ipse â—d aicat noâ— habitu sen qualitate inherente iustificari Idem dicit Vorst Cat. Errâ—rum Sibr. P. 61. 54. Impiutper paenetentiam iustificatur That Arminius doth acknowledge faith not onely to be an action and therefore aworke but doth also contend that faith is imputed for righteousnesse not as an instrument that is not as it apprehendeth Christ but as it is a worke and an action The words of Arminius are reported by the Walachrian brethren in their Epistle and they are these Faith is imputed for righteousnesse not as it is an instrument but as it is an action although it be by him whom it apprehendeth Neither doe the Arminians in their answere deny it but doe willingly acknowledge that these are Arminius his words and Pag. 87. they doe defend him The same men in the page going before doe confesse that Peter Bertius a man of speciall name amongst the Arminians is of opinion That the very act of faith is imputed to vs for righteousnesse in a proper sense and therefore that we are iustified by faith as by an inherent qualitie which vlcer I doe not touch here But I onely take that which makes for the present matter to wit seeing that faith it selfe is not onely an action and a worke but that also according to the minde of the Arminians wee are iustified by faith in as much as it is an action and a worke and an inherent vertue it is plaine that the fore-seeing of faith is excluded by that very eternall good pleasure of God which the Apostle vseth to exclude the foreseeing of workes seeing that faith it selfe is also a worke and an action yea and doth iustifie as it is an action if Arminius be beleeued XVII Hitherto pertaines that which is said Rom. 9.11 The purpose of God which is according to election not of workes but of him that calleth because faith it selfe is a worke and doth iustifie as it is a worke as the Arminians will haue it and to vse grace aright is with them to worke XVIII The Scripture speaketh of the decree of election as of a certaine immutable decree 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God standeth sure and hath this seale the Lord knoweth them that are his And Romanes 9. That the purpose of God which is according to election might stand And Iohn 10.28 I giue to my sheepe eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand And chap. 6.37 All that the father giueth me shall come to me whereunto adde that which is Mark 13. that the elect cannot be deceiued Did Pilate thinke it was an vnlawfull thing to change the title of the crosse which was written by him and will it be a thing worthy the maiesty and wisedome of God to cancell those things he writ and hauing changed his opinion to wipe out those which hee had set into the white register of the elect Hee therefore doth not thinke well of God and doth subuert the doctrine of the Gospell who will haue the decree of the election of men to be mutable and reuocable and to depend on mans will We haue heard that Greuinchouius doth deny the decree of election to be peremptory and absolute while we liue here And the whole Schoole of Arminius doth cry out with one voyce that the number of the elect is not certaine and determined by the election and will of God But if the number of the elect be not certaine by the will of God then neither is election it selfe certaine And surely they iustly make election mutable who make it to depend on mans will for they will haue election to rest on faith fore-seene and faith it selfe to depend on mans free-will Indeede they say that preuenting and accompanying grace is necessary to beâ—eeue but the vse of this grace they will haue to be in the power of mans will which alwaies hath this liberty that it may vse that grace or not vse it And we shall see in his place that the Arminians teach that the grace of God is not the totall cause of faith but onely a cause in part Finally you may euery where finde that election is made by the purpose and good pleasure of God and for his meere grace as 2 Tim. 1.19 Ephes 1. ve 5.6 and 11. Rom 9.15 and 11. ver 3. But I finde no where that any one is elected for faith fore-seene neither doe the Arminians proue it any otherwise but by consequences farre fetched which we will examine in their place and order CHAP. XX. Election for faith fore-seene is confuted by places taken out of the Gospell of Saint Iohn THis contention will cease if we stand to the testimony of Christ himselfe in the Gospell according to Saint Iohn hee faith many things which cut this knot and leaue no place for doubting I. Iohn 6 37. he thus speaketh to the Iewes Whatsoeuer my father giueth me shall come to me To come to Christ is to beleeue for so Christ himselfe expounds it verse 35. He that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst He might haue said in both places Hee that commeth shall not hunger nor shall thirst but in the latter place he puts beleeue for come that wee might know that we come to Christ by beleeuing The meaning therefore of Christ is that those that are giuen him by the father will beleeue in him and they are giuen to the sonne who are therefore giuen that hee might saue them and they might be his flocke The sense therefore of these words whatsoeuer my father giueth to me shall come is this Whosoeuer my father giueth me to be saued shall beleeue in me They are giuen then to Christ before they can come or can beleeue for therefore they come to Christ and beleeue because they are giuen him But Arminius will haue them beleeue before they be giuen for he will haue them to be elected and therefore to be giuen to Christ for faith fore-seene Christ saith that therefore they come because they are giuen him the sectaries on the contrary say that therefore they are giuen because they come In another place the head-strong obstinacy of these men doth no lesse discouer it selfe by them who are giuen to Christ they would haue the faithfull to be vnderstood as if Christ had said he that beleeueth in me will come to me But we haue already proued that to come is the same that it is to beleeue The sence therefore of these words of Christ according to Arminius will be this Whosoeuer doth beleeue shall beleeue in me Adde to these that seeing in the Arminian election faith and perseuerance in faith is considered as already performed and therefore they that are elected are considered as dead or in the very limits of life and death they cannot be said to come who haue not already measured out the course of their life Neither by them who are giuen to Christ
so much to dispute as to liue and that they accustome themselues to fight with their owne vices and not with other mens opinions For it is a most hard and a very profitable combate which euery godly man maketh with himselfe On the contrary side when strife is sowne by strife and not the truth but the victory is sought first charity and then truth is lost among the contenders And especially diligence is to be vsed lest peace and riches bring forgetfulnesse of the Crosse of Christ and lest the people vnmindfull of the benefits of God should at length draw vpon them his iudgements There are not wanting examples of people to whom when religion had brought forth riches and prosperity a while after the same riches and prosperity choaked religion and with a shamefull parricide killed their Mother So much the more care therefore is to be had that the eares of your people may alwayes ring with those instructions whereby the memory of the calamities driuen from them may be refreshed and their mindes might tremble with a godly feare when they foro-see a farre off the dangers to come and Satan lying in waite for them To which thing it is no light instigation that by these late tumults you haue tryed that the peace of the common-wealth doth consist in the integrity of Religion neither can the purity of true Religion which is maintained by you be violated but that also the pillars on which your common-wealth standeth and by which the authority of your supreame Magistracy is sustained will be shaken For these two are so knit together by a mutuall bond that the one cannot be ouerthrowne but the other also must fall downe Your authority was strooke at through the side of Religion and in the foundations of the Church the foundations of the common-wealth were vndermined Your power therefore will be sound and safe when obedience due to princes shall be thought to be a part of piety and when the Pastors of the Church shall traine vp by the word of God the people to performe obedience to you And on the other side the Church shall flourish when Princes shall be her nourcing fathers and shall thinke themselues to be set by God at the sterne of the Common-wealth that God might raigne by them and that Religion might grow vp and might carefully be manured vnder the shadow of their ciuill power This you doe most Illustrious Lords diligently and happily It cannot be said how much your people are indebted to you and they will still owe you more Surely all good men in the Christian world doe greet your so prosperous successe and doe admire at your wisedome and doe striue in prayers with God that he would preserue you long to the Church and common-wealth whom hee hath vsed to preserue the Church and common-wealth and