part nothing hindreth that all men should not come to faith Now wee answer that God doth not require from all men faith on Christ but onely from them to whom the Gospell is preached and hee is not bound to giue meanes necessary to faith to all them to whom the Gospell is preached because man lost those meanes by his owne fault For God requiring of man what he oweth is not bound to restore to man the power of fulfilling that which hee commandeth seeing that man lost these powers by his owne fault Indeede the anger of God doth remaine on vnbeleeuers as Arnoldus addeth but there is no man that would not be incredulous if God should change his heart by the spirit of regeneration Surely Arnoldus doth coine a new Gospell while hee doth thinke that any one may beleeue the Gospell without the spirit of regeneration CHAP. XLII The consent of the Arminians with the Semipelagians is declared SAint Austin writ bookes against Pelagius Coelestius and Iulian wherein he maintained the sound faith concerning Originall sinne Predestination Grace Free-will and Election according to the purpose of God Pelagianisme being shaken by his Arguments taken out of the holy Scripture as it were with most strong battering Rammes and at length being ouerthrowne neuer after lifted vp the head Therefore next to God we are indebted to the industry and wit of so great a man that this deadly plague was driuen from the bowels of the Church But Sathan being shaken off by his labour and diligence deuised other practises by which hee doth so fight for grace that he doth secretly fight against it For there were not wanting men in diuers places especially in Aquitania in the region of Massilia who although they professed themselues to differ from Pelagius yet they carped at the writings of Saint Austin and doe thus inveigh against his doctrine of absolute Election That by it mens consciences are made sluggish that they might sleep in vices by it the raines are losened to al wickednes by it men are driuen headlong to desperation That Precepts Exhortations threats are needelesse if the number of the elect be determined by the purpose of God or if by the immutable decree of God some men are elected to faith and saluation and some are appointed to damnation Finally free-will is tyed by the bands of necessitie in as much as they who are so elected cannot but perseuere They thought therefore that the middle way betweene Pelagius and Saint Austin was to be gone in For they taught that the sinne of Adam flowed into his posteritie That mans nature was corrupt and that by the powers of nature he could not come to saluation But they taught that the grace which should cure nature is
doth giue power and faculty of beleeuing Nor doth God otherwise giue the act of beleeuing then as the minde is indued with knowledge and the affections being raysed doe put forward the will which is not to giue faith but to incite to faith Yea by their opinion it is certaine that God doth not giue the power of beleeuing in Christ but doth onely enlighten the minde that it may know Christ and allure the appetites with a gentle perswasion For hee that doth onely shew the light and exhort the traueller to goe doth not giue him power of going These are the words of the Arminian conferrers at the Hage p. 275. We deny that faith is the gift of God in respect of the actuall infusing of it into our hearts but it is so called in respect of the power of comming to it This indeede is to vse no circumstance but to speake it plainely enough For they say that God doth not infuse faith into our hearts but that he doth giue the meanes to come to faith which meanes we may vse if we will for this is in the power of free-will The same men pag. 306. doe professe that they beleeue that the very act of beleeuing is from God and yet a little after they doe retract what they had granted for they doe ouerthrow all those places of Scripture by which wee endeauour to proue that faith and the act of beleeuing is from God The men of our party did proue this by the words of Christ Iohn 6.65 No man can come to me vnlesse it be giuen him by the father The Arminians answere that that place of Iohn speaketh of nothing but of that faculty whereby one may beleeue and therefore it doth not make to the purpose in as much as it is to be proued that the very act of beleeuing is the gift of God Would they haue it to be proued by vs and to be euinced by argument if they did beleeue it and did seriously professe it Surely that their confession was dissembled and therefore a little after they doe alter and reuoke it In the same place they doe peruersly corrupt that famous place of S. Paul Ephes 2. By grace ye are saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God In which place both saluation and faith are called the gift of God For they deny that faith is there called the gift of God but saluation O your fidelity ye Sectaries What doth this concerne you or why doe youso much feare lest faith should be called by the Apostle the gift of God This indeed is a very great malignity and an open confession whereby they disclose that