they should say that freedome was obtained for one but not that he should be freed or that foode was obtained for one but it was not procured that hee should be fed with this foode IX And seeing that by faith the application of the death of Christ is made if Christ by his death hath not obtained for vs the application of this reconciliation it will follow that he hath not obtained faith for vs For they must needes deny that faith is obtained for vs who will not haue faith to be from grace alone but to be partly from free-will in whose power they will haue it to be to refuse or admit grace to beleeue in act or not to beleeue X. And surely hee that shall more attentiuely consider what these words meane The obtaining of application and the application of the thing obtained will finde that it is a meere Meteor or building of Castles in the ayre and that they are vnseasonable trifles with which they enwrap mens wits seeing Christ doth obtaine nothing which he doth not apply nor doth he apply any thing which he hath not obtained Otherwise in vaine were the obtaining of that benefit which both he that obtaineth it and he of whom it is obtained knoweth that it will neuer be applied and that it will neuer profit him for whom it is obtained Nor is it credible that the remission of that sinne which shall neuer be remitted is procured XI Yea these innouators doe so speake as they that would haue by the death of Christ something to be procured not for vs but for God For they say that by the death of Christ God obtained power of sauing vs but they denie that the application or conferring of saluation was obtained by the death of Christ for Peter or Paul but that onely a gate and way was opened for them by which they might come to saluation Wherefore Christ by his death will be said to be not the giuer but the preparer of saluation And certainly the opinion of Arminius doth tend thither that Christ should be said not to haue obtained reconciliation for any one but to haue laid open a way for God by which he might bestow saluation XII They doe no lesse trifle when they confesse that the fruit of the resurrection of Christ Aduer Walach P. 51. Non ad eos omnes fructus resurrectionis extenditor prâ— quibus mâ—rtem oppetijt Christâ—â— pertained onely to the faithfull but the fruit of his death that is reconciliation and remission of sinnes they extend to all and seuerall men Ther fore if these men be beleeued there will be some mâ—n to whom the fruit of the death of Christ doth pertaine but the fruit of his resurrection doth not pertaine As if they should say that Christ died for some men for whom hee hath not ouercome death And that the fruit of the fight belonged to all but not the fruit of the victory And there will be some men for whom although he hath offered himselfe on earth yet hee doth not offer himselfe in heauen But the Scripture ioyneth these things as inseuerable and vnseperable that hee died for vs and that he rose againe for vs Rom 8.34 It is Christ that died yea rather that is risâ—n againe who is at the right hand of God making intercession for vs. And the 2. Co. 5.14 That they which liue should not henceforth liue vnto themselues but vnto him that died for them and rose againe Because no man is made partaker of the fruite of the death of Christ but by his resurrection XIII It is of no small moment that if reconciliation were obtained for all mankind it must needs be that all infants borne without the couenant are reconciled their sinne is forgiuen them Whence it would come to passe that they could not haue a greater benefit bestowed vpon them then if one in a gentle cruelty should kill them in their cradles For if they die in this state of reconciliation their saluation is certaine but if they liue they shall be brought vp in paganisme which is the most sure way to eternall destruction XIV And seeing no man can be saued but hee for whom reconciliation hath beene obtained and hath also beene applied I doe not see what the obtaining of reconciliation doth differ from the application of it in infants which are taken away by an vntimely death For by the doctrine of Arminius they are saued by reconciliation alone Here therefore that distinction of the obtaining of reconciliation and of applying of it doth vanish away Which distinction although it may haue place among men yet with God it cannot haue place who granteth nothing which he doth not giue from whom nothing is obtained which hee doth not giue and conferre in act For to him all things are fore-seene neyther can any thing happen by which hee should be compelled to deny what hee hath granted to change his counsell or to abolish his acts XV. And if these two things be compared betweene themselues to obtaine reconciliation for his enemies that they might be saued and to bestow saluation on them that are already reconciled it is no doubt but that it is farre greater loue to die to reconcile his enemies then to giue saluation to them that are reconciled The Apostle teacheth thâ—s expresly Rom. 5.10 If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saued by his life If Saint Paul be beleeued it is an easier and more likely thing to saue him that is reconciled then to reconcile him that is an enemy by dying for him Seeing therefore that Christ if we giue credit to Arminius hath performed for all men that which is farre the greatest and is an argument of his highest loue it will be said that Christ in dying for vs loued Pilate Iudas Saul and Pharaoh no lesse then Peter and Iohn But there is no man can make himselfe beleeue vnlesse it be hee that is willing to be deceiued that Christ loued those with his greatest loue whom his father from eternity hated and whom the sonne himselfe knew were from eternity appointed to punishment XVI Yea truely seeing Christ as hee is one God with the father hath from eternity predestinated the reprobates to damnation it is not likely yea not possible that the same Christ hath obtained reconciliation for Iudas as hee is man and a mediator and hath from eternity reprobated the same man as hee is God For although these sectaries will haue the decree of reprobation to be in order after the obtaining of reconciliation yet neither of them is in time before the other and it must needes be that the desire of reconciling and the decree of reprobating were together in one and the same minde XVII Notable is the speech of Christ Iohn 15.13 Greater loue hath no man then this that one lay downe his life for his friends The meaning of Christ is that friends cannot
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
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
frowardnesse by what meanes it doth blow vp a man while he burst and lift him vp on high that it might throw him downe headlong For one that is filled with Armianisme may say thus God indeede is willing to saue me but he may be disappointed of his will hee may be defrauded of his naturall defires which are farre the best Those whom God will saue by his Antecedent will hee will destroy by his Consequent will Also his election doth rest on the fore-seeing of mans will I were a miserable man if my saluation depended vpon so vnstable a thing The same man will also reason thus God giueth to all men sufficient grace but hee hath not manifested Christ to all men therefore there is some grace sufficient without the knowledge of Christ Also the same man will easily beleeue that God doth mocke men for he hath learned in the schoole of Arminius that God doth seriously desire intend the saluation of all and singular men and yet that neuerthelesse he doth call very many by a meanes that is not congruent that is by a meanes in a time and measure which is not apt nor fit by which meanes whosoeuer is called doth neuer follow God calling But what doe I know whether he calleth by a congruent and agreeable meanes or no Adde also these famous opinions that vnregenerate men doe good workes that they are meeke thirsting after and doing the will of the Father that faith is partly from grace and partly from free-will Nay what that any maintainer of the sect of Arminius shall dare to set lawes to God himselfe and to say that God is bound to giue to all men power of beleeuing And that the iustice of God doth require that he may giue to man that which is his owne and that man himselfe may determine and open his owne heart to receiue the word of God O your fidelity Are these your famous incitations to holinesse of life Doth Arminius traine vp men to piety by these instructions Surely if any one is stirred vp to good workes by these things hee is thereby the more corrupted For God had rather haue sinnes with repentance then righteousnesse with pride God will not stirre vp men to repentance with the losse eyther of our faith or his glory Nor are we onely to doe our endeauour that men be stirred vp to repentance but we must also see that it be done by meanes that are conuenient and not contumelious against God CHAP. XXV Whether Christ be the cause and foundation of Election I. WE say that no man is saued but by and for Christ and that Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and price of our redemption the foundation and meritorious cause of our saluation But we doe not say that he is the cause of election or the cause why of two considered in the corrupted masse one is preferred before another There are not wanting examples of most wicked men to one whereof God so dispensing the Gospell hath beene preached whence it came to passe that he was conuerted and did beleeue but to the other the Gospell hath not beene preached The Scripture doth not say that the death of Christ is the cause of this but doth fetch the cause from the good pleasure of God who hath mercy on whom he will For the loue of the father doth alwaies goe before the mediation of the sonne seeing that the loue of the father to the world was the cause why he sent his sonne Yea truely seeing Christ himselfe as he is man is elected and the head of the elect hee cannot be the foundation and cause of election For as hee is the head of men as he is a man so is he the head of them that are predestinated as he is a man predestinated to so great honour which came to him by the meere grace of God II. Wherefore the Apostle calleth Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the price of our redemption and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the propitiation Coloss 1. Rom. 3. but he doth not say that he is the cause why some men should be elected rather then others III. Reason it selfe doth consent For as the recouery of the sicke-man doth in the intention alwaies goe before the vsing of the Phisitian so it must needes be that in the minde of God the thought of sauing men was not in time but in order before the thought of sending the Sauiour IV. Adde to these that the mediation and redemption of Christ is an action whereby the iustice of God is satisfied which is not signified by the word Election for it is one thing to be a mediator and another thing to be the cause of Election or of the preferring of one before another in the secret counsell of God Whence it is that Christ is the meritorious cause of our saluation but not of our election which is as much as if I should say that Christ is the foundation and cause of the execution of the decree of Election but not the cause of Election it selfe V. It is of no small moment that Christ Iohn 15.13 saith That he layeth downe his life for his friends chap. 10. v. 11. he calleth himselfe the good shepheard that layeth downe his life for his sheepe And if Christ be dead for his friends and for his sheepe it must needs be that when he died for them he did consider them as being already friends and sheepe although many of them were not then called as Christ himselfe doth testifie who in the sixteenth verse of the same chapter doth call those also his sheepe who were not yet conuerted And if Christ dying for vs considered vs as his friends and sheepe it is plaine that before the death of Christ there was already destinction made betweene his friends and enemies betweene the sheep and goates and therefore that the decree of Election was in order before the death of Christ and that the opinion of Arminius is to be hissed out as an opinion subuerting the Gospell whereby hee thinkes that the election had not place when Christ died Certainly he that died for his sheepe died for the elect and not for them who were to be elected after hee was dead By these things it is plaine that by those friends and sheepe for which Christ died are not vnderstood those onely who loue God and follow Christ but all those whom God loueth and whose saluation hee decreed for whom Christ died when they did not yet loue God and when they were enemies to him And therefore they are called enemies Rom. 5.10 because they did not loue God but yet euen then they were highly loued by God and were appointged to saluation in Christ For in a diuers respect they were both friends and enemies sheepe and goates Friends because God loued them enemies because they did not yet loue God VI. Neither is iniurie done to Christ if the loue of the Father and his good pleasure be said to goe in order