that he would so gouerne you by his spirit and defend you by his carefull prouidence that all your endeauours may obtaine their wished ends and that yee may haue a common-wealth happily gouerned a State set in safety domesticall concord aboundant riches valiant armies frequent victories a people obaying your command and who may doubt whether they should call you Lords or Fathers One that doth highly honour your most illustrious Lordships PETER MOVLIN COurteous Reader be entreated to take notice of these faults because they are materiall The rest may be amended by the prudent Reader Page 4. line 2. reade people out of the Pulpit seeing p. 13. l. 18 r. offend God not compelling But. p. 37. l. 1. r. by well aduised men l 2. r. by vnaduised men p. 41. l. 1. r. order We deny not that c. l. 3. r. as mans will p. 54. l. 5. r. thou doest not play p. 69 l. 30.31 r. euery where receiued l 32. r. organicall body p. 72. l. 7 to put sinne into the will p 83. l. 10.11 reprobated and some are preferred others being neglected p. 93. l. 22. r. the greatest punishment p 95. l. 27. r. He could not p. 144. l. 14. r. who will p. 155. l. 5. r. We are predestinated to faith p. 169 l. 25. r. sence In his p. 171. l. 15. r. in order admit p. 209. Let this be the title of the 26. Chapter Of Reprobation p. 218. l. 7. r. from good p 223 l 18. r. a token hereof that p. 246. l. 14. r. of the sonne is p. 284 l. 7. r. inordinate affections p. 311. l. 27 r. remainds if vniuersall sufficient grace be added p. 348. l. 14. r. this action of the spit it he carryeth p. 422. l 7. should not change p. 462 l. 3. r. that by those words p. 476. l. 27. but may finally The Table of the Chapters contained in this Booke HOw soberly we are to deale in this argument chap. 1. That we are not therefore to abstaine from the doctrine of Prouidence and Predestination although some abuse it to curiositie and impietie And whereto it is profitable chap. 2. What the prouidence of God is How farre it extends That God is not the author of sinne What permission is and what blinding and hardning is chap. 3 Of the will of God chap. 4. Of the Antecedent and Consequent will of God chap. 5. Of the sinne of Adam chap. 6. That all mankinde is infected with Originall sinne chap. 7. What Originall sinne is and whether it be truely and properly sinne chap. 8. How the sinne of Adam may belong to his posterity and how many wayes it may passe to his of-spring And first of the imputation of it and whether the sinnes of the Grand-father and great-Grand-fathers are imputed to their posteritie chap. 9. Of the propagation of the sinne of Adam to his posteritie Where also of the traduction both of the soule and of sin it selfe chap. 10. Whether the power of beleeuing the Gospell is lost by the sinne of Adam chap. 11. That God doth saue those whom of his meere grace he chose out of mankinde corrupted and obnoxious to the curse What Predestination is the parts of it That Arminius did not vnderstand what the decree of Predestination is and that he hath vtterly taken away Election chap. 12. Of the Obiect of Predestination that is whether God electing or reprobating considereth a man as fallen or not fallen chap. 13. That the Apostle Saint Paul in the ninth to the Romanes by the word Masse vnderstood the corrupted Masse chap. 14. That Arminius doth willingly darken the words of the Apostle which are cleare and expresse chap. 15. The opinions of the parties vpon the doctrine of Predestination chap. 16. That the Arminians make fore-seene-faith the cause of the election of particular persons chap. 17. The decree of generall Election is searched into by which Arminius will haue all men to be elected vnder the condition of faith chap. 18. The election of particular persons in respect of faith fore-seene is confuted by the authoritie of the Scripture It is proued that men are not elected for faith but to
faith chap. 19. Election for faith fore-seene is confuted by places taken out of the Gospell of Saint Iohn chap. 20. The same is proued out of the eight ninth and the eleauenth Chapter to the Romanes chap. 21. The same Election in respect of faith fore-seene is confuted by reason chap. 22. The opinion of Saint Austin concerning Election for faith fore-seene chap. 23. The arguments of the Arminians by which they endeauour to stablish Election for faith fore-seene are examined chap. 24. whether Christ be the cause and foundation of Election chap. 25. Of Reprobation chap. 26. How farre and in what sence Christ died for all chap. 27. That reconciliation remission of sinnes and saluation is not obtained nor purchased for all and particular men by the death of Christ chap. 28. The obiections of the Arminians are answered by which they endeauour to maintaine and confirme the obtaining of saluation for all men chap. 29. That it was long agoe desputed whether Christ died for al but in a farre other sence chap. 30. Whether God loue all men equally and doth alike desire the saluation of all chap 31. Of free-will the opinions of the parties chap. 32. It is proued out of the holy Scripture that an vnregenerate man is altogether destitute of the power and liberty of free-will in those things which belong to saluation c. 33. The reasons of the Arminians are examined by which they maintaine free-will in an vnregenerate man concerning things that are spirituall and belonging to saluation chap. 34. The obiections of the Arminians borrowed from the Pelagians and Papists are answered Whether an vnregenerate man doth necessarily sinne and whether necessity excuseth the sinner Also whether God commandeth those things which cannot be performed by man chap. 35. Of the outward and inward calling and whether the one may be without the other chap. 36. Of the distinction of Grace into sufficient and effectuall Grace chap. 37. The opinion of the Arminians concerning vniuersal grace which is also called sufficient grace chap. 38. Vniuersall sufficient grace is confuted by places of Scripture chap. 39. The same sufficient grace is impugned by reasons ch 40. The arguments by which the Arminians maintaine vniuersall sufficient grace are confuted chap. 41. The consent of the Arminians with the Semipelagians is declared chap. 42. The opinion of the Arminians concerning the manner of the operation of grace and of that power which they call Irresistible Of morall perswasion And of the power and act of beleeuing chap. 43. The opinion of the Orthodoxe Church concerning the conuersion of man and of the manner and certainty of conuersion chap. 44. The question of morall perswasion is sifted and whether euery perswasion may be resisted chap. 45. The certainty of the conuersion of the elect and the finall vnconquerablenesse of grace is proued chap. 46. The iudgement of Saint Austin concerning this controuersie chap. 47. That the Arminians doe openly stablish that vnresistiblenesse which they impugne chap. 48. The weake obiections of the Arminians against Irresistibility that is infallible certainty of conuersion are answered chap 49. An addition to the thirteenth Chapter containing some places taken out of the confession of the Church of France and out of the speciall doctors of this age concerning the obiect of Predestination and the iudgement of the Synode of Dordt FINIS THE ANATOMIE of Arminianisme CHAP. I. How soberly we are to deale in this Argument IF in any other Argument especially in this which we are to treate of that rule of Saint Paul is to be kept Rom. 12.3 that no man be wise aboue that he ought but that he be wise vnto sobriety For God hath put a great mist ouer the secrets of his wisedome into which it is a sinne to rush lest while wee search into his Maiesty we be ouerpressed by his glory Prou 25.27 It is better to vnderstand things that are safe then things that are high and to keepe Gods commandements then to pry into his counsels This curiosity hath vndone mankinde Adam whilest he would be like God in the knowledge of good and euill lost his good and learned euill to his losse being punished Hence Heresies haue beene bred whilest men violently carried with the itching of their owne wit runne out beyond the bounds of Gods word Hence haue proceeded those troubles which Sathan hath stirred vp in this age which is as fertill of disputes as it is barren of piety hauing vsed therto men who by their lewd wit and rash presumption daring to call God to account and to prescribe lawes to him haue greatly afflicted the most flourishing Churches of the low-Countries Most safe therefore it is to follow God as our guide to vnderstand so much as hee hath made manifest to vs in his word to command silence to our selues where God himselfe speaketh not But we must haue a very great care least we patronize and maintaine the wisdome and prouidence of God with the damage of his iustice and againe lest while we defend his iustice wee put out the eyes of his prouidence God is not to be thought vniust if hee doe any thing that doth not euery way answere to the rules we haue conceiued in our owne mindes These two things are seriously to be auoided as two fatall and dangerous rockes and yet it is farre worse to set on God the marke of iniustice then to place limits to his prouidence For with lesse perill is