they thinke that faith is not the gift of God With a like licentiousnesse doe they sport themselues in deprauing the words of the Apostle to Timothy Epist 2. Chap. 2. v. 25. If God will giue them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth The men of our party brought this place that they might proue conuersion and the act of repentance to be from God But these Sectaries as it were in a mockery doe reiect this place as that which speaketh of repentance as of a thing that is vncertaine and which may happen Doubtlesse it doth not please the Arminians that the act of conuersion is the gift of God And although they say in ambiguous and deceiptfull words that repentance is the gift of God yet they thinke that it can be proued by no place of Scripture when yet the Scripture saith It is God which doth worke in vs effectually to will and to doe Philip. 2. And that It is giuen to vs to beleeue in Christ Phil. 1. Surely these words to will to doe and to beleeue doe note out the very act of willing and beleeuing and not the power whereby we may be willing or not be willing beleeue or not beleeue But they doe in no other thing more open their meaning then while they deny that faith is infused into our hearts by God but that onely men are stirred vp to faith and allured with a gentle perswasion and invitation which they call morall and resistible after the same manner that a boy is drawne by an Apple offred him or a hog by bran laid before him If this be true and if the efficacy of the holy-Spirit doth no otherwise imprint faith then by perswading it is plaine that faith is not the gift of God For hee that perswadeth to beleeue doth not giue faith but doth perswade Arminius against Perkins pag. 57. hath these words That faith and repentance cannot be had but by the gift of God is most plaine in the Scriptures But the same Scripture and the nature of the gift of eyther of them doth most cleerely teach that that gift is giuen by the manner of perswasion These are things that cannot stand together for nothing is giuen by the manner of perswasion He that stirreth mee vp to running doth thereby neither giue mee the running it selfe nor the power of running The same man pag. 211. saith God hath determined to saue them that beleeue by his grace that is by a milde and sweete perswasion conuenient and agreeable to their free-will not by an omnipotent action or motion which they neither will nor can resist nor can be willing to resist Vorstius Parasc ad Piscat pag. 4. saith What things God will haue vs to doe altogether freely and contingently hee cannot desire thâ—se more powerfully or effectually then by the manner of a wish or desire Indeede the Arminian conferrers at the Hage in the defence of their fourth Article doe professe that they will not define how God doth worke in vs and that they will not breake into these secrets yet the same men doe restraine all those places of Scripture which say that wee are drawne by God and that God doth effectually and mightily worke in vs to a meere perswasion and an allurement by the manner of an Obiect And Greuinchouius pag. 232. and 233. doth acknowledge no other then a morall motion This is also among the decrees of the Arminians Collat. Hag. pag. 283. that a man is quickned first by the ministery of the law and afterward by the ministery of the Gospell for they thinke that there is a kinde of quickning which is without faith in Christ they also peece vpon it this guard that no man is called outwardly who is not called in wardly and that there is free-will in man to open to God knocking or not to open And although they thinke that there is no grace of God which may not be resisted by man yet they confesse that God doth so certainely call some men that they must infallibly follow to wit them whom he doth call in such a congruent and agreeable time and manner and with such efficacy and measure of light that they are most certainely conuerted Arminius against Perkins pag. 67. doth say that the inward perswasion of the holy Ghost is in all them to
witting and hauing naturally power of resisting We doe not therefore despute of the powers of resisting grace which wee finde by experience to our owne losse to be in the godly and faithfull But we dispute of the impossibility of the euent and we earnestly affirme that it cannot be that he who is elected should finally resist and by his incredulity striue against God to the end of his life And that those things which are done by men willingly without constraint without naturall necessitie and without the impulsion of any externall cause forcing mans free-will doe happen necessarily and the prouidence of God so decreeing the Scripture doth affirme and experience doth witnesse For the Arminians doe acknowledge that the death of Christ was decreed by God and that it could not be but the decree of God must be fulfilled when yet that death hapned by the wickednesse of the Iewes who were led to this naughty act of their owne accord Prou. 21. God doth turne the hearts of Kings and doth leade them whither hee will euen as the conueyer doth guide the riuer whether he pleaseth God without constraint did suddenly change the minde of Esau Gen. 33. and of Saul 1 Sam. 19.23 and of the Aegyptians Psal 105.25 Which although they came to passe vnauoydably yet they were done of their owne accord and not by an vnresistible force but the liberty of mans free-will remaining vntoucht And if this be true in wicked men how much more in good and faithfull men Are they drawne vnwillingly to whom God doth giue a heart of flesh for a stony heart Or those to whom God promiseth that he will cause that they shall walke in his wayes Ezech. 