before the decree of sending his sonne seeing Christ himselfe doth witnesse it Iohn 3.16 God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne c. where the loue of the father is manifestly set before the sending of the sonne which is so to be vnderstood as that the sonne is not excluded from the act of election it selfe seeing that he also is one God with the father but this was done by him not as hee is mediator but as he is God VII Neither is any iniury done to Christ if the will of the father concerning the sauing of men be said to goe before the redemption of Christ seeing that this redemption is also after sinne for the disease is before the medicine VIII Nor is any thing detracted from the greatnesse of the price of our redemption if his will who offered the price be said to goe before it IX The very definition of the decree of election doth proue this thing for election is the decree of sauing certaine men by Christ in which definition Christ is laid downe not as the cause of election but as the meanes of the execution of it and as the meritorious cause of saluation X. It is maruailous how much the Arminians insult here For because wee make the loue of God to goe not in time but in order before the mediation of the sonne they so deale with vs as if we taught that God loued vs without Christ and as being considered without faith in Christ which doth differ as much from our opinion as that which doth differ most Be it farre from vs that wee should say that God would euer bestow saluation vpon vs but that together and in the same moment he considered vs in Christ as being to be saued by him Nor was there any cause why we for that thing should be accused of Sicianisme we haue nothing to doe with that Alastor and hellish monster which doth altogether ouerthrow the benefit of Christ But it is one thing to say that the loue of the father doth in order goe before the mediation of the sonne and another thing to say that God loueth vs without the sonne It is one thing to dispose the thoughts of God in order and another thing to separate them and pull them asunder Arminius who in the beginning of his booke against Perkins calleth himselfe a wirty fellow doâ—h craftily yea wickedly catch at and hunt after points of priority in order to pull asunder those things which cannot be seperated Hee doth therefore as much as if one should say that the thought of creating man was first in order in God before the thought of adorning him with holinesse and righteousnes and would thence inferrre that God would first create man not iust or first to haue considered him as not holy If any man saith that in the decree of God the thought of ouerthrowing of the world was before the thought of ouerthrowing it by fire hee doth not therefore say that God first thought of ouerthrowing it without fire All the purposes of God are eternall although there be a certaine order and dependency betweene them XI That place of Saint Iohn Chap. 3. vexeth Arminius God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten sonne c. where the loue of God is laide downe as the cause by which it came to passe that he gaue the sonne He doth therefore endeauour to delude so direct a place by a witlesse cauell That loue saith he is not that by which he will giue eternall life which appeareth by the very words of Iohn who doth ioyne faith betweene this loue and eternall life The Reader therefore shall obserue that Arminius himselfe doth acknowledge that there is a kinde of loue of God towards men which doth goe before his decree of sending his sonne But hee saith that God by that loue is not willing to giue eternall life What then will hee doe by it For this thing hee ought to shew Will God by that loue leaue men in death Is it possible that God should loue the creature created by him to life but he must needes by the same loue will that it should liue I am ashamed of so weake a subtilty Yea truely in that he sent his sonne by that loue it is sufficiently manifest that by that loue he was willing man should be restored to life But saith he faith commeth betweene that loue and eternall life What then Cannot I will the recouery of him that is sicke although the Phisition come betweene my will and his recouery Surely he maketh those things opposite and contrary which are appolite and ioyned together But I doe not see how he rather fauoureth Socinus who saith that Christ is not the cause of Election then he that saith that Christ is not the cause of the loue whereby God would send Christ into the world and prouide for vs a redeemer Or why there should be a greater offence in making the redemption of Christ to be the medium and meane betweene the loue of God by which hee elected vs and betweene our saluation then if it be made the medium a meane betweene the loue of God by which he will giue Christ for vs and betweene our saluation For on both sides redemption is made the meanes and not the first cause Let vs not therefore enuy God the father this praise that his good pleasure thould be made the fountaine and first originall of our Election XII Obserue moreouer that that Election whereof Arminius will haue Christ to be the foundation is that generall election whereby all men are conditionally elected which seeing wee haue largely consuted Chap. 18. whatsoeuer the Arminians doe bring to proue that Christ is the foundation of election doth vanish away Surely there was no cause why they should so earnestly labour to proue that Christ was the foundation of that election by which Pharaoh and Iudas were elected Of which imaginary election he shall haue the true character and portraiture who hath brought in God speaking thus I decreed to send my sonne to saue all men who shall beleeue but who and how many they shall be I haue not determined onely I will giue to all men sufficient power to beleeue but he shall belecue who will himselfe XIII Arminius doth defend himselfe against so euident a truth by one little word of the Apostle Ephes 1.4 He hath elected vs in Christ But it is one thing to be elected in Christ and another thing to be elected for Christ so that Christ should be the cause why one is elected rather then another The meaning of the Apostle is cleere To elect is nothing else then to appoint to saluation Therfore to elect in Christ is to appoint to saluation to be obtained in or by Christ For whosoeuer God hath decreed to saue he hath giuen them to Christ and hath considered them as ioyned to Christ Hee seeketh a knot in a bulrush who by farre fetched interpretations would darken
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
all men to be saued Which that it was truely spoken by Faustus and according to the Catholike faith the Arelaten Synode hath rightly iudged For the Synode beleeued that this was spoken by Faustus against Pelagius who seeing hee denied originall sinne and thought that a man might perfectly fulfill the law by his owne free-will it is no maruaile if hee said that Christ died not for all for why should Christ die for them that were not sinners Or what neede is there of Phisicke where there is no disease Or what neede of the Gospell to him who hath fulfilled the law But Faustus a crafty and subtle man imposed it vpon the Arelaten Synode with ambiguous and deceitfull words wherewith that Epistle was cloathed which hee offered to the Synode For afterward he explaned his meaning in the booke which hee writ De gratia qua saluamur where hee doth more incline to Pelagius which booke Gennadius Gennad lib de Scriptor Eccles cap. 85. Sydon Apol. lib 9. Epist 9. and Sydonius Apollinaris doe so mention that they seeme to thinke honorably of it But at the same time Caesarius Bishop of Arles and Auitus Bishop of Vienna writ against this Booke as Ado doth testifie in his Chronicle to whom Fulgentius Bishop of Ruspe in Africa ioyned himselfe Whereby we may see that the authority of Faustus is not so great that it ought to be of any estimation here Neither was this question euer handled in that sence that now it is for there was neuer question made as farre as I know before this age whether Christ by his death purchased saluation for all and seuerall men or whether by his death he obtained reconciliation as well for Pharaoh as for Peter CHAP. XXXI Whether God loue all men equally and doth alike desire the saluation of all I. THe question whereby it is demanded whether God doth equally loue all men and so desire their saluation is an addition to the former question and doth depend on it For if remission of sinnes and saluation are not purchased for all men by the death of Christ it is plaine that all men are not equally loued by God wherefore these innouators doe defend themselues in either question by the same places of Scripture These are the words of Arnoldus pag. 379 God in a generall will and affection doth equally desire the saluation of all men Greuinchouius pag. 335. doth consent to this The will of God and his affection of sauing men is equall towards all For in that series and order of the foure decrees in which they comprehend the whole doctrine of Predestination this is the third that God decreed to administer to all men sufficient meanes to faith and repentance But I suppose that these things are affirmed by them not because they beleeue and seriously thinke so but that they might maintaine their other opinions which cannot stand if this opinion fall for they doe openly repugne the Scripture experience yea and themselues II. Which before we demonstrate the reader is to be admonished that loue in God is not an affection nor passion nor inclination of the minde nor any desire for God is not touched by these passions as being impassible and not subiect to affections But as God is said then to be angry or to hate when he will punish or destroy so loue in God is a eertaine and sure will of doing good to the creature Whence it commeth to passe that hee may rightly be said to be loued by God to whom hee hath giuen or hath decreed to giue more and better good things III. This difference is manifestly seene not onely betweene the good and the euill but also betweene good men themselues to some one of whom God hath giuen more vnderstanding and doth measure out his spirit in a larger greater measure but to another more sparingly and as it were with a striked measure to one he giueth two talents to another fiue according to his owne good pleasure Not onely giuing many things to the best men but also making them better while hee giueth them many things IV. And here I cannot but meruaile with what face Greuinchouius pag. 335. dares to say that God gaue fiâ—e talents to one in the hope of receiuing more gaine from him then the other as if hope or feare or gaine could happen to God or as if he who so carefully encreased his estate by the fiue talents put out to vsury had not from God the will and power of imploying them so happily God is vnaptly said to hope for that which himselfe is to worke These subtill men are wont to say when they are vrged that these things are spoken by an Anthropopathy to mans capacity but in the meane while they abuse these improper words to bring in their owne speculations and to build vp their owne opinions In preaching and speaking to the people this impropriety of speech is to be borne with but not in disputing and when the importance of truth is to be considered and weighed V. Concerning this inequality of the gifts of God I would haue the Arminians shew me why God hath giuen more gifts to Paul then to Marke or Cleophas that were otherwise holy and good men Was it because Saint Paul before his conuersion was more inclined to the faith of Christ and better affected then they Or because Paul vsed that common and generall grace which happeneth euen to the reprobates better then Marke These are trifles for there was then none more deadly enemie to the name of Christ then Paul What then was the cause why because it so seemed good to God who doth with his owne what he will and who in distributing the gifts of the holy Ghost doth not follow an Arithmeticall or Geometricall proportion for he doth giue vnequall good things to them that are equally euill according to his owne pleasure as being a debtor to no man nor subiect to any Law VI. But the difference and inequality of the loue of God will more clearely appeare if those whom God doth call by his word and to whom he doth giue the spirit of adoption and faith and by them saluation be compared with other men Many saith Christ Mat. 22.4 are called few chosen Behold here three sorts of men some that are not called some that are called and not elected some that are called and elected all which that they are confusedly and equally loued and that God doth alike desire their saluation cannot be said or thought VII Christ Iohn 6.44 saith No man can come to me vnlesse my father which sent me draw him Where that it is spoken of the drawing to faith and by faith to saluation no man doth doubt Secing therefore by these words it is manifest that all are not so drawne it is certaine that they are most loued who are so drawne Faith is the gift of God but all men haue not faith and it is giuen but to few therefore these are more loued So the