God made a carelesse spectator and beholder of sinne then if he be beleeued to be the author and incitor to sinne Neither is there any more capitall mischiefe then to transferre on God the cause of mans wickednesse For thus it comes to pass that men hauing broken their bars doe scot free commit all riot as hauing God the patron and author of their wickednesse And yet to restraine curiositie and to strike our mindes with a religious feare the consideration of our owne meanenesse being compared to the diuine maiestie is much profitable For if any of vs should crush to death an Ant with his foot no man would lay to his charge an action of iniustice for it although the Ant hath not offended him although he hath not giuen life to the Ant although he hath destroyed anothers worke which cannot be restored by man and although betweene man and it there is no infinite inequality but a kinde of certaine and finite proportion But man hath grieuously offended God and yet God hath giuen life to man and there is no proportion betweene God and man but as infinite a distance as betweene a finite and infinite thing If therefore God shall crush those sinfull men which he is able to saue if patiently tolerating the vessels of anger he shall make them the matter of his glory shall any man expostulate with God or thinke goodnesse wanting in him or accuse his iustice CHAP. 2. That we are not therefore altogether to abstaine from the doctrine of Prouidence and
but as a type hauing no agreement with the thing signified he doth so vse these names as Logiâ—ians vse Socrates or Lawyers Titius and Maeuius for any other man VII But if we exactly weigh what it is to haue hated man being yet in the wombe before hee hath done good or euill we shall easily see that Esau is not onely laid downe hâ—re as a type but also as an example to whom indeede these things agreed although he were not vsed for a type For Malachy from whence these words are taken doth not lay downe Esau as a type but as an example But how that which is said that God hated Esau being yet in the wombe before he had committed any cuill may be drawne to Arminius his purpose and belong to the type of those who will be iustified by faith hee hath seene surely I doe not see VIII Paul addeth What shall we say then is there vnrighteousnesse with God The sense is plaine and depending on those things that went before He had laid downe two twins of like condition and nature neither better then the other whereof yet God loues the one and hates the other and had brought the meere will of God who hath mercy on whom he will to be the cause of this difference and not the fore-seeing of any vertue in the one Hence is bred an obiection whether God be vniust who giueth vnlike things to them that are alike and why he hath not mercy on both What saith Arminius here Why hee takes these things as if Paul demanded whether there is iniustice with God who excludes those from the couenant who would be iustified by the Law which he himselfe made and who would haue them that beleeue in Christ to be iustified This is a bould coniecture whereof there is no step nor mention in that which went before But if it be lawfull for any one to mingle and adde to the Scripture so many things out of his owne wit there is nothing so absurd or impious which may not be proued out of the Scripture What that there is no color nor reason for this here for what shew is there here of iniustice in God or who is so mad that he will expostulare with God because he will iustifie by faith in Christ and obsolue them that are guilty of the breach of the law Truely whosoener doth maruaile or demand why it seemes good to God to saue sinners by faâ—th in Christ doth not require iustice in God but doth peere into the secrets of Gods wisdome And if this had beene the Apostles minde which Arminius doth faine to him it had beene easie to answere that God is not therefore vniust who doth saue them that beleeue and doth supply a better righteousnes to them who cannot be iustified by the Law of the breach whereof they are guilty or in place of the couenant of the law which by sinne is made voide doth set another by which man might be saued Saint Paul answers no such thing but doth bring in God himselfe answering thus I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy and I will haue compassion on whom I will haue compassion which words doe not speake of iustification by faith but of the free election of God whereby of two men alike conceiued in sinne and alike guilty one is preferred before the other Saint Paul doth not say that because the law is violated therefore there is neede of mercy but he doth bring the cause of this difference betweene those that are equall by nature I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy According to Arminius hee should haue said I will haue mercy by what meanes I will I will make such a couenant as shall please my selfe For he will haue God not to speake of the election of seuerall men but of the manner which it pleaseth God to choose to exercise his mercy As if he had said I will haue mercy as I will and not I will haue mercy cuius volo on whom I will Surely this word Cuius of whom doth put this question to flight and doth make dull the weake wit of Arminius for this word marketh out particular persons and not the manner whereby God doth exercise his mercy towards them For he that asked the question What shall we say then is there iniustice with God moued the doubt concerning the hardning and reiection of particular men not concerning the manner by which it seemed good to God to saue men or to haue mercy on them IX And these words I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy and it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy By which saluation and election is expresly ascribed to the good pleasure of God Arminius doth darken and obscure them for he thus interpreteth them It is not of him that willeth that is righteousnesse is not But in the former verses it is not spoken of righteousnesse but of election Also those wordes I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy are taken out of Exodus Chap. 33. v 19. Where it is spoken of saluation not of righteousnesse But grant that it is here spoken of righteousnesse will it not hence follow that faith is not of him that willeth and therefore neither saluation for saluation is by righteousnesse and righteousnesse is by faith X. The obstinacy and affected stupidity of these sectaries doth maruallously bewray it selfe in one thing Paul bringeth in the demander thus speaking Why doth he yet complaine for who hath resisted his will By which words it doth manifestly appeare that in this Chapter it is spoken of the will of God which cannot be resisted and that Arminius is willingly blinde while he affirmeth that it is here spoken of the antecedent will of God which hee thinkes may be resisted XI What That Arminius doth secretly accuse Saint Paul of stupid dulnesse or of preposterous and needelesse modesty for what neede was there in the businesse of the election and reprobation of seuerall persons to stop the mouth of demanders by saying O man what art thou that repliest against God seeing by the doctrine of Arminius there is at hand an easie and ready answere That God elected this man because he foresaw he would beleeue and hee reprobated that man because he foresaw he would not beleeue Did not the Apostle see these things Or did he see them but did enuy to vs the cleere solution of this knot that might bring light to this darkenesse The ignorance of Paul shall be alwaies better to mee then the sharpe vnderstanding of another XII Maruailous is the wit and ridiculous audacitie of Arnoldus Coruinus in expounding this chapter He in his worke against Tilenus Chap 9. doth thus expound the type of Iacob and Esâ—u Surely saith he as there the yonger was preferred before the elder so also it was figured that saluation should not be by the Law although it was first giuen but
