but whom he hath fore-seene will perseuere in the faith vntill death Whence it comes that God electeth none vnlesse he be considered as dead or else in the very point betweene life and death which if it be true Arminius doth say amisse when he saith that beleeuers are elected for he should say that they are elected who cease to beleeue XXIV Adde to this that new and prodigious opinion of the Arminians whereby they thinke that reprobates may be saued and those which are elect may be damned not as they are the reprobate or the elect but as they are indued with power to beleeue and to come to saluation But if he which is a reprobate by the decree of God may be saued and hee which is elected may be damned it is plaine that Predestination is not the decree of God but a thing onely in title and a floting will or meere and bare fore-knowledge the certainty whereof doth depend vpon the foreseeing of an vncertaine thing to wit mans free-will Who I pray would endure a man speaking thus I am indeede a reprobate but I can effect that I should be saued or I am elected but it is in my power to effect that I should be reprobated XXV If therefore the certainty of election should be made to depend vpon mans will it might come to passe that no man should beleeue in Christ and so Christ had died in vaine XXVI See Sect. 16. But by that series and order of the foure decrees whereby Christ is appointed to death before God had determined who should be saued Christ is made the head of the Church without any certaine members which is meere dotage For Christ is fained to be giuen to be the head of the Church without the certaine will of God what should afterward be his body Yea by the doctrine of the Arminians it may come to passe that Christ should be a head without a body and the Church should be none at all for they thinke that there is none of the elect which may not be damned XXVII This also is not to be omitted that the Arminians to the end they might maintain that concatenation or linking together of the foure decrees doe affirme that Christ died not for the faithfull but for all men indistinctly not more for Peter then for Iudas and that Christ in his death had not determined whom he would saue by his death yea that when Christ dyed election had no place because election is a thing after the death of Christ XXVIII The example of Caiaphas and of Iudas is here of speciall weight For by the doctrine of Arminius God electeth all men vnder this condition that they beleeue in the death of Christ I demand therefore whether God chose Caiaphas and Iudas to saluation vnder this condition that they should beleeue in the death of Christ This surely cannot be said because God had decreed to vse the wickednesse of Caiaphas and Iudas to deliuer Christ to death How could they be elected to saluation vnder the cond tion of beleeuing in the death of Christ who were appointed to that very thing that by their increduâ—ity and wickednesse Christ might be deliuered to death But we onely touch these things coursarily and by the way they are to be expounded more exactly in their place CHAP. XIII Of the obiect of Predestination that is whether God predestinating considereth a man as fallen or as not fallen ALthough God hath elected to saluation these men rather then others for no other cause then that it so seemed good to him nor is the cause of this difference to be sought in man yet what is the obiect of Predestination that is whether God electing or reprobating men hath considered them as fallen and sinners or as not fallen but as men in the Masse not corrupted it may be doubted The Pastors of the Valacrian Churches strong maintainers of the truth in their most exact Epistle the coppy whereof they haue sent to vs doe professe that they thinke that God considered those men which hee did elect and which hee did passe by as fallen in Adam and dead in sinnes All the anciens thinke so to none of whom as farre as I know it euer came in their minde to say that God reprobated men without the beholding of sinne I see that of the same opinion is Caluin Zanchy Melanchton Bucer Musculus Pareus famous lights in this age of the Church out of whose writings I haue added some gathered sentences at the end of this worke least they should stay the hastening reader and should breake off the thread of the disputation begunne against the Arminians The confession of the churches of France doth keepe it selfe within these limits in the twelth Article where out of the ninth Chapter to the Romanes and other places of Scripture Election and Reprobation is proued to be out of the corrupt masse The reuerend Synod of Dordt then which for many ages there hath beene none more famous nor more holy harh allowed this opinion I doe not see what can be opposed to so great authority A holy assembly gathered together out of diuerse parts of the Christian world hath prudently seene and discerned that this opinion is not onely more modest and more safe but also that it is most fit to put back the obiections of these innouators which doe impudently triumph in this matter Thus are their frames dissolued and their sinnewes are cut from them for Reprobation without the beholding of sinne being taken away which they assaile with all their forces they beate the ayre neither haue they any thing that they should strike at the causes by which our confession and also the reuerend Synod is led that they thought it fit for them to rest in the Predestination wherein man is considered as fallen I suppose be these I. First that Phrase of Scripture which calleth the Elect the vessels of mercy offers it selfe Now there is no place for mercy vnlesse towards the miserable He cannot be elected to the saluation to be obtained by Christ vnlesse he be considered as one that hath neede of a redeemer And seeing that the appointment to an end doth include the meanes by which that end is come by and the meanes to saluation is the remission of sinnes nor is there remission of sinnes without sinne it is plaine that they are appointed to saluation who are considered as sinners II. Neither could God with the preseruation of his iustice punish those men whom he considered without sin for God doth not punish the guiltles Damnation is an act of the iustice of God which iustice cannot stand or agree with it self if innocent man for no fault be appointed to that desertion and forsaking which eternall destruction must necessarily follow or if God had determined to destroy men before he did determine to create them III. Then as God doth not condemne vnlesse it be for sin so it is certaine that hee is not willing to condemn vnlesse it
comparison of hauing their names written in heauen Surely that speech to be written in heauen is referred not to the opinion of men but to the purpose of God And this phrase is taken from the Prophets with whom that is said to be written before God which is fastened and determined by his decree So Esay 4. v. 3. they are said to be written for life who were to be preserued by the purpose of God And Chap. 65.6 Behold it is written before me I will not keepe silence but will recompence As if hee should say it is certaine and determined by mee to reuenge these wicked deedes XII I am ashamed of that shift whereby some of them say that therefore the names of the Apostles are said to be written in heauen because they were elected to their Apostleshippe For so the name of Iudas himselfe was written in heauen in which respect he had so little cause to reioyce that euen his very Apostleshippe turned to his destruction Then also we haue the words of the Apostle to the Hebrewes which are plainely agreeable to these by which he calleth the faithfull the first begotten which are written in heauen which cannot bee drawne to the election to an office seeing it belongeth to all the faithfull and the elect XIII The question of the booke of life is a greater and longer question not belonging to this place I am not ignorant that there is a certaine booke of life which is not the booke of election but the Catalogue of them who professe themselues to be members of the Church and are visibly grafted into the couenant of which book there is mention Eze. 13.9 Psal 69. ver 29. out of which booke there is no doubt but some are blotted But when they are throwne headlong into hell as many as are not written in the booke of life it is plaine that in this booke is set downe the certaine and determined number of men who while other are appointed to the fire they alone are reserued to life the number of whom can be encreased or diminished no more now then in the last iudgement XIV These things concerning that generall and conditionall election Now let vs come to the absolute election of seuerall persons which the Arminians would haue to rest and depend on the fore-knowledge of faith and to be made for faith fore-seene The former of these elections hath the second place in the series and ranke of the foure decrees laid downe by Armintus the latter election hath the fourth place that doth pertaine to the antecedent will of God this to the consequent that doth goe before this doth follow mans will Arminius saith that God is disappointed of that but cannot be disappointed of this CHAP. XIX The election of particular persons in respect of faith foreseene is confuted It is prooued that men are not elected for faith but to faith OVt of the great abundance of places which the holy Scripture doth supply to vs we wil tithe and choose out some that are most cleare and most weighty I. Saint Paul to the Ephesians Chapter 1. vers 3.4 hath these words God hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world The Apostle doth plainely enough teach that spirituall blessings and therefore faith are giuen vs according to the eternall election as we were elected Whence it followeth that election is necessarily before these blessings both in order and time So hee that saith that the Souldiers receiued their donatiue and beneuolence as it seemed good to their Generall doth manifestly say that first it seemed good to the Generall before it was done and that the certaine and absolute will of the Generall went before this largesse and gift Neither are those words of lesse moment which follow He elected vs in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue You see that we are elected to holinesse and not from holinesse or for holinesse and if we be elected to holinesse then also are we elected to faith wherein our holinesse chiefly consists It cannot be denyed that faith is a part of our holines vnlesse by him who also denieth that incredulity in the prophane is a part of their prophanenesse and vice For by faith we are not onely sanctified efficiently but also formally no otherwise then the wall is formally whited by the white colour And if the Arminians could get it granted that the holinesse which is spoken of here doth consist onely in charity yet they would effect nothing nor would it euer the lesse be proued out of this place that we are chosen to faith for he that is elected to charity is necessarily elected to faith which begets charity Gal. 5.6 Nor is it credible that any one is elected to one part of holinesse and not to the other Being beate therefore from hence they seeke other refuges Arnoldus p. 66. by elect would haue they that are called to be vnderstood as if election and calling were the same thing but many are called few are chosen Matth. 20. Therefore among these elect if Arnoldus be beleeued there will be many reprobates neither will this election be opposed to reprobation The same man pag. 142. doth contend that these elect are the faithfull which is false in that sense he takes it to wit that they are considered as being already faithfull when they are elected For how can they that are considered as being faithfull be elected to holinesse seeing in that they are faithfull they are already holy Paul indeede speakes to the Ephesians whom hee calleth faithfull and blessed but not if now they were faithfull and blessed they were therefore faithfull before they were elected This good man therefore hath deuised another subtilty and would haue Paul to speake not of the election of particular persons but of the election whereby any one people is elected to the calling by the Gospell If this be true it must needes be that among the elect before the foundation of the world there were many reprobates But the following words doe not admit this interpretation for the Apostle saith we are elected that we should be without blame in loue He will haue vs to be elect that we might endeauour to holinesse and good workes Now good workes are of particular men and not of a Nation neither by the elect can here be vnderstood the nations admitted into the couenant seeing Saint Paul includes himselfe in this number Hath chosen vs in Christ c. Arnoldus himselfe doth sufficiently declare how little he trusts to this exposition while hee ioynes another which ouerthrowes this He saith that here it is spoken of the election to glory and therefore by holinesse would haue saluation vnderstood But the Apostle doth fitly preuent this starting hole for hee addes that we might be holy and blamelesse but to be blamelesse is a
