vertue and not saluation it selfe Then also Paul expounds how wee are holy to wit in charity nor in the fruition and enioying of glory He vnderstands the dueties of charity which are exercised in this life vnto which to be exhorted after this life is needelesse Finally by their so various and diuers expositions which ouerthrow one another they doe sufficiently confesse that they haue nothing wherein they may be constant And because they cannot master vs by the weight of their expositions they endeauour to ouerwhelme vs by the multitude of them It is of small importance that from this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is blamelesse they gather that it is spoken of the perfection after this life For the Apostle will haue vs to be blamelesse euen in this life as Philippians 2.15 Where he commands vs to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blamelesse and harmelesse in the midst of a crooked and peruerse generation Certainly when the Apostle saith that we might be blamelesse in charity it is manifest that he doth not speake of the Saints enioying glory where there is no place for reprehension nor for exhortation to the duties of charitie There is no little force in the following verse He predestinated vs to the adoption of children by Iesus Christ Out of this place I thus reason Those whom God predestinated to adoption he hath predestinated also to the spirit of adoption to be giuen them and this is nothing else but to predestinate them to faith for the spirit of adoption is it that beareth witnesse in our hearts that we are the sonnes of God Rom. 8. and this testimony is faith it selfe It is true indeede that God appointeth no man to adoption but whom God considereth as one that by his gift will be faithfull but the same may also be said of those that are appointed to faith which is appointed to none but whom God considereth as one that will be faithfull And surely they are grosely deceiued who thinke that the faithfull are appointed to the adoption of children seeing in that they are faithfull they are already children This Saint Iohn teacheth chapter 1. To them that beleeued he gaue this prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God II. Agreeable to this place are also many other 1 Cor. 7.25 I haue obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithfull not because he considered me as already faithfull Iohn 15.16 I haue chosen you that you should bring forth fruit therefore he did not choose vs considered as already faithfull and therefore as already bearing fruit Should wee imagine that Christ speakes here onely of the election of the Apostles to their Apostleship I thinke there is none of so impudent a face who can deny that the same thing may be spoken of any of the elect whereof there is none whom God hath not elected that hee might be godly and good euen as also there is no man who is not of a shamelesse countenance who will deny that all the following documents and lessons doe belong to all the faithfull These things I commend you that you loue one another If the world hate you you know that it hath hated me firsh c. III. Not vnlike this is that which the Apostle saith 2 Thes 2.13 God hath chosen you to saluation by sanctification of the spirit and beleefe of the truth He saith that we are elected to obtaine saluation by faith not for faith and so faith is after election and a certaine medium or middle thing betweene election and saluation IV. The words of Ananias to S. Paul Act 22.14 are consonant to this God hath chosen thee that thou shouldst know his will by which knowledge faith and assent to the Gospell is vnderstood for Saint Paul was not elected more to know the Gospell then to beleeue the Gospell Paul therefore was elected to beieeue and so his election was before his faith V. The same Apostle 1 Thessa 1.3 praising the faith and charitie of the Thessalonians doth fetch the cause of these vertues from election it selfe Remembring without ceasing your worke of faith and labour of lone as knowing that you are elected of God Here the Arminians doe willingly stumble in a plaine way for by Election they will haue Calling to be vnderstood which if it be true the reprobates themselues will be elected as being also called Then also Saint Paul is deluded as if hee were not in his right minde For what neede Paul tell the Thessalonians that he knew they were called by the Gospell seeing Saint Paul himselfe preached the Gospell to them He were a ridiculous Grammarian who should tell his Schollers that he had taught I know you haue learned Grammer Arnoldus pag. 66. doth suspect that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing is to be referred to the Thessalonians themselues But the good man hath dealt too negligently here for he doth not see that by this meanes the Greeke speech would be made incongruous and not agreeing for then it must haue beene read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it might agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in the