condition which they might fulfill It might therefore haue come to passe that before this wicked deede they might haue beene conuerted and become faithfull and so had not crucified Christ And truely it cannot be said that Iudas and Caiaphas were elected to saluation vnder the condition of beleeuing in the death of Christ seeing they were appointed to that very thing that by their incredulity and wickednesse Christ might be deliuered to death but if Iudas and Caiaphas had beleeued in Christ Christ had not beene deliuered to death and therefore this decree whereby the Arminians will haue God to haue elected Iudas and Caiaphas and Pilate vnder this condition if they would beleeue in Christ doth infolde a contradiction For they doe as much as if they should bring in God speaking thus I appointed to saue Iudas and Caiaphas if they will beleeue in the death of Christ But if they shall beleeue and shall be faithfull Christ should not be deliuered to death nor be crucified Also of the foure decrees of the Arminians the two former are contrary one to another For by the first decree God decreed to vse the incredulity and perfidiousnesse of Iudas to deliuer Christ to death But by the second decree God elected Iudas vnder the condition of faith in the death of Christ Therefore by the former decree Iudas is absolutely considered as an vnbeleeuer and a reprobate but by the second he is considered as one conditionally elected The schoole of Arminius is painted about with these monsters and Chimeraes contrary one to another which would moue laughter if the church were not troubled by them and the wisedome of God exposed to reproach VII Furthermore by that generall decree whereby all men are said to be elected vnder the condition of faith to be performed Greuinch p. 101 DecretuÌ„ conditionale de quolibet si credat seruando Pag. 2. Decreuit salutem conferre sub conditione fidei prestande ab ijs qui. bus salutem ap plitaret God is openly mocked For it is a foolish decree which is made vnder a condition which condition he that decreed it knew certainely in the very moment he decreed it that it would not be fulfilled especially if this condition cannot be fulfilled but by the helpe and power of him who decrees it For by such a decree God should set a law to himselfe not to man But it is manifest by experience that God doth not minister to all men the meanes that are necessary to the fulfilling of this condition For he will not haue his Gospell preached to all neither doth he giue the spirit of regeneration to all VIII Finally what is to be iudged of this generall election appeares by the consectaries and conclusions which are drawne thence whereof that is the chiefest and farre the worst whereby they denie that the number of the elect is certaine and determined by the will of God electing whence it followeth that the election of particular persons is not certaine by the will of God For if it were certaine by the decree of God that this or that man were of the number of the elect then of seuerall persons ioyned together the whole summe and certaine number would be made vp But that which Arnoldus saith Arnold P. 192. Numerum statuitis certum esse ex precisa dei ordinatione determinatum qui nec angeri nâ—â— minui possit idque ex eadem ordinatione longe viro aliter Euangelium vera predestinationis doctrina que in genera tantum docet quales sunt electi Pag. 192. That the number of the elect may be increased or diminished is such a thing that there is no good man who doth not tremble at the hearing of it For what is it in God to diminish the number of the elect but to change his opinion and to take from the number of the elect those which indeede being not sufficiently well considered of and as hauing cast his accounts amisse he had brought into the white roule of the elect which should rather haue beene carried into the blacke booke of reprobates IX Of the same euill stampe is that of Greuinchouius against Ames Pag. 136. making a halfe an incompleate and so a reuocable election In the Scriptures saith hee men are called elect 1. incompleately according to the present state in as much as they are such to wit faithfull men for the present time the last tearme of their life being excepted in which 2. Election is fulfilled Behold a depending election by which euery most wicked man is incompleately elect and the decree of God is incompleate vntill it be made compleate by man which surely are not dogmata but portenta not doctrines but monstrous opinions which neuer came into the minde of any one of whom the name of Christ is any where heard of X. But the Scripture teacheth that the number of the elect is certaine Reuel 6. The soules which are vnder the Altar are commanded to waite while the number of the brethren is fulfilled Also that which Christ saith of the sheepe that were giuen him euen before their conuersion Iohn 10.1 As also that he saith that all shall come to him as many as are giuen him by the father Iohn 6.37 And that none of his sheepe can be taken out of his hand Iohn 10.28 doe all plainely declare that the number of them is determined by the purpose of God Saint Luke doth also accord in whom Chap. 10. v. 20. Christ thus speaketh to the Apostles Reioyce not that the spirits are subiect to you but rather reioyce that your names are written in heauen No lesse expressely doth the Apostle to the Hebrewes speake Chap. 12. v. 22.23 where hee calleth the church the heauenly Ierusalem the assembly of the first borne which are written in Heauen Hitherto pertaines that book of life concerning which it is spoken in other places And Reuel 20. where they are said to be cast into the lake of fire which are not found written in the booke of life The Arminians Pag. 96. of the conference at Hage doe with a vaine interpretation expound those words of Christ Reioyce that your names are written in the booke of life For they will not haue these words to be taken of election to saluation but they will haue this to be the sence of it Reioyce that according to the present state of faith righteousnesse and obedience ye are accounted for pious and godly men yea for the sonnes of God O good God where is modesty Here is neyther reason nor colour for this For to be accounted faithfull by men is not to haue their names written in heauen Nor was there any cause that the Apostle should so reioyce because men thought well of them seeing that often times happeneth to him that is most wicked and this had beene much lesse then that the diuels did tremble at their voice and fled from them which yet Christ reckons to be but a small thing in
can be vnderstood those which first gaue themselues to Christ for this were not to giue themselues to the sonne but to be willing that the sonne should receiue them comming to him He indeede receiueth those that come but they therfore come because Christ draweth them as he himselfe saith verse 44. No man can come to me vnlesse the father that sent me draw him The Arminian conferrers at the Hage pag. 87. doe suspect that by those that are giuen to the sonne are to be vnderstood not the faithfull but those that are giuen to beleeue But seeing the Arminians are of opinion that the reprobates also are giuen to beleeue and that God doth seriously intend their faith and saluation they should be falsely said that they were to come to Christ that is that they wil beleeue as many as are giuen him to beleeue The very words of Christ doe affirme and common sense doe conuince this that by those that are giuen to Christ are vnderstood his flocke and therefore the elect for as much as those that are giuen to Christ are here seuered from those that are not giuen II. Iohn 8.47 Ye therefore heare not because ye are not of God They therefore which heare and beleeue doe therefore heare and beleeue because they are of God and to be of God what is it else then to belong to God As on the contrary part verse 44. they are said to be of the diuell who belong to the diuell Seeing then that Christ himselfe doth witnesse that therefore some men beleeue because they belong to God who doth not see that it must needes be that they first belong to God before they beleeue for as much as to belong to God is the cause why they beleeue III. Nor is there lesse force in the words of Christ Iohn 10.26 Yee beleeue not because yee are not of my sheepe They then who beleeue doe therefore beleeue because they are of the sheepe of Christ Not according to Arminius who would therefore haue them to be of the sheepe of Christ because they beleeue It pleaseth the Arminians to haue the faithfull vnderstood by the sheepe of Christ and I doe not deny but that the sheepe of Christ are they which beleeue but I deny that the word sheepe can be so taken in this place For so an vnsauory tantalogy and vaine repetition should be put vpon Christ ye beleeue not because ye beleeue not This is a declaration of it that a little before he called those also his sheepe which were not yet conuerted Other sheepe I haue which are not of this fould them also I must bring and they shall heare my voice IV. So Iohn 17.6 I haue manifested thy name vnto them which thou gauest me Therefore first they were giuen before Christ declared to them the name of God by which declaration they receiued faith The Arminian conferrers at the Hage pag. 87. thinke that it is here spoken of the Apostles who did already beleeue but they proue nothing by it for this being granted yet that stands which I maintaine that the Apostles were first giuen to Christ before he had declared himselfe to them But that it is not here spoke of the Apostles alone Christ himselfe doth expresly witnesse verse 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue on me through their word And seeing that ver 9. they are opposed to the world it appeares that these things are to be extended to all the faithfull Vnlesse perhaps the Schoole and followers of Arminius doe thinke that the Apostles alone are they that are not of the world and that they alone are exempted from the curse of the world Furthermore seeing there is no part of the Scripture which doth bring more comfort nor doth more vphold our faith striuing with temptations then this diuine and large prayer of Christ because the petitions of Christ making intercession for vs are so many secret promises and declarations of the good will of the father which doth alwaies agree with the petition of the sonne let the Arminians see with what spirit they are led and why