36.37 And we would easily admit of the words resistibilitie and vnresistibilitie although they are rode and vnhandsome if they were not wrested otherwise then to that which they signifie For they call that resistible which may be hindred auerted and ouercome when yet it is one thing to resist and another thing to ouercome Vnresistible force is that which cannot be oppugned nor resisted and not that which cannot be ouercome resistance noteth out the fight not the victorie For no man as I know of hath euer denied that the efficacy of the spirit may be resisted by man Nor is there any one in whose minde piety is so deepely seated who doth not feele an inward wrestling and is often destracted with contrary desires But that he that is elected may so resist grace that he may neuer admit it or being once admitted hee may altogether and finally shake it off there can nothing more be done to abolish the decrees of God for wee doe not place the inuincible power of that faith which God doth giue to his elect in the decree of faith and in the perfection and strength of that vertue but in the certaine and sure helpe of God which hee doth supply to his elect according to his purpose For there is no faith so well growne or so well strengthened which would not faile if God shall neuer so little withdraw his aide euen as the child of two years old at the first taking of his steps is held vp by the hand of his father although the childe be fearefull yet certainely he shall not fall because his father doth strongly hold him vp And if God doth sometimes suffer his elect to stumble and fall he doth forthwith raise them vp Whence it comes to passe that they are made more wary and doe more acknowledge the care of God ouer them and by their very fall doe gather strength euen as when the parts of a broken bone doe so grow together againe and are couered with a hard skin that that part which was broken is growne stronger then it was before Also if our faith be weake but yet serious and wrestling with doubtings our bountifull father doth helpe our infirmities and doth not breake the bruised reede For as they that were bleare eyed and blinde of one eye beholding the brasen Serpent were no lesse healed then they that had both their eyes and did see clearely because they were not healed by the power of their seeing faculty nor by the clearenesse of their eyes but by the diuine power which God did exercise by this image of the Serpent So wee are not saued by the merit of the perfection of our faith but by the bounty of God in Christ our Redeemer But what and how great that soule bending and perswading power of the holy Ghost working in the hearts of the elect is and by what meanes occasions and degrees hee doth further his worke they themselues cannot expresse who doe feele it Euen as the Woman with childe doth not know after what manner the liuing fruite is formed and doth encrease But that the power of the holy Ghost is very great the Scripture doth witnesse as hereafter shall be proued But how great soeuer this efficacy is yet God doth not draw vs as logs but as men He doth draw vs being vnwilling that wee might be willing hee doth follow vs being willing that we might not will in vaine And when of being vnwilling hee doth make vs willing he doth not onely not take away the liberty of the will but he also restoreth it because to serue God willingly and with ioy is liberty And he doth so further the increases of faith and regeneration that for the most part we doe not perceiue that wee doe grow but after some space of time we know that we haue growne Euen as wee doe not see plants as they grow but wee see they haue growne The word of the Gospell receiued into the eare and conceiued in the heart is the ordinary manner whereby God doth affect mens hearts and doth beginne and further regeneration hee inspiring into it hidden powers towards them whom he decreed to saue Therefore it is called by Saint Peter the incorruptible seed 1. Pet. 1. By Saint Paul the power of God to saluation Rom. 1. By the Apostle to the Hebrewes Chap. 4. and in the beginning of the Reuelation a two edged and sharpe Sword By Ieremy Chap. 23. v. 29. fire and a hammer breaking the rocke because it breaketh the hardenesse of our hearts and doth leade our captiued cogitations to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 The sparkes of which new life fallen from heauen into our hearts the Spirit of God doth stirre vp and further as it were with bellows doth draw out groanes that cannot be vttered striking wounding the heart with secret pricks enlightning the minde gouerning the appetites bending the will which whether Arminius will or no must also be framed againe and as a crooked piece of wood be bowed to the contrary part because it is not equally inclined to good and euill as these Sectaries would haue it but doth wholy leane and incline to euill in men vnregenerate This change seeing it cannot be made but by contrary habits it must needes be that instead of those vices
