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
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
concerning this doctrine diuers men thinke diuersly yet Arminius alone hath attained the nature of Predestination lesse then any other and doth greatly stumble in the very entrance He in his Theologicall disputations Disp 13. The. 3. saith that the genus and generall of Predestination is the decree and that saith hee not the legall decree according to which it is said the man that doth them shall liue in them but the Euangelicall decree which speaketh thus This is the will of God that euery one that seeth the sonne and beleeueth in him should haue life eternall And all the Arminians following him doe comprehend the whole doctrine of Predestination in foure decrees The first they will haue to be that whereby God decreed to send his sonne to redeeme mankinde The second that whereby he decreed to giue eternall life to them that beleeue The third that whereby he decreed to giue all men grace and sufficient power to beleeue The fourth that whereby he decreed to giue saluation to these and they particular men whom he fore-knew would beleeue and would perseuere in the faith and as the linkes of a Chaine they so knit these that the latter decrees depend on the former and by the former the way is to the latter XVII By these things it is plaine that Arminius did not vnderstand what the decree of Predestination was For the decree of Predestination is that whereby God hath appointed what he will doe with vs and not what he would haue vs doe Vntowardly therefore doth Arminius place among the decrees of God that will of God whereby he hath appointed those to be saued who shall beleeue seeing that in this will the commandement of God is included Arminius himselfe in the same place doth comprehend Predestination vnder prouidence and doth make predestination a species or part of prouidence If therefore that speech hee that beleeueth shall be saued is not the decree of prouidence certainely it will not be the decree of predestination seeing Predestination is no other thing then prouidence restrained to the saluation or reprobation of men This doth plainely appeare from thence that Arminius doth oppose this decree which hee cals Euangelicall to the legall decree by which it is said He that shall doe these things shall liue in them which is manifestly not the decree of prouidence but the rule of iustice And if not this then certainely not the other seeing the rules of the Gospell doe no more belong to the prouidence of God and therefore not to predestination then the rules of the Law XVIII Therefore of those foure decrees the second is to be wiped out and a place to be appointed for it in the doctrine of the Gospell and not in the eternall decree and secret predestmation And so of those foure linkes the second being taken away the whole chaine is broken and as it were one pin being drawne out the whole ioyning together of that frame is loosed and dissolued XIX Nay what that Arminius doth altogether ouerthrow Election and make it to be a thing onely of name Arnold p. 17â— Dicitis Des soli motum esse qui nam quot sint elects sed numerumtamenstatuitis certis esset ex praecisa Dei ordinatione determinatum qui nec angeripossâ—t nec mâ—nui idquâ— exâ—â—dem ordinatione Longâ— vero aliter Enangelium Idem aiâ— Greuinchouâ—â—s in praeâ—atione For he doth deny that the number of the Elect is determined by the decree of God whence it comes to passe that no man at all is elected For if the saluation of seuerall men were determined by the decree of God it would also be determined that this or that man were of the number and so of seuerall men the whole summe would be certainely and determinately finished But if the number of the elect be not fore-determined by the certaine decree of God the Booke of life containing the number of them that are to be saued Reuel 20. and the number of the brethren not yet fulfilled Reuel 6.11 and whatsoeuer the Scripture saith of the sheepe that were giuen to Christ euen before their conuâ—rsion must needes vanish away XX. And when Arminius will haue all men to be elected by a conditionall election that is so they will beleeue and by their free will rightly vse the grace which is offred them he doth lay downe an election which is not an election because it is equally extended to all He doth not elect that doth not preferre some before others What that by this generall election Simon Magus and Simon Peter were equally elected and the election is extended to Iudas and Pharaoh XXI But that is the most dangerous that Arminius doth make the election of seuerall men to come after faith and so doth make the election of God to depend on mans free-will Whence it comes to passe that the saluation of man is a thing meerely contingent not necessary because it depends vpon a thing that is contingent mutable to wit vpon mans wil. For although God doth certainly fore-know those contingent casuall things which are to be after yet is not therefore the election or saluation of man necessary for a thing is not therefore certaine because it is certainely fore-knowne And because election is not an act of the fore-knowledge of God but of his will the execution whereof if we may giue credit to Arminius doth depend on the fulfilling of the condition which may be hindred by man For the Schoole and followers of Arminius are of opinion that euery man hath power of beleeuing and that God is bound to giue to all men power of fulfilling the condition of the second couenant Arnold p. 262. in Tilen and that the grace of God is but the cause in part of faith and that it is not begot in man by the grace of God alone XXII So while the Arminians will haue euery particular person to be elected by God for faith foreseene that is that they are certainely appointed to saluation whom God fore-seeth will come when they shall be called and will perseuere they doe plainely deny them to be elected For to receiue all that come is not to elect or choose for although the Arminians will haue both precedent and concomitant grace to be giuen by God yet they will haue it in the power of mans free will to refuse grace or not to refuse it Surely Arminius would haue God to predestinate those to saluation whom he from eternity fore-saw would by their owne free-will vse aright his grace But I deny that this can be called Election seeing it is rather a decree of admitting those that will come to Christ when they might not come who if Arminius doctrine get place doe first choose God and apply themselues to him before they be appointed to saâ—uation by God XXIII I let passe that Arminius will haue particular men so to be elected for faith fore-seene that they belong to the election not whom hee hath decreed
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
which they might gather themselues to the fould of Christ For if they had not beene giuen to Christ vntill they had ioyned themselues to Christ by faith they had giuen themselues to Christ before God had giuen them to Christ XXXI In the meane time it is to be obserued with what fidelity these sectaries doe deale here For they will haue God to haue chosen those that beleeue Neither doe we deny it so that by beleeuers those be vnderstood who are to beleeue by the gift of God and those to whom God hath decreed to giue faith For we say that faith is considered as a thing to be performed and not as a thing present and already performed and when wee speake of Election we say that beleeuers are called not in respect of present condition but of that to come This thing although it be agreeable to reason and to the word of God yet it is reiected by these sectaries as absurd And yet the same men a little after doe vse the same thing and yeeld to our part For they will haue that speech I giue my life for my sheepe to be taken in respect not of the present condition but of the future and that they are called sheepe because they shall gather themselues to the fould of Christ There is no cause therfore why they should so much be moued when we say that beleeuers are elected not in respect of the present or past but of the future condition and by the beholding of that faith by which by the gift of God they are to come to saluation That which pleaseth them when themselues say it ought not to displease them when it is vsed by vs Especially seeing the Scripture doth neuer expresly say that beleeuers are elected but doth cleerely pronounce that Christ died for his sheepe and for the Church XXXII For these causes the holy Scriptures which doth sometimes say that Christ died for all in that sence which I haue said doth oftentimes shorten and restraine that generall speech laying that the blood of Christ was shed for many Matth. 26.28 And that the sonne of man came that he might giue his life a redemption for many And that he was offered once for the sinnes of many Heb. 9.28 XXXIII And if you would fetch the matter from the beginning and from the couenant which God made with Adam you shall finde that this couenant doth belong onely to them alone whose heele the Serpent bruiseth and whom hee hurteth with a light wound and therefore onely to the faithfull and the elect for the rest the serpent infecteth with his poison killeth them with his biting and taketh them away with a deadly wound XXXIV And if Christ by his death obtained reconciliation for Cain Pharaoh Iudas c. It must needs be that Christ redeemed them But he hath not redeemed them because they alway doe and shall remaine captiue Nor is it credible that Christ would pay the price of redemption for them whom he knew were neuer to be freed or that Sathan could take away those soules redeemed by Christ with so great a price XXXV Saint Paul 2 Cor. 5.20 saith That God was in Christ reconciling the world vnto himselfe If by the world are vnderstood all and seuerall men without exception it must be beleeued that not onely reconciliation was obtained for all and seuerall men but also that they are reconciled in act and that Iudas and Pharaoh were sometimes among the friends of God which thing Arminius himselfe doth not dare to say XXXVI Finally if Christ hath obtained reconciliation for all men euen for them who are without the couenant then no man shall be borne without the couenant of Christ and that will be false which Saint Paul saith Ephes 2.3 where speaking of the condition in which we are borne he saith that by nature we are the children of wrath that is borne subiect to the curse For how can any one be borne subiect to the curse if reconciliation is obtained with God for all men without exception CHAP. XXIX The obiections of the Arminians are dissolued by which they endeauour to maintaine and confirme the obtaining of saluation for all men THE Arminians make many