Preâ—estination although some abuse it to curiosity and impiety And whereto it is profitable THere are some who being weary of the contentions which proceede from the doctrine of Prouidence and Predestination doe thinke that it is most safe for the peace of the Church and quiet of conscience not to touch these questions nor to speake any words of them to the people to be suggested into them seeing that by these speeches scruples are fastned in mens mindes doubtings are bred and the faith of the weake is shaken Let the people be taught say they not what God doth or decreeth but what he would haue to be done by vs let the doctrine of good Workes be instilled into their minds and the secrets of Election and Reprobation left to God Surely this speech sauoureth more of honesty then truth For these men while they make shew of the study of piety and loue of concord they doe secretly accuse Christ and his Apostles of imprudency and indiscretion because they so often beate vpon the doctrine of Election in the new Testament And while they are held with a preposterous religion they are the authors that the Pastours of the Church cut away a portion from the word of God neither doe they propound to the people the intire Doctrine of the Gospell And whilest in a voluntary ignorance they affect the praise of modesty they require discretion in God himselfe And what shall we say to this that without this Doctrine due honour cannot be giuen to God nor our faith made stable For by the Doctrine of Predestination that immeasurable heape of the goodnesse and loue of God towards vs by which he loued vs and respected vs before the foundations of the world were laid doth enter into our mindes Also whatsouer light or grace God doth measure to vs is acknowledged to be a riuer flowing from that eternall loue By this doctrine mans merits doe fall to the ground and the imaginary faculty of free-will in things pertaining to saluation doth vanish away The confidence of our saluation will also stagger vnlesse it be vpholden by the immutable decree of God and not by mans free-will This doctrine also is a great lightning of our sorrowes and mittigation of all bitternesse while we consider that all things euen those that are most grieuous turne to the good of them who are called by the purpose of God Neither is there any more forcible instigation to good workes then the acknowledgement of that eternall loue wherewith God in Christ hath loued vs before all worlds Finally by this doctrine we are taught to search into our selues and to try our owne consciences to finde in vs and to stirre vp the testimonies of our election knowing that our owne endeauour and care ought to further the election of God and that by the way of hell that is by impenitency and vnbeliefe it is impossible to come to heauen This Doctrine therefore the Scripture being our guide may profitably be propounded so we keepe mediocrity betweene affected ignorance and rash curiosity and follow such a moderation that while we doe auoide things vnlawfull we doe not abstaine from those that are lawfull In this worke we haue to doe with men which offend both wayes and doe runne vpon either extremity For if any one Arminius doth breake into the secrets of God and doth with a scrupulous curiosity cut into peeces the decree of Election and yet the same man doth extenuate the whole doctrine of Election as a thing which if it were not knowne Gods loue by it would not be diminished towards vs nor any iniury done to his grace They which denie this election saith he denie that which is true In Perkin Pag. 84. but without any wrong to the grace or mercy of God CHAP. III. What the prouidence of God is How farre it extends That God is not the author of sinne What permission is And what blinding and hardening is I. PRouidence is a diuine vertue the gouernesse of all things by which God hath fore-knowne and fore-ordained from eternity both the ends of all things and the meanes tending to those ends II. All things being present to God there is nothing which from eternity he hath not foreseene But whether hee hath made a peculiar decree for all seuerall euents it may be doubted For it doth not seeme likely that God from eternity hath decreed how many eares of Corne shall grow in the Neapolitan or any other field or how many shreds hang on the torne beggars coate or couering Because these things haue no respect of good or euill neither doe they adde to the glory of God or protection of the world Summ Theol. 2 part Qu. 23 Art 7. And therefore Thomas is of opinion That by the decree of God the number of men is determined but not the number of Gnats or Wormes Not that those little things doe escape rhe knowledge of God or that God cannot extend his prouidence to them but because it doth not seem conuenient to his so great wisdome to decree any thing which doth adde nothing to his glory or to the protection of the vniuerse Surely God hath from eternity fore-knowne all things euen those that are least But hee hath onely pre-ordained and decreed those things which haue in them some matter of good and whereby the glory of God is made more illustrious or the world more perfect III. The will of God cannot bee resisted Rom. 9.20 God speaketh of himselfe Esay 46.10 My Counsell shall stand and I will doe all my pleasure And Saint Paul Ephes 1. God hath made all things according to the purpose of his Will This doth not please Arminius For he in his booke against Perkins the 60. page is of opinion that God may make frustrate that particular end which hee hath propounded to himse fe and page 198. doth thinke that the antecedent will of God may be resisted But how truely we shall hereafter see IV. God is in no wise the author or instigator of sin Psal 5.5 Ps 45.8 For God is not onely iust but also iustice it selfe And it is as impossible that hee who is iustice it selfe should sinne or be the author of sinne as that whitenesse should blacke the wall or heate make one cold Neither doth God onely doe the thing that is iust but therefore the thing is iust because God doeth it And surely that idle deuise of some is to be hissed out who say that God though he doth enforce men to sinne yet himselfe doth not sin because there is no sin where there is no law and God is bound by no laws I confesse indeed that God is obnoxious to no Law And yet it is certaine that hee can doe nothing that is contrary to his owne Nature God cannot lie because hee is truth it selfe God cannot sinne because he is perfect righteousnesse it selfe These speeches that sinne is committed eyther by Gods procuring or furthering are altogether to be rooted out of diuinity
he may fulfill what is commanded for man himselfe is the cause of his owne impotency and inability neither is God bound to giue those powers to man which he lost by his owne fault He which is in debt doth not owe the lesse because hee hath consumed his estate neither doth that creditor deale vniustly which requireth his debt of the Bankerupt because he doth not consider him as a poore man but as a debtor Arminius therefore is deceiued in reasoning thus against Perkins Hee that will denie to any one saith he necessary helpe to performe the act of Faith he doth desire that such a one should not beleeue Certainely he that will not giue money to a poore man which is falne into pouertie by his owne fault doth not therefore desire he should be poore nor is delighted with his pouerty Nor is that any better which he doth adde As it cannot bee saide saith hee that God is willing that creature should liue to whom hee doth deny the act of his preseruation So also it cannot be saide that God is willing that that action should he performed by any one to whom hee doth deny his concurrence and helpe necessary for the performing of that action These things and other such like doth hee ill beate vpon for hee doth vse a similitude which is a plaine dissimilitude for no man is bound to his Esse to his being neither can God exact from him that is not that hee should be But to obey God man is naturally bound Therefore God can rightly require of man what hee oweth and yet is not therefore bound to giue him ability of obeying and fulfilling what hee commands for God is not bound to restore to man that power which was once giuen and is now lost by the fault of man But here I would vse the fittest words and I had rather say that God decreed not to giue grace to one whereby he should be conuerted and should beleeue then to say that God decreed that the man should be an vnbeleeuer and impenitent For the word decreeing is more fit to note out those things which God determined to doe then those things which he determined not to cure XI Furthermore vnder the word obedience I comprehend also faith in Christ for as much as it is one kinde of obedience to which wee are bound by the law which doth command that God be loued with all our heart and with all our strength and therefore that God be obeyed that his word be beleeued whatsoeuer it shall be that God shall command Whence it commeth to passe that wee cannot reiect the doctrine of the Gospell by vnbeleefe but we also sinne against the law by disobedience which if it be so although faith on Christ was not expresly commanded by the Law nor was Adam before his fall bound to beleeue in Christ yet it is certaine that God commanding assent and reuerence to be exhibited to his Gospell doth require that that loue which is commanded in the law and which is naturally due should be yeelded to him that is to Christ All these things that haue beene spoken tend thither that wee might teach that there is no difference betweene these two willes of God Lâ—t Saint Ausâ—ens Encheridion to Laurentius Chapter 101. be read where hee doth teach how Gods will may be done of them which doe not the will of God and that that is not done besides Gods will which is done against his will CHAP. V. Of the Antecedent and consequent will of God DAmascen in his second Booke of Orthodox faith Chap. 29. doth set downe two wils of God the one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Antecedent the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Consequent Arminius hath catched this distinction and doth place in it the chiefe strength of his Doctrine and as often as he is vrged by our side he creepes into this denne as the Lyzard into the thickets I. The Antecedent will of God hee saith is that whereby God doth will any thing to the reasonable creature before all the actions of it or before any act of that creature but the consequent is that whereby he doth will any thing to the reasonable creature after any one act or after many acts of the creature To the explication of which distinction he bringeth these examples God saith he by his Antecedent will would stablish and confirme for euer the kingdome of Saul by his Consequent will he would put him from his kingdome and substitute in his place a man better then he Christ by his Antecedent will would gather the Iewes as a Henne gathereth her Chickens but by his Consequent will hee would â—â—atter them through all the Nations By his Antecedent will they are cited to the marriage which by his Consequent will were declared vnworthy Matth. 22. By his Antecedent will the man without the wedding garment was inuited by his Consequent will he was cast out By his Antecedent will the talents are giuen by his Consequent will the talent is taken from the seruant II. The one of these willes is called the Antecedent will the other is called the Consequent not because that will goeth before this for in this sense this distinction may be admitted because there is a certaine order among the purposes of God Thus his will of creating man was in order before his will of feeding or cloathing him But with Damascen and Arminius it is called the Anrecedent will of God because it goeth before the act of mans will and they call that the consequent will of God which is after the will of man and doth depend vpon it This Arminius doth cleerely teach in his definitions before laide downe III. Betweene these two willes of God hee puts this difference that the Antecedent will of God may be resisted the consequent cannot Hee would haue it that God should be disappointed in his antecedent will and faile of his propounded end But the consequent will of God cannot he frustrated but it must necessarily be fulfilled for hee thinks that God doth not alwaies attaine to that which hee intends and that sometimes hee is disappointed of that particular end which he propounds to himselfe and that God is prepared to doe that which from eternity he knoweth he shall not doe whence it comes to passe that he hath prepared himselfe in vaine and that by his consequent will which is eternall certaine and immutable hee hath decreed to harden those reprobates which by his antecedent will he is prepared to mollifie and conuert And so he is prepared to doe that which he hath decreed not to doe IV. Betweene these two wils of God if any credit may be giuen to Arminius doth mans will come in which doth cause that God doth reuoke his antecedent will which is farre the best and being driuen from his propounded end doth turne himselfe to another thing then that which at the first he had intended so farre that Vorstius saith Disput de Deo p. 65.