and thinke that the most holy men may fall away It remaines therefore that faith is said to be of the elect which God giueth to the elect and which is a fruit of election The Arminians auoid this dart and argument by saying that by the name of faith is vnderstood doctrine But they doe not well auoid it so for the doctrine of the Gospell is not peculiar to the elect neither can it be called the doctrine of the elect seeing it is preached also to wicked and prophane men Here therefore we may see the Apostle and Arminius to be striuing together Saint Paul saith Faith is of the elect Arnold p. 186. Fides non est pracise electorum sed electio sidelium Armintus on the contrary part saith that election is of them that are faithfull and who are considered as already beleeuing With like licentious liberty doe they abuse the word of the elect by which they will haue those that are called and are holy to be vnderstood But after what manner Seeing that according to Arminius among them that are called and holy there are many reprobates the elect therefore by this meanes shall be reprobates Is the Scripture thus to be deluded But let vs see other places VII Noteable are the words of Christ Luk. 10 20. Reioyce that your names are written in Heauen Christ speaketh to men that were liuing who had not yet perseuered in the faith to the end Yet notwithstanding their names were already written in Heauen their saluation was determined by the certaine purpose of God Their election therefore was before their perseuerance in faith contrary to which is the opinion of Arminius who will haue perseuerance in faith to goe before election and will haue vs to be elected for faith fore-seene And if election be not peremptory immutable but after finall perseuerance as the Arminians would haue it then we must say that the names of the Apostles who did then first enter the race of Christian profession were so written in Heauen that yet it was in the power of the Apostles to fall away from the faith and so to be reprobated And therefore they could bring it to passe that Christ should lie See to what the audacity of these innouators doth come Furthermore that that is said in the Scripture to be written in Heauen before God which is appointed determined by his eternall counsell we haue proued in the former Chapter where we haue reiected that vnsauory and rash interpretation of the Arminians we will haue the writing of our names in heauen to be nothing else then to be accounted the children of God by the present state of righteousnesse and that for no other argument then because they will haue it so VIII S. Paul Ephes 2.8 By grace ye are saued through faith He doth not say that they are saued for faith fore-seen but by faith as by the meanes to saluation And if God doth not saue vs for faith fore seen he neither wil saue vs for faith fore-seen nor doth he elect vs for faith fore-seen For to elect is to be willing to saue IX The same words By grace ye are saued through faith do plainly say that faith is the meanes to saluation if saluation be the end and faith the meanes it must needs be that God thoght of giuing saluation to Peter Paul before he thoght of giuing them faith wherby they should come to saluation for the end is first in the intent before the means so habitatiō is intended before building life before foode health before phisick With what face therfore dare the Armint say that God had decreed to giue Peter and Paul faith before he had decreed to giue them saluation X. But here Arminius hath laid aside shame and doth deny that saluation is Gods end but hee saith that saluation and faith are the gifts of God tied together by the will of God in this order that faith should goe before saluation in respect of God the giuer and in the thing it selfe These are the words of Arminius which are cited and allowed by the Arminians in their answere to the Epistle to the Walachrians Pag. 93. But besides that I had rather beleeue Saint Paul teaching that we are saued by God through faith Arminius himselfe doth seeme to me to grant the same thing while he doth deny it For it is not likely that God is willing that faith should goe before the obtaining of saluation vnlesse because he will giue and bestow saith vnto saluation Now that which helpeth to obtaine saluation is the meanes by which we come to saluation as to the end Greuinchouius following him Pag. 12. doth deny that God intended the saluation of certaine men in particular as an end And Pag. 124. We haue said saith he that faith is to be considered two manner of waies eyther as it is prescribed and to be performed or as it is already performed As it is to be performed it is not the meanes but the condition and the thing required But as it is performed it is the meanes to man by which he doth obtaine saluation promised vnder the condition of faith The Reader shall obserue his excellent wit This man will haue faith then to be the meanes to saluation when it is performed that is when faith ceaseth For the Arminians then thinke faith to be performed when one hath perseuered in faith to the end at which time vision and sight succeedeth to faith ceasing Therefore if Arminius be beleeued saith will then beginne to be the meanes of saluation when it is not faith Then also that saying that faith performed is the meanes for man not for God is very weake For faith is the meanes for a man to come to saluation for no other cause then because God willeth and causeth that man should come to saluation by faith So he that saith that foode is the meanes for a man to liue saith also that it is the meanes that God doth vse for the sustentation of mans life XI It is of no small importance that the Apostle in the same place calleth faith the gift of God By grace ye are saued through faith Ephes 2.8 and that not of your selues it is the gift of God For the Apostle will not haue saluation alone to be the gift of God but also faith For he that giueth the end giueth also the meanes as hee that giues vs life giues vs also meanes to maintaine our life So Philip. 1.19 It is giuen to you for Christ that is in that which concerneth Christ not onely to beleeue on him but also to suffer for his sake Therefore to beleeue in Christ is the gift of God Wherefore we are not rightly said to be elected by God for faith fore-seene seeing God himselfe giues faith For God is not said vnlesse it be very vnproperly to fore-see those things which he himselfe determined to doe Hee would not be thought to haue a sound braine who
should say that God fore-saw the Sunne would be round or shining for God himselfe turned it into roundnesse and put the light into it How greatly the Arminians erre here and that it followes of their doctrine that faith is not the gift of God although sometimes they speake otherwise shall be seene in the right place XII Thither also belong the words which are in the eleuenth verse of the first chapter Ephes 1.11 Being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counfell of his owne will If God hath predestinated any one to saluation he worketh also all things which are necessary to the execution of that decree and if all things then also faith Faith therefore is something after predestination for it is a part of the execution of that decree XIII There is a noteable place Acts 13.48 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They beleeued as many as were ordained to eternall life While Paul preached to the men of Antiochia some beleeued some refused the Gospell Saint Luke brings this cause why they did not beleeue to wit the ordination and decree of God Election therefore is before faith because the election of God is the cause why men beleeue According to Arminius Saint Luke ought to haue spoken thus And as many as beleeued were elected by God in reward of their faith But contrariewise hee saith they beleeued because they were elected Socinus and after him Arminius doe depraue and corrupt this place with very great wickednesse For by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that were ordained they vnderstand they that were disposed prepared and inclined or well affected as if Luke had writ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Certainely a bold euasion and an interpretation without colour and example For neyther the Scripture nor any man that I know euer tooke the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this sence To which purpose when many examples may be heaped vp yet they are most fit which are taken out of the booke of the Acts it selfe that it may appeare in what sence Saint Luke doth alwaies take this word Chap. 15.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they decreed or determined that Paul should goe vp And Acts 28.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when they had appointed him a day So Saint Paul Rom. 13.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The powers that are are ordained or appointed by God So S. Chrisost Hom. 30. vpon the Acts doth interpret this place of the Acts as many as were ordained to saluation where he rendreth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seuered by God and fore-determined Then also although the word were ambiguous reason it selfe would conuince this For none of the vnregenerate can be well disposed or well affected to eternall life But all these men of Antiochia before they beleeued the Gospell were vnregenerate therefore they were ill disposed to the obtaining of saluation Let the schoole and followers of Arminius tell me what disposition was in the theefe who was crucified with Christ to beleeue before he did beleeue Or in the Apostle Paul when like a wolfe he did rage against the flocke of Christ and swelling with Pharisaicall pride was a most eager maintainer of righteousnesse by the Law yea also common sence doth abhorre that kinde of speaking which they deuise For wee are not wont to say that one is well disposed or prone or well affected to blessednesse but to vertue This inclination must be to doe something and not to enioy or obtaine something So one may be said to be inclined to the exercise of his body but not to health to the combat not to the reward or victory Or if any one please to take the word dispositum disposed for cupido desire there is no man who is not disposed to saluation It is not for nothing that the Greeke hath not the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simply and alone but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as many as were appointed By which preterpluperfect tense is plainely signified not a present disposition but an ordination that went before It is to no purpose that they therefore gather that by those that are ordained are vnderstood those that are disposed because in that place they are opposed to them that are vnworthy For Luke here makes no opposition nor if he did would it any thing hinder vs who know that by the very election to faith and saluation men are made worthy and therefore also we are opposed to those that are vnworthy In the meane time let the Reader iudge what and how wicked a doctrine this is which doth make men to be worthy before they beleeue and that some are found among Infidels who are worthy of saluation XIV Marke 13.22 False Christs and false Prophets shall arise and shall shew signes and wonders to seduce if it were possible the very elect There is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a cause and reason of it giuen in the word Elect For the cause is noted why some cannot be finally deceiued to wit because they are elected Election therefore is before perseuerance in faith to the end as being the cause of perseuerance And that which is the cause of perseuerance in faith is the cause of faith That which is the cause why one doth alwaies beleeue is the cause why hee doth beleeue Therefore the opinion of Arminius doth fall to the ground by which he determineth that not onely faith but also perseuerance in faith is before election and that God in electing doth consider it as a condition already performed and fulfilled XV. The words of the Apostle ought not to be omitted 2. Tim. 1.9 He hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen vs in Christ Iesus before the world beganne These words seem to me to be diametrically directly contrary to Arminianisme For the Apostle doth not onely deny that we are saued for the fore-seeing of workes but also he brings the eternall decree of God to exclude the respect of workes But if God hath not elected vs for the foreseeing of workes then certainly not for the fore-seeing of faith which doth beget and effect workes And if God hath not elected any one for the fore-seeing of faith then certainely not for the right vsing of grace nor for the obedience of faith for as much as this vsing and this obedience is manifestly a worke Neither is it any doubt but that to embrace the Gospell by faith is a kinde of worke and action of the will XVI What Arnold cont Gomarum Pag. 4â— Arminius dicit ipâ—um credere in Christum nobis in iustitiam imputari non vt infirumentum P. 35. dicet fidem estimati pro â—â—edien iâ— opâ—re Vorst Cat. Error on Siber P. 41. Fides nobis ad iustitiam 〈◊〉 putatur formalâ—er Bretius Epist ad Sabr P. 69. 70. Non est inâ—ptum dicere cum Deus