instructed in the doctrine of the Gospell but that strong natured and laborious Origen who had the Scripture at his fingers ends being vnable to endure Martyrdome chose rather to burne incense to the Diuell Many among miracles and in the midst of the light of the Gospell are incredulous as the men of Capernaum or else are giuen to their belly and gluttony as daily experience doth witnesse Neither doth this therefore come to passe because some of the vnregenerate are more capable of morall perswasion then others seeing all men are altogether auerse from God and dead in sinnes Also you may see the most wicked men and worst affected to be conuerted to the faith of Christ as the Romanes the Corinthians c. that God hath chosen the foolish things of the world and where sin hath abounded there grace hath abounded On the other side you may see many not so euilly disposed as the men of Tyre and Sydon that are not called by the preaching of the Gospell then which there is no other perswasion more wholesome There are some ages in which the gate of the Church is wide open and there is a great concourse of people in it as the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 16.19 A great doore and effectuall is opened to me And 2 Cor. 2. When I came to Troas to preach the Gospell a doore was opened to me of the Lord. On the contrary there are some times in which the passage to the Church is as it were stopped vp and the efficacy of the Gospell doth seeme to be diminished when the Pastors of the Church doe finde much stubbornenesse in the people a brawnie skin drawn ouer their consciences the hardnesse whereof doth turne and blunt the edge of preaching This doth not happen because in some ages men are borne better or because God doth vse other meanes and instructions to the teaching of them then of others but because it seemed good to God to soften the hearts of these and to reueale to them his arme and his power of saluation and to fasten the sword of the word of God with greater force into their mindes and that according to his good pleasure and election of grace Eâ—â—y â—3 Rom. 1. by which as many as are appointed to eternall life doe beleeue Acts 13. By this motiue God himselfe did stirre vp the minde of Saint Paul being at Corinth and did exhort him to speake freely Feare not saith he but speake and hold not thy peace for I am with thee and no man shall set vpon thee to hurt thee for I haue much people in this Citie CHAP. XLVI The certainty of the conuersion of the Elect is proued and that Grace cannot be ouercome I. THe chiefe foundation of our opinion of the certainty of the conuersion of the elect and of the inseperable grace of God wee place in the immutable certainty of the election of God For seeing that God by his certaine and determined decree appointed some certaine men to saluation as wee haue at large proued it must needes be that they whom he appointed to the end hee appointed also to those meanes without which no man is saued to wit Faith and Repentance This decree seeing it cannot be hindred it is certaine that the faith of the elect cannot so be hindred that they should finally fall away The truth of which doctrine while these Sectaries doe oppugne they doe cast themselues into absurd and enormious opinions such as are these That Election is not irreuocable nor peremptory before death That those that are elected may be reprobated That the number of the elect is not certaine and determined by the decree and will of God but that their number may be encreased and diminished That all men are conditionally elected That God is often disappointed of his intention wish and desire Which dreames full of feuer-like subtiltie and vaine dotages that I may speake no worse of them are as I thinke abundantly confuted by vs. II. Wee haue heard Saint Paul Ephes 1.3.4 teaching that the grace of God is giuen according to election Hence it appeareth that the grace of God which is giuen to the elect can no more be hindred then election it selfe For the effects of an immutable cause cannot but be most certaine Vaine and voide were that election which should be made destitute of those meanes without which there is no saluation and obserue that Saint Paul speaketh of the holy and faithfull Ephesians least any Arminian should say that the Apostle speaketh of vniuerâ—all Election Finally as many places of Scripture as there be which teach that they doe beleeue that are ordained to eternall life Acts 13. that they alone come that is doe beleeue who are giuen to Christ by the father that is are elected to saâ—uation in Christ Iohn 6. and that all that are predestinated are called iustified and glorified Rom. 8. and that God hath elected vs to holinesse Ephes 1. and not by holinesse or for holinesse they doe all plainely proue that faith and holinesse doe so depend on Election and so â—leaue to it that it cannot be but that he who is elected must at length be conuerted The faith of the elect cannot altogether be blotted out and finally be extinguished but the election of God must also be wiped out and must perish Whosoeuer God calleth by his purpose shall certainely come because God neuer faileth of his purpose III. Agreeable to these things are the words of the same Apostle Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the spirit of God are the sonnes of God Here I demand whether it is possible that he who is the sonne of God should be made the sonne of the diuell If there is any modesty left in them they dare not say this openly although it doth plainely enough follow from their opinion by which they determine that the elect may be reprobated This therefore being laid downe that the sonnes of God cannot be made the sonnes of the diuell I demand whence is this impossibilitie of falling away and why cannot hee who is led by the spirit of God which is called the spirit of adoption be made the childe of the diuell The cause of this impossibility must either be the election of God or mans free-will but not mans free-will as we haue at large proued therefore it is the election of God by which it commeth to passe that it is an impossible thing that the faith of the elect should be finally lost and extinguished IV. And with what great efficacie God doth worke in mens hearts the Apostle teacheth Ephes 1.19 where hee wisheth that it were made knowne to the Ephesians What is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to vs ward who beleeue according to the working of his mighty power The Apostle doth purposely heape vp emphaticall and significant words whereby he might declare that power and effectual strength farre differing from the phrase of Arminius in whose writings these speeches are often found that
God will not vse his omnipotency to the conuersion of man but a gentle invitation which is agreeable to free-will And least any one should seeke a refuge in the word Power and Strength restraining this power to an effectuall perswasion the same Apostle doth in the same Epistle teach that this power is the same with that whereby he raised Christ from the dead where perswasion hath no place for he presently addeth according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead So Colos 2.12 speaking of our regeneration by faith With Christ saith he ye are risen by the faith of the operation of God who raised him from the dead Insinuating that the resurrection of Christ and our regeneration were wrought by the same force and power V. The same Apostle 2 Thes 1.11 doth pray that God would fulfill the worke of faith with power in the Thâ—ssalonians And Rom. 1.16 the Gospell is called the power of God to saluation because by the Gospell God doth shew his sauing power And 2 Cor. 10 4. he saith that our weapons that is the word of God whereunto is ioyned the efficacy of the spirit are mighty to the pulling downe of strong holds casting downe imaginations and euery high thing which exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ Behold how often and how diligently the Apostle doth extoll that power which God doth vse to the conuersion of a man what choise and forceable words hee doth reckon vp with which hee would draw our mindes into the admiration of that wonderfull and secret power Agreeable to this is that of Christ Luke 11.22 where he doth describe in these words the casting out of Sathan obtaining the rule in man and the greater power of the spirit of God thrusting him out When a strong man armed keepeth his pallace his goods are in peace but when a stronger then he shall come vpon him and ouercome him he taketh from him all his armour wherein hee trusted and diuideth his spoiles VI. These Sectaries here doe alleadge and faine many things First they say that this power how great soeuer it is is resistible neither doe we deny it but the question is whether it may finally be ouercome For it is not likely that God will exercise that mighty power and efficacy towards that man whom he will saue that he might be ouercome by man and that man at length might be more powerfull then God Yea truely in that very place of the Apostle 2 Cor. 10. where hee doth extoll that power with a goodly speech he maketh mention of the resistance which doth rise against the knowledge of God and doth resist it but yet at length being broken it doth yeelde and is willingly bound with happy bonds VII To that place of Saint Paul 2 Thes 1. where hee prayeth that God would powerfully finish the worke of faith in the Thessalonians they of the Hage pag. 295. doe answere That the Apostle doth not speake of the beginning of faith but of the complement in the encrease and perseuerance of faith By which speech they cut their owne throats for if there be neede of so great strength and power of God to further