his posterity which he had receiued for himselfe and his posterity Not to giue supernatural light to the minde is not to put into the will although peruersenesle of will doth afterwards follow the blindenesse of the minde For the will being destitute of this light and of the knowledge of supernaturall good things cannot moue it selfe to things vnknowne but onely to things that are present and knowne such as are the pleasures of the body riches c. Which although they be naturally good yet they turne the will from the study and desire of supernaturall things Then also selfe-loue which is naturally good and necessary doth beginne to be morally euill because it doth inuade that place which is due to the loue of God Hence is that pronenesse to euill which is in that inordinate selfe loue which supernaturall illumination doth not direct which light God not giuing to the soule doth not therefore put sinne into it No otherwise then if one doth take away from the Traueller the light of the Sunne by putting darkenesse betweene be doth not force the Traueller to stragle nor doth turne him from the right way but onely he doth take away that without which the right way cannot be knowne XVIII The temper of the body doth increase this contagion For it is found by experience that sanguine men are bloudy and libidinous cholericke men are rash and angry melancholicke men are suspicious and stedfast in their purposes deepely hiding their malice blacke and yealow choller are as sparkes and tinder put to the appetite by which it catcheth flames and burnes And according to the temper of the body one laughes vnder the scourge another weepes with a blow The humours of the body therefore are not causes but prouocations of sinne neither doe they compell the will but allure it nor doe they impresse sinne on the soule but doe put forward the sinfull soule and there being may waies open to sinne they doe incline the soule hither rather then thither CHAP. XI Whether the power of beleeuing the Gospell is lost by the sinne of Adam I. IT is demanded whether by the sinne of Adam we haue lost the power of beleeuing the Gospell Arminius that maruailous artificer of deuising doth deny it For that he might proue that God is bound to giue to euery man power of beleeuing in Christ and obtaining faith he doth contend that Adam before his fall had not power of beleeuing in Christ nor was it needfull for him therefore we could not loose in Adam that which Adam himselfe had not He saith also that faith was not commanded by the law and therefore Adam was not bound to faith because onely the law was giuen to him he addeth also that no man can beleeue but he that is a sinner And if Adam did not receiue power wherby if he fell he might rise again he did not receiue power of beleeuing the Gospell by which we rise out of this fall II. Seeing these things tend thither that Arminius might make a way for himselfe to that impious and vngodly opinion whereby he affirmes that God is bound to giue to all men power of beleeuing and that God is prepared to giue faith to all men if they themselues will This question is of no small moment nor to be perfunctoriously and lightly handled III. We therefore contend against Arminius that mankinde by the sinne of Adam together with their originall purity and righteousnesse lost also the power of beleeuing in Christ For by the fall of Adam we lost the power of louing God and of obeying him Now saith doth include the loue of God and it is a certaine kinde of obedience IV. Adam indeede before his fall was not bound to beleeue in Christ because he was not declared to him neither then was there neede but he was bound to beleeue euery word of God whatsoeuer should afterward be this bond passed to his posteritie but it had not passed if Adam had not beene tyed to the like bond So the israelites in the time of Dauid were not bound to beleeue Ieremy foretelling the instant captiuity into Babylon because Ieremy then was not neither was it needfull for them to know this and yet the Iewes in contemning the prophesie of Ieremy violated that law by which the same people was held and bound in the time of Dauid Hee were a foole who would say that hee that hath lost his sight hath not lost the power of seeing that house which was built foure yeares after or that hee that is blinde by his owne fault hath not lost the faculty of seeing the collyria or plaisters which the Physitian bringeth him some moneths after Surely Adam before his fall had power of beleeuing in Christ after the same manner that he had then power of succouring and helping the sicke and miserable although before the fall there was no misery nor could there be Adam was in the remote power to beleeue the Gospell as a sound man is in the remote power to vse the remedies of a disease that will or may come But that he did not beleeue in Christ it was not because it did exceede the power giuen him by God but because it was not needefull Finally seeing Adam by his incredulity lost the power of beleeuing the word of God it must needes be that hee lost also the power of beleeuing that word by which God was to bring a remedy to this euill V. In vaine doth Arminius thinke that it is vnaptly spoken if it be said that Adam had power of beleeuing when hee had no neede which power was taken from him when hee began to haue neede of it For neither was the power of beleeuing wanting to Adam nor was it taken from him but hee willingly lost it when he lost the power of obaying God And God of his meere grace doth restore the same to whom he will not because we will but because he worketh in vs that we will VI. But that is ridiculous which Arnoldus cap. 14. doth say that Adam before his fall did not receiue power by which he might rise if he should fall For that power whereby men rise after the fall is not giuen before the fall seeing the power is lost by the fall but after the fall is repaired There is no doubt but that Adam before his fall had strength whereby he might rise againe if hee had not lost it by his fall Arnoldus therefore thus speakes as if I should say that hee to whom God hath giuen sound and cleare eyes hath not receiued power by which he might see with those eyes after he is made blinde VII Finally as many as are the posterity of Adam are bound to fulfill the law this is a naturall debt and the law commands vs to loue God and to obey him and therefore to beleeue him speaking Whensoeuer then Christ is preached the doctrine of the Gospell cannot be refused but with the contempt of the Gospell the law also is
as Arnoldus doth imagine nothing would thereby be derogated from the wisedome of God The father doth often decree to giue something to his children before he hath determined on what condition or by what labour In this place Arnoldus hath stuffed in many things of vnresistablenesse and of reprobation which wee haue put off to another place Therefore from the wisedome of God he passeth to the iustice of God which he doth contend to be violated by vs. XXV Therefore Pag. 224. hee beginneth with a calumny You determine saith he that God decreed to saue some men without the beholding of Faith I say he doth falsely accuse vs For although God doth not elect vs for faith yet hee doth elect vs to faith and faith is a part of the definition of election But if of two that are alike sinners he electeth one to saluation not considering obedience as a thing already performed but electing him to performe obedience God shall not therefore be vniust for concerning his owne he doth what he will according to that I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy c. It is enough that although he giueth to the one the grace that is not deserued yet he imposeth no punishment on the other but what is due In the meane while the Papists haue cause to reioyce who haue sound a patron of merit in Arnoldus For it is said to be merit when the reward is giuen to any one for righteousnesse Eternall life is a reward and that it might be giuen for righteousnesse Arnoldus will haue it giuen for the beholding of obedience performed therefore it is giuen to him that merits it XXVI It is idle which he addeth Pag. 225. By the decree whereby God hath decreed to giue saluation to none but to him that beleeueth he sheweth that he doth rather loue obedience then the creature But contrarywise by your decree God is made to loue men although they be sinners rather then righteousnesse which is contrary to iustice Surely these things are knit together with a very wicked art For first he imagines that we teach that God will saue other men then beleeuers Secondly he doth craithy compare that loue wherewith God loueth obedience with that loue wherewith God loueth the creature seeing the loue of obedience which is the very iustice of God is rather to be compared with the loue wherewith God loueth his goodnesse and mercy For although God loueth his owne iustice more then the creature yet hee doth not loue his iustice more then his goodnesse by which he doth doe good to the creature for God doth no lesse giue cleare and certaine proofes and effects of his goodnesse then of his iustice which goodnesse is also a kinde of iustice if iustice be taken not strictly for that vertue by which rewards are giuen to the iust and punishments to the vniust but for that generall vertue wherby God doth doe all things conueniently and as it is meete And although all things are equall in God yea all the attributes of God are one vertue and the very essence of God yet the Scripture doth extoll the goodnesse of God with farre greater praises then his iustice So in the Law God doth visite the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation but doth extend his mercy to thousands of generations So Psal 36. The iudgements of God are compared to the mountains and his goodnesse to the deepe And Psalme 30. His goodnesse is extended to a life or an age but his anger is restrained to a moment Saint Iames doth consent to this Chap. 2. v. 13. saying that mercy doth boast it selfe and glory ouer iustice because God hath manifested to vs more euident arguments of his goodnesse then of his iustice God is therefore rightly called Optimus maximus The most good and the most great but most good is set first and then most great And if you would repeate the matter from the beginning you shall finde that in the first place the decree of creating is to be laid downe in which there is goodnesse but not iustice XXVII Arnoldus doth more largely presse the same things Chap. 9. where he saith that the iustice of God is violated by vs while wee will haue God to haue ordained men to saluation without the beholding of any obedience which as I haue already said is not our opinion I confesse indeede that God doth loue his owne iustice more then man but I deny that he doth more loue the manifestation or execution of his iustice then the manifestation of his mercy and goodnesse towards man God doth more loue that which is due to him by the creature then hee doth loue the creature it selfe But he doth not more loue that which is due to him from the creature then hee doth loue that which he oweth to himselfe to wit the manifestation of his glory by doeing good to the creature Surely there was danger that God could not maintaine his iustice vnlesse these innouators had issued forth who patronize his iustice preferring it before his goodnesse and wisedome And this is the place where Arnoldus will haue God to be a debtor Iustice saith he doth appoint that God should giue to the creature performing obedience that which is his Neuer was any thing said more harsh by the most vehement maintainers of mans merits Surely Arnoldus is prepared to say to God giue me that which is mine for this thy iustice requireth O proudely spoken But let vs proceede to other things XXVIII A little after he doth endeauour to proue that we offend against the same goodnesse of God in the doctrine of reprobation But wee haue appointed a peculiar chapter for the examining of these things as also there shall be a place of examining those things which he doth euery where without order stuffe in of Reprobation and of Free will and of Christ the foundation of election XXIX It is not to be omitted that it is familiar with the Arminians to inuey against the doctrine of Election which is beleeued in our Churches and that vnder the pretence of piety and exhortation to good workes For they say that precise election doth extinguish all the endeauour of good workes prayers hearing of the word and doth takeaway euery pious enterprise For if one beleeue that hee were predestinated to faith and to good workes hee will leaue the care to God of mouing man infallibly and would shake off all wholsome feare because hee is perswaded that his saluation cannot be lost nor his faith cast off These and other things borrowed from the Pelagians and still warme from the anuile of the papists they carry about as it were the Circousean pompe with a great clamour Also these craftie men speake this as men taught by experience For they say that while they were of opinion with vs they felt that vice growing on them by this doctrine and that a languor and diminishing of the loue of