obiections against these things but preuaile nothing First they flourish with places of Scripture and then they handle the matter with other reasons I. They bring that place of Saint Iohn Chaper 3. Verse 16. Where God is said to haue so loued the world that he gaue his Sonne which place wee haue already taught doth hurt Arminius and that the sending of the same is in the following words restrained to the beleeuers alone Whence it is manifest that Christ was not sent but to saue them who were to beleeue I might say that the world is here taken for the faithfull alone as Iohn 6.33 and 1 Tim. 3.16 and Hâ—b 2.5 But although we grant that by the world all mankinde are contained in the whole yet it will not thence follow that Christ purchased saluation for all and particular men for the obtaining of the saluation of some men doth abundantly testifie that mankinde is loued by God II And it is worth the labour to know what meaning the Arminians apply to Christ and what according to the Arminians is the sense of these words of Christ God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begoâ—ten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life According to the doctrine of Arminius this must be the sense of these words God so loued all mankinde with a loue wherewith he hath not willed their saluation that he decreed to send his sonne before he thought of sauing man to purchase for himselfe the power of sauing man and afterward he decreed to giue euery man power of beleeuing if he himselfe would that so he might haue eternall life A monster of Doctrine and a new Gospell III. They assault vs also with the words of Saint Iohn 1 Epist 2. Chap. 2. v. where Christ is said to be the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world And out of the first Chapter of Saint Iohn where hee is called the Lambe taking away the sins of the world But by these they effect nothing for this is said because in the whole world no mans sinnes are remitted but by Christ In the same sense that 1 Cor. 15.22 Saint Paul saith In Christ all men are made aliue because no man is made aliue but by him So hee that should say that Hypocrates taught all Graecia and Italy the art of Physicke did not say that all and seuerall men of Graecia and Italy learned Physicke of him but that no man learned Physicke but from him For it is manifest that Christ hath not taken away the sinnes of all and seuerall men because very many remaine in sinne and are condemned for their sinnes IV. They doe colourably boast of that place 1 Tim. 2.4 God would haue all men to be saued and come to the
present with all men and that all men either by the naturall law or by the written law or by the Gospell are so called that it is free for euery man to embrace or refuse the offered grace to beleeue or not to beleeue For they say that Christ obtained reconciliation for all men and that God from eternity elected those whom he fore-saw would beleeue in Christ and perseuere in the faith And therefore that the number of the elect is not determined by the decree of God but that our election is then certaine when the course of our life is measured out These are they who are commonly called Semipelagians Differing from Pelagius in this that they acknowledge nature to be depraued with Originall sinne and that they distinguish nature from grace but yet by a secret agreement they doe fauour Pelagius because they will haue nature so to be a diuerse thing from grace that yet they will haue grace equally to extend it selfe as farre as nature Also they make such a grace the vse whereof doth depend vpon free-will Hee that would throughly know the meaning of these men let him reade the Epistle of Prosper to Saint Austin inserted into the Seauenth Tome of the workes of Saint Austin most worthy to be read with care For he being a very great admirer of Saint Austin and being for this cause accused by these Semipelagians he requireth the helpe of Saint Austin and doth desire to be furnished with arguments whereby hee might defend himselfe against them Surely there you shall plainely know the Arminian vaine and you shall see Arminianisme graphically and liuely painted out And but that the title of the Epistle and the Epistle it selfe did testifie both the Author and the age you would sweare it were the Epistle of one who being prouoked by the Arminians and being ill entreated doth implore the helpe of one more learned That now it cannot be a doubt out of what puddles they haue drawne their opinions and which of the ancient Heretiques they haue propounded to themselues to imitate I shall not much stay the hastening Reader if I lay downe the words of the Semipelagians themselues as they are recited by Prosper himselfe This is saith Prosper their declaration and profession that euery man sinned when Adam sinned and that no man is saued in regeneration by his owne workes but by the grace of God and yet that the propitiation which is in the Sacrament of the bloud of Christ is propounded to all men without exception that whosoeuer will come to faith and baptisme may be saued And that God fore-knew before the making of the world who were to beleeue and who would continue in that faith which afterwards should be helped by the grace of God And that hee Predestinated those to his kingdome whom he hauing freely called he fore-saw would be worthy of Election and would depart out of this life with a good end And therefore that euery man is admonished by the ordinances of God to beleeue to worke that no man might despaire of obtaining eternall life seeing that the reward is prepared for voluntary deuotion But this purpose of the calling of God by which the difference of them that are to be elected and of them that are to be reiected is said to haue beene made eyther before the beginning of the world or in the very creation of mankinde that according to the pleasure of the creator some should be created vessels of honour others vessels of dishonour this they say doth both take away from them that are fallen the care of rising againe and also doth yeeld occasion of sluggish drowsinesse to the Saints because on eyther side labour is superfluous if neither he that is reiected can by any industry and diligence enter nor he that is elected can by any negligence fall away For after whatsoeuer manner they shall behaue themselues nothing can happen to them but what God hath determined and vnder an vncertaine hope the course cannot be constant seeing that the intention of him that doth endeauour is vaine if the Election of him that predestinateth hath appointed anther thing Therefore all industry is remoued and all vertues are taken away if the appointment of God doe preuent the will of man and a kinde of fatall necessitie is brought in vnder this name of predestination These were the words of the Semipelagians altogether like Arminianisme and of the same stampe Let those things also which follow be pondered and considered of They determine that to this gift of saluation all men vniuersally are called either by the naturall law or by the written law or by the preaching of the Gospell that both they that will might be made the sonnes of God and that they might be inexcusable who will not be faithfull because herein is the iustice of God that they who will not beleeue should perish and his goodnesse appeareth herein that he will put backe no man from life but indifferently would all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth And that our Lord Iesus Christ dyed for all mankinde and that no man at all is excepted from the redemption of his bloud although he passe through his whole life in a farre other opinion And a little after They doe not consent that the predestinated number of the elect can neither be encreased nor diminished least the incitations of them that exhort men should haue no place with infidels and those that neglect predestination c. They haue receiued the election of God according to fore-knowledge to wit that therefore God hath made some men vessels of honour and some vessels of dishonour because he fore-saw the faith of euery one Truely this is meere Arminianisme but that the Arminians doe clothe their opinions more gloriously and doe paint them with exquisite colours and doe more sparingly vse the word Merit which not onely the Semipelagians but also the Orthodoxe writers but in another sence then the Papists at this day doe did often vse Finally they doe as they doe who set before their guests old and reiected dainties by putting to them new sauce To this Epistle is added another of the same argument of Hilareus Bishop of Areles to Saint Austin where he doth attribute these things to the Semipâ—lagians God in his fore-knowledge doth elect faith that whom he fore-knew would beleeue him he elected to whom he would giue the holy Ghost that by working good they might obtaine eternall life This fore-knowledge they thus vnderstand to wit that men are said to be fore-knowne for faith which is to follow and that such a perseuerance is giuen to no man from which hee is not suffered to swerue but that he may fall from it and be weakened by his owne will Whatsoeuer is giuen to those that are predestinated they contend that they may loose it or keepe it according to their owne will Which then were false if they did thinke it true that some men haue
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