with so great diligence they endeauour to defraud vs of that comfort which is certainely taken from vs if this Prayer of Christ doth intercede for the Apostles alone and if the Apostles onely be meant by those that are giuen vnto Christ CHAP. XXI The same is proued out of the eight and ninth and the eleuenth Chapter to the Romanes SAint Paul in the eight to the Romanes treating of Predestination doth easily driue away all the cloudes of errour His words are these Verse 28.29.30 We know that all things worke together for good to them that loue God to them that are called according to his purpose For whom he did fore-know them also he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Sonne that he might be first borne among many brethren Moreouer whom he did predestinate them also he called and whom he called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them also he glorified I. First of all that speech offers it selfe that we are predestinated that we might be made conformable to the image of Christ And seeing this conformity in this life is by faith and charity it is plaine by the Apostle that wee are iustified to faith and not for faith I know indeede that Christ himselfe had not faith as faith is taken in the Gospell but seeing that the conformity of the faithfull with Christ is placed in charity righteousnesse and holinesse and these are the effects of faith which doth worke by charity he that saith we are predestinated to charity and righteousnesse doth also say that we are predestinated to faith which doth effect and worke all those things no otherwise then hee who is appointed to goe and to breath is appointed also to life II. What say the Arminians here Why they by conformity with Christ vnderstand the crosse and afflictions for Christ But the following words disproue that that he might be first borne among many brethren For Christ is the first begotten of the sonnes of God as for other causes so also because hee being more liberally furnished with the gifts of the holy Ghost is an example of righteousnesse and holinesse being annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes Psal 45. euen as the first borne receiue more of their fathers goods But that he should be called the first borne for the crosse and for afflictions is a thing new and insolent and that which reason abhorreth Also it is certaine that that which Saint Paul speaketh of doth belong to all the faithfull For he addeth whom he did predestinate them also be called whom he called them also he iustified whom he iustified them also he glorified Glorification iustification calling predestination are the foure linkes of that chaine belonging to the conformity vnto the image of Christ and they are so interlaced enfolded that by no meanes they can be pulled
we should be holy it is certaine it is manifest Therefore we were to be such because he elected vs predestinating vs that by his grace we should be holy In then inteenth chapter he repeateth the same words and addeth moreouer these When therefore he predestinated vs hee fore knew his owne worke who hath made vs holy and without spot In the same place the Pelagians reiecting election for workes fore-seene sticke onely in the fore-seeing of faith Wee say they doe say that our God fore knew nothing but faith whereby we beginne to beleeue and therefore he elected vs c. Against these things Saint Austin disputeth much and at the length he doth thus conclude his speech Neither doth faith it selfe goe before for he doth not choose vs because we beleeue but he chose vs that we might beleeue least we should be said to choose him first and that should be false which God forbid which Christ saith ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Neither are we called because we doe beleeue but we are called that we might beleeue and by that calling which is without repentance it is wrought and throughly wrought that we should beleeue Finally he saith that Pelagius himselfe to the intent that he might delude the Palestine Synode with an ambiguous confession condemned those that say that grace is giuen according to merit which opinion was allowed by the Synode and they were condemned who said election was for faith fore-seene For Saint Austin confirmeth that these two come to one and the same sence in his fift booke against Iulian chap. 3. God electeth no man that is worthy but by electing him he maketh him worthy And he doth in sixe hundred places beate vpon absolute election or as Arminius calleth it precise election and not depending vpon the fore-seeing of any vertue or worth As Epist 105. Why one should beleeue and another not beleeue when both heare the same thing and if a miracle be done in both their sights it is the height of the riches of the wisdome and knowledge of God whose iudgements are vnsearchable and with whom there is no iniquitie while he will haue mercy on whom he will and hardneth whom he will for those things are not vniust because they be hidden and secret But these things are not hidden to Arminius for hee saith the cause of this difference is the fore-seeing of faith in one of them The Booke de fide ad Petrum whether it be the Booke of Fulgentius or of Austin in the third chapter hath these words They shall raigne with Christ whom God of his free gracious goodnesse hath elected to the kingdome because by predestinating them he hath prepared them to be such that they might be worthy of the kingdome he hath prepared them whom according to his purpose he will call that they may obey he hath prepared them whom he will iustifie that hauing receiued grace they might beleeue rightly and liue well To which kingdome they haue come whom God hath saued of his free-grace for no precedent merit of good will or good worke CHAP. XXIV The arguments of the Arminians by which they endeauour to stablish Election for faith fore-seene are examined I. THe Arminians who by a new name call themselues Remonstrants in the conference at the Hage doe poure downe a thicke haile of places of Scripture by which they endeauour to perswade that election is of them that beleeue and that the decree of Predestination is nothing else but the will of sauing them that beleeue This is to doe another thing and not to touch the question for the controuersie betweene vs is not concerning these things The state of the question is this Whether election be for faith fore seene Then also whether God electing seuerall and certaine persons doth consider in them perseuerance in faith as a thing already fulfilled and as a condition on the performance whereof Election doth rest But these men leauing the question vntouched are altogether in that that they might prooue election to be of them that beleeue Wherefore although the ranke of their nine Syllogisms which they set in order or admit many other exceptions yet because they are all faulty in that fallacy which is called Ignoratio Elenchi by which that which is concluded is thought to hurt the aduersary when yet it doth not hurt him it is better to grant that which they would haue to wit that God electeth none but they which beleeue and that election is of the faithfull so this be fitly receiued and in a good sense to wit that God doth elect and that he is willing to saue those that beleeue because hee saueth no man but to whom hee will giue faith and because without faith it is impossible to come to saluation And that God in electing doth consider men as faithfull that is as those that by his gift were to haue faith And that the decree of election is with respect of faith because the decree of saluation doth include also the decree of the meanes to come to that end and therefore also of faith in Christ And surely Arminius and after him Arnoldus pag 92. doe falsely fasten on vs this opinion That God determined to saue the elect without the consideration of faith in them The thunderbolt therefore that they cast with such a noise is turned away onely with a blast or with the winde of ones cap and toucheth neither vs nor to the matter II. No more to the purpose doth the other sectaries so often heape vp the words of Saint Paul Ephes 1.4 He hath elected vs in Christ which they so take as if Saint Paul had said He hath elected vs for Christ and considered as already beleeuing in Christ when he did elect vs. The Apostle saith no such thing whose meaning is plaine and simple He elected vs in Christ that is He appointed vs to saluation to be bestowed vpon vs by Christ or in Christ III. They effect nothing more by these places No man shall separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.39 And God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe 2 Cor. 5. Surely here is not a word of faith fore-seene For if they should bite their nayles vntill the bloud followeth they could proue nothing by sixe hundred such places God was in Christ while he was on the earth in him and by him working out our reconciliation but what is this to faith fore-seene IV. It is a weake dart which they cast He that beleeueth in me hath euerlasting life Iohn 6. and without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. By these places indeede the necessitie of faith is proued but not the fore-seeing of it before election No man is saued but hee that beleeueth because God would haue this to be the way of saluation and because hee giueth saluation to none to whom hee doth not giue faith V. These are the words of Conradus