former verse But distrusting this exposition he hath smelt out that by the word election excellency ought to be vnderstood which truely is an intollerable license seeing election differeth from excellency by the whole praedicament for election is an action excellency is a quality or a relation Surely if it be lawfull to bring such portents and monsters of interpretation what will there be in the holy Scripture which may not be deluded or depraued Let Arnoldus bring another place where Excellency is vnderstood by the word Election For although he that is elected may be taken for him that excelleth yet you shall neuer finde Election to be so taken for Excellency Neither ought it to seeme a maruaile that Paul saith he knew of the election of the Thessalonians for God might reueile that to him concerning the Tessalonians which he reuealed concerning the Corinthians Acts 18.10 I haue much people in this citie Or if that doth not please it may be said that Saint Paul when he saw the Gospell receiued by the Thessalonians with very great ioy and much fruite easily perswaded himselfe that many of that people belonged to the election of God VI. The same Apostle in the beginning of his Epistle to Titus calleth himselfe the Apostle according to the faith of Gods elect It is plaine that faith is said to be of the elect because it is peculiar to the elect or else it were not rightly adorned with this elogy commendation and that by the confession of Vorstius himselfe Collat. cum piscat Sect. 118. Faith saith hee is called the faith of the elect of God Titus 1. because faith is a proper marke of the elect c. But why is faith peculiar to the elect is it because as many as haue true faith are elected by God But the Arminians deny this for they write of the Apostasie of the Saints
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
the life or for a short time If not to the end then this promise is in vaine yea and absurd because by it God should promise that he would so long giue them his grace vntill he should againe take it away and destroy them for euer Also the words themselues doe witnesse that it is spoken of a perpetuall grace For God doth promise that he will cause that they should not depart from his waies in which words finall perseuerance is promised XVII And if the grace of God may be finally hindred in all and particular men it might come to passe that it should be hindred in all men and so there wold be none elected there would be no church and Christ should haue dyed in vaine For nothing can be imagined more absurd then to suppose that God decreed that some men should beleeue and be saued and that that should be done vnresistibly and yet that he did not decree of any one man nor of any particular person There is nothing more absurd then to determine that it must needes be that some be saued and yet that there is no man who may not be damned By what meanes can any certainety be made or concluded out of many vncertainties Or is it credible and likely that the decree of God as concerning the whole Church cannot be deluded and yet may be made frustrate in the seuerall members of the Church XVIII Nor doth the truth finde any small refuge in the words of Christ Iohn 6.44.45 No man can come to me except the father who hath sent me draw him and I will raise him vp at the last day It is written in the Prophets They shall be all taught of God Euery man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the father commeth to me Euery word is a thunderbolt The Arminians thinke that there are many that heare and learne of the father who doe not come nor follow This is diametrically and directly contrary to the words of Christ Euery man that hath heard and hath learned of the father commeth to me For he speaketh of a certaine manner of hearing and learning which is peculiar to the elect and which doth worke in their heart what he commandeth The same Arminians doe affirme that many are drawne who notwithstanding doe not come But here also they offend against the words of Christ where he saith No man can come to me except the father draw him and I will raise him vp at the last day For he speaketh of a certaine sure kinde of drawing and obedience by which whosoeuer are drawne and doe come shall be raised vp by Christ at the last day Hee speaketh therefore of a kinde of drawing which cannot finally be resisted XIX Out of the same place of Saint Iohn this argument is framed Whosoeuer hath heard and hath learned of the father doth come Whosoeuer is drawne hath heard learned Therfore whosoeuer is drawne doth come XX. By the same place the opinion of the Arminians is refuted whereby they teach that all men are drawne and that sufficient grace is giuen to all For the scope of Christ is to set downe the cause why the Iewes of Capernaum could not come to wit because they were not drawne by the Father that on the contrary he might teach that they would haue come if they had beene drawne by which words hee doth not obscurely teach that all who are drawne doe come XXI