ill of himselfe then to measure other men by his owne foote and to iudge of others confidence by his owne incredulitie XXV The Apostle to the Hebrewes Chap. 3. Vers 6. doth command vs to hold fast the confidence and the reioycing of the hope firme vnto the end And Cha. 10. Vers 22. Let vs draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith And Ephes 3.12 In Christ we haue boldnesse and accesse with confidence by the faith of him And 1 Iohn 5.13 These things haue I written vnto you that beleeue on the name of the sonne of God that ye may know that ye haue eternall life XXVI Our Sauiour himselfe doth promise that hee will giue vs all things which wee shall aske in his name Iohn 14.13 If therefore wee aske grace which cannot be ouercome nor extinguished and perseuerance in the faith Christ promiseth that wee shall receiue what we aske XXVII Doth Dauid speake as one doubting of his saluation Psal 17. I shall see thy face in righteousnesse and I shall be satisfied with thy likenesse Or Simeon speaking thus Luke 2. Now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word Or Stephen who his enemies gnashing their teeth at him and being certaine of death did cry out I see the heauens open and the sonne of man sitting at the right hand of God Could the grace of God be ouercome by free-will in those men Or was their confidence deceitfull and failing and the decree of God concerning their saluation yet reuocable as these Sectaries speake XXVIII Why should I speake of Saint Paul who desiring to be dissolued and to be with Christ being full of faith speaketh thus 2 Tim. 4.18 The Lord shall deliuer me from euery euill worke and will preserue me vnto his heauenly kingdome And in the same place after he had endured so many labours he doth vtter this as his victorious song I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith Henceforth there is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse c. With no lesse confidence doth hee speake both in his owne and in our name long before the end of his strife Rom. 8.38 I am perswaded that neither death nor life c nor any other creature shall be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. XXIX But the doubting of our saluation doth please these Sectaries who are stuffed and strouted out with pretended modesty and humility Their words against the Walachrians pag. 76. are these Whether any one can be certaine that hee shall perseuere in the faith We will not say yea we suppose it to be very profitable to doubt of these things and that it is laudible for a Christian Souldier to the shaking off the sloathfulnesse and the drowsinesse of the soule in the worke of Religion In the same place they admit onely that certainetie whereby one doth know that God and sufficient helpe shall not be wanting to him so that hee be not wanting to himselfe which certainty surely may be in any reprobate They doe instill these things with a goodly shew vnder the pretence of instigation to good workes that they might secretly ouerturne the foundation of faith as it were by vndermining it and as if there were no way of stirring vp sluggishnesse but by the damage of Faith It is prophane modestie which maketh men incredulous and vnbeleeuing and vnder a shew of humilitie doth teach them to distrust God But they themselues who teach these things doe boast that God hath giuen them what hee ought yea and that God is bound to giue them sufficient grace that it might appeare that vnder this affected humilitie there is much pride CHAP. XLVII The iudgement of Saint Austin concerning this controuersie I. THe certainty of perseuerance may be taken two waies Either for the certainty of the decree of God by which God decreed to giue perseuerance in faith to them whom hee elected to saluation Or for that confidence by which one doth certainely perswade himselfe that he shall neuer be forsaken by God The first certainty is necessarily drawne from that election which is absolute and is not for faith fore-seene but not the latter Because God hath decreed many things concerning vs whereof hee hath not yet giuen vs the full knowledge II. The full perswasion of the faithfull doth not rest on any reuelation whereby God hath laid open to vs the secrets of his counsels but on the promises of the Gospel and on the inward feeling whereby one searching himselfe doth feele that he doth seriously beleeue in Christ and on the inward testimony of the spirit witnessing in our hearts that we are the sonnes of God Yet there may be many and those good and godly men who although they belong to the election of God haue not come to this full confidence III. Saint Austin being beaten in this question and exercised in often contentions of the Pelagians is a most earnest maintainer of the former certainty and doth gather from the election of God according to his purpose that the elect can neuer be forsaken by God and that grace is giuen which can neuer faile and by which they shall certainely perseuere There are many excellent things in his workes to this purpose but he doth no where speake more plainely then in his booke de correp gratia which hee writ when he was very old In the twelfth Chapter hee hath these words There is giuen to the Saints that are predestinated by the grace of God to the kingdome of God not onely such helpe of grace but also such a helpe that perseuerance it selfe is giuen them not onely that without that gift they could not perseuere but also that by this gift they cannot but perseuere For he hath not onely said without me ye can doe nothing but he hath also said yee haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you and haue appointed you that you might goe on and might beare fruit and that your fruit might remaine In which words hee declareth that he hath giuen them not onely righteousnesse but also perseuerance in righteousnesse For Christ so appointing them that they should goe on and beare fruit and that their fruit should remaine who dare say that perhaps it shall not remaine For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance that is the calling of them who are called according to his purpose Christ therefore making intercession for these that their faith should not faile without doubt it shall not faile to the end and by this it shall perseuere to the end and the end of this life shall finde it remaining And a little after The will of them is so much enflamed by the holy-Ghost that they therefore are able because they so will and they doe therefore so will because God worketh in them that they may will For if in so great infirmity of this life in which notwithstanding
is one thing to pull out the eyes of the blinde and it is another thing not to cure him that is blinde It is sufficiently manifest that God doth not giue to all men all the meanes necessary to saluation For there are infinite people to whom he doth not send preachers of the Gospell And to very many to whom the Gospell is preached hee doth not giue faith and the spirit of Adoption But they alone beleeue who are fore-ordained to eternall life Act. 13. All which things are aboundantly proued in the former Chapters Neither yet can God therefore be accused of folly or dissembling who doth call those whom hee knoweth will not follow to whom he doth not giue the power of comming For hee doth not deale dissemblingly nor vnwisely who doth require from man that which hee is not able if he owe it and if man himselfe is the cause of his disability For God hath not lost his right by the wickednesse of man nor is he bound to supply to all men the meanes of paying what they owe and of performing what they are commanded Nor doth he vnwisely or dissemblingly call the virgins who wanted oyle although hee would not administer oyle to them of which they themselues ought in time to haue had a care Neither is it any doubt but that God doth require from euery man yea from the heathen themselues the perfect obedience of the law which notwithstanding that it can be perfectly fulfilled by them the Arminians themselues vnlesse it be fearefully and doubtfully dare not affirme God doth not in vaine call those whom he knoweth will not follow because he doth not deale vainely who doth exact that which iustice doth require Nor is it equall that although in a promiscuous and mingled multitude there are many reprobates the word of God should therefore not be preached to that multitude and the naughtinesse of wicked men should defraud the good and that thereby something should be taken away and detracted from the commodities of the elect Nor is the Gospell preached in vaine to those that are obstinate seeing that by their obstinacy and by the punishments that follow it the godly are brought to a wholesome feare and are turned and drawne to prayer and to the acknowledgement of the mercy of God to them God did not in vaine send Moses to Pharaoh â— Zâ—ch 3. and Ezechiel to the Iewes although God himselfe fore-warned that Pharaoh would not obey Moses nor the Iewes Ezechiel Therefore here is no absurdity how odiously soeuer they cry out vpon it These scoffing men that they might procure enuy to vs doe boastingly cast out these things among the vnskilfull common people and doe raise bubbles in a shell which are blowne away with the least breath XIX They also heape together reproachfull calumnies falsely attributing those things to vs which we doe not beleeue To wit that God calleth those who are not conuerted purposely and onely for this end that they might be inexcusable Which thing farre be it from vs that wee should say Wee say indeede that this doth happen but wee doe not say that this is the onely end propounded by God Wee doe not thinke that the reprobates are onely therefore called that they might be made inexcusable although by despising that calling they bring greater damnation vpon themselues God indeede doth offer his Gospell to those that will reiect it but not to that end that they might reiect it The end propounded to God in calling those whom hee knoweth will not obey is to require that which they owe and to declare what is acceptable to him Doth hee not also call warne and threaten them that at the least they might be so much constrained by feare that they might not hurt those that are good And that by the example of their stubbornenesse which goeth not vnpunished the godly might learne to feare and by comparing their condition with those to whom God hath not vouchsafed the like grace they might more earnestly loue God for the prerogatiue granted to them XX. These Sectaries obiect againe That by this meanes some men haue matter and cause of security ministred to them and of the contempt of those meanes which God is wont to vse to worke conuersion such as are the preaching of the word c. For if no man can conuert himselfe before this vnresistible drawing and as soone as he is vnresistibly drawne he must needes be altogether conuerted then all our care and diligence is voide and vnprofitable And to others there is matter of perpetuall doubtings ministred as long as they feele no such drawing We haue already aduertised that this opinion is falsely laid vpon vs. That God doth draw a man vnresistibly We onely say that the elect although they may resist a long time yet at length they obey God calling and their voluntary conuersion is wrought certainely and infallibly and that it cannot come to passe that they should neuer be conuerted or being conuerted that they should finally fall away and the grace of God should be at length extinguished and be finally ouercome by the resistance of the flesh XXI We deny that security or contempt of the word can follow from such drawing seeing that that grace it selfe doth create in vs care and diligence See I pray how ill these things square together and how vnfitly it is said that the grace of God doth hinder godly carefulnesse seeing that this carefulnesse it selfe is a part of grace For how should grace by which a man is regenerated corrupt him Or how should grace by which he is stirred vp and pricked forward giue him ouer to a languishing idlenesse Therefore they doe as if I should say that a man is killed by the resurrection or that hee is blacked ouer with a white colour For they say that negligence is brought by that grace which doth beget godly care XXII And there is no doubt but that the same absurdity may be drawne from the opinion of Arminius whereby he thinkes that some men are drawne of God by a congruent and agreeable manner and time by which they that are called doe most certainly follow For I may say that by this doctrine mens consciences are cast into a deep sleep for there wil be some men who will speake thus To what purpose is it to be carefull Our endeauor is in vaine if we are not drawn after a congruent manner And I doubt whether I am drawne after a congruent manner or no. Hence commeth negligence and a faith floating in vncertainty XXIII That is no better which they adde That to some men there is matter of perpetuall doubtings so long as they feele no such drawing This absurdity is very absurdly vrged by the Arminians who with all their power doe impugne the certainty of saluation whilest they command men to doubt of perseuerance For let vs imagine that doubtings of saluation are bred by this our doctrine Doe they condemne that in vs which they alow