V. Man by his owne fault hath brought destruction to himselfe neither can the fall of man be imputed to God Thy destruction O Israell is from thy selfe but in mee is thy helpe Hosea 12.9.10 As in the generation of the Infant the sunne and man doe worke together yet if a monster be generated it is not ascribed to the sunne but to man For therefore is the monster bred because through the defect of the organs or the euill affection of the matter the vniuersall agent cause is withdrawne from the accustomed course Euen so to humane actions God and mans will doe concurre yet if any euill bee in the action it ought not to be ascribed to God but to the disposition of mans will VI. And yet the Scripture doth sometimes vse those phrases of speech which doe yeeld occasion to the prophane of imputing their sinnes to God as being committed by his will and incitation It is well knowne with how great wickednesse the sonnes of Iacob moued with enuy sold their brother Ioseph Of this fact Ioseph himselfe thus speaketh Genes â—0 Yee indeede thought euill against mee but God meant it vnto good that hee might saue much people aliue As if GOD had beene the authour of this fact The Scripture saith of the sonnes of Samuel that they did not obey their fathers admonitions because God would slay them 1. Samuel 2.25 And 1. King 2. the malignant spirit sets himselfe before the tribunall of God and offers to God his seruice to deceiue the Prophets To whom God said Thou shalt deceiue and thou shalt preuaile Goe forth and doe so Shemei curseth Dauid with foule imprecations 2. Samuel 26. which Dauid receiues as done by the incitation of God Let him curse saith hee for God hath said vnto him Curse Dauid Very grieuous calamities followed Dauids adultery with Bathsheba and his murther of Vrias by the rebellion of his sonne Absalon who droue his father from his kingdome and openly abused his wiues Nathan sent to Dauid from God doth declare how these things came to passe in these wordes Thou didst this secretly but I will doe these things before all Israell 2. Sam. 12. Satan afflicted Iob the Chaldees steale away his goods what saith this seruant of God to these things The Lord saith hee hath giuen and the Lord hath taken away Blessed be the name of the Lord. In the fourth Chapter of the Acts Saint Peter saith thus Against thy holy childe Iesus whom thou hast annointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate and the Gentiles and the people of Israell are assembled together to doe whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsell haue determined before to bee done Saint Paule in his first chapter of the Epistle of the Romans speaking of the people that were worshippers of Idols and were giuen ouer to all wickednesse saith that God gaue them vp to vile and wicked affections that they might doe these enormious things God himselfe doth witnesse Exod. 10. Rom. 9. That he hardned Pharaohs hart Finally who doth not tremble at these words of God which are set downe in the sixt Chap. of Esay Make the hart of this people fat and make their eares heauy and shut their eyes Least they see with their eyes and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts and so conuert and be healed Least any prophane person should abuse these things to the vnloosing of the claspe of intemperancy and least any whose heart is hardned against the word of God should impute the hardnesse of it to God who cannot be resisted As that yong man in Plautus In â—ulularia thus excusing himselfe Deus mihi impulsor fuit God was an incitor to me it was he drew mee to her therefore some things are to be set downe wherby this question may be cleered and the truth may be brought out of this darkenesse VII Before all other things wee admonish that the middle way be kept betweene the two extreames One whereof is to make God the authour of sinne the other is to assigne any thing to be done God being vnwilling ignorant or not regarding as if sitting in a watch-tower he did expect casuall euents depending vpon chance or vpon mans pleasure Let him runne into neither of these who would acknowledge the prouidence of God without damage of his iustice not fathering his sinnes vpon him and would not call in ignorance or neglect of things in God for the defence of his iustice VIII First therefore it must be graunted that sinne is not committed without Gods permission Neither ought this word of permitting offend any one as if it derogated from the care and prouidence of God seeing Saint Paul himselfe in the 14. chapter of the Acts doth vse this word where he saith to the men of Lycaonia God in times past * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suffered all nations to walke in their owne wayes therefore God suffered sinne To permit sinne is not to hinder it when thou canst thence it comes to passe that there are so many meanes of permitting sinne as of hindring it God doth hinder sinne two manner of wayes either by his Iustice or by his Power By his Iustice he hindereth sinne by commanding by forbidding by admonishing by threatning and by promising By his power he doth hinder it when he doth take away ability or remoue the occasion of sinning or by the efficacy of his spirit doth change and encline to piety our wils that are prone to sin The former is a morall impediment the latter a naturall or euen a supernaturall According to these meanes of hindering sinne the meanes of permitting it are also diuers For God doth permit sinne either by vnloosing the Law and giuing liberty of sinning or by not drawing away the ability of sinning which might hinder men from sinning in act After the former manner God doth neuer permit sinne after the latter manner he doth permit it which he doth in not hindring that man should assay it and in not giuing a certaine succour and measure of his grace which if it were present the sinne might be preuented IX This permission is a certaine act of the diuine will seeing it is voluntary for God doth nothing vnwitting or vnwilling God therefore permits sinne because he will permit it neither had he permitted it if it had not beene good that it should be permitted for if there were not euill it would not be known what is good euen as we should not know what light were vnlesse there were a night neither had his iustice whereby he punisheth nor his mercy whereby he pardoneth beene made knowne nor his wisedome whereby he can draw good out of euill nor his infinite loue whereby hee sent his sonne into the world that he might die for vs not that God doth stand in neede of our wickednesse to illustrate his glory but because otherwise man could not come to that full felicity to which hee was created For God cannot be perfectly knowne and therefore not
perfectly loued so long as his iustice and mercy is vnknowne So that by the very fall of man God hath framed to man a step to a more perfect condition and although in the respect of many particular persons which perish it might haue beene wished that man had not sinned yet in respect of the vniuersall good whereof regard is rather to be had God ought not to haue vsed his power to haue hindred sinne that it might not haue beene committed X. Furthermore although God doth permit the Diuels and men to sinne yet doth hee not so let loose the reynes to them but that they are held fast bound by the bonds of his prouidence and whilest they wander out of the path of righteousnesse they are yet included within the limits of his prouidence that they should not hurt them whom God loues For although mans will hath corrupted it selfe yet is not therefore the gouernment of God diminished to which the willes of men are subiect how much soeuer they are aduerse to his commandement and driuen with the spirit of rebellion doe gnash their teeth against his gouernment XI The principall faculties of the soule are two the Vnderstanding and the Will the one by which man knoweth and the other by which hee moues himselfe By the vnderstanding we are learned or vnlearned by the will we are eyther good or euill That which in the vnderstanding is to affirme or deny that in the will is to desire or to refuse God doth not put wicked desires into the minde but he doth often cast darknes into the mind and in his iust iudgement doth blinde the vnderstanding striking the rebells with a giddinesse and making them drunke with the spirit of sleepe yea truely no otherwise then the master doth iustly blow out his seruants candle which by night he doth abuse at dice So God doth take away the light of his knowledge when man doth abuse it to the contempt of God and to the liberty of sinning Howbeit God hauing taken away this light the erring will doth stumble and grieuously offend but hardnesse of heart doth of it selfe follow this blindnesse of minde For Saint Iohn ioyneth these together as hanging one vpon another Chap. 12.40 God hath blinded their eyes and hardned their hearts By this meanes latter sinnes are made the punishment of former sinnes as Saint Austin teacheth at large in his fift booke against Iulian. Chap. 3. For by the very same thing whereby man by his latter sinnes is made more wicked by the same he is also made more miserable Not that sinne is sent from God as a punishment but because God doth vse for a punishment that sinne which is not from him And hence doth that doctrine of a bare and carelesse permission vanish because a iudge doth not punish by a carelesse permission but by decreeing or iudging according to iustice XII The subministration and furnishing of the outward meanes of saluation such as are the word and sacraments doe also worke to this obduration and hardnesse of heart For vnlesse God moue the heart by the powerfull grace of his spirit mans wickednesse is more stirred vp by those outward helpes and hauing cast off this troublesome yoake he is carried through by-waies and doth violently throw down himselfe with greater ruine And then is fulfilled that which is said in the 81. Psalme I gaue them vp to their owne hearts lusts that they might walke in their owne counsells But yet that you might know that this hardnesse of heart doth proceede from man himselfe the Scripture doth not onely say that God hardned Pharaohs heart but Pharaoh himselfe is said to haue hardenâ—d his owne heart Exod 8.15 Neyther is that of Saint Paule Rom. 1. any otherwise to be vnderstood That God deliuereth ouer the wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a reprobate minde and vile affections For this reprobate minde these vile affections are not put into the wicked by God but they being in the vngodly God hauing put out his light doth suffer these vile affections to exercise their authority ouer them as Thomas teacheth Lib. 2. Quest 79. Art 1. XIII Furthermore they are two sorts of them whose hearts are hardned for besides that hardnesse of heart which is common to all the reprobates whereby a man is left to himselfe whence it commeth that hee doth