Vorstius in his book intituled the Conference with Piscator Sect. 18. If we are adopted by faith we are also elected by faith But I deny that that will follow for Adoption is after Election as the Apostle teacheth Ephes 1.5 He predestinated vs to the adoption He which saith we are adopted by faith doth not therefore say that we are elected by faith or for faith but he saith that by faith we are affected with the sense of the fatherly loue of God to vs and that the beleeuers receiue the spirit of adoption VI. He doth defend himselfe by the words of the Apostle 2 Thes 2. He hath chosen vs from the beginning through faith But here Vorstius doth wickedly cut short the words of the Apostle and doth present them lame vnto vs. The words of Saint Paul are these God from the beginning hath chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the spirit and beliefe of the truth Hee doth not say that we are elected for faith fore seene but that we are elected to obtaine saluation by faith And if it may be gathered from this place that we are elected for faith fore-seene it will be proued by the same place that we are elected for sanctification or regeneration fore-seene which doth not please Arminius He doth vrge that place of Saint Iames chap. 2. Hath not God chosen the poore of the world rich in faith but in vaine for therefore they are rich in faith because God hath giuen them faith and he hath therefore giuen it them because they are elected If I say God hath elected the Saints which doe enioy glory doe I therefore thinke that God elected them for the fore-seeing of the glory to come And if it be lawfull for the Arminians to take these words of Christ I giue my life for my sheepe as being spoken by anticipation or preuention of those who were not yet his theepe but were to be why may it not be lawfull for vs also to take these words God chose the beleeuers as being spoken by an anticipation of those which doe not beleeue in act but are considered as those who are to beleeue VII Vorstius addeth that Mat. 22. few are said to be elected because few haue the wedding garment But I deny that this is to be found there Christ shuts vp with this sentence the parable of those that were called to the wedding wherof onely few obayed him calling them Many are called few chosen In which words the reason is not yeelded why he was cast forth that had not on the wedding garment but why of many that were called there came but a few Which thing that the Reader might not obserue Vorstius hath vsed a double deceit for hee hath omitted those words many are called and then also instead of Nam For he hath sâ—t downe Quia because that he might perswade that here the cause was rendred why he that was vndecently apparelled was call out For he knew that the particle Nam for doth often set downe the note or marke but not the cause as Mâ—t. 26.73 and in many other places but in this place it is no doubt but that here the cause is signified For the cause is noted why of so many that were called so few followed him calling to wit because although many are called yet few are chosen Whence it is manifest that this place if any other doth hurt Arminius VIII The other things which he doth heape vp that hee might proue that they that are elected are those that be ecue are nothing to the purpose For the elect are the beleeuers and the belecuers are the erect But they are not elected because they are belecuers but that they might bereeue IX There is no more force in the obiection which he bringeth out of the 2. Pet. Chap. 1. Make your calling and election sure Out of which words he doth inferre that calling is before election But Peter doth not here set calling before election but the certainty of our cailing before the certainty of our election I willingly acknowledge that that certainty is first in order But that election is before calling Saint Paul teacheth Rom. 8. Whom he predestinated hee called whom he called he iustified whom he iustified he glorified For as iustification is before glorification and calling before iustification so predestination is before calling X. Greuinchouius against Ames Pag. 171. Arnâ—ldus after Armun us vseth the samâ— argument P. 282. doth thus dispute I say that by your predestination the Gospell is inuerted For this is the sâ—ntence of the Gospell If thou beleeuest thou shalt liue but this your predestination saith if you are predestinated to life you shall beleeue I answere it is one thinâ— to inuert or turne the sentence another thing to ouerturne it For this sentence is conuertible whosoeuer is elected shall beleeue and whosoeuer doth beleeue is elected For we speake of that faith which Saint Paul Tit. 1.1 calleth the faith of the elect Doe not the Arminians rather inuert the Gospell which faith that faith is of the elect but they say that faith is not of the elect but that election is of the faithfull That which Greuinchouius in that place doth stuffe in concerning reprobation shall be examined in his owne place XI The same man pag. 130. doth thus argue Saluation is the reward of faith 1 Pet. 1.9 the crowne of righteousnesse the reward of labour the prize of our strife and finished course the inheritance of the sonnes of God that is of the faithfull Iohn 1.12 Gal. 4.30 And because it is hard to see how these things can be drawne to election for faith fore-seene seeing it is not there spoken of election nor of faith foree-seene he addeth these words Therefore Election to saluation is not the decree concerning the end of men as they are men simply but of the saluation of men as they are such sort of men to wit of them that are faithfull and of them that perseuere in the faith This also we confesse in that sense which we said before but it were better to say of them that were to perseuere because God electing doth not consider faith and perseuerance as a thing performed but as a thing to be performed and that by his bounty and gift XII He further addeth The will of bestowing the reward the wages c. doth necessarily presuppose the fore-seeing of faith and perseuerance in faith by the couenant of the Gospell if thou beleeuest and doest perseuere thou shalt be saued Here you digresse from the question For it was spoken of election for faith foreseene but you speake of saluation which is bestowed after faith God electing to saluation doth fore-see that faith will come before the obtaining of saluation but he doth so fore-see it that God foreseeth that which he himselfe is to worke which to speake properly is not to fore-see but to will Furthermore eternall life is called the reward of faith because it is not to be had but
beleeue is of grace therefore to be able to beleeue is not of grace There is indeede naturally in man a possibility of hauing or receiuing faith but it is not in him by nature to be able to beleeue for these things doe very much differ The first notes the susceptability and possibility of receiuing faith the other signisieth the actiue power and faculty of beleeuing which surely is not in man by nature but is onely from grace XXVI Arnoldus pag. 271. layeth this to our charge as a very great errour that we say that the regenerate man cannot doe any good vnlesse hee be moued by grace Truely a great crime and that which is common to vs with the Apostle who doth pronounce that we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but all our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3.5 The same Arnoldus pag. 447. doth make the vse of grace subiect to mans will It is determined saith he that the vse of grace is subiect to mans will that man may vse it or not vse it according to his naturall liberty And a little after he doth confesse that the effect of the mercy of God was made by Arminius to be in the power of man but such a man as is already strengthened with grace To vse which grace or not to vse it to beleeue or not to beleeue he thinkes is in the power of mans free-will Finally the Arminians will haue the efficacy that is the efficiency and working power of it to depend on free-will Arnoldus against Bogermannus pag. 263. and 274. All the operations of grace which God doth vse to worke our conuersion being granted yet the conuersion it selfe doth remaine so free in our power that we may not be conuerted that is that we may conuert or not conuert our selues Greuinchouius pag. 198. I say that the sffect of grace after the ordinary and vsuall rule doth depend on some act of free will as on a foregoing conâ—ition without which it is not The same man pag. 203. and 204. doth say that there câ—n no other common cause be guten of the whole why this grace should beâ—essectuall rather in Paul or Peter then in another then the liberty of the will Perkins said As there can no good either be or be done vnlesse God doth it so there can no euill be auoided vnlesse God hinder it This true and holy sentence Arminius carpeth at and doth depraue pag. 113 and for the words can be auoided he puts is auoided for he saith that there is in all men power of doing good and auoiding euill and