ipse â—d aicat noâ— habitu sen qualitate inherente iustificari Idem dicit Vorst Cat. Errâ—rum Sibr. P. 61. 54. Impiutper paenetentiam iustificatur That Arminius doth acknowledge faith not onely to be an action and therefore aworke but doth also contend that faith is imputed for righteousnesse not as an instrument that is not as it apprehendeth Christ but as it is a worke and an action The words of Arminius are reported by the Walachrian brethren in their Epistle and they are these Faith is imputed for righteousnesse not as it is an instrument but as it is an action although it be by him whom it apprehendeth Neither doe the Arminians in their answere deny it but doe willingly acknowledge that these are Arminius his words and Pag. 87. they doe defend him The same men in the page going before doe confesse that Peter Bertius a man of speciall name amongst the Arminians is of opinion That the very act of faith is imputed to vs for righteousnesse in a proper sense and therefore that we are iustified by faith as by an inherent qualitie which vlcer I doe not touch here But I onely take that which makes for the present matter to wit seeing that faith it selfe is not onely an action and a worke but that also according to the minde of the Arminians wee are iustified by faith in as much as it is an action and a worke and an inherent vertue it is plaine that the fore-seeing of faith is excluded by that very eternall good pleasure of God which the Apostle vseth to exclude the foreseeing of workes seeing that faith it selfe is also a worke and an action yea and doth iustifie as it is an action if Arminius be beleeued XVII Hitherto pertaines that which is said Rom. 9.11 The purpose of God which is according to election not of workes but of him that calleth because faith it selfe is a worke and doth iustifie as it is a worke as the Arminians will haue it and to vse grace aright is with them to worke XVIII The Scripture speaketh of the decree of election as of a certaine immutable decree 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God standeth sure and hath this seale the Lord knoweth them that are his And Romanes 9. That the purpose of God which is according to election might stand And Iohn 10.28 I giue to my sheepe eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand And chap. 6.37 All that the father giueth me shall come to me whereunto adde that which is Mark 13. that the elect cannot be deceiued Did Pilate thinke it was an vnlawfull thing to change the title of the crosse which was written by him and will it be a thing worthy the maiesty and wisedome of God to cancell those things he writ and hauing changed his opinion to wipe out those which hee had set into the white register of the elect Hee therefore doth not thinke well of God and doth subuert the doctrine of the Gospell who will haue the decree of the election of men to be mutable and reuocable and to depend on mans will We haue heard that Greuinchouius doth deny the decree of election to be peremptory and absolute while we liue here And the whole Schoole of Arminius doth cry out with one voyce that the number of the elect is not certaine and determined by the election and will of God But if the number of the elect be not certaine by the will of God then neither is election it selfe certaine And surely they iustly make election mutable who make it to depend on mans will for they will haue election to rest on faith fore-seene and faith it selfe to depend on mans free-will Indeede they say that preuenting and accompanying grace is necessary to beâ—eeue but the vse of this grace they will haue to be in the power of mans will which alwaies hath this liberty that it may vse that grace or not vse it And we shall see in his place that the Arminians teach that the grace of God is not the totall cause of faith but onely a cause in part Finally you may euery where finde that election is made by the purpose and good pleasure of God and for his meere grace as 2 Tim. 1.19 Ephes 1. ve 5.6 and 11. Rom 9.15 and 11. ver 3. But I finde no where that any one is elected for faith fore-seene neither doe the Arminians proue it any otherwise but by consequences farre fetched which we will examine in their place and order CHAP. XX. Election for faith fore-seene is confuted by places taken out of the Gospell of Saint Iohn THis contention will cease if we stand to the testimony of Christ himselfe in the Gospell according to Saint Iohn hee faith many things which cut this knot and leaue no place for doubting I. Iohn 6 37. he thus speaketh to the Iewes Whatsoeuer my father giueth me shall come to me To come to Christ is to beleeue for so Christ himselfe expounds it verse 35. He that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst He might haue said in both places Hee that commeth shall not hunger nor shall thirst but in the latter place he puts beleeue for come that wee might know that we come to Christ by beleeuing The meaning therefore of Christ is that those that are giuen him by the father will beleeue in him and they are giuen to the sonne who are therefore giuen that hee might saue them and they might be his flocke The sense therefore of these words whatsoeuer my father giueth to me shall come is this Whosoeuer my father giueth me to be saued shall beleeue in me They are giuen then to Christ before they can come or can beleeue for therefore they come to Christ and beleeue because they are giuen him But Arminius will haue them beleeue before they be giuen for he will haue them to be elected and therefore to be giuen to Christ for faith fore-seene Christ saith that therefore they come because they are giuen him the sectaries on the contrary say that therefore they are giuen because they come In another place the head-strong obstinacy of these men doth no lesse discouer it selfe by them who are giuen to Christ they would haue the faithfull to be vnderstood as if Christ had said he that beleeueth in me will come to me But we haue already proued that to come is the same that it is to beleeue The sence therefore of these words of Christ according to Arminius will be this Whosoeuer doth beleeue shall beleeue in me Adde to these that seeing in the Arminian election faith and perseuerance in faith is considered as already performed and therefore they that are elected are considered as dead or in the very limits of life and death they cannot be said to come who haue not already measured out the course of their life Neither by them who are giuen to Christ
neuer said that election had beene for saith foreseene if he had thought that God had certainely decreed to giue faith to some certaine men whom hee elected to saluation for he acknowledgeth no precise and necessary decree of God of giuing to any one the very act of beleeuing For this speech were vnapt God elected Paul because he fore-saw that hee would giue him Faith If in election faith be considered as already performed and as that on which election doth rest it must needes be that God hath not wrought it Otherwise God should be said to be willing to saue a man because he determined to giue him faith when on the contrary side he doth therefore giue faith to one because he hath decreed by his certaine and immutable will to saue him VII What is to be thought of this doctrine Armin. in Perk. p 283 224. Causa totalis cur iste credat isâ—e non est voluntas Dei liberum arbitrium hâ—minis may be gathered by the consequents which they build on this foundation such as are these The election of God in this life is not certaine nor irreuocable the number of the elect is not certaine and determined by the will and election of God the grace of God is not the totall cause of faith which is a grieuous speech and ouerthroweth the foundations of faith as we haue already proued and hereafter more shall be spoken of the same thing VIII What a thing is it that by this opinion no man can beleeue that he is elected For if any one did beleeue he were elected hee would beleeue also that his faith was after his election So he that beleeueth he is a man was a man before he beleeued it and if faith and perseuerance in faith doth goe before election he who beleeueth in Christ may indeede presume or hope that he is elected after he hath perseuered but he cannot beleeue that hee is already elected seeing according to Arminius no man is elected but after hee hath beleeued and when he hath ceased to beleeue Hath therefore this pernicious doctrine torne the bowels of the Churches of the Low-Countries that it might pull out of their mindes he confidence of Election and that no man vnlesse it were impudently and falsely might beleeue that hee is elected by God to saluation CHAP. XXIII The opinion of Saint Austen concerning Election for faith fore-seene WEE are beholding to Pelagius and his sectaries for the learned Treatises of Saint Austen full of good fruit wherein he hath explained more fully and more plainely then any other the heads of Christian faith concerning Grace Free will and Predestination For before Pelagius his time these things were handled generally and grosely and not exactly enough Saint Austen himselfe in his booke of the Predestination of the Saints Chap. 3. and of his retractations lib. 1. cap. 24. and in many other places doth confesse that he at the beginning writ with little consideration concerning these things the holy man was not ashamed to change his opinion after hee sharpned his wit at this whetstone of contentions and the sparkes of truth broke out of the disputation The heresie of Pelagius being driuen away the reliques of the Pelagians did yet remaine in France who to keepe backe enuy least they should seeme to fauour