These proofes brought out of this place are not grounded on the word drawing which wee know to be many times taken more largely and to be sometimes vsed for an invitation which is not obeyed but they are grounded on the whole coherence of this place and on the course of the speech which doth more then certainely demonstrate that it is here spoken of a kinde of drawing with which whosoeuer are drawne doe come In which sense the word drawing is vsed in the beginning of the Canticles Draw mee and we will runne after thee Which also Saint Austin doth acknowledge Lib. 1. against the two Epistles of the Pelagians where when hee had admonished the Reader that Christ did not say lead but draw he addeth Who is drawne if he be already willing And yet no man commeth vnlesse he be willing He is therefore after a marueilous manner drawne that he should be willing by him who knoweth to worke inwardly in the very hearts of men not that men vnwilling should beleeue which cannot be but that of vnwilling they might be made willing XXII Nor is it credible that that grace is finally resistible whose chiefe office is to take away finall resistance for so it should not doe that for which it is ordained especially seeing that Christ saith Iohn 4.14 Whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I shall giue him shall neuer thirst but the water which I shall giue him shall be in him a well of water springing vp to euerlasting life For it doth manifestly appeare that it is here spoken of a kinde of grace which being once well admitted and receiued into the heart is neuer lost but doth remaine to eternall life and like an euerlasting fountaine is neuer dryed No lesse direct are the words of Christ Iohn 6.35 He that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst and Vers 51. He that shall eate of this bread shall liue for euer All which were false if true faith which doth seriously apprehend Christ might be shaken off and be finally lost For then there would be some who after the eating of the heauenly bread should perish for euer XXIII And if there be any certainty of saluation or any full perswasion of the Saints it must needs be that the grace of God in them cannot be ouercome nor finally extinguished for otherwise this certainety were vaine and deceitfull For how can he be certaine of his saluation who doth beleeue that the grace of God may be hindred and abolished by a finall resistance And that on Gods part there is no absolute and peremptory election but when the course of our life is finished And that on mans part the free-will of man in most holy men is furnished with power whereby it may altogether driue away the spirit of God XXIV But the Scripture in sixe hundred places doth teach and command certaine and sure confidence of our saluation Saint Paul saith Rom. 8.16 The spirit doth witnesse together with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God Can there be any more certaine witnesse and more worthy of credit then the spirit of God Surely the Scripture doth teach how certaine this inward testimony is while it calleth the spirit a seale deepely imprinting the promises of God on our hearts and the pledge of our inheritance Ephes 1.13 and Chap. 4.30 and 2 Cor. 1. So also 1 Iohn 5.10 He that beleeueth on the sonne of God hath the witnesse of God in himselfe This testimony is beyond all exception which testimony whosoeuer doth not feele in himselfe he ought rather to thinke
beene made partakers of that perseuerance that they could not but perseuere Thence it is that they will not admit of this that they should allow that the number of them that are predestinated and the number of them that are reiected is determined These are they whose authority was more to Arminius then the authority of Saint Austin yea then of Saint Paul himselfe For they haue liberally and manifestly borrowed all their opinions from the Semipelagians CHAP. XLIII The opinion of the Arminians of the manner of the operation of Grace and of that power which they call vnresistable Also of morall perswasion And of the power and act of beleeuing WHat the secret motions of the holy-Ghost are what the efficacy of it is by what degrees it doth further regeneration what impediments are cast in the way by man what is the conflict of the flesh with the spirit and the strife of the new man with the old who as another Esau doth at length shake off the yoake and doth hinder the worke of God as much as it can I thinke cannot be throughly knowne by any nor can that little which we know by experience be explained in fit words Surely Christ Iohn 3. doth rightly compare the spirit the author of regeneration to the winde which bloweth where it listeth and whose sound is heard but men know not whence it commeth nor whether it goeth It is a thing therefore whose experience is rather to be wished then the efficacy of it to be explained There are many who while they peere into the nature of the operation of the holy-Spirit are themselues led by a reprobate spirit And while they discourse