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
be more loued then by dying for them For although it be greater loue to die for ones enemies then for his friends yet it is certaine that nothing can be performed for thy friends sake by which thou maist more testifie thy loue to them then if thou die for them Seeing therefore that this is the greatest loue to die for one whether friend or enemie it must needes be that Christ equally loued all men with his greatest loue They must therefore affirme if they will be constant to themselues that Christ in dying loued with his greatest loue Iudas Pilate yea Cain and Pharaoh who were already in hell XVIII The conferrers at the Hage doe endeauour to quit themselues If say they to loue in the highest degree is not onely to merit saluation but also to bestow it we denie that Christ did generally loue all those in the highest degree for whom he died They therefore condemne Christ and accuse him of a lie who will haue this to be the greatest degree of loue to die for one And it is impossible that Christ should loue any one in the highest degree of loue but that also hee should bestow saluation vpon him And if these things could be separated yet this would remaine firme and sure that Christ loued him with his greatest loue for whom hee died although hee hath not afterwards bestowed saluation vpon him because the greatnesse of the loue of Christ is to be esteemed not by the profit that commeth to him for whom hee died but by the greatnesse of the sorrowes which hee suffered for him Yea whosoeuer shall weigh these things in the exact scale of iudgement shall finde that it is greater loue to suffer death for one to procure for him some little good then to procure great good So it is more flagrant loue to expose himselfe to death that his friend might not be hurt no not a little then if he should doe it that his friend should not perish by being burnt aliue XIX Nor doe they escape by the distinction of this loue into Antecedent and Consequent seeing the Antecedent loue wherewith they will haue Iudas and Pharaoh to be loued by Christ cannot but be the greatest and that beyond which as Christ himselfe witnesseth none can be extended These are not two loues to be willing to haue mercy before faith and to be willing to saue after faith but they are two effects of one and the same loue XX. And if Christ by his death was the pledge and price of redemption for Iudas Pharaoh Saul c. The marke of iniustice would be set vpon God who hath taken two punishments for the same sinnes when the first satisfaction did suffice and hath twice giuen iudgement vpon the same thing For once they were dead in Christ seeing Christ sustained their person vpon the crosse and yet the same men doe die the eternall death in their owne persons Thence also it will follow that Christ did in vaine beare the punishments due to Iudas and Pharaoh and that hee in vaine made himselfe a pledge for them For surely if Christ on the crosse was the pledge of all and seuerall men and made himselfe for them as a surety it must needes be that hee supplied their place on the crosse and sustained their person And so that may be said of all men without exception which the Apostle saith 2. Corinth 5.14 If one died for all then were all dead But no man yet as I know hath dared to say that the reprobates died with Christ or in Christ And truely the following words of the Apostle doe argue that he doth not speake of all men in the whole world but of all those to whom the fruit of the resurrection of Christ doth pertaine and who are become new creatures XXI That reconciliation is purchased onely for the elect the Apostle teacheth Rom. 5.11 Wee ioy in God through Iesus Christ our Lord by whom wee haue now receiued reconciliation Did S. Paul so greatly reioyce in that benefit which was common to him with Herod and Pilate And C. 3. v. 25. God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood There is therefore no propâ—tiation without faith and therefore no obtaining of reconciliation For hereby it is perceiued that God is pacified to a sinner and his propitiation is made because Christ hath obtained reconciliation for him XXII In the eight Chapter and foure and thirtieth verse of the same Epistle it is not onely said that Christ died for the elect but because that Christ died for them the Apostle doth thence inferre that no accusation can be laid against them Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that iustifieth Who shall condemne It is Christ that died c. Out of which place we thus argue They for whom Christ died cannot be condemned nor can any thing be laid to their charge But the reprobates are condemned and something is laid to their charge therefore Christ died not for them So it be vnderstood in that sence which I said at the beginning to wit that Christ by his death did not obtaine reconciliation and saluation for them XXIII Those for whom Christ obtained reconciliation and remission of sinnes for those he also prayed and made intercession But he doth not make intercession nor pray for the world but onely for the faithfull as Christ himselfe saith Iohn 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast giuen me It is no doubt but that by the world those that doe not beleeue are to be vnderstood and those that haue not receiued the grace of Christ amongst whom also are refractary persons For these Christ saith he doth not pray Now all men are such by nature being destitute not onely of faith but also of the power of beleeuing But among these God giueth some men to Christ to whom also hee giueth faith in Christ For these alone Christ doth professe that he maketh intercession to his father XXIV Here the sectaries after their manner doe vse a sleight distinction For they make a double intercession one generall whereby Christ doth make intercession for all the other particular whereby hee doth make intercession onely for the faithfull By the first reconciliation of sinnes is obtained by the other the applying of reconciliation and saluation But this generall intercession is plainely needelesse for in vaine is reconciliation asked without the application of saluation By that generall intercession Christ eyther asked saluation for Iudas and Pilate or else hee did not aske If he asked not his intercession was to no purpose If he asked he suffered the repulse and so in vaine he made intercession But hee himselfe saith Iohn 11.42 that he was alwaies heard by his father But perhaps they will haue Christ to haue asked the application of saluation for all men on a condition to wit if they will beleeue and with this respect
spirit of Adoption is a prerogatiue of the sonnes of God therefore also these are more loued VIII Doth not God visite some people from on high and doth vouchsafe them the preaching of his word others being neglected as Saint Paul teacheth Acts 14.16 saying God in times past suffred the Gentiles to walke in their owne wayes At this time also there are very many nations drowned in deepe darkenesse to whom not so much as the report or name of Christ hath come IX Were the Corinthians and Philippians who liued before the time of the Apostles so much loued by God as their posteritie was who by the preaching of Saint Paul were conuerted to the faith Can it be said that God did alike wish the saluation of them as of these X. What should I speake of the men of Tyre and Sydon whose saluation if Christ had wished as well as he did the saluation of the Iewes it were a maruaile why he would not make knowne the Gospell to them especially seeing he giueth them this testimony that they were more prone to repentance then the men of Capernaum XI Acts 16.6.7 Paul endeauouring to preach the Gospell in Asia and Bythinia the spirit of God forbiddeth him and commandeth him to passe ouer into Macedonia Certainely it appeareth that God did not equally will the saluation of the Bythinians and the Macedonians seeing he would haue the Gospell rather to be preached to these then to them and presented the necessary meanes of saluation to these when he denied it to them I confesse indeede that after some yeares the Gospell came into Bythinia but in the meane time many dyed in Bythinia who had not the meanes of comming to the knowledge of Christ whose saluation that God did equally desire as hee did the saluation of the Macedonians to whom he commanded Paul to hasten there is no man will beleeue but he that doth willingly harden his minde to resist the truth No otherwise then if I should say that the Physition doth equally desire the recouery of two that are sicke of the same disease and yet doth prouide physicke for the one and will not prouide for the other XII When Christ saith Iohn 10.16 that he hath other sheep which he hath not yet gathered did he loue those sheepe which were not yet gathered but were to be gathered in his time no more then other men whom he hath not onely not drawne by his word but not so much as vouchsafed to call Surely if God did equally will the saluation of all and singular men he would equally supply to all men the meanes of saluation and he would not giue to many people onely a shadowed light and such meanes by which being alone the Arminians themselues haue not yet dared to affirme that any man hath come to saluation XIII Notable is that of Christ Mat. 11.25 where he giueth thanks to his father that he hath hidden the doctrine of saluation from the wise and had reuealed it to babes But why did he as much loue them from whom he had hid the doctrine of saluation Arnold pag 413 414. doth depraue and corrupt the words of Christ For he will haue Christ to giue thankes because his father had reuealed to babes those things which were hidden from men of vnderstanding But Christ doth not onely say that these things were hidden from the wise but doth expresly say that God hid these things from them XIV That place of Saint Paul Rom. 9. doth trouble the Sectaries where it is said that God loued Iacob and hated Esau before they had done good or euill We haue therefore God himselfe professing that he doth not equally loue men that are equall by nature and whereof neither is better then the other and that not because any one hath done any good or shall doe any good but of his meere good pleasure whereby he hath mercy on whom hee will For although Malachie saith that the dominion of Iacob ouer his brother was an effect of this loue and hatred yet the Apostle conscious and priuie of the minde and meaning of God will haue this to be an example or a type of Election according