Pelagius they did distinguish nature from grace But they did affirme that sufficient grace was offred to all men and that it did extend as farre as nature they did acknowledge an election but it was conditionall and not absolute For they were elected by God whom he fore-saw would beleeue and vse his grace well And these are their opinions That election is for faith fore-seene and that the number of the elect is not determined by the certaine decree of God They said that the fruit of the doctrine of Saint Austen concerning election according to the purpose of God was eitâ—er desperation or a benummed sluggishnes if the reprobate man cannot be saued by any labour and contention nor he that is elected be depriued of the kingdome by any negligence It is not amisse to set downe their words taken out of the Epistle of Prosper to Saint Austin which is incerted in the seauenth Tome of Saint Austins works They determine that the propitiation which is in the Sacrament of the bloud of Christ is propounded to all men without exception that whosoeuer will come to faith and to baptisme may be saued And that God fore-knew before the making of the world who were to beleeue and who by faith which afterwards was to be assisted and helped by the grace of God were to remaine And that he predestinated those to his kingdome who being freely called he fore-saw would be worthy of election and would depart out of this life with a good end c. But they say that the opinion of Saint Austen doth take away from them that are fallen the care of rising againe and doth yeelde occasion of a heauy dulnesse to the Saints c. They doe not yeelde that the predestinated number of the elect can neither be encreased nor diminished this is meere Arminianisme the very same opinion we are assailed with the same calumnies wherewith Saint Austin was Against these Semipeâ—agians the holy man writ a Booke of the PRedestination of the Saints out of which Booke it will not be from the purpose to take out and alledge some places Chap. 3. We reade the Apostle saying it I obtained mercy that I might be faithfull He doth not say because I was faithfull It is giuen then to him that is faithfull but it is giuen him also that he might be faithfull Chap. 17. Let vs vnderstand the calling whereby men are elected not they which are elected because they beleeued but they which are elected that they might beleeue For this the Lord himselfe doth make plaine enough when he saith Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you For if they were therefore chosen because they beleeued they had first chosen him by beleeuing in him that they might deserue to be elected And a little after They did not choose him that he might choose them but that they might choose him he chose them because his mercy preuented them according to his grace not according to their desert And in the same chapter God then elected the faithfull but it was that they might be so not because they were already so By choosing them he maketh them rich in faith as heires of a kingdome and rightly because he is said to choose that in them which that he might worke in them he hath chosen them Doth any one heare our Lord saying Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you and dares he say that men beleeue that they might be chosen when rather they are chosen that they might beleeue Chap. 18. He chose vs in him before the world was made that we might be holy and without spot Therefore not because we were holy but that
we should be holy it is certaine it is manifest Therefore we were to be such because he elected vs predestinating vs that by his grace we should be holy In then inteenth chapter he repeateth the same words and addeth moreouer these When therefore he predestinated vs hee fore knew his owne worke who hath made vs holy and without spot In the same place the Pelagians reiecting election for workes fore-seene sticke onely in the fore-seeing of faith Wee say they doe say that our God fore knew nothing but faith whereby we beginne to beleeue and therefore he elected vs c. Against these things Saint Austin disputeth much and at the length he doth thus conclude his speech Neither doth faith it selfe goe before for he doth not choose vs because we beleeue but he chose vs that we might beleeue least we should be said to choose him first and that should be false which God forbid which Christ saith ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Neither are we called because we doe beleeue but we are called that we might beleeue and by that calling which is without repentance it is wrought and throughly wrought that we should beleeue Finally he saith that Pelagius himselfe to the intent that he might delude the Palestine Synode with an ambiguous confession condemned those that say that grace is giuen according to merit which opinion was allowed by the Synode and they were condemned who said election was for faith fore-seene For Saint Austin confirmeth that these two come to one and the same sence in his fift booke against Iulian chap. 3. God electeth no man that is worthy but by electing him he maketh him worthy And he doth in sixe hundred places beate vpon absolute election or as Arminius calleth it precise election and not depending vpon the fore-seeing of any vertue or worth As Epist 105. Why one should beleeue and another not beleeue when both heare the same thing and if a miracle be done in both their sights it is the height of the riches of the wisdome and knowledge of God whose iudgements are vnsearchable and with whom there is no iniquitie while he will haue mercy on whom he will and hardneth whom he will for those things are not vniust because they be hidden and secret But these things are not hidden to Arminius for hee saith the cause of this difference is the fore-seeing of faith in one of them The Booke de fide ad Petrum whether it be the Booke of Fulgentius or of Austin in the third chapter hath these words They shall raigne with Christ whom God of his free gracious goodnesse hath elected to the kingdome because by predestinating them he hath prepared them to be such that they might be worthy of the kingdome he hath prepared them whom according to his purpose he will call that they may obey he hath prepared them whom he will iustifie that hauing receiued grace they might beleeue rightly and liue well To which kingdome they haue come whom God hath saued of his free-grace for no precedent merit of good will or good worke CHAP. XXIV The arguments of the Arminians by which they endeauour to stablish Election for faith fore-seene are examined I. THe Arminians who by a new name call themselues Remonstrants in the conference at the Hage doe poure downe a thicke haile of places of Scripture by which they endeauour to perswade that election is of them that beleeue and that the decree of Predestination is nothing else but the will of sauing them that beleeue This is to doe another thing and not to touch the question for the controuersie betweene vs is not concerning these things The state of the question is this Whether election be for faith fore seene Then also whether God electing seuerall and certaine persons doth consider in them perseuerance in faith as a thing already fulfilled and as a condition on the performance whereof Election doth rest But these men leauing the question vntouched are altogether in that that they might prooue election to be of them that beleeue Wherefore although the ranke of their nine Syllogisms which they set in order or admit many other exceptions yet because they are all faulty in that fallacy which is called Ignoratio Elenchi by which that which is concluded is thought to hurt the aduersary when yet it doth not hurt him it is better to grant that which they would haue to wit that God electeth none but they which beleeue and that election is of the faithfull so this be fitly receiued and in a good sense to wit that God doth elect and that he is willing to saue those that beleeue because hee saueth no man but to whom hee will giue faith and because without faith it is impossible to come to saluation And that God in electing doth consider men as faithfull that is as those that by his gift were to haue faith And that the decree of election is with respect of faith because the decree of saluation doth include also the decree of the meanes to come to that end and therefore also of faith in Christ And surely Arminius and after him Arnoldus pag 92. doe falsely fasten on vs this opinion That God determined to saue the elect without the consideration of faith in them The thunderbolt therefore that they cast with such a noise is turned away onely with a blast or with the winde of ones cap and toucheth neither vs nor to the matter II. No more to the purpose doth the other sectaries so often heape vp the words of Saint Paul Ephes 1.4 He hath elected vs in Christ which they so take as if Saint Paul had said He hath elected vs for Christ and considered as already beleeuing in Christ when he did elect vs. The Apostle saith no such thing whose meaning is plaine and simple He elected vs in Christ that is He appointed vs to saluation to be bestowed vpon vs by Christ or in Christ III. They effect nothing more by these places No man shall separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.39 And God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe 2 Cor. 5. Surely here is not a word of faith fore-seene For if they should bite their nayles vntill the bloud followeth they could proue nothing by sixe hundred such places God was in Christ while he was on the earth in him and by him working out our reconciliation but what is this to faith fore-seene IV. It is a weake dart which they cast He that beleeueth in me hath euerlasting life Iohn 6. and without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. By these places indeede the necessitie of faith is proued but not the fore-seeing of it before election No man is saued but hee that beleeueth because God would haue this to be the way of saluation and because hee giueth saluation to none to whom hee doth not giue faith V. These are the words of Conradus