alwaies grow worse there are some that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men of a high ranke of wickednesse whom God doth deliuer to Sathan with a peculiar and extraordinary vengeance such as were Pharaoh Saul and Iudas XIV Euery positiue being doth depend vpon God as vpon the first and principall entity neither can the creature moue it selfe without the assistance and sustentation of God For by him we liue and moue and haue our bring Acts 17. Neither doth he onely worke by influence into the creatures or assist them by a generall power and influence but also by his peculiar assistance by which he doth sustaine and direct seuerall actions The euents which follow of seuerall actions doe declare this which he doth witnesse doe not happen by chance but of his purpose God so willing Deut. 19.5 Exod. 21.13 If an Axe falling out of the hand of him that cutteth wood doth kill one that passeth by God doth affirme that it was done by him The Lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord Pro. 16.33 XV. Furthermore although God by his concurrence doth giue his influence into humane actions sustayning the agent and directing the actions setting bounds to them ordering the euents and drawing good out of euill yet must it not therefore be thought that God doth instigate to euill actions or to haue forced Eue to the eating of the forbidden tree To the clearing of which assertion we say that God doth not onely worke by the creature but also worke with the creature both God and the creature are concurrent causes to one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the bringing forth of one effect and these two taken together are the totall cause of any action which creature if it doth worke voluntary may by his concurrence pollute the action wherein there is the concurrence of God and determinate it to euill By this meanes the whole fault doth remaine with the creature For God effectually infusing into the creature doth not take away from it the free contribution of its owne power If man sinneth any thing in an humane action the concurrence of God is naturall but the concurrence of the creature is morall whatsoeuer was naturall in the eating of the forbidden Apple was from God whatsoeuer was morall and straying from the path of iustice was from man As God doth giue to a lame liuing creature the power of going yet is not his lamenesse from God so though God doth giue to man the faculty of willing and doth sustaine the naturall motion of the will and the act of willing yet if any euill come which doth
God of the spirits of all flesh set a man ouer the Congregation And the Apostle to the Hebrewes Chap. 12. v. 9. And if saith he wee had fathers of our bodies which corrected vs and we gaue them reuerence Shall we not much rather be in subiection vnto the father of spirits and liue It is not without consideration that God by a peculiar elegie and stile is called the father of spirits that he might be opposed to the fathers of the flesh for if the soule be by traduction those that are fathers of the flesh would also be the fathers of the spirits Neither should God by this title be distinguished from the fathers of the flesh if he wrought alike in both and did not forme mens soules otherwise then their bodies X. Wherefore Ecclesiastes Chap. 12. saith The body is dissolued to dust and the spirit returneth to God that gaue it which surely would not be aptly spoken if God should giue the spirit no otherwise then he giues the body Certainly by that word of returning of the soule to God Salomon doth insinuate that the soule came from God and doth returne thitherwhence she had her originall which cannot be said of the body XI The conception of Christ in the wombe of his mother doth adde credit to this opinion For seeing that according to the flesh he had not a father it is plaine that his soule was immediately created by God And if it be necessary that thou maist be sonne of Adam to haue thy soule traducted by thy fathers seede Christ could not be called the sonne of Adam nor of Dauid XII It is vnsauory which is brought out of the beginning of Exodus to proue the traduction of the soule Seauenty soules came out of the loynes of Iacob for the propriety of the Hebrew is well knowne that by soules are vnderstood persons XIII Also reason it selfe doth agree with the word of God 1. For the soule which is something which is aboue nature cannot be in a common condition generated with other naturall things 2. Because it is immateriall it cannot be brought forth by the power of any matter 3. If the soule were not generated vnlesse by the body it could not be without the body nor could it subsist by it selfe alone 4. They that would haue the soule to be traduced by the seede doe driue themselues into straights from which they cannot possible free themselues For why should not the soule of the mother be also traduced into the sonne or if the soule of the sonne be traduced as well from the soule of the mother as of the father it must needs be that two soules doe grow together are mingled into one 5. What will be come of so much seede that is lost which either fals from them that sleep or is vnhonestly lost or being receiued into the wombe doth not come to conception Will so many soules of men be lost or shall they be choaked in the wombe or shall they remaine alone without matter seeing it is certaine that they belong not to the number of men 6. Also it must neede be that eyther the whole soule of the father is traduced and so the father shall be made soule-lesse or else a portion and part of the soule and so the soule shall be diuisible Neither can the whole soule be transmitted as when light is kindled of light for such a propagation is made by the transmutation of the matter applyed vnto it and so the applyed matter of the begetting soule should be turned into the soule 7. If the definition of the soule laide downe by Aristotle Lib. 2. de anima Cap 1. and euery where conceiued be true by which he defineth the soule to be the first act of the naturall originall body hauing life in power I doe not see how the rationall soule can enforme and shape the seede in which there are no Organs XIV Neither is man therefore to be said not to beget man although he doth not beget the soule nor the soule be brought forth of the power of the seed yet is it sufficient for the generation of man that in generating although he doth not giue the whole substance yet he doth giue the subsistance of the person and doth not onely supply the matter of the infant but doth also minister dispositions and aptitudes to receiue that forme by which man hath his being For seeing that by the testimony of the Scripture the Virgin Mary is the mother of Christ although the extraordinary power of the holy-Ghost perfected his conception who neede doubt to affirme that commonly man doth beget man seeing all naturall things are done by ordinary meanes and rules These thornes being plucked vp the way to know the manner of the traduction of sinne from parents to their children is made playner XV. In the beginning I thinke I haue shewed by sure reasons that sinne doth not passe from the body into the soule And on the other side that God put into the soule this inclination to sinne it is a great wickednesse to beleeue And yet that originall sinne was in the soule God being vnwilling or being indifferent and permitting it with an idle permission cannot be spoken or beleeued without great offence For seeing Originall sinne is the punishment of the sinne of Adam he that saith that this punishment was inflicted onely by the permission of God and not by his will doth take away from God the office of a Iudge for Iudges doe not punish by permitting but by decreeing XVI For the explication of this Doctrine we lay downe these sixe propositions and foundations of the truth First Although we had not beene borne of Adam yet because hee had receiued supernaturall good things both in his owne and our name seeing he lost them by his owne fault wee are iustly depriued of them Euen as among many brethren one doth waste and consume that mony to his owne and brothers losse which hee receiued in his owne and brothers name Secondly God put into the soule these faculties Vnderstanding Will Sense Appetite which are naturally carried to things that are obuious known and not to things that are vnknowne and farre remoued Thirdly Man cannot know and loue supernaturall and diuine things without diuine and supernaturall enlightning Fourthly Neither could man vse those things that are obuious and naturall iustly and conueniently and to the glory of God vnlesse some supernaturall light did shine forth to him Fifthly God hath put into euery man for his owne preseruation a loue of himselfe which loue is naturally good but doth then beginne to be morally good when it doth accord to and helpe forward the loue of God Sixthly the manners of the minde doe for the most part follow the temper of the body XVII These things being laid down I say that God doth create the soules of men good but destitute of heauenly gilts and supernaturall light and that iustly because Adam lost those gifts for himselfe and
frowardnesse by what meanes it doth blow vp a man while he burst and lift him vp on high that it might throw him downe headlong For one that is filled with Armianisme may say thus God indeede is willing to saue me but he may be disappointed of his will hee may be defrauded of his naturall defires which are farre the best Those whom God will saue by his Antecedent will hee will destroy by his Consequent will Also his election doth rest on the fore-seeing of mans will I were a miserable man if my saluation depended vpon so vnstable a thing The same man will also reason thus God giueth to all men sufficient grace but hee hath not manifested Christ to all men therefore there is some grace sufficient without the knowledge of Christ Also the same man will easily beleeue that God doth mocke men for he hath learned in the schoole of Arminius that God doth seriously desire intend the saluation of all and singular men and yet that neuerthelesse he doth call very many by a meanes that is not congruent that is by a meanes in a time and measure which is not apt nor fit by which meanes whosoeuer is called doth neuer follow God calling But what doe I know whether he calleth by a congruent and agreeable meanes or no Adde also these famous opinions that vnregenerate men doe good workes that they are meeke thirsting after and doing the will of the Father that faith is partly from grace and partly from free-will Nay what that any maintainer of the sect of Arminius shall dare to set lawes to God himselfe and to say that God is bound to giue to all men power of beleeuing And that the iustice of God doth require that he may giue to man that which is his owne and that man himselfe may determine and open his owne heart to receiue the word of God O your fidelity Are these your famous incitations to holinesse of life Doth Arminius traine vp men to piety by these instructions Surely if any one is stirred vp to good workes by these things hee is thereby the more corrupted For God had rather haue sinnes with repentance then righteousnesse with pride God will not stirre vp men to repentance with the losse eyther of our faith or his glory Nor are we onely to doe our endeauour that men be stirred vp to repentance but we must also see that it be done by meanes that are conuenient and not contumelious against God CHAP. XXV Whether Christ be the cause and foundation of Election I. WE say that no man is saued but by and for Christ and that Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and price of our redemption the foundation and meritorious cause of our saluation But we doe not say that he is the cause of election or the cause why of two considered in the corrupted masse one is preferred before another There are not wanting examples of most wicked men to one whereof God so dispensing the Gospell hath beene preached whence it came to passe that he was conuerted and did beleeue but to the other the Gospell hath not beene preached The Scripture doth not say that the death of Christ is the cause of this but doth fetch the cause from the good pleasure of God who hath mercy on whom he will For the loue of the father doth alwaies goe before the mediation of the sonne seeing that the loue of the father to the world was the cause why he sent his sonne Yea truely seeing Christ himselfe as he is man is elected and the head of the elect hee cannot be the foundation and cause of election For as hee is the head of men as he is a man so is he the head of them that are predestinated as he is a man predestinated to so great honour which came to him by the meere grace of God II. Wherefore the Apostle calleth Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the price of our redemption and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the propitiation Coloss 1. Rom. 3. but he doth not say that he is the cause why some men should be elected rather then others III. Reason it selfe doth consent For as the recouery of the sicke-man doth in the intention alwaies goe before the vsing of the Phisitian so it must needes be that in the minde of God the thought of sauing men was not in time but in order before the thought of sending the Sauiour IV. Adde to these that the mediation and redemption of Christ is an action whereby the iustice of God is satisfied which is not signified by the word Election for it is one thing to be a mediator and another thing to be the cause of Election or of the preferring of one before another in the secret counsell of God Whence it is that Christ is the meritorious cause of our saluation but not of our election which is as much as if I should say that Christ is the foundation and cause of the execution of the decree of Election but not the cause of Election it selfe V. It is of no small moment that Christ Iohn 15.13 saith That he layeth downe his life for his friends chap. 10. v. 11. he calleth himselfe the good shepheard that layeth downe his life for his sheepe And if Christ be dead for his friends and for his sheepe it must needs be that when he died for them he did consider them as being already friends and sheepe although many of them were not then called as Christ himselfe doth testifie who in the sixteenth verse of the same chapter doth call those also his sheepe who were not yet conuerted And if Christ dying for vs considered vs as his friends and sheepe it is plaine that before the death of Christ there was already destinction made betweene his friends and enemies betweene the sheep and goates and therefore that the decree of Election was in order before the death of Christ and that the opinion of Arminius is to be hissed out as an opinion subuerting the Gospell whereby hee thinkes that the election had not place when Christ died Certainly he that died for his sheepe died for the elect and not for them who were to be elected after hee was dead By these things it is plaine that by those friends and sheepe for which Christ died are not vnderstood those onely who loue God and follow Christ but all those whom God loueth and whose saluation hee decreed for whom Christ died when they did not yet loue God and when they were enemies to him And therefore they are called enemies Rom. 5.10 because they did not loue God but yet euen then they were highly loued by God and were appointged to saluation in Christ For in a diuers respect they were both friends and enemies sheepe and goates Friends because God loued them enemies because they did not yet loue God VI. Neither is iniurie done to Christ if the loue of the Father and his good pleasure be said to goe in order
moued to gine a greater measure of grace But it is so farre that God in beginning regeneration should haue respect to fore-going dispositions that on the contrary they are called who are the greatest strangers from the kingdome of heauen and who are ouer whelmed in greatest darknesse Let the Thiefe on the crosse be an example also the Romanes the people of Alexandria of Antioch the Corinthians and the Ephesians then which people there were neuer any more wicked in lust nor more effeminate in luxurie of greater ignorance or of more prodigious idolatry whom yet so euill affected and dispoled God called by an effectuall calling and hauing sent his Apostles to them gained them to Christ that where sinne did more abound there grace also might more abound XVII And that regeneration is not alwayes wrought by degrees the example of the conuerted Thiefe doth shew who in the extreame inuasion of spirituall agony in one moment passed ouer an vnmeasurable space and oâ— the contrary that the resurrection of the body may be done by degrees Ezechiel teacheth Chap. 37. XVIII That is no truer which they say that regeneration is wrought free-will remayning For if free-will doth remaine in regeneration it must needes be that it goeth before regeneration but in things that are spirituall and which belong to saluation there was no free-will before regeneration XIX It is of the same sort yea farre worse which they adde that in an vnregenerate man there are some reliques of the spirituall life for so they aske that to be granted to them which is the question and which we haue already proued to be false XX. Neither yet is that true which they say that God doth not speake to a dead corps for Christ spake these words to Lazarus that was dead Lazarus come forth Luk. 11. And Eze. 37.4 God doth thus speake to the bones that were long before withered Oye dry bones heare the word of the Lord. God calleth those who are not as if they were but in that he calleth them he causeth that they may be The words of Christ Iohn 5.25 are direct to this purpose The dead shall heare the voice of the sonne of God and they that heare shall liue For as God with his light doth so enlighten the blinde that he also giueth them eyes so by his word he doth so speake to the dead that by that word he doth make them aliue XXI Maruailous is the wittinesse of the Arminian conferrers at the Hage who doe thence proue that there is some ability left in man that is spiritually dead because we acknowledge that man may resist grace Passing well spoken for they proue that a man is not dead in sinne because he can resist the spirit of God as if the remainds of our spirituall life were placed in the faculty of resisting God when on the contrary a man is therefore dead in sinne because he can doe nothing but resist They doe therefore as much as if they should say that a man is not therefore dead in sinne because he is dead in sinne XXII And that which they say that he which is dead cannot resist his resurrection but hee that is vnregenerated may resist his viuification maketh for vs and doth burden the cause of these innouators For thence it followeth that the death in sinne is farre the worse death and that he that is dead in sinne is bound with stronger bonds if he resist his owne resurrection not onely in the beginnings of his regeneration but also in the progresse of it Yea that very inclination to resist God is the chiefest part of that death and naturall corruption XXIII In the meane while the Reader shall obserue how artificiall a couert Arnoldus doth vse while he saith that he which is dead cannot resist his resurrection but he that is dead in sinne may resist his viuification The opinion of the Arminians is that an vnregenerate man hath free-will by which he may vse sufficient grace or not vse it beleeue or not beleeue Arnoldus therefore ought thus to haue framed his comparison saying he that is dead cannot hinder or further his owne resurrection but hee that is vnregenerate may hinder or further his regeneration But Arnoldus doth not here make mention of that helpe that he might put by the enuie and suspâ—tion of Semipelagianisme Thus they are wont to doe that are ashamed of their owne opinion XXIV That is not to be passed ouer with silence which the Arminians of the conference at the Hage pag. 81. doe say For there they make two kindes of vnregenerate men some who being left without any calling of God doe walke in the vanity of their minde and thoughts These they confesse are dead in sinne but there are some who are already called and stirred vp by the grace of God whose vnderstandings being enlightned and their affections being enflamed doe stirre vp the will to the apprehension of the truth They deny that those are dead in sinne because their vnderstandings and appetites are viuified although the will is not yet drawne here are many absurdities First because they thinke that some are vnregenerate who are already viuified and made aliue when yet viuification and regeneration are the same thing For if ones minde be quickned it must needes also be regenerated Secondly With the like error they place viuification there where there is not faith seeing as the Apostle witnesseth the iust doth liue by faith and it is impious to acknowledge any viuification to be in an infidell and vnregenerate man Thirdly And they dispute vntowardly when they iudge it to be possible the vnderstanding being enlightned with the knowledge of the truth and the appetite enflamed with the loue of it that the will should be auerse from this truth And that a man may be quickned in his minde and affections and yet his will remaines without life For what should turne away the will when they two doe instigate and stirre it vp seeing that the will is moued by these two alone Nor doth the will euer stand in doubt but when reason stirreth it vp one way and the appetites draw it another way and the will is forced hither and thither by the contrary suggestions of the minde and the appetites Fourthly Nor doe they agree to themselues when they say that there are some left without any calling of God seeing that they maintaine with great contention that all men are called to saluation not onely by an outward but also by an inward calling and that sufficient grace is administred to all Fiftly Finally I demand whence they haue these two kindes of vnregenerate persons If out of the Scripture let them shew the place If out of their owne coniecture wee doe not beleeue them XXV Arnoldus against Tilenus Page 134. doth say that it may come to passe that of two men furnished with an equall helpe of grace one may be conuerted one not But he ought also to shew whether it may come to passe
Scripture that cannot lye saith that euery man is a lyar The same Law commandeth that God be loued withall our heart and all our strength which thing how can it be performed by the vnregenerate seeing it was neuer peeformed by the regenerate themselues That which a liuing man neuer performed how can it be performed by him that is dead Finally we must bid Christian religion farewell and another Gospell must be coyned if this prodigious doctrine be admitted IX But that we may come to that double spirit of God Arminius and according to him Arnoldus pag. 399. doe deuise two spirits or rather two acts of the same spirit The one of these spirits they will haue to be common to all men euen to the vnregenerate yea and to heathen men to whom the Gospell hath not come by which spirit they thinke that God doth worke in all men and is idle in none This is that spirit which they call the spirit of bondage of which it is spoken Rom. 8.15 which is opposed in that place to the spirit of Adoption which is peculiar to the true faithfull This spirit of bondage the Arminiaâ—s will haue to be effectuall in the law not onely in the written law but also in that which is naturally imprinted in mens hearts By this spirit they thinke that vnregenerate men doe tremble with a sauing feare doe acknowledge and confesse their sinnes doe implore the grace of God and apply themselues to the obedience of the law of nature these they thinke are preparation and dispositions to regeneration if so be that free-will doth vse well that vniuersall and sufficient grace which is common to all men These are the decrees of this new sect full of many perplexities and filled with nice and slender points X. I finde in the holy Scripture the spirit of adoption the first fruits of the spirit the spirit of sanctification but I no where finde a spirit of God that is tyed to the law and common to all men Nor can the spirit of God working in our hearts be without very great wickednesse seperated from the knowledge of Christ 2 Cor. 3.6 Ministers of the new Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the letter killeth but the spirit giueth life Nor doe I see how there can be in them whom Saint Paul Ephes 2. saith to be dead in sinne strangers from the life of God and without God in the world either any spirituall life or the spirit of God dwelling in their hearts and sauingly mouing and affecting them Certainely the Apostle had neuer called the Law seperated from the Gospell a killing letter nor had opposed it to the spirit if the spirit of God were alway ioyned to the law or if the spirit of God did worke in mens hearts and dispose them to faith and conuersion without the knowledge of the Gospell Nor is the Law a Schoole-master vnto Christ vntill the grace of Christ is offred to vs for then the Law with terrour and threats doth compell vs to imbrace the grace offred XI But that is most dangerous which the Arminians presse downe and hide but dare not vtter to wit that the holy spirit is naturally in euery man For if the spirit of God be effectuall in the law and the law be naturally engrauen in euery man it must needes be that the spirit of God is naturally in euery man And so whatsoeuer the Scripture speaketh of the second birth by the spirit of the creation of the new man and of the spirituall resurrection will fall to the ground yea will be ridiculous For what neede were there to infuse a new spirit for regeneration if the same spirit of God did already dwell in the hearts of the vnregenerate XII And that place of Saint Paul Rom. 8. Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage againe to feare they doe falsely and against the Apostles will draw to this matter For Saint Paul neuer called the spirit of God the spirit of bondage for so he had reproached the spirit of God but he onely saith that the spirit that was giuen to them was not seruile and such as should strike their hearts with a slauish feare For where the spirit of God is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. If I should say that we haue not receiued from God the spirit of lying should I therefore say that there is a spirit of God that compels to lying Is the spirit of God contrary to it selfe that one spirit of God should be called the spirit of bondage and another the spirit of liberty The plaine and simple meaning therefore of the words of the Apostle is this Ye haue receiued the spirit of God not that which should terrifie your consciences with a slauish feare which made you vncertaine and doubtfull before the grace of God and the adoption of Christ was reueiled to you c. XIII And they doe extreamely dote when they put the feare and terrour wherewith the law destitute of the spirit of regeneration and the knowledge of Christ doth strike mens hearts among the effects of the spirit of God For the law thus receiued can onely restraine the raging affections with the feare of punishment and frame a man to certaine outward obedience but it will neuer purge the inward filthinesse or instill any one drop of true repentance yea rather it will stirre vp the inward lusts by the resistance of it as it is engrafted in euery man to encline to that which is forbidden and wheresoeuer hope of impunity is propounded men hauing broken their barres doe so much the more outragiously riot by how much they were straightly bridled in This is that which the Apostle would expresse Rom. 7.5.8 The motions of sinnes by the law did worke in our members and sinne taking occasion by the commandement it selfe wrought concupiscence And that vntill the spirit of life which in Christ frees vs from the law of sinne and death as it is said Chapter 8.2 that is vntill the powerfull efficacy of that quickning which we haue from Christ free vs from that bondage of deadly sinne XIV It is vaine and idle which they obiect that the corruption of an vnregenerate man is compared to sleepe and to an Vlcer I confesse it is compared to a sleepe but to a deadly one and such a one out of which man cannot awaken and raise himselfe That Vlcer and scarre which is spoken of Esay 53.1 and 1 Pet. 2. doth not signifie sinne it selfe but the punishment of sin This therefore is nothing to the reliques and remainds of spirituall life in an vnregenerate man CHAP. XXXV The Obiections which the Arminians borrow from the Pelagians and Papists are answered Whether an vnregenerate man doth necessarily sinne and whether necessitie excuseth the sinner Also whether God doth command those things which cannot be performed by man I. THese thornes and difficulties being taken away wee are to come to the Arguments or rather Declamations with which they
the fore-skinne of your heart All which places are besides the purpose for they doe not say that which Arnoldus doth apply to them to wit that these things are done by vs but they onely commanded them to be done and I meruaile how so great a negligence hath crept on a man of a sharpe and acute wit Yea if these places should say that man gaue himselfe a new heart that he did sanctifie and quicken and saue himselfe yet it would not thence follow that these things are done by our free-will for it is familiar to the Scripture to say that those are done by vs which God doth worke by vs Thus man openeth to God knocking Reuel 2.20 Thus the Apostles raised the dead Thus the Pastors of the Church forgiue sins Mat. 18. Iohn 21. Thus they saue soules 1 Tim. 4.16 When yet without wickednesse they cannot arrogate to themselues the title of the Sauiour of soules XVII And whether this doctrine tendeth of the concurrence of free-will with grace and of the faculty whereby man may beleeue vse grace if he will or not beleeue refuse grace and the totall cause of faith is assigned not to grace alone but to grace with free-will whether I say this doctrine drawne out of the ditches and puddles of the Semipelagians doth tend it is easie to know For it tendeth thither that mans merits might closely be brought in as it were by vndermining wayes For a though these Sectaries doe at the first view seeme to beare a hatred to merits yet in many places they doe establish them The Epistle against the Walachrians hath these words pag. 44. Those whom God calleth and to whom he doth before hand vouchsafe the grace of preaching we confesse for the most part to be such men that their vertues doe deserue no lesse then this free bestowing of gifts Behold then some men who deserue the bestowing of the gifts of God and that before regeneration Arnoldus pag. 328. God giueth to the creature performing obedience that which is theirs of due Arminius against Perkins pag. 218. God of his promise and of due debt doth giue life to him that worketh And Arnoldus pag. 433. doth speake of some who by the helpe of grace doe not make themselues vnworthy and doe not deserue that the spirit should cease to worke in them XVIII It liketh me well for a corollary to set downe here the famous sentence of Saint Austin ad Simplicium quest 2. This is manifest that we will in vaine vnlesse God shew mercy but I doe not know how it can be said that God sheweth mercy in vaine vnlesse we doe will for if God hath mercy we are willing because it belongeth to that mercy that we should be willing for it is God that doth worke in vs to will and to doe of his good will And in the same place The effect of the mercy of God cannot be in the power of man that he should in vaine haue mercy if man be vnwilling because if he will haue mercy on them he can call them after that manner that is fit for them that they should be moued and vnderstand and follow CHAP. XXXVI Of the outward and inward calling and whether the one be without the other I. ALthough the workes of God which are euery where before our eyes doe abundantly testifie and euen against mens wils do shew the infinite power goodnesse and wisdome of God yet this light is but dimme and nearer to darkenesse in comparison of the light of the word of God whereby hee doth not onely giue vs assurance of his omnipotency maiesty and prouidence but doth also reueile to vs his will For surely the contemplation of the creatures doth not touch men with the sence of sinne nor doth shew to a man the way of saluation and reconciliation with God yea there can be no profitable and sauing contemplation of nature vnlesse those things which in a doubtfull light and in worne-out letters are hardly read doe by the word of God as it were through spectacles appeare plaine and distinct to vs Then at length doe we contemplate heauen with filiall eyes as the entry of our fathers house when God by his word hath dispelled this mist from our mindes and hath declared sure tokens of his fatherly loue II. Furthermore although the knowledge of the creatures doth not suffice to saluation yet the Gentiles who were instructed by no other teacher then nature are therefore inexcusable because they doe not vse these although small helpes to as good purpose as they might and because they endeauour to choake or depraue those naturall good notions and sparkes of goodnesse and equity which are put into them by nature Therefore they alone doe profit in piety by the teaching of the creatures and are by the prickes of conscience stirred vp to the feare of God to whom God hath vouchsafed the prerogatiue of his word III. But yet not all they that heare the word of God doe come to saluation but those in whom the preaching of the Gospell piercing deepely and being admitted into them doth change their hearts and shed in their mindes a heauenly light And these sauing effects are not to be ascribed to the eloquence of man obtained to perswade but to the secret efficacy of the holy Ghost which is the true doctor of our soules and that singer of God engrauing the law on the stony tables of our hearts Thence it is that the Gospell is called in the Scripture a two-edged sword a hammer breaking the stone the arme of God and the power of God to saluation Without which efficacy of the holy Ghost preaching is but a dead letter and a vaine sound striking mens eares effectuall onely to this that the condemnation of the stubborne and rebellious hearer should be the greater Hence ariseth a double calling one outward which is wrought by the outward publishing of the Gospell the other inward which is wrought by the powerfull drawing and change of the heart by the Holy-Ghost by whom the word is made effectuall This inward change doth consist of two parts viz. The enlightning of the minde and the change of the will which change of the will though it be latter in time yet it is worthier in dignity In so much that the enlightning of the minde without the renewing of the heart doth turne to our greater condemnation This inward change is in the Scripture called conuersion regeneration the new birth creation and resurrection IV. Here wee haue somewhat to doe with the Arminians and there is no small controuersie betweene vs For they say that the word of God whensoeuer and amongst whomsoeuer it is preached is neuer destitute of its quickning power neither is any one outwardly called but hee is also inwardly drawne And therefore they refuse the distinction of vocation or calling into outward and inward These are the words of Arminius against Perkins Page 57. The word is vnprofitable without the Holy-Ghost wherefore