that a man may auoide euill and abstaine from sinne although God doth not hold him from it but that the act it selfe is partly from grace and partly from free-will which as it pleaseth doth either admit or refuse grace Here the words of Arnoldus pag. 381. The good vsing of free-will is principally from grace but yet so that man himselfe doth vse well his owne free-will and the liberty of vsing or not vsing grace is left to him For these sectaries are of opinion that the power of beleeuing is vnresistably giuen to all and that the act of beleeuing is so helped by grace that it is left to mans free-will to beleeue in act or not to beleeue to vse grace either well or ill XXVII And they deny that faith is from grace alone but that it is partly from grace and partly from free-will Greuinchouius pag. 208. and 210. It is manifest that free-will and grace are together causes in part And pag. 211. We ioyne grace and free-will together as causes in part He must so speake who saith that Election is for faith fore-seen For God would be very vnfitly said to fore-see that which he alone is to do for this is not to fore-see but to decree Hitherto also pertaineth that conditional decree of sauing men if they shal beleeue for by this it is placed in the power of man to beleeue For this were a foolish decree I will saue him if I shall giue him faith Arminius against Perkins pa. 223. and 224. saith that the totall cause why one beleeueth and another not is the will of God and the free-will of man Arnoldus pag. 228. saith that Arminius gaue the chiefe part of the working of faith to grace viz. because in the working of faith he will haue free-will to haue a part which part that it is not the least yea that it is the greatest in the sence of the sectaries although they would make another shew Arminius and after him Arnoldus pag. 125. doth sufficiently acknowledge We deny saith he that this difference of calling grace is not placed so much in mans free-will as in the will of God And truely in the conuersion of man free-will must haue the chiefe part if it be true that the Arminians contend for to wit that the efficiency and working power of grace doth depend on free-will and that the right vse of grace is made subiect to mans will And that which Arnoldus saith pag. 444. That God doth so worke in man that in the meane while man is not wanting to himselfe he can conuert himselfe And Greuinchouius against Ames pag. 205. Grace doth not determine and conclude vnlesse free-will worke with it in which respect and manner what if we should say that the efficacy of grace doth after a certaine manner depend vpon free-will as concerning the euent If therefore the efficacy of grace as concerning the euent that is the effect doth depend on mans free-will it must needes be that free-will hath farre the greater part in our conuersion and regeneration The same man pa. 214. In comparing betweene themselues Arnold pa. 234. 235. the effectuall helpe of God and the insluence of free-will there is no priority betweene them both And seeing it is in the power of free-will so to vse grace that he may beleeue and obtaine faith we being by faith the sonnes of God Gal 3.26 It appeareth if we may credit Arminius that to be made the sonnes of God is a thing proper to free-will and although it cannot be done without the helpe of grace yet the effect doth depend on mans will So that God is willingly indebted to man for hee is beholding to free-will that he hath sonnes XXVIII This is the malicious and blacke iuyce of the fish Loligo and this is their most pestilent doctrine of which what is to be iudged it is easie to coniecture by those speeches which euery where meet vs in the bookes of these sectaries That Lydia opened her owne heart when yet as Luke witnesseth Act. 16.14 God opened the heart of Lydia And that a man doth separate himselfe although Saint Paul saith who seperates thee 1 Cor. 4.7 And that an vnregenerate man is not altogether dead in sinne and that God doth giue man power of beleeuing if he himselfe will when yet God giueth both to will and to doe Phil.
present with all men and that all men either by the naturall law or by the written law or by the Gospell are so called that it is free for euery man to embrace or refuse the offered grace to beleeue or not to beleeue For they say that Christ obtained reconciliation for all men and that God from eternity elected those whom he fore-saw would beleeue in Christ and perseuere in the faith And therefore that the number of the elect is not determined by the decree of God but that our election is then certaine when the course of our life is measured out These are they who are commonly called Semipelagians Differing from Pelagius in this that they acknowledge nature to be depraued with Originall sinne and that they distinguish nature from grace but yet by a secret agreement they doe fauour Pelagius because they will haue nature so to be a diuerse thing from grace that yet they will haue grace equally to extend it selfe as farre as nature Also they make such a grace the vse whereof doth depend vpon free-will Hee that would throughly know the meaning of these men let him reade the Epistle of Prosper to Saint Austin inserted into the Seauenth Tome of the workes of Saint Austin most worthy to be read with care For he being a very great admirer of Saint Austin and being for this cause accused by these Semipelagians he requireth the helpe of Saint Austin and doth desire to be furnished with arguments whereby hee might defend himselfe against them Surely there you shall plainely know the Arminian vaine and you shall see Arminianisme graphically and liuely painted out And but that the title of the Epistle and the Epistle it selfe did testifie both the Author and the age you would sweare it were the Epistle of one who being prouoked by the Arminians and being ill entreated doth implore the helpe of one more learned That now it cannot be a doubt out of what puddles they haue drawne their opinions and which of the ancient Heretiques they haue propounded to themselues to imitate I shall not much stay the hastening Reader if I lay downe the words of the Semipelagians themselues as they are recited by Prosper himselfe This is saith Prosper their declaration and profession that euery man sinned when Adam sinned and that no man is saued in regeneration by his owne workes but by the grace of God and yet that the propitiation which is in the Sacrament of the bloud of Christ is propounded to all men without exception that whosoeuer will come to faith and baptisme may be saued And that God fore-knew before the making of the world who were to beleeue and who would continue in that faith which afterwards should be helped by the grace of God And that hee Predestinated those to his kingdome whom he hauing freely called he fore-saw would be worthy of Election and would depart out of this life with a good end And therefore that euery man is admonished by the ordinances of God to beleeue to worke that no man might despaire of obtaining eternall life seeing that the reward is prepared for voluntary deuotion But this purpose of the calling of God by which the difference of them that are to be elected and of them that are to be reiected is said to haue beene made eyther before the beginning of the world or in the very creation of mankinde that according to the pleasure of the creator some should be created vessels of honour others vessels of dishonour this they say doth both take away from them that are fallen the care of rising againe and also doth yeeld occasion of sluggish drowsinesse to the Saints because on eyther side labour is superfluous if neither he that is reiected can by any industry and diligence enter nor he that is elected can by any negligence fall away For after whatsoeuer manner they shall behaue themselues nothing can happen to them but what God hath determined and vnder an vncertaine hope the course cannot be constant seeing that the intention of him that doth endeauour is vaine if the Election of him that predestinateth hath appointed anther thing Therefore all industry is remoued and all vertues are taken away if the appointment of God doe preuent the will of man and a kinde of fatall necessitie is brought in vnder this name of predestination These were the words of the Semipelagians altogether like Arminianisme and of the same stampe Let those things also which follow be pondered and considered of They determine that to this gift of saluation all men vniuersally are called either by the naturall law or by the written law or by the preaching of the Gospell that both they that will might be made the sonnes of God and that they might be inexcusable who will not be faithfull because herein is the iustice of God that they who will not beleeue should perish and his goodnesse appeareth herein that he will put backe no man from life but indifferently would all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth And that our Lord Iesus Christ dyed for all mankinde and that no man at all is excepted from the redemption of his bloud although he passe through his whole life in a farre other opinion And a little after They doe not consent that the predestinated number of the elect