Vorstius in his book intituled the Conference with Piscator Sect. 18. If we are adopted by faith we are also elected by faith But I deny that that will follow for Adoption is after Election as the Apostle teacheth Ephes 1.5 He predestinated vs to the adoption He which saith we are adopted by faith doth not therefore say that we are elected by faith or for faith but he saith that by faith we are affected with the sense of the fatherly loue of God to vs and that the beleeuers receiue the spirit of adoption VI. He doth defend himselfe by the words of the Apostle 2 Thes 2. He hath chosen vs from the beginning through faith But here Vorstius doth wickedly cut short the words of the Apostle and doth present them lame vnto vs. The words of Saint Paul are these God from the beginning hath chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the spirit and beliefe of the truth Hee doth not say that we are elected for faith fore seene but that we are elected to obtaine saluation by faith And if it may be gathered from this place that we are elected for faith fore-seene it will be proued by the same place that we are elected for sanctification or regeneration fore-seene which doth not please Arminius He doth vrge that place of Saint Iames chap. 2. Hath not God chosen the poore of the world rich in faith but in vaine for therefore they are rich in faith because God hath giuen them faith and he hath therefore giuen it them because they are elected If I say God hath elected the Saints which doe enioy glory doe I therefore thinke that God elected them for the fore-seeing of the glory to come And if it be lawfull for the Arminians to take these words of Christ I giue my life for my sheepe as being spoken by anticipation or preuention of those who were not yet his theepe but were to be why may it not be lawfull for vs also to take these words God chose the beleeuers as being spoken by an anticipation of those which doe not beleeue in act but are considered as those who are to beleeue VII Vorstius addeth that Mat. 22. few are said to be elected because few haue the wedding garment But I deny that this is to be found there Christ shuts vp with this sentence the parable of those that were called to the wedding wherof onely few obayed him calling them Many are called few chosen In which words the reason is not yeelded why he was cast forth that had not on the wedding garment but why of many that were called there came but a few Which thing that the Reader might not obserue Vorstius hath vsed a double deceit for hee hath omitted those words many are called and then also instead of Nam For he hath sâ—t downe Quia because that he might perswade that here the cause was rendred why he that was vndecently apparelled was call out For he knew that the particle Nam for doth often set downe the note or marke but not the cause as Mâ—t. 26.73 and in many other places but in this place it is no doubt but that here the cause is signified For the cause is noted why of so many that were called so few followed him calling to wit because although many are called yet few are chosen Whence it is manifest that this place if any other doth hurt Arminius VIII The other things which he doth heape vp that hee might proue that they that are elected are those that be ecue are nothing to the purpose For the elect are the beleeuers and the belecuers are the erect But they are not elected because they are belecuers but that they might bereeue IX There is no more force in the obiection which he bringeth out of the 2. Pet. Chap. 1. Make your calling and election sure Out of which words he doth inferre that calling is before election But Peter doth not here set calling before election but the certainty of our cailing before the certainty of our election I willingly acknowledge that that certainty is first in order But that election is before calling Saint Paul teacheth Rom. 8. Whom he predestinated hee called whom he called he iustified whom he iustified he glorified For as iustification is before glorification and calling before iustification so predestination is before calling X. Greuinchouius against Ames Pag. 171. Arnâ—ldus after Armun us vseth the samâ— argument P. 282. doth thus dispute I say that by your predestination the Gospell is inuerted For this is the sâ—ntence of the Gospell If thou beleeuest thou shalt liue but this your predestination saith if you are predestinated to life you shall beleeue I answere it is one thinâ— to inuert or turne the sentence another thing to ouerturne it For this sentence is conuertible whosoeuer is elected shall beleeue and whosoeuer doth beleeue is elected For we speake of that faith which Saint Paul Tit. 1.1 calleth the faith of the elect Doe not the Arminians rather inuert the Gospell which faith that faith is of the elect but they say that faith is not of the elect but that election is of the faithfull That which Greuinchouius in that place doth stuffe in concerning reprobation shall be examined in his owne place XI The same man pag. 130. doth thus argue Saluation is the reward of faith 1 Pet. 1.9 the crowne of righteousnesse the reward of labour the prize of our strife and finished course the inheritance of the sonnes of God that is of the faithfull Iohn 1.12 Gal. 4.30 And because it is hard to see how these things can be drawne to election for faith fore-seene seeing it is not there spoken of election nor of faith foree-seene he addeth these words Therefore Election to saluation is not the decree concerning the end of men as they are men simply but of the saluation of men as they are such sort of men to wit of them that are faithfull and of them that perseuere in the faith This also we confesse in that sense which we said before but it were better to say of them that were to perseuere because God electing doth not consider faith and perseuerance as a thing performed but as a thing to be performed and that by his bounty and gift XII He further addeth The will of bestowing the reward the wages c. doth necessarily presuppose the fore-seeing of faith and perseuerance in faith by the couenant of the Gospell if thou beleeuest and doest perseuere thou shalt be saued Here you digresse from the question For it was spoken of election for faith foreseene but you speake of saluation which is bestowed after faith God electing to saluation doth fore-see that faith will come before the obtaining of saluation but he doth so fore-see it that God foreseeth that which he himselfe is to worke which to speake properly is not to fore-see but to will Furthermore eternall life is called the reward of faith because it is not to be had but
frowardnesse by what meanes it doth blow vp a man while he burst and lift him vp on high that it might throw him downe headlong For one that is filled with Armianisme may say thus God indeede is willing to saue me but he may be disappointed of his will hee may be defrauded of his naturall defires which are farre the best Those whom God will saue by his Antecedent will hee will destroy by his Consequent will Also his election doth rest on the fore-seeing of mans will I were a miserable man if my saluation depended vpon so vnstable a thing The same man will also reason thus God giueth to all men sufficient grace but hee hath not manifested Christ to all men therefore there is some grace sufficient without the knowledge of Christ Also the same man will easily beleeue that God doth mocke men for he hath learned in the schoole of Arminius that God doth seriously desire intend the saluation of all and singular men and yet that neuerthelesse he doth call very many by a meanes that is not congruent that is by a meanes in a time and measure which is not apt nor fit by which meanes whosoeuer is called doth neuer follow God calling But what doe I know whether he calleth by a congruent and agreeable meanes or no Adde also these famous opinions that vnregenerate men doe good workes that they are meeke thirsting after and doing the will of the Father that faith is partly from grace and partly from free-will Nay what that any maintainer of the sect of Arminius shall dare to set lawes to God himselfe and to say that God is bound to giue to all men power of beleeuing And that the iustice of God doth require that he may giue to man that which is his owne and that man himselfe may determine and open his owne heart to receiue the word of God O your fidelity Are these your famous incitations to holinesse of life Doth Arminius traine vp men to piety by these instructions Surely if any one is stirred vp to good workes by these things hee is thereby the more corrupted For God had rather haue sinnes with repentance then righteousnesse with pride God will not stirre vp men to repentance with the losse eyther of our faith or his glory Nor are we onely to doe our endeauour that men be stirred vp to repentance but we must also see that it be done by meanes that are conuenient and not contumelious against God CHAP. XXV Whether Christ be the cause and foundation of Election I. WE say that no man is saued but by and for Christ and that Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and price of our redemption the foundation and meritorious cause of our saluation But we doe not say that he is the cause of election or the cause why of two considered in the corrupted masse one is preferred before another There are not wanting examples of most wicked men to one whereof God so dispensing the Gospell hath beene preached whence it came to passe that he was conuerted and did beleeue but to the other the Gospell hath not beene preached The Scripture doth not say that the death of Christ is the cause of this but doth fetch the cause from the good pleasure of God who hath mercy on whom he will For the loue of the father doth alwaies goe before the mediation of the sonne seeing that the loue of the father to the world was the cause why he sent his sonne Yea truely seeing Christ himselfe as he is man is elected and the head of the elect hee cannot be the foundation and cause of election For as hee is the head of men as he is a man so is he the head of them that are predestinated as he is a man predestinated to so great honour which came to him by the meere grace of God II. Wherefore the Apostle calleth Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the price of our redemption and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the propitiation Coloss 1. Rom. 3. but he doth not say that he is the cause why some men should be elected rather then others III. Reason it selfe doth consent For as the recouery of the sicke-man doth in the intention alwaies goe before the vsing of the Phisitian so it must needes be that in the minde of God the thought of sauing men was not in time but in order before the thought of sending the Sauiour IV. Adde to these that the mediation and redemption of Christ is an action whereby the iustice of God is satisfied which is not signified by the word Election for it is one thing to be a mediator and another thing to be the cause of Election or of the preferring of one before another in the secret counsell of God Whence it is that Christ is the meritorious cause of our saluation but not of our election which is as much as if I should say that Christ is the foundation and cause of the execution of the decree of Election but not the cause of Election it selfe V. It is of no small moment that Christ Iohn 15.13 saith That he layeth downe his life for his friends