concerning the efficacy of the spirit of peace they themselues being prone to discord and puft vp with pride doe sufficiently bewray that they are led by that spirit which doth effectually worke in the sonnes of rebellion Ephes 2. These things although they be thus and that it be safer to follow God calling then to enquire by what power he doth call and draw vs yet the obstinate rashnesse of those men with whom wee haue to doe compelleth vs to descend to these things For these innouators haue drawne out of the puddles of the spanish Iesuites I know not what words of resistability and vnresistability with which they entangle mens wits The scope whereof is to furnish the will of man with powers wherewith he may resist the Holy-Ghost with how great efficacy soeuer hee should worke in mens hearts that by this meanes man might owe his conuersion to his owne strength and power and the confidence of our saluation resting on a weake supporter might stagger and fall into desparation The words of Arnoldus against Tilenus are direct pag. 125. Collat Hag pag. 304. Negat propositum Deo decretumque esse absolute hunc vel â—lum conuertere Armin. in Perk. 199. Falsum est Deum simpliciter absolute velle vt alij credant perseuerent c Quâ—st Artiâ— Remâ—nst iâ— Collat. Hag. Modus operatiâ—nis graâ—â—â—â— non est resistibilis We deny that the difference of Grace calling is not placed as much in the free will of men as in the will of God And they all affirme with one mouth that God doth not absolutely will that this or that man should beleeue but that hee indeede doth giue sufficient grace and power of beleeuing which man may vse or not vse according to his owne free-will And that grace and the power of the holy Ghost working in the heart is resistable euen in the most holy men and in the elect and that the finall effect thereof may be hindred by man Whence they gather that those who are elected may be reprobated Indeede say they the power of beleeuing is giuen vnresistably and the vnderstanding is so instructed in knowledge and the affections stirred vp that it cannot be resisted but they contend that the act of beleeuing it selfe is giuen resistably and that it is in the power of free-will to vse grace or not to vse it to beleeue or not to beleeue For they doe not thinke that the liberty of free-will can stand vnlesse he that is elected may sinally resist grace and so be reprobated Arnoldus against Bogermannus pag. 263. and 274. All the operations of grace being granted which God doth vse to the working of conuersion in vs yet conuersion it selfe doth so remaine free in our power that we may not be conuerted that is we may conuert or not conuert our selues For they teach that the effect of grace doth depend on mans free-will and that free-will is a part-cause of our conuersion in so much that Greuinchouius against Ames Greuinch pag. 198. 204. 208 297. is bold to write these things You will say that in this manner of operation God doth on a sort depend on the will of man I grant it as concerning the act of free determination Truely this is to disgrace God and to make him subiect to mans free-will Nor doe they doubt to say that God seriously desiring that this or that man should be saued is disappointed of his wish and desire and that therefore hee doth grieue and beare it heauily and doth not doe that which hee had sworne he would doe as before we haue proued Euen with these shores doe these good men vnderproppe Christian faith being about to fall And the manner whereby the grace of God and his Spirit doth worke in vs they determine to be this They say that the vnderstanding of man is vnresistably enlightned Câ—â—lat Hag. p. 272. Illuminatâ—â—mint ellectus 〈…〉 p. â—6 and that his affections are vnresistably stirred vp but the assent of the will doth remaine free The same men thinke that God doth vnresistably giue to man the power of beleeuing of conuerting himselfe but the act it selfe of beleeuing and conuerting himselfe may be done or hindred by mans will and that the feeling is vnresistibly giuen but not the assent For they say that there is in the will an essentiall indifferency and indetermination to receiue or refuse grace and as being put in an equall ballance doth turne to neither part for it lost no spirituall gifts by the fall of Adam because it had not these gifts before the fall The conferrers at the Hage pag. 307. Although it is to be determined that the infusion of abilityes is done by an vnresistible power that the matter become not infinite yet it cannot come to passe that the act it selfe that is to beleeue and be conuerted should be wrought vnresistibly And they doe plainely deny that actuall faith and the act of beleeuing is the gift of God For although they doe sometimes make shew of this and doe thunder out with full mouthes that faith is from God yet in the whole thred of their disputation they doe openly bewray that they are verry farre from that opinion For they deny that faith is iufused by God into the hearts of men but that God