it hath the cooperation of the Holy-Ghost alwaies ioyned to it And this he saith being vnmindefull of that which hee had said a little before where speaking of the word and of the cooperation of the holy spirit he saith these two are almost alwayes ioyned together therefore not alwayes Neither is Arnoldus vnwilling that Arminius should doubt in that thing for pag. 432. he speaketh thus It may be doubted whether Arminius thought that the inward succour of the spirit was alwaies and in all men ioyned with the outward preaching But that which the Master speakes fearefully and doubtingly is openly and without any circumstance affirmed by his schollers For Arnoldus Chap. 4. would draw Arminius into this opinion that the outward calling doth happen to none without the inward and pag. 433. The opinion of Arminius is that the efficacy of the holy Ghost is present with all them who at the first are called The Arminians in their Epistle against the Walachrians pag. 49. doe labour much to teach that in those who are not conuerted the word is not destitute of the quickning spirit Arnoldus pag. 464 teacheth that this quickning force is ioyned not onely to the preaching of the Gospell but also to the preaching of the law and that this change is made by the spirit by the word of the Law preparatorily and by way of preparation by the word of the Gospell consummatorily in respect of the finishing of it and that so as man cannot but receiue that sence and be affected with it and in this action the spirit carrieth himselfe altogether passâ—uely By which feeing hee saith the spirit doth allure the assent the liberty of the will yet remaining safe and whole This holy spirit working in mens hearts by the knowledge of the law Arnoldus doth put euen in Infidels and those that be not regenerate which although it is not the spirit of regeneration yet it doth dispose to regeneration V. This doctrine is repugnant not onely to the holy Scripture but also to experience and common sence For we see many hearers of the word that are no more affected with the preaching of it then if lessons should be sung to them that are deafe those whose mindes doth wander other-where and doth neuer returne besotted with such a stupidity that they haue no relish of the Gospell no feeling of it nor assent vnto it although to other things they are not slow Also there are very many who when they heare the Gospell receiue it with gibing laughter as an absurd thing as the Athenians Acts 13.32 For Christ preached is an offence to the Iewes and foolishnesse to the Greekes because they are offended and these mocke at it I haue seene those who being asked what they brought from the Sermon and what they remembred haue seriously answered they could not discerne whether the Preacher spoke French or Latine VI. In such men yea and in Infidels instructed in the law alone the Arminians say that the spirit of God doth worke and doth necessarily and as they speake vnresistably giue the sence and feeling of the true doctrine although he doth not giue the assent and agreeing to it but by the helpe of free-will Much more therefore among the Arminian multitude there will be none who is not drawne with the holy Ghost and who doth not feele in him the quickning spirit This flying in the ayre doth not much disser from the fanaticall enthusiasme and inspiration of the Anabaptists but that the Anabaptists will haue this sence and feeling peculiar to themselues but these innouators will haue it to be common both to the faithfull and to Infidels yea to all to whom either the Gospell is preached or the Law without the Gospell VII It is to no purpose to reckon vp places of Scripture to ouerthrow this opinion For hitherto belong all those places which wee haue brought Chapter 34. to proue that an vnregenerate man and an infidell is vnable and vnfit to euery worke that is good and profitable to saluation All which were false if the quickning power of the holy spirit did dwell in infidels and vnregenerate persons and if all men were drawne inwardly and by an internall calling VIII To this purpose are those places which teach vs that they alone come to Christ whom the father draweth Iohn 6.44 But according to Arminius all men are drawne and are inwardly affected by the holy Ghost As the winde bloweth where it listeth so also the spirit Iohn 3.8 Therefore hee doth not breath euery where In the multitude of people God opened the heart of Lydia before the rest When the Apostles were astonished the theefe beleeued among the cries of the raging people and so many impediments of beleeuing One little call of Christ moued Mathew that leauing the receipt of Custome he followed Christ when the men of Capernaum among so many miracles and good lessons were hardned at the preaching of the Gospell Whence it appeareth that some men are drawne by the efficacy and power of the spirit and some men are left in their naturall wickednesse Whence is this difference If dignity be respected who among the vnregenerate is not vnworthy of the grace of God seeing all men are of a stony heart and are dead in sinne But if the precedent disposition be respected why are the men of Capernaum rather called by the Gospell then the men of Tyre seeing that Christ doth witnesse that the men of Capernaum were worse affected and lesse inclined to repentance IX Arnoldus Page 445. doth contend that the heart of Lydia was therefore opened because shee was well affected and disposed and that God therefore opened her heart because she opened it her selfe For in that place shee is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that was addicted to the worship of God before she beleeued Paul I might say that there are many who worship God with a wicked and vnlawfull worship But I am more prone to this opinion that I should beleeue that Lydia a Iewish woman was indued with the spirit of regeneration and had receiued true pietie and beleeued in the Messiah promised although she did not yet know that Iesus the Sonne of Mary was the Christ because he was not preached to her Such a one was the Eunuch of Candaces and Cornelius who Acts 10. is called a deuout man whose prayers and almes and piety was praised before hee had heard any thing of Christ These were some of those men who as Saint Luke saith Chapter 2.25 Did expect the consolation of Israell I thinke it were wickednesse to account these among insidels and among the rest of the Iews who did blaspheme Christ and dispise him preaching Seeing therefore that Lydia was such a one God opened her heart that shee might attend to the words of Saint Paul and might learne from him that Christ whom shee did expect was already come and that those thinges were fulfilled which were fore-told of him by the Prophets X. Against these
heart to vnderstand and eares to heare before they had shewed themselues refractory rebellious If they neuer had then we haue ouercome for then we haue a cleare example of some men to whom a heart and eyes were neuer giuen and therefore not sufficient grace But if Arnoldus saith that they had these things at the beginning but they afterward lost them then he will accuse God himselfe of a lie who doth directly say that he neuer gaue them a heart nor eyes to this day XI Was sufficient grace giuen to the men of Tire Sydon to whom Christ would not haue his Gospell preached although they were not so farre from repentance as the men of Capernaum to whom Christ himselfe did preach the Gospel XII In the meane while the reader shall obserue the ridiculous wit of this man flying the encounter Hee saith that God was willing to giue to the Israelites a heart to vnderstand eyes to see that he was prepared to giue them but was hindred by the Israelites that he might not giue them Therefore if this man be beleeued they were able to obey God before he had giuen them a hart but to obey is it selfe to haue a hart therfore they might haue had a hart before they had a hart which are things which cannot stand together he doth therfore as much as if he should say God hath not giuen them a hart because they were without a hart as if the Physitian would not heale the blind man because the blinde man would not see the Physitian comming XIII And if as the Arminians doe thinke God doth command nothing to the fulfilling whereof hee doth not giue sufficient grace I would haue them tell me whether God commanding Pharaoh to send away the people gaue him sufficient grace by which he might obey the commandement of God when on the contrary the Scripture doth witnesse that God hardned his heart that he might not send away the people XIV And seeing there are some whom God doth harden and that as the Arminians say vnresistably doth God giue to those men so hardned sufficiēt grace of fulfilling the Law to the fulfilling whereof euery man is bound doth he giue to euery man sufficient grace to the perfect fulfilling of the law No truely for why did Christ make himselfe obnoxious and subiect to the law but that hee might fulfill that for vs which could not be fulfilled by vs Rom 8.3 XV. Christ Mat. 11. doth thus speak to his Disciples It is giuen to you to know the secrets of the Kingdome of heauen but it is not giuen to them Doth he not say that the grace of knowing the secrets of the kingdome of heauen is not at all giuen to some yet without this grace all other grace is vnprofitable to saluation Here therefore I demand whether they to whom it was not giuen to know these secrets could know them It appeareth by the words of Christ that they could not and yet the same men are commanded to learne and know these secrets and to beleeue them For here it is spoken of those to whom the Gospell was preached And if they could not know them because it was not giuen to them it appeareth that sufficient grace to know and learne those things was not granted to them XVI The Apostle Acts 14. saith that God in times past suffered all nations to walke in their owne waies And Psal 147. it is said Hee shewed his Statutes to Israel He hath not dealt so with any nation And therefore they haue not knowne his Statutes And Mathew Chap. 4. saith that the Gentiles to whom the Gospell had not yet shone sat in darknesse and in the shadow of death Who dares say that sufficient grace to obtaine faith was giuen to these men For example sake did God in the time of the Machabees giue sufficient grace to the Mores and the Americanes to beleeue in Christ and to obtaine saluation By what testimony or by what reason shall it at length be proued that these Nations were furnished with sufficient grace and were called with a sauing calling The booke of nature was before their eyes they had some notions of that which was right and good imprinted on their hearts but darkened with a great mist Yet neither by these things nor by that sufficient grace destitute of faith did euer any of them come to faith or saluation Nor could the Arminians yet bring an example of any one who by these helps haue come to faith Yet Vorstius is shameles for in the sixe and twentieth Section Col. cum Pis he saith that these people were not simply destitute of necessary helpe and that God vouchsafed them some crummes of the heauenly bread which were mediately sufficient This man of a prepostrous wit doth strew vs here the crummes of his small eloquence and doth cloath his new doctrine with vnvsuall tearmes which because he doth so proffer that hee will haue them to be beleeued without proofe it is as easily reiected by vs as it is affirmed by him VII That speach of Christ Iohn 6.44 is of no small moment nor carelesly to be read No man can come to me vnlesse the father who sent mee draw him Whereunto that verse 65. is agreeable No man can come to me except it were giuen vnto him of my father Out of which places we thus reason Whosoeuer is not so drawne that he come is not furnished with sufficient grace to come But many are not so drawne Therefore many men are not furnished with sufficient grace to come The Maior is proued by the words of Christ No man can come to me except the father draw him For i◠thou must be drawne that thou maist come it is plaine that they that are not drawne doe want grace and power whereby they may come and therefore that they are not furnished with sufficient grace and that there were many that were not drawne is proued by the same words of Christ for he setteth downe the cause why the men of Capernaum could not come nor beleeue to wit because they were not drawne Therefore Arminius against Perkins pag. 219. doth wrongfully demand as one doubting What if all men are drawne To deuise many kindes of drawing is nothing to this matter for it sufficeth to the present question that it is spoken in this place of such a drawing without which no man doth come to Christ Let these Sectaries faigne whatsoeuer kinde of drawings they will so long as it is manifest that by them no man euer came to Christ and that he that is not drawne by that drawing whereof Christ speaketh here is not furnished with sufficient grace which the Arminians themselues doe acknowledge while they confesse that by that sufficient and helpefull grace no man is conuerted vnlesse another speciall grace hath come to it Whence it followeth that that generall grace is not sufficient CHAP. XL. The same sufficient and vniuersall grace is impugned by arguments and reasons