the encreases of faith how much more power is there neede of for the beginnings of faith and to put faith in an vnbeleeuing man in whom there is nothing which doth not resist God VIII They adde that by the worke of faith is vnderstood patience but vnfitly for the worke of faith is not finished onely by the tolerating and bearing of afflictions also the words of the Apostle going before doe reiect this interpretation For he saith We pray alwayes for you that God would count you worthy of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodnesse and the worke of faith with power He doth wickedly who restraineth the calling of God and the effects of the good pleasure of his goodnesse to patience alone IX In the same place they guesse that this fulfilling is the obtaining of glory But in vaine for glory is not the perfection nor the fulfilling of the worke of faith but the fulfilling of the reward which wee apprehend by faith yea the worke of faith is so farre from being there perfected that it will then cease X. The men of our partie proued this by that place of Saint Peter 2 Ephes Chap 1. Verf. 3. The diuine power hath giuen vnto vs all things which pertaine vnto life and godlinesse through the knowledge of him who hath called vs to glory and vertue If God doth giue vs all things which pertaine to life and pietie then hee giueth vs that we shall not resist finally but obey God calling The Arminians answere that Peter here doth not speake of the bestowing of faith and that he doth not teach that faith is giuen to vs by God but onely of those things which hee giueth to them that doe already beleeue This answere is besides the matter and it doth not touch any part of our argument Yet when Saint Peter saith that all things are giuen vs by God which are necessary to saluation they deale sincerely and faithfully in that they will not haue faith to be comprehended vnder this word omnia all things For they which say in other places that faith is the gift of God doe here plainely enough witnes that this was not seriously and in good earnest spoken by them And truely the men on our side doe bring no place out of the Scripture to proue that faith is the gift of God which the Arminians doe not corrupt and darken because they deny that the habit of faith is infused into man or imprinted on mens hearts by God but they contend that it is giuen to vs by God no otherwise then by perswading and by giuing powers by which wee may beleeue if wee our selues will Which truely is not to giue faith but to giue helpes incitations to obey which and to turne them into vse is in the power of free-will To adde to their fraud and deceit they doe corrupt the words of Saint Peter Saint Peter saith That God hath giuen vs all things that are necessary to life and godlinesse They by giuing would haue offering and propounding to be vnderstood which doe very much differ For seeing that as the Arminians confesse eternall life is propounded euen to reprobates it will be said that eternall life is giuen to the reprobates if to propound and offer be the same that it is to giue That faith and repentance is from God the Scripture proueth That faith is the gift of God Saint Paul teacheth Ephes 2.8 By Grace ye are saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God That gift of which Saint Paul speaketh here is neither saluation alone nor faith alone But this is the gift To be saued by grace through faith Whence it
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
grace that grace may be ouercome and finally extinguished This which is the thing to be proued and is the state of the question they leaue vntouched XIV Being driuen from the Scripture they flye to Reason and thus frame a Syllogisme That which is required of vs in the Gospell for due and filiall obedience that is not wronght in vs by an vnresistible power But faith and repentance are required of vs in the Gospell for due and filiall obedience Therefore they are not wrought in vs by an vnresistible power The Minor hath no neede of proofe The Maior they proue thus because that which is onely done in man by another so that he onely behaueth himselfe passiuely in it cannot be called obedience All these things are grounded on a double calumny The first is whereby they faigne that wee teach that conuersion is wrought in vs vnresistibly The other whereby they attribute to vs that we say conuersion and faith is wrought by God without vs and that men in conuersion behaue themselues onely passiuely Truely we acknowledge no such conuersion in which man should doe nothing but onely suffer we know that man is so drawne by a sweet and effectuall motion and that his will is so bent and turned that of vnwilling he is made willing and doth worke and is moued of his owne accord We know that it is man himselfe that doth beleeue and repent and not God But we say that God doth giue to man that he may be able to beleeue and repent No otherwise then the fruit doth moue it selfe in the wombe and yet the motion it selfe and the power of mouing it hath from God It is sufficient to obedience that man doth voluntarily