to his purpose and doth extend the words of God to the worke of our saluation Wee neede not be diligent in so cleâ—re a matter XV. The Arminians doe couer themselues against this shower of Arguments with that their distinction of the antecedent and consequent will of God They say that God doth loue some men more then other by his consequent will that is by that will which is after the faith and repentance of man For God doth loue them most whom he fore seeth will beleeue and by their owne free-will are to vse grace well But by his primary and antecedent will God doth alike loue all men and doth equally desire the saluation of all and therefore he doth giue to all men sufficient grace for faith and so for saluation And the cause why the Gospell is not preached to all they say is not the will of God but either the negligence of Christians or the indignity and vnworthinesse of the people or else the sinnes of their ancestors who haue reiected grace being offered XVI Certainely this is a deadly speech and is directly contrary not onely to the Scripture but also to it selfe For while they bring reasons why God doth not offer his Gospell to all vnawares they yeeld to our party for they lay downe the causes why God doth not equally loue all But the question is not why God loueth some men more then others but whether God doth loue all men equally therefore they entangle themselues And how absurd that distinction is of the will of God into antecedent and consequent how contumelious against God in that sence in which it is taken by the sectaries wee haue taught at large Chap. 5. XVII Moreouer they teach that God is often disappointed of his antecedent will and that the loue of God to vs is then mutable if he loue vs with his consequent will that is by his will which is after our loue and faith and our owne will It is a wicked thing to desire that the immutability of the loue of God towards vs should be after our loue and should depend on our will for the loue of God cannot be certaine if it be grounded on the loue wherewith we first loue him That therefore the loue of God to vs might be certaine and immutable it must needes goe before our loue as Saint Iohn teacheth 1. Epist 4.19 Ye loue him because he loued you first XVIII And if God by his consequent will loued one man more then another because hee foresaw hee would beleeue and vse grace well then God shall not sâ—perate man but man seperate himselfe contrary to that of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 4.7 Who seperateth thee c. And this man shall be loued more by God then another because he loued God more XIX Then also that speech of the
Apostle will faile Rom. 9. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy if the will of man doth goe before the will of God whereby hee will certainly and immutably haue mercy vpon vs. For the Arminians teach that the antecedent will of God may be resisted but his consequent will cannot It must needes be therefore that they say that the Apostle speaketh of the consequent will and of that loue whereby God loueth vs by his consequent will seeing that the Apostle doth there adde Who hath resisted his will And truely here the good men are held intangled with a knot from which they will neuer vnlose themselues For if they say that the Apostle in this place doth speake of the antecedent will of God which may be resisted then they fall foule vpon that which is there said Who hath resisted his will But if they will haue it to be spoken of the consequent will of God which is grounded on the will of man and the right vsing of grace and is after our will they are refuted by that other speech of the Apostle It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy But Saint Paul doth directly teach here that the will of man and the fore-seeing of the right vse of grace and of faith which the will of hauing mercy should follow is excluded by this will of God which cannot be resisted XX. Let the Arminians tell me why God loued Iacob and hated Esau before they had done eyther good or euill Surely he was not preferred before him by the Consequent will of God and which was after the faith or workes of Iacob seeing that Saint Paul doth directly remoue from the election according to the purpose of God the consideration of all good which they eyther had done or were to do for the Apostle should speak vnproperly if he should exclude only the consideration of the good done before his birth and not the consideration of the good which Iacob was afterward to doe seeing no man was ignorant that Iacob could not doe any good before his birth Yea if he could haue done yet the fore-seeing of the good to be done after his birth would no lesse derogate from the election of free grace then the fore-seeing of the good which should goe before his birth And if God electing had had respect to the good which Iacob was to doe Saint Paul would not haue appeased him that pleadeth with God and doth scrupulously enquire seeing that the reason had beene ready to wit that the one was preferred before the other because God fore-saw the faith and workes of the one Finally that speech It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth doth exclude all indeauour and helpe of man from the causes of election and of the good will of God by which he vnchangeably hath mercy vpon man XXI But those examples and testimonies which we haue brought out of the Scripture doe no lesse establish the inequality of the loue of God by his antecedent will then by his consequent will For when Christ saith Iohn 6. No man can come to me vnlesse my father draw him hee speaketh of the calling which goeth before faith and which is peculiar but to some men The same is to be iudged of the other examples For what Did God preaching to the Iewes and not to the men of Tire lesse loue the Tyrians then the Iewes by his consequent will that is because he saw that the Tyrians were worse affected and that they were lesse disposed to beleeue then the Iewes No sure for Christ doth contrarily testifie that the Tyrians were more prone to repentance then the Iewes XXII Had the Corinthians or Romanes that liued in the age of the Apostles more inclination to faith then their ancestors that liued an hundred yeers before Did God not vouchsafe the doctrine of saluation to the Corinthians and Ephesians who liued a little before the birth of Christ because their ancestors had refused it But if this were the cause why then did he inlighten with his sauing doctrine their children which proceeded from the same ancestors Surely because it so seemed good to God who for his owne goodnesse doth bestow more benefits vpon them whom hee loueth moâ—â— although they are neuer a whit better disposed to â—â—ith and Repentance XXIII But why did God call Paul with so effectuall a calling in the very height of his hatred against the Church and of a wolfe made him a sheep of a sheep a shepheard was it done because God perceiued in him some inclination to faith in Christ Or because he did well vse vniuersall grace No sure For at that time like a Tyger hee raged against the fould of Christ But God did not loue him any whit the more by his consequent will that is for the fore-seeing of faith seeing that the faith of Paul was an effect of the loue of God Nor was he loued because he was to be faithfull but that he might be faithfull as he himselfe witnesseth 1 Cor. 7. where he saith That he obtained mercy that he might be faithfull XXIV And seeing as it commeth to passe that God doth bestow vpon a man that is euill and borne of bad parents more of his grace and gifts and doth effectually conuert him that where sinne doth abound there grace might abound Rom. 5.20 I would know whether God would be more liberall to an euill man by his antecedent or by his consequent will If by his antecedent will we haue ouercome if by his consequent will let the Arminians tell me what will of the euill man went before his effectuall calling which could not be found in another which is lesse euill Will they say that he that was more euill before his conuersion did thirst was but a little euill and did the will of his father as they speake They shall more easily draw oyle out of a pumise stone then they shall finde in Saint Paul before his conuersion in the theefe before his crucifying or in them to whom for a heart of stone God giueth a heart of flesh any such dispositions before regeneration XXV Adde to these that the Scripture saith Act. 14.16 God in times past suffered all nations to walke in their owne waies Here I demand whether God did so much loue these nations and did alike wish their saluation as he loued their posteritie whom he afterward called with an effectuall calling by his Gospell I suppose that no man hath so brazen a face that he dareth affirme it Neither doe the Arminians deny but that the sauing calling by the Gospell is a very great argument of the loue of God to any nation But hauing bent their disputation another way they doe search into the causes why God doth more vehemently loue some then others which is that very thing which we would haue XXVI Finally if God doth equally will to all men
of others negligence Also if God would haue his Gospell preached to people who are diuided from vs in land climate and language he would haue infused into some of vs the gift of tongues that they might be vnderstood by the Barbarians But at this day the Americans are instructed in Popery in the Spanish tongue to the learning of which they are compelled by force therefore they haue vnwillingly receiued religion with the language so that to know Christ is to them a kinde of punishment and a part of their bondage which the calling of God doth abhorre But it is an easie thing for these inuouators while in this great peace and quietnesse they make worke for themselues and others to talke of these things in corners who if they spoke seriously would forthwith in companies sayle into America or Florida or would goe to the inhabitants of the South continent and would haue instructed them in the faith of Christ and would not being forgetfull of the crosse of Christ and being ouertaken with the itching of their owne wit haue made so many troubles nor haue torne the bowels of their owne Church XXXII But it is wont to be disputed whether the Apostles preached to all men Surely it doth not seeme to me to be likely that the Apostles passed beyond the Aequinoctiall into the inmost parts of Affricke or that they came into America or any other part of the world which is vnknowne The short life of the Apostles was not sufficient for that worke neither was the way knowne to these places also some prints and signes of Christianity would be extant there Saint Paul whose iournyes and courses were well knowne had falsely said that hee had laboured more then all the Apostles 1 Cor. 5.11 if the other Apostles had gone to the Antipodes or to the Articke and Antarticke Pole The memory of all ages doth witnesse that there hath beene more Heathens then Christians and that the Christian Church where it was most flourishing scarce possessed the tithe or tenth part of the earth The Apostles indeede were commanded to preach the Gospell to euery creature but this commandement doth not belong to the Apostles alone but also to their successors who haue or shall carry this lampe of the Gospell deliuered to them by their predecessors through the whole world For the Gospell must be preached to all nations yet not together and at the same time but successiuely If that speach Psal 19. Their sound went through the whole earth be applyed to the preachers of the Gospell yet it will not necessarily follow that this must be at once and at the same moment rather then by parts and successiuely God as it were viewing and going about the Nations vntill there shall be none to whom the doctrine of saluation hath not at length come no otherwise then the Sun in the Aequinoctiall day doth not enlighten the whole Globe of the earth at one time but by parts vntill he hath finished his course For then shall the end of the world be neare when the Gospell hath come to all people as Christ himselfe witnesseth Mat. 24.14 And the Gospell of the kingdome shall be preached in all the world for a witnesse vnto all Nations and then shall the end be which words of our Sauiour doe cut this knot for it is manifest that in the time of the Apostles the Gospell was not preached to all Nations because at that time the end was not neare XXXIII But say you Saint Paul Col. 1.23 doth say that the Gospell was preached to euery creature which is vnder heauen I answere The Apostles vseth a kinde of speech vsuall in the Scriptures which by all that are vnder heauen doe not vnderstand all and euery particular creature absolutely and without exception but very many of them So Acts 2.3 And there were dwelling at Ierusalem Iewes out of euery nation vnder heauen For what were there some out of America or out of the Molucoes or the South contenent the names of which places were not then knowne much lesse that they should come from thence to Ierusalem So Eccles 4.15 I saw all the liuing which walke vnder the sunne When yet Salomon saw onely a little part of the earth See also Ezech. 