them raine from heauen and fruitfull seasons and filled their hearts with foode and gladnesse no mention of supernaturall grace And I deny that the law written or printed on the heart can be a Schoole-master to Christ to those who are altogether ignorant of Christ for the law doth not lead vs to a thing vnknown but after that the grace of Christ is offered by the Gospell the law by threats and terrours doth compell to the embracing of it that what we cannot attaine to in the law we might finde in Christ Therefore the morall Law might be to the Israelites a Schoole-master to Christ because Christ was shadowed to them by the ceremoniall law and was foreshewed by Prophesies IV. And in what sence that of Esay Chap. 5.4 What was more to be done to my vineyard that I haue not done ought to be taken we haue taught in the thirty seauenth Chapter Surely nothing can be pulled out of this place for sufficient grace which is common euen to them to whom the word of God was neuer preached seeing that by this vineyard the lewes were vnderstood to whom the word of God was preached and the meanes to saluation were abundantly supplyed Nor doth Esay speake of the grace which is giuen to particular men but that which is giuen to a whole Nation taken together and that the meanes which Esay doth number vp are externall and not internall doth appeare by the same place where God is compared to a Vine-dresser which planted a Vineyard in a fruitfull soyle he made a trench about it he set vp a hedge and built a Wine-presse and a Tower but he doth not infuse the groath and vitall iuyce nor doth send the sunne and the seasonable raine God therefore saith that he outwardly supplied whatsoeuer things could be administred to conuersion for man ought to bring inward dispositions of his owne Neither is God bound to restore to man these dispositions which he lost by his owne fault Indeede God in that place saith that he looked for grapes and behold wilde grapes But this expectation is attributed to God after the manner of men God is said to expect something from man when he doth require something from him and when he doth deferre the punishment if at any time due fruits are not brought forth and doth not presently with the Axe cut vp by the roote the vnfruitfull fig-tree as Christ teacheth Luke 13. Vers 7.8 9. V. They doe often reckon vp that old and worne out argument To him that hath it shall be giuen Mat. 25.29 By which words they say Christ doth insinuate that God will bestow greater grace vpon him who hath well vsed the light of nature Thus they lay the Scripture on a racke that they may wrest any thing from it whereunto it is vnwilling Christ doth there bring the parable of the Talents and saith that the talent which the wicked seruant had hid was taken from him and giuen to the seruant who had encreased his Masters estate by doubling the fiue talents For saith he to him that hath shall be giuen and he shall haue abundance but from him that hath not shall be taken away euen that which he hath By the talents are the gifts of God vnderstood and especially the knowledge of God by the Gospell which knowledge hee is said to hide who doth detaine the truth in vnrighteousnesse and doth keepe in the knowne truth This talent therefore cannot be that sufficient grace which doth happen to infidels and vnregenerate persons but that grace which God doth bestow on his domesticall seruants Neither by him that hath is vnderstood a man in his meere naturals or some heathen man furnished with sufficient grace but a man furnished with the knowledge of the Gospell which is giuen to one for that end that by edifying his neighbour he might spread the knowledge farre abroad and like mony put out to vse it might be encreased with daily additions VI. Arnoldus pag. 368. hath these words It is connenient to the iustice and goodnesse of God that he should giue or be prepared to giue meanes necessary to faith to all them for whom he gaue Christ to death and of whom he requireth faith so that on his part nothing hindreth that all men should not come to faith Now wee answer that God doth not require from all men faith on Christ but onely from them to whom the Gospell is preached and hee is not bound to giue meanes necessary to faith to all them to whom the Gospell is preached because man lost those meanes by his owne fault For God requiring of man what he oweth is not bound to restore to man the power of fulfilling that which hee commandeth seeing that man lost these powers by his owne fault Indeede the anger of God doth remaine on vnbeleeuers as Arnoldus addeth but there is no man that would not be incredulous if God should change his heart by the spirit of regeneration Surely Arnoldus doth coine a new Gospell while hee doth thinke that any one may beleeue the Gospell without the spirit of regeneration CHAP. XLII The consent of the Arminians with the Semipelagians is declared SAint Austin writ bookes against Pelagius Coelestius and Iulian wherein he maintained the sound faith concerning Originall sinne Predestination Grace Free-will and Election according to the purpose of God Pelagianisme being shaken by his Arguments taken out of the holy Scripture as it were with most strong battering Rammes and at length being ouerthrowne neuer after lifted vp the head Therefore next to God we are indebted to the industry and wit of so great a man that this deadly plague was driuen from the bowels of the Church But Sathan being shaken off by his labour and diligence deuised other practises by which hee doth so fight for grace that he doth secretly fight against it For there were not wanting men in diuers places especially in Aquitania in the region of Massilia who although they professed themselues to differ from Pelagius yet they carped at the writings of Saint Austin and doe thus inveigh against his doctrine of absolute Election That by it mens consciences are made sluggish that they might sleep in vices by it the raines are losened to al wickednes by it men are driuen headlong to desperation That Precepts Exhortations threats are needelesse if the number of the elect be determined by the purpose of God or if by the immutable decree of God some men are elected to faith and saluation and some are appointed to damnation Finally free-will is tyed by the bands of necessitie in as much as they who are so elected cannot but perseuere They thought therefore that the middle way betweene Pelagius and Saint Austin was to be gone in For they taught that the sinne of Adam flowed into his posteritie That mans nature was corrupt and that by the powers of nature he could not come to saluation But they taught that the grace which should cure nature is
witting and hauing naturally power of resisting We doe not therefore despute of the powers of resisting grace which wee finde by experience to our owne losse to be in the godly and faithfull But we dispute of the impossibility of the euent and we earnestly affirme that it cannot be that he who is elected should finally resist and by his incredulity striue against God to the end of his life And that those things which are done by men willingly without constraint without naturall necessitie and without the impulsion of any externall cause forcing mans free-will doe happen necessarily and the prouidence of God so decreeing the Scripture doth affirme and experience doth witnesse For the Arminians doe acknowledge that the death of Christ was decreed by God and that it could not be but the decree of God must be fulfilled when yet that death hapned by the wickednesse of the Iewes who were led to this naughty act of their owne accord Prou. 21. God doth turne the hearts of Kings and doth leade them whither hee will euen as the conueyer doth guide the riuer whether he pleaseth God without constraint did suddenly change the minde of Esau Gen. 33. and of Saul 1 Sam. 19.23 and of the Aegyptians Psal 105.25 Which although they came to passe vnauoydably yet they were done of their owne accord and not by an vnresistible force but the liberty of mans free-will remaining vntoucht And if this be true in wicked men how much more in good and faithfull men Are they drawne vnwillingly to whom God doth giue a heart of flesh for a stony heart Or those to whom God promiseth that he will cause that they shall walke in his wayes Ezech. 36.37 And we would easily admit of the words resistibilitie and vnresistibilitie although they are rode and vnhandsome if they were not wrested otherwise then to that which they signifie For they call that resistible which may be hindred auerted and ouercome when yet it is one thing to resist and another thing to ouercome Vnresistible force is that which cannot be oppugned nor resisted and not that which cannot be ouercome resistance noteth out the fight not the victorie For no man as I know of hath euer denied that the efficacy of the spirit may be resisted by man Nor is there any one in whose minde piety is so deepely seated who doth not feele an inward wrestling and is often destracted with contrary desires But that he that is elected may so resist grace that he may neuer admit it or being once admitted hee may altogether and finally shake it off there can nothing more be done to abolish the decrees of God for wee doe not place the inuincible power of that faith which God doth giue to his elect in the decree of faith and in the perfection and strength of that vertue but in the certaine and sure helpe of God which hee doth supply to his elect according to his purpose For there is no faith so well growne or so well strengthened which would not faile if God shall neuer so little withdraw his aide euen as the child of two years old at the first taking of his steps is held vp by the hand of his father although the childe be fearefull yet certainely he shall not fall because his father doth strongly hold him vp And if God doth sometimes suffer his elect to stumble and fall he doth forthwith raise them vp Whence it comes to passe that they are made more wary and doe more acknowledge the care of God ouer them and by their very fall doe gather strength euen as when the parts of a broken bone doe so grow together againe and are couered with a hard skin that that part which was broken is growne stronger then it was before Also if our faith be weake but yet serious and wrestling with doubtings our bountifull father doth helpe our infirmities and doth not breake the bruised reede For as they that were bleare eyed and blinde of one eye beholding the brasen Serpent were no lesse healed then they that had both their eyes and did see clearely because they were not healed by the power of their seeing faculty nor by the clearenesse of their eyes but by the diuine power which God did exercise by this image of the Serpent So wee are not saued by the merit of the perfection of our faith but by the bounty of God in Christ our Redeemer But what and how great that soule bending and perswading power of the holy Ghost working in the hearts of the elect is and by what meanes occasions and degrees hee doth further his worke they themselues cannot expresse who doe feele it Euen as the Woman with childe doth not know after what manner the liuing fruite is formed and doth encrease But that the power of the holy Ghost is very great the Scripture doth witnesse as hereafter shall be proued But how great soeuer this efficacy is yet God doth not draw vs as logs but as men He doth draw vs being vnwilling that wee might be willing hee doth follow vs being willing that we might not will in vaine And when of being vnwilling hee doth make vs willing he doth not onely not take away the liberty of the will but he also restoreth it because to serue God willingly and with ioy is liberty And he doth so further the increases of faith and regeneration that for the most part we doe not perceiue that wee doe grow but after some space of time we know that we haue growne Euen as wee doe not see plants as they grow but wee see they haue growne The word of the Gospell receiued into the eare and conceiued in the heart is the ordinary manner whereby God doth affect mens hearts and doth beginne and further regeneration hee inspiring into it hidden powers towards them whom he decreed to saue Therefore it is called by Saint Peter the incorruptible seed 1. Pet. 1. By Saint Paul the power of God to saluation Rom. 1. By the Apostle to the Hebrewes Chap. 4. and in the beginning of the Reuelation a two edged and sharpe Sword By Ieremy Chap. 23. v. 29. fire and a hammer breaking the rocke because it breaketh the hardenesse of our hearts and doth leade our captiued cogitations to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 The sparkes of which new life fallen from heauen into our hearts the Spirit of God doth stirre vp and further as it were with bellows doth draw out groanes that cannot be vttered striking wounding the heart with secret pricks enlightning the minde gouerning the appetites bending the will which whether Arminius will or no must also be framed againe and as a crooked piece of wood be bowed to the contrary part because it is not equally inclined to good and euill as these Sectaries would haue it but doth wholy leane and incline to euill in men vnregenerate This change seeing it cannot be made but by contrary habits it must needes be that instead of those vices