obey God XV. And here we entreate the Reader that hee would stay a little and take notice how inconsiderately the Arminians deale here and how aduerse and contrary they are to themselues They deny that conuersion can be called obedience if man doe onely behaue himselfe passiuely in it But they themselues teach that man doth onely behaue himselfe passiuely in the beginning of his conuersion which yet all the Arminians acknowledge to be obedience Their words are these in their Epistle against the Walachrians pag. 69. and 70. Whether we say that the will is moued by the spirit onely by the fore-going operations of the vnderstanding or that there is a certaine new energeticall and operatiue quality infused to it we alwaies determine that the will is first moued that is behaueth it selfe passiuely before it doth actiuely moue it selfe to that which is good This they say but that is especially to be noted that the Arminians doe with one mouth teach that the vnderstanding is vnresistibly enlightned by God that is that knowledge is so giuen by God that it cannot be resisted when yet that knowledge is a kinde of obedience For the Scripture doth euery where command vs to know and vnderstand Psalme 2.10 Mat. 15.10 and 2 Tim. 2.7 Is not the earnest alacrity of the Angels to fulfill the commands of God obedience yet they cannot resist God commanding nor can they desire to resist XVI Lastly they heape together absurdities which they think may be drawn for that power which they call irresistible They say that it doth follow from thence that no other can be conuerted then they that are indeede conuerted And that no man can be conuerted before hee be conuerted indeede But this ought to be so farre from seeming absurd that on the contrary it is impious to beleeue that any one may be conuerted and regenerated but hee whom God doth conuert and regenerate and to whom he giueth faith and the spirit of adoption or that any one can be conuerted before God conuert him For if we be all by nature dead in sinne it is certaine that there are no other that can rise out of that spirituall death then they that doe indeede rise And if faith and the spirit of adoption is a gift of God proceeding from his meere grace it is plaine that they at length can be conuerted to whom God doth giue grace whereby they may be conuerted in act And seeing we are brought to that passe that there is no man who doth not resist God calling it appeareth that no man can be conuerted but he from whom God hath taken away this resistance and hath broke his hardnesse Let these new Semipelagians looke to it and consider with what face they dare maintaine that an vnregenerate man hath power of conuerting himselfe before God conuert him in act and how they can defend themselues against so many places of Scripture and so many reasons and proofes which we haue brought in the three and thirty Chapter Can they bring an example out of all records of Stories of any one who hath obtained faith and saluation by those gifts which doe happen to all men euen to Heathens and vnregenerate persons XVII That no man can conuert himselfe before he be conuerted and drawne by God the Scripture doth euery where witnesse Conuert vs and we shall be conuerted Ier. 31.18 Lament 5.21 Draw me and wee will runne after thee Cant. 1.4 Could the Thiefe conuert himselfe before Christ after a meruailous and vtterable manner changed his heart among so many occasions of doubting and in the flight and feare of the Apostles themselues Could Paul conuert himselfe before he was called from heauen by Christ Surely godly mens eares are vnacquainted with this opinion and it is of the Pelagian vaine By this meanes the decree of God is abolished by which he determined to vse the miraculous confession of the Thiefe to shew the efficacy of the death of Christ and his diuine power in the very height of griefes and reproaches and for a notable euidence of the election of grace God might haue beene disappointed of these ends if the Thiefe might haue conuerted himselfe some years before God indeede did not hinder that hee should not be conuerted but whereas all men of themselues and of their owne nature are vnable to conuert themselues concerning those whom he decreed to conuert he determined with himselfe in what time and manner he would conuert them XVIII But say they if no man can be conuerted but he whom God doth conuert in deede and in act it will thence follow that the rest who are called are called in vaine and that God should deale dissemblingly and vnwisely who should call them to saluation and yet withdraw the meanes necessary to obtaine saluation I answere that this word withdrawing doth sufficiently proue how vnfaithfully they deale For there is none of vs thinkes that God doth withdraw from them who are not conuerted the meanes necessary to saluation For if he should withdraw those meanes from them hee should take from them that which they had But no vnregenerate man euer had all the meanes necessary to saluation It is one thing to withdraw the meanes necessary to saluation and another thing not to giue them It