31.6 and 13. and Chap. 32.4 and you shall know that the word all is not frequently so taken that none is excepted but that it is very oftentimes vsed for many XXXIV That I may not say many things In this question whether God doth equally desire the saluation of all men and whether he doth loue all men with an equall loue the truth is so euident that the Arminians sometimes are ashamed of themselues and vnawares doe come to our side Arminius against Perkins p. 2.4 hath these words If any one by the helpe of peculiar grace hath apprehended grace offred it is thence manifest that God doth loue him with a greater loue then he doth another to whom he hath only made his grace common but hath denied his peculiar grace Arnoldus pag. 380. doth confesse that Arminius doth acknowledge that the meanes to faith are not sufficiently offered to all men all men therefore are not loued alike Neither is any thing so frequent with the Arminians as to say that God calleth some men in a congruent and fit time and manner by which they that are called doe certainly infallibly follow him calling De vocatione qua sit pro vt Drus mouit esse congruum Vide Arno. pag. 73. c et Arminan Perk. pag. 245. but some he calleth by an incongruent and vnfit meanes by which they that are called doe neuer obey God calling But it is no doubt but that they to whom peculiar grace is giuen are more loued then they to whom it is denied as also they to whom sufficient grace for faith is giuen are more loued then they to whom it is not giuen they who are called by a meanes which God knoweth to be congruent and which will certainly profit are more loued then they whom God calleth by an incongruent and which he knoweth will neuer profit Arminius against Perkins pa. 16. hath these words God by a sure decree determined not to giue faith and repentance to some men to wit by yeelding them effectuall grace by which they would certainly beleeue and be conuerted And it is the constant opinion of the Arminians that God doth giue that effectuall grace to all which may be effectuall in act without which no man beleeueth nor no man is saued and that God doth giue but to few that grace whereby he giues not onely to be able but also to will to desire to be conuerted and beleeue God therefore doth more desire the saluation of these men then of others to whom hee doth not vouchsafe this benefit XXXV Notable aboue the rest are the words of Greuinchouius p. 342. Sometimes saith he he doth sooner helpe by his grace greater sinners then lesser for who shall prescribe
or of that loue wherewith he feeles himselfe to be affected Christ doth beate downe all pride in speaking thus to Peter Matth. 16.17 Blessed art thou Symon Bar-Iona for flesh and blood hath not reuealed this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen And Chap. 11.25 he doth giue thanks to his father that hee hath hidden these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hath reuealed them to babes VII And especially when it is spoken of the loue of God and of obedience to his commandements the Scripture will haue vs to acknowledge that whatsoeuer is done well by vs is receiued from God We loue God because he hath loued vs first Iohn 4.19 For this is one of the effects of the loue of God towards vs that it doth put into our hearts a loue of him God himselfe thus speaketh Ier. 31. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts And Chapter 32. I will put my feare into their hearts that they shall not depart from me And Moses bringeth this reason as the cause why the Israelites did not repent at the law of God ratified with so many threatnings and confirmed with so many miracles Deut. 29.4 The Lord hath not giuen you a heart to perceiue nor eyes to see Let Arminius tell mee whether these men had sufficient power to beleeue or sufficient grace which with the helpe of free-will they might haue rightly vsed if they would Fie on this forgerie And yet was not God the cause of the impenitency and blindnesse of that people For hee that will not heale him that is blinde is not the cause of his blindenesse God did not put this wickednesse in man but he knoweth who they are on whom hee will haue mercy and he hath reason for his actions to enquire into which were not onely rash but also dangerous VIII Saint Paul Galath 3.26 saith That wee are the sonnes of God by faith in Christ If therefore it be in the power of mans free-will being helped with grace to beleeue or not to beleeue to vse that grace or not to vse it it must needes also be in the power of free-will helped with grace to effect that we may be the sonnes of God or may not Which is contrary not onely to piety but also to common sence for who euer effected that he was the sonne of his father or who is beholding to himselfe for any part of his generation IX The same Apostle saith Rom. 9. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of him that sheweth mercy By him that willeth and him that runneth hee vnderstandeth him that worketh for the consideration of workes is excluded from the election or as Arminius had rather from the iustification of man that this benefit might be acknowledged to be receiued from the mercy of God alone Arminius offendeth against this rule For by his doctrine the conuersion of a man by faith and therefore both his righteousnesse and saluation is of him that willeth and of him that runneth of him that worketh that is of him who by the helpe of his free-will doth vse vniuersall grace well and who doth therefore beleeue because to the helpe of grace hee hath brought the power of free-will by which hee hath obtained Faith For as I haue said the Arminians make the cause of faith to be these two ioyned together to wit grace and free-will to vse which free-will to the obtaining of saith and to the conuerting of himselfe is certainely to will and to runne The Apostle therfore ought to haue said It is of man that willeth and runneth and of God which sheweth mercy that free-will might be ioyned with the mercy of God And if as Saint Austin saith fitly Lib. 1. ad Simplic Quaest 2. It may be said That it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth because conuersion and saluation is not by the free-will of man alone why may it not also be said that it is not of God that sheweth mercy because conuersion is not made by the grace of God alone but also by free-will It skilleth nothing that Saint Austin vsed this argument against Pelagius who denied that we were preuented by grace for it hath the same force against the Semipelagians who ioyne free-will to grace Seeing that Saint Paul doth not say That it is not alone of him that willeth but doth altogether exclude free-will X. Finally this argument hath so tormented Arnoldus Page 445. that he would seeme to yeeld to our part for he saith It is not placed in our will that we should obey the calling of God but this thing it selfe is also from the mercy of God But the scoffing and crafty man is very wary least hee should say somewhat that should hurt his owne cause For when he saith that it is not placed in our will he vnderstandeth alone Therfore he would not say that this is wholy placed in the mercy of God alone but tenderly and with a flouting speech he saith that it is placed in the mercy of God He might yea he ought to say so much of free-will that he might agree to himselfe for he thinketh that it is not placed in the grace of God alone nor in free-will alone XI That man cannot be conuerted vnlesse God conuert him and that the whole praise of our conuersion is due to God Ieremy teacheth Chap. 31. v. 18. Conuert me and I shall be conuerted which is also repeated in the last Chapter of the Lamentations I am ashamed of the weake interpretation of the Arminian conferrers at the Hage who pag. 266. by conuerted would haue corrected to be vnderstood There is nothing so cleare and direct in the holy Scripture which may not be corrupted with a foolish and rash interpretation who hauing but little skill in the Hebrew is ignorant that the Verbe shub signifieth to be turned and not to punish and therefore in the contugation Hiphil it is to cause that one be conuerted and not that he be punished Or who doth not see how ridiculous a thing it were if men bruised with afflictions should pray that they might be still afflicted As if any one that were grieuously whipped should desire moreouer that he might be buffeted But Ieremy expoundeth himselfe and doth teach what it is to be conuerted for he addeth being conuerted I will repent and acknowledge my selfe this indeede is to be conuerted Seeing therefore that men who are already conuerted say Conuert me and I shall be conuerted Ier. 31. Draw me and I will runne Cant. 1. And doe ascribe the progresse and the proceeding of their conuersion to God alone how much more is the beginning of our conuersion to be attributed to God alone For if they that are already willing doe confesse that they owe to God whatsoeuer good they doe and that without his grace they cannot moue a foote further how much more is it to be determined that of being