chap. 10. v. 11. he calleth himselfe the good shepheard that layeth downe his life for his sheepe And if Christ be dead for his friends and for his sheepe it must needs be that when he died for them he did consider them as being already friends and sheepe although many of them were not then called as Christ himselfe doth testifie who in the sixteenth verse of the same chapter doth call those also his sheepe who were not yet conuerted And if Christ dying for vs considered vs as his friends and sheepe it is plaine that before the death of Christ there was already destinction made betweene his friends and enemies betweene the sheep and goates and therefore that the decree of Election was in order before the death of Christ and that the opinion of Arminius is to be hissed out as an opinion subuerting the Gospell whereby hee thinkes that the election had not place when Christ died Certainly he that died for his sheepe died for the elect and not for them who were to be elected after hee was dead By these things it is plaine that by those friends and sheepe for which Christ died are not vnderstood those onely who loue God and follow Christ but all those whom God loueth and whose saluation hee decreed for whom Christ died when they did not yet loue God and when they were enemies to him And therefore they are called enemies Rom. 5.10 because they did not loue God but yet euen then they were highly loued by God and were appointged to saluation in Christ For in a diuers respect they were both friends and enemies sheepe and goates Friends because God loued them enemies because they did not yet loue God VI. Neither is iniurie done to Christ if the loue of the Father and his good pleasure be said to goe in order
that which is perspicuous and plaine XIV For a foundation of this their opinion Arminius and after him Arnoldus doth lay this proposition That Predestination is the foundation of Christianity This demand he will haue to be granted him for he doth not proue it no otherwise then if one in the beginning of a disputation would obtaine by suite and would desire that it might be granted him that a circle hath corners This is a great demand and that which I thinke no man would grant him who knoweth what predestination is and what is the foundation of Christian Religion The foundation of Christian Religion is to acknowledge that Christ the onely sonne of God is sent from the father that whosoeuer beleeueth in him might not perish but haue euerlasting life It must needes be that the foundation of Christianity be the rule of faith on which the faith of Christians must rest but predestination is not the rule of faith but the action of God whereby bee determined to saue certaine men by Christ Farre be it from vs that wee should say that the secret decree by which seuerall men as Peter or Charles c. are elected is the foundation of Christianity Whosoeuer would from thence beginne to teach Religion and would beginne the elements of Christian faith at this decree of Predestination hee should eyther by the darkenesse cast before him tremble at the very entrance or should fall downe right as being taken with giddinesse Whatsoeuer things therfore Arnoldus doth build on so false a proposition doe of themselues fall to the ground so that we neede not ouerthrow those things which of themselues will fall downe Further also he doth impugne and striue against that thing which is not beleeued by vs to wit that we are loued by God without Christ onely the ambiguity wherewith he would deceiue the Reader is to be noted when he saith Page 171. That Christ is the foundation of our receining into grace and into the loue of God If by receiuing into grace and loue he vnderstand the reconciliation by his satisfaction performed for vs I confesse that Christ is the foundation of that receiuing into grace and of that loue But if by receiuing into grace and loue be vnderstood that loue of the father by which hee would send his sonne to saue vs which is the greatest loue of all and the fountaine of all good certainely Arminius himselfe would not haue Christ to be the foundation of that loue and yet by that very same loue God chose from eternity whom he would XV. I doe not search into that which Arminius boldly and rashly hath dared to say that God could not saue vs otherwise then by Christ nor had he any other meanes for the saluation of man God could not saith he will eternall life to any one without the respect of a mediator And the Arminian conferrers at the Hage It is impossible for God to decree saluation to sinners but that he must before haue decreed the satisfaction of his iustice Now they speake of the satisfaction of Christ Surely they doe boldly and rashly containe the wisedome of God within limits and if this thing were true yet it were not for man to speake such things It is sufficient that God hath followed the most conuenient way and then which none is better By the way it is to be obserued that this opinion hath not pleased Vorstius He Page 33. disput de Deo doth affirme That it was lawfull for God to relent or yeelde somewhat of his owne right no lesse then to retaine or pursue that which is his right And Page 399. It is false to say that no sinne could be let passe vnpunished by the iustice of God XVII The conferrers at the Hage doe thus argue If the decree of Christ the Sauiour be after the decree of the election of some particular persons to saluation then God decreed the saluation of some particular persons in order before he decreed the satisfaction of his iustice Here is a manisold deceite For the decree of sauing certaine men and the decree of sending Christ to saue them they make two decrees when it is but one for election is the decree of sauing certaine men in Christ It is not one decree by which God hath appointed man to life and another by which he hath appointed him to breathing There is another fraud in that they compare the saluation of seuerall men with the satisfaction of Gods iustice when the comparison was to be made of the manifestation of the goodnesse of God by which hee doth saue seuerall men with the satisfaction of his iustice It is not inconuenient if God be said first to haue decreed the manifestation of his goodnesse before the satisfaction of his iustice Adde to these that they doe craftily vse these words the election of some particular persons to extenuation and contempt for these some particular persons are the Church of the Elect whose saluation is of so great account with God that for the saluation thereof he would satisfie his owne iustice Whence it followeth that God that he might declare his goodnesse did first intend their saluation before the satisfaction of his iustice CHAP. XXVI The other things which they adde are now to be examined by vs. I. THE doctrine of Reprobation is so farre profitable to the elect in as much as by the comparison of the lot of Reprobates with theirs they are stirred vp to the praise and admiration of the bounty of God towards them Then also when the pledges of Election doe begin to faile and the spirit of adoption is grieued by the lusts of the flesh it is profitable to the faithfull to be striken with some horrour and to be stirred vp to try themselues whether they proceede in regeneration or whether they grow worse and fall backe that so pricks and incitements might be put to them that are sloathfull II. The very word election doth proue that there are some that are reprobates for there were not some elected vnlesse the rest were passed by and reiected The Scripture maketh mention of Reprobates 1. Pet. 2.8 Which stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also they were appointed And Iude 4. Certaine men are crept in vnawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation These in the Reuelation are noted out vnto vs by those who are not written in the book of life the number of whom Christ doth insinuate to be very great when hee saith Many are called few chosen The same is proued by experience For not onely before the comming of Christ but also at this time there are very many nations to whom the name of Christ is not knowne without the knowledge of which there is no saluation III. Reprobation is the decree of God by which from eternity he decreed not to giue to certaine men his grace by which they might be freed from their engrafted deprauation and from the curse due to them and appointed
that they should beleeue Truely if it be so then Christ hath not made intercession for all For that which is asked on a condition take away the condition and it is not asked He that saith to God I pray to thee for all so they beleeue doth plainely declare that he doth not pray for them which doe not beleeue Wherefore Christ himselfe doth restraine his sending into the world and therefore also his intercession to the faithfull alone Iohn 3.13 God so loued the world that he sent his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life There you see that not onely the fruit or application of the donation and giuing of the Sonne that I may so speake but also the donation it selfe doth belong onely to beleeuers XXV But it is worth the labour to know what that particular intercession is with which as these sectaries doe confesse Christ Iohn 17. doth make intercession for the faithfull alone and to know what it is that he asketh by it Father saith he keepe them And a little after I pray thee that thou wouldest keepe them from the euill If this intercession be peculiar to the faithfull I doe not see what remaineth for the generall intercession For without these things all intercession is vaine And seeing in the Lords prayer these two things are asked ioyntly and together to wit remission of sinnes and freedome from euill who would endure such a bold forgery whereby the Arminians doe pull asunder these things and will haue Christ to obtaine remission of sinnes for all but not freedome from the euill XXVI And if Christ prayeth for all he prayeth also for them whom hee knoweth doe sinne the sinne vnto death for which Saint Iohn doth not suffer vs to pray Iohn 5.16 XXVII Yea the Arminians here are not constant to themselues when they say that Christ did intercede by a particular intercession for the faithfull and for those whom the father gaue to the Sonne for seeing they teach that the faithfull godly men may fall from the faith be condemned it appeareth that they will haue Christ to intercede for many reprobates by a particular intercession if many of the faithfull are reprobates XXVIII Arminius p 70. against Perkins doth bring for this purpose many things which I doe not know whether they will be alowed by his followers First he thinks that Christ doth sacrifice himself for many for whom he doth not make intercession because his sacrificing was before his intercessiō