come and that heart-turning might of the holy-Ghost whose efficacy cannot be explained Surely there is a certaine perswasiue necessity and a perswasion more mighty then any command which doth so bend those that are willing that they would rather endure any thing then not to will what they desire Reason it selfe doth adde credit to these things and the nature of mans will in which it is engrafted to moue it selfe to the prescript and perswasion of the minde vnlesse when the indocible affections doe resist reason But as often as reason doth conspire and agree with the affections it is impossible but the will should moue it selfe thither whether the minde doth perswade it and the appetites doe incite it for what should call it away seeing it can be moued with no other impulsion Nor is it any doubt that God who doth throughly know our soules and the most fit occasions by which the soule being apprehended cannot resist him calling and doth know in what part it is more flexible should not be able so to enlighten the minde and imprint on the fancy which hath the naturall command ouer the appetites so cleere an image so terrifie the conscience by the propounding of punishments so stirre it vp by laying before it the eternall rewards so gently inuite and so fitly perswade that presently all resistance should cease and all contrariety fall to the ground Wherefore Arnoldus against Tilenus pag. 251. spake inconsiderately when hee said that the liberty of the will consisted in this that all things which are required to an action being granted and being present the will might suspend and stoppe the action He ought to haue said that the liberty of the will consisteth in this that it doth with a free and spontaneus motion apply it selfe to those things which the vnderstanding and the appetites doe perswade or if the appetites doe disagree with reason and diuers obiects are propounded that the will may by a free election moue it selfe to what part it will Let the soules which doe enioy the sight of God in heauen be for an example to whom all things are fully supplied which are required to stirre vp the will to loue God yet their will cannot suspend that action nor forbid and auert that act of loue wherewith they loue God Neither can it be said although it maketh little to the present matter that the cause why they cannot hate God is because occasions of hatred and incitations to sinne are wanting For the Angels before the fall had no greater occasion The same occasions of sinning which ouerthrew the Angels were neuer wanting The too much admiration and too great loue of themselues and by it a more slacke contemplation and a more backward loue of God carried those most excellent creatures headlong and stirred them vp to rebellion The will indeede is affected to two or more things and betweene two propounded obiects doth freely choose vnlesse when the last and best end is desired But it doth often so strongly apply it selfe to some one thing that it cannot resist it selfe And if the efficacy of the holy-Ghost turning the heart working in the elect shal also come to it which doth so draw gouern the raines of the affections that it may bend and turne the will following of its owne accord what meruaile is it if such a rider cannot be finally shaken off although the appetites doe so much resist and doe hardly giue ouer that rule and command which besides right and equity they haue ceased on All these these things pertaine thither that we may teach that the euent of conuersion is not thereby vncertaine or as these innouators speake resistible although God should moue the heart by a morall perswasion and should allure the will by a congruent and meete invitation But yet whosoeuer shall heare the Scripture or shall descend to examples and to experience shall finde that the efficacy of the holy-Ghost working in mens hearts ought not to be restrained to morall perswasion For it is a hard thing to conceiue in ones minde what perswasion God vsed in the conuersion of Saint Paul who was cast downe as it were with lightning and whose stubbornnesse kicking against the pricks was broken The same may be said of the Theefe into whom in the midst of torments and in the very agony of death God did infuse faith after an vnvtterable manner For what Doe these Sectaries thinke that he obtained faith by vse and by the frequent actions of pietie Surely that cannot be said seeing that in one moment he came from the height of incredulitie and from most desperately wicked manners to a most strong faith Was he inuited by a gentle perswasion No surely For whatsoeuer things were present before him were so many disswasions and they so powerfull that the faith of the Apostles themselues did then faile The very torments which the miserable man did then suffer could easily haue taken away the sense of that allurement and perswasion vnlesse the secret power of the spirit of Christ had broken through all obstacles Would the Apostle Paul Ephes 1.19.20 and Coloss 2.12 say that that power of God whereby he doth effectually worke in the hearts of beleeuers is the same with that whereby hee raised Christ from the dead if hee should onely conuert mens hearts by a morall perswasion and by a gentle invitation Saul being fully determined to kill Dauid came to Naioth whither Dauid was fled 1 Sam. 19. but as soone as he came thither vnmindfull of Dauid he is catched with a propheticall inspiration Where is there here any morall perswasion or invitation If therefore God changeth the mindes of wicked men without any morall perswasion why shall hee not exercise the same power towards his elect And I doe not see how those speeches of creating a new heart of raising man from the dead and of giuing new life by which the Scripture doth expresse our conuersion may be applyed to note out morall perswasion The new man is not created by perswasion but by the infusion of new life and it must needes be that some supernaturall thing must come which cannot be explained by man And if God should allure men to beleeue by a meere perswasion and invitation God should not be the efficient cause of faith For hee that doth onely exhort and perswade that we may beleeue doth not giue beleeuing it selfe no nor he who doth suggest the powers of beleeuing as we haue said before but hee doth moue metaphorically and intentionally as wee are moued by Obiects and by a knowne end And that here is something else beside perswasion may hence be gathered in that you see some men are vehemently set on fire by a small perswasion some on the other side who know the truth are yet in the midst of some euident and most certaine perswasions cold and not at all affected Former times and our owne age hath brought forth many Martyrs who haue beene vnlearned and but lightly
appeareth that faith is as well comprehended vnder this gift as saluation But if saluation alone were here called the gift of God yet it would thence necessarily follow that faith is the gift of God For he that giueth saluation must needes also giue the meanes without which there is no saluation The same Apostle Phil. 1.29 saith It is giuen to you in the behalfe of Christ not onely to beleeue on him but also to suffer for his sake Doe you see that it is giuen to vs not onely to be able to beleeue but also the act of beleeuing and to beleeue it selfe That repentance is the gift of God Saint Peter doth witnesse Acts 5.31 God hath exalted Christ with his right hand to be a prince and a Sauiour for to giue repentance to Israel and forgiuenesse of sinnes And 2 Tim. 2.25 If God will at any time giue them repentance Saint Paul Rom. 5. doth say That the loue of God is shed abroade in our hearts by the holy-Ghost who is giuen vs To wit because the holy-Ghost doth imprint that sure confidence in our hearts that wee are loued by God Here you see that not onely the powers of willing and doeing are giuen by God but also to will and to doe it selfe Seeing therefore that as many Christian vertues as there are there are so many gifts of God and the same vertues are habits it must needes be that those habits are from God and therefore not engrafted by nature which Pelagius himselfe hath not said nor obtained by vse and actions the grace of God helping as the Arminians will haue it for so man himselfe should giue eyther all faith or at the least some part of faith to himselfe and should owe it to his owne labour and industry For truely if God doth giue the power of beleeuing and doth not giue the act of beleeuing after the same manner as he giueth the power because as these Sectaries thinke God doth giue the power of beleeuing vnresistibly but he giueth the act of beleeuing onely by perswading and inuiting and that by a perswasion which we may obey or resist consent to or refuse There is nothing so cleere as that the very act of beleeuing and therefore faith it selfe is not from God alone nor from the meere grace of God but is due partly to God and partly to mans free-will Which that it is the opinion of the Arminians and that they thinke that grace is not the totall but part-cause of faith we haue proued before Whereunto adde that which they say that God doth giue faith no otherwise then by perswading and by a gentle invitation Which if it be true it will be said that God doth giue neither the power nor act of beleeuing For he that doth onely perswade and exhort to runne although he set on fire all the brands of his oratory Art yet he will neuer be said to giue the power of running nor to runne it selfe XII Seeing therefore that the habit of faith is the gift of God it must needes be that it is infused and imprinted on our hearts by God himselfe which if it be so it is vnpossible that this infusion can be hindred in the elect For what should hinder it Doth the mutability and instability of the decree of God hinder it No His decrees can neither be abolished nor changed Doth the euill affection of the heart of man hinder it No euery man is ill affected before he hath receiued faith from God Doth the obstinate hardnesse of some men hinder it No this hardnesse is softned by faith being receiued Which also God promiseth that he will doe Ezech. 36.26 XIII This promise of God and others of the like sort by which God promiseth that he will giue a heart of flesh and will write on it his law and that he will cause that we should walke in his waies doe promise an infallible certainty of the conuersion of the elect and the grace of God which is impossible finally to faile For what can hinder that God should not stand to his promise and should fulfill that which he hath certainely and absolutely promised Doth the hardnesse of mans heart hinder No this is that which he doth promises to wit that he will soften the stony heart Doth the wickednesse of man hinder No there is no man but he is wicked before God conuerteth him Is it the stubbornnesse which is in some men more then ordinary No Where sinne abounded there also grace abounded Finally there can no impediment be obiected which God cannot put away and remoue There is nothing so intricate out of which the wise goodnesse of God cannot cleere himselfe and therefore to whom hee promised hee would giue a new spirit that hee would take from them their stony heart that he would cause that they should walke in his waies it is impossible that these should not be conuerted or should finally fall away Neither doe the Arminians themselues deny it although they seeme contentiously to striue against it For in the 286. page of the conference at the Hage they doe confesse that these words of God in Ezechiel It is declared that God will so effectually worke that actuall obedience must follow But say they is that done vnresistibly As if the controuersie were in that It is sufficient that it is done most certainely infallibly and vnauoidably although man should for a time resist and should be aduerse and contrary to God calling that is to his owne saluation For the workes of piety which are adioyned to follow this change of the heart are not laid downe as conditions on which this change is to be but as fruites and effects which are to follow this change of the heart XIV These Sectaries doe deuise another hiding hole in saying that this promise of giuing a new heart was made to a whole nation not to seuerall men But these are vaine things For Regeneration and the change of the heart is a gift which is giuen to particular men Neither were this promise true if it were to be performed to a whole nation in which there haue alwaies beene very many that haue beene stubborne and rebellious Therefore this promise pertaineth to those alone who were to be truely faithfull XV. They dispute neuer a whit more wittily when they say Collat. pag. 269. that by these places is promised not the first beginning of preuenting grace but a greater plenty and progresse of grace I doe not deny but that euen the progresse and proceeding in grace is promised here but I earnestly affirme that here the beginnings also of conuersion are promised The very words a new heart doe proue this For then truely and properly is the heart new when it begins to be changed Nor is it credible that the increase of grace is promised without the beginning of it XVI I further demand whether that promise whereby God promiseth that he will cause that wee shall walke in his wayes is extended to the end of