For he wil haue the sacrificing of Christ to pertaine to his meriting his intercession to pertain to the application of his merit These things seeme to me to be repugnant not onely to the truth but euen to common sence For whosoeuer doth prepare himselfe to be a purging sacrifice for another doth necessarily pray that the sacrifice which he is to offer may be pleasing and acceptable for him for whom he doth offer himselfe for a sacrifice And whosoeuer doth offer a price of redemption doth first intreate this price may be receiued as that Chryses in Homer speaking thus Iliad ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Release to me my louing daughter and accept the gifts See in the first place his prayers and then the offering of the price Therefore intercession doth necessarily goe before the sacrifice Arminius addes It is true indeede that Christ in the daies of his flesh offered vp prayers and teares to God the father but those prayers were not made for the obtaining of those good things he merited for vs that is for the obtaining of saluation but for the assistance of the spirit that he might stand in the combat An impious and wicked opinion for by it it is denyed that Christ prayed for our saluation before he died when yet Iohn 17. hee prayeth thus before his death Keepe them in thy name And Father I desire that those which thou hast giuen me may be with me that they may see the glory which thou hast giuen me Arminius himselfe is ashamed of so false a doctrine for by a certaine doubtfull Epanorthosis or correction he doth seeme to condemne that which hee said for he addes But if he did then offer prayers for the obtaining of this application they did depend on his sacrifice that was to be finished as if it were finished That speech But if is the speech of one doubting when yet it is a thing most certaine But what is this against Perkins who saith that Christ doth not sacrifice himselfe for them for whom hee doth not pray Surely these things which Arminius doth heape vp are nothing to the purpose nor doe they touch the matter For although the prayers which Christ offered vp for our saluation before his death are grounded on the merit of his death that was to come yet that remaineth which Perkins saith that Christ doth not sacrifice himselfe for them for whom hee doth not pray For the death of Christ had not beene a sacrifice vnlesse hee had prayed that it might be accepted of the father for their life for whom he died For griefe and torment is not of its owne nature a sacrifice vnlesse there be also such a petition XXIX I doe not deny but that Christ in his death prayed for them that crucified him But I denie that he prayed for all without exception but for them alone who did it by ignorance for he saith Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe Luke 23.24 Whom a little after as Saint Luke doth testifie were conuerted to the faith Act. 2. and Chap. 3.17 Doth not Christ say this with an humane affection and not as the redeemer For as he was man he might wish well to those whom as he was God he knew were reprobates Thus hee wept ouer the inhabitants of Ierusalem the fall and reiection of which Citty as he was God he had decreed XXX And when the sectaries doe deny that Christ on the crosse sustained the person of the elect they doe openly impugne that speech of Christ Iohn 10.11 I am that good shepheard the good shepheard giueth his life for his sheepe And Iohn 15.13 Greater loue then this hath no man that one should lay downe his life for his friends And Ephes 5.25 Christ loued his Church and gaue himselfe for it Christ therefore died for his sheepe for his friends for his Church and what are these but the faithfull and elect Can Pharaoh Iudas c. in any respect be called the sheepe of Christ The Arminians answere that they are called sheepe not in respect of the present condition but of that to come A vaine thing For the condition to come was already present in the decree of God in respect of which decree they are called sheep before their conuersion Iohn 10.16 For they are called sheepe not onely because they were to gather themselus to the fould of Christ but because God in his eternall counsell decreed to giue them faith by
speake of my selfe Hence they would proue that one may doe the will of God before he know Christ and his doctrine This is to delude the Scripture and to wrest it at their pleasure For they speake as if Christ had said Hee that doth fulfill the commandements of God shall afterward know of my doctrine whether it be of God c. Also by the words to doe the will of God they vnderstand to acknowledge their sinnes to feare God with a seruile and slauish feare seriously to wish the grace of God and remission of sinnes to doe those things which are of the law c. All false For to doe the will of God in this place is nothing else then to beleeue Christ speaking for this is that which Christ doth vrge that this is the will of the father that we should beleeue on the Sonne Whose words if any man beleeues hee thereby knoweth that his doctrine is heauenly and diuine wherefore we are not to thinke that we doe the will of God before we beleeue in his Sonne Thus although it be true that he who is moued doth liue yet it doth not thence follow that motion is before life So in that Christ saith Whosoeuer will doe the will of the father shall know that my doctrine is from God It doth not thence follow that the will of the father must be done before it can be knowne that his doctrine is from God But if there is any order of time here it must needes be that the doctrine of Christ be first knowne to be from God before he can be beleeued or obeyed when he speakes For no man doth beleeue that which hee doth not in some part know Christ followeth this order Iohn 17.8 They haue knowne that I came out from thee and they haue beleeued that thou didst send mee And Chap. 14.17 he saith that the spirit of truth is not receiued by the world because the world doth not know him To know therefore is before to receiue V. That is no better which Arnoldus doth adde Page 409. The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome Prou. 1. And The Lord reuealeth his secrets to them that feare him Psal 25. But I deny that the feare of the Lord of which it is spoken here can agree to vnbeleeuers and vnregenerate men Salomon saith that the feare of the Lord is the head of wisedome that is the chiefe part and that wherein wisedome doth chiefely consist for this the Hebrew word Reshith doth plainely signifie And those that feare God to whom he reuealeth his secrets are not vnregenerate persons but those which are truely godly to whom hee doth daily giue increase of wisedome and of the true knowledge of God VI. To the same end Arnoldus Page 397. doth bring the words of the 51. Psalme A contrite spirit is an acceptable sacrifice to God And Esay 66. God will dwell in a contrite spirit Arnoldus thinketh that these things are spoken of an vnregenerate man but yet such a one as doth confesse his sinnes doth grieue hath the beginning of feare c. But hee eyther deceiues or is deceiued For there Dauid lamenting his sinnes with a large confession doth comfort himselfe with this hope and doth promise to himselfe that his contrition will be an acceptable sacrifice to God Whosoeuer therefore doth say that Dauid there speaketh of the contrition of an vnregenerate man doth affirme that Dauid himselfe was vnregenerate And there is no man but seeth that Esay doth speake of them that are truely faithfull and of a filiall feare and contrition and not of that feare which may be in the vnregenerate and in the heathen who haue not heard the word of God For the Prophet saith To whom shall I looke To him that is afflicted and of a contrite heart and trembleth at my word Hee speaketh of the man who is instructed in the word of God and who with a holy feare is moued to the hearing of it VII Arnoldus a little before had reckoned vp the good workes which may be done by an vnregenerate man viz. To doe those things which are of the law to haue some sparkes of light and knowledge engrauen on his heart to grieue for his sinnes to implore the grace of remission of sinnes and of the new spirit But how many nations are there who doe not know what this new spirit is nor haue euer heard any thing of the grace of remission of sins Also I would know whether such things that are done by the vnregenerate without faith are truely good If they be truely good then we can doe that which is truely good without Christ without his spirit and without faith If they are not truely good how can that not be truely good and iust which God alone intendeth and which alone nothing more if Arminius be beleeued he doth require from the vnregenerate man as long as he is vnregenerate VIII A little after he saith that the same worke cannot be performed as perfect in its essence without the faith of Christ and he doth put this difference betweene workes which are done before regeneration and they which are done after regeneration to wit that they are imperfect these are perfect These are the two kindes of merits with which in the Schooles of the Papists make such a noyse merits of congruity and merits of condignity but new dressed and cloathed with other names The Reader therefore shall note that the Arminians place in a regenerate man perfect workes and a perfect loue of God For they thinke that the regenerate may by the spirit of Christ so conforme their life according to that law that they may come to that degree of obedience which God doth require of them These are the words of Arnoldus pag. 492. and pag. 399. according to Arminius he saith that there is a double spirit one that doth goe before regeneration and doth tend to it which is the spirit of bondage to feare the other which doth regenerate and doth perfect regeneration Arminius Resp ad 31. Art pa. 164. and 165. I doe not repugne that opinion of Austin whereby he determines that man may be without sinne in this life Truely it is boldly spoken The Arminians then are better then the Apostle Iames who speaketh thus Chap. 3. In many things we offend all In which speech he doth account himselfe among them who offend in many things Better then Saint Iohn whose confession is this If we say we haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs Yea better then all the Apostles who did daily say Forgiue vs our trespasses Neither is it to be maruailed at if the Arminians thinke that the regenerate can fulfill the Law seeing they also say that the Law of nature may be fulfilled by the heathen and vnregenerate Now the Law of nature is that to which Adam before his fall stood bound which bond passed to his posteritie This Law forbids a man to lye but 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