can neither be encreased nor diminished least the incitations of them that exhort men should haue no place with infidels and those that neglect predestination c. They haue receiued the election of God according to fore-knowledge to wit that therefore God hath made some men vessels of honour and some vessels of dishonour because he fore-saw the faith of euery one Truely this is meere Arminianisme but that the Arminians doe clothe their opinions more gloriously and doe paint them with exquisite colours and doe more sparingly vse the word Merit which not onely the Semipelagians but also the Orthodoxe writers but in another sence then the Papists at this day doe did often vse Finally they doe as they doe who set before their guests old and reiected dainties by putting to them new sauce To this Epistle is added another of the same argument of Hilareus Bishop of Areles to Saint Austin where he doth attribute these things to the Semipâ—lagians God in his fore-knowledge doth elect faith that whom he fore-knew would beleeue him he elected to whom he would giue the holy Ghost that by working good they might obtaine eternall life This fore-knowledge they thus vnderstand to wit that men are said to be fore-knowne for faith which is to follow and that such a perseuerance is giuen to no man from which hee is not suffered to swerue but that he may fall from it and be weakened by his owne will Whatsoeuer is giuen to those that are predestinated they contend that they may loose it or keepe it according to their owne will Which then were false if they did thinke it true that some men haue
come and that heart-turning might of the holy-Ghost whose efficacy cannot be explained Surely there is a certaine perswasiue necessity and a perswasion more mighty then any command which doth so bend those that are willing that they would rather endure any thing then not to will what they desire Reason it selfe doth adde credit to these things and the nature of mans will in which it is engrafted to moue it selfe to the prescript and perswasion of the minde vnlesse when the indocible affections doe resist reason But as often as reason doth conspire and agree with the affections it is impossible but the will should moue it selfe thither whether the minde doth perswade it and the appetites doe incite it for what should call it away seeing it can be moued with no other impulsion Nor is it any doubt that God who doth throughly know our soules and the most fit occasions by which the soule being apprehended cannot resist him calling and doth know in what part it is more flexible should not be able so to enlighten the minde and imprint on the fancy which hath the naturall command ouer the appetites so cleere an image so terrifie the conscience by the propounding of punishments so stirre it vp by laying before it the eternall rewards so gently inuite and so fitly perswade that presently all resistance should cease and all contrariety fall to the ground Wherefore Arnoldus against Tilenus pag. 251. spake inconsiderately when hee said that the liberty of the will consisted in this that all things which are required to an action being granted and being present the will might suspend and stoppe the action He ought to haue said that the liberty of the will consisteth in this that it doth with a free and spontaneus motion apply it selfe to those things which the vnderstanding and the appetites doe perswade or if the appetites doe disagree with reason and diuers obiects are propounded that the will may by a free election moue it selfe to what part it will Let the soules which doe enioy the sight of God in heauen be for an example to whom all things are fully supplied which are required to stirre vp the will to loue God yet their will cannot suspend that action nor forbid and auert that act of loue wherewith they loue God Neither can it be said although it maketh little to the present matter that the cause why they cannot hate God is because occasions of hatred and incitations to sinne are wanting For the Angels before the fall had no greater occasion The same occasions of sinning which ouerthrew the Angels were neuer wanting The too much admiration and too great loue of themselues and by it a more slacke contemplation and a more backward loue of God carried those most excellent creatures headlong and stirred them vp to rebellion The will indeede is affected to two or more things and betweene two propounded obiects doth freely choose vnlesse when the last and best end is desired But it doth often so strongly apply it selfe to some one thing that it cannot resist it selfe And if the efficacy of the holy-Ghost turning the heart working in the elect shal also come to it which doth so draw gouern the raines of the affections that it may bend and turne the will following of its owne accord what meruaile is it if such a rider cannot be finally shaken off although the appetites doe so much resist and doe hardly giue ouer that rule and command which besides right and equity they haue ceased on All these these things pertaine thither that we may teach that the euent of conuersion is not thereby vncertaine or as these innouators speake resistible although God should moue the heart by a morall perswasion and should allure the will by a congruent and meete invitation But yet whosoeuer shall heare the Scripture or shall descend to examples and to experience shall finde that the efficacy of the holy-Ghost working in mens hearts ought not to be restrained to morall perswasion For it is a hard thing to conceiue in ones minde what perswasion God vsed in the conuersion of Saint Paul who was cast downe as it were with lightning and whose stubbornnesse kicking against the pricks was broken The same may be said of the Theefe into whom in the midst of torments and in the very agony of death God did infuse faith after an vnvtterable manner For what Doe these Sectaries thinke that he obtained faith by vse and by the frequent actions of pietie Surely that cannot be said seeing that in one moment he came from the height of incredulitie and from most desperately wicked manners to a most strong faith Was he inuited by a gentle perswasion No surely For whatsoeuer things were present before him were so many disswasions and they so powerfull that the faith of the Apostles themselues did then faile The very torments which the miserable man did then suffer could easily haue taken away the sense of that allurement and perswasion vnlesse the secret power of the spirit of Christ had broken through all obstacles Would the Apostle Paul Ephes 1.19.20 and Coloss 2.12 say that that power of God whereby he doth effectually worke in the hearts of beleeuers is the same with that whereby hee raised Christ from the dead if hee should onely conuert mens hearts by a morall perswasion and by a gentle invitation Saul being fully determined to kill Dauid came to Naioth whither Dauid was fled 1 Sam. 19. but as soone as he came thither vnmindfull of Dauid he is catched with a propheticall inspiration Where is there here any morall perswasion or invitation If therefore God changeth the mindes of wicked men without any morall perswasion why shall hee not exercise the same power towards his elect And I doe not see how those speeches of creating a new heart of raising man from the dead and of giuing new life by which the Scripture doth expresse our conuersion may be applyed to note out morall perswasion The new man is not created by perswasion but by the infusion of new life and it must needes be that some supernaturall thing must come which cannot be explained by man And if God should allure men to beleeue by a meere perswasion and invitation God should not be the efficient cause of faith For hee that doth onely exhort and perswade that we may beleeue doth not giue beleeuing it selfe no nor he who doth suggest the powers of beleeuing as we haue said before but hee doth moue metaphorically and intentionally as wee are moued by Obiects and by a knowne end And that here is something else beside perswasion may hence be gathered in that you see some men are vehemently set on fire by a small perswasion some on the other side who know the truth are yet in the midst of some euident and most certaine perswasions cold and not at all affected Former times and our owne age hath brought forth many Martyrs who haue beene vnlearned and but lightly
in themselues Wee doe not deny that doubtings doe sometimes creepe on godly and good men but yet those doubtings must needes diminish little by little as they are more affected with the sence of the grace of God and as their faith is increased But it is not needefull that he who is already conuerted and doth beleeue should feele himselfe to be drawne vnresistibly that is to be so drawne as he cannot resist For wee place the infallible certainty of conuersion not in the sence of man who doth feele that hee cannot resist but in the decree of God by which it must needes be that they come to Christ whom hee hath elected to saluation So the cause that the bones of Christ could not be broken was not in the hardnesse of those bones but in the purpose of God who forbad they should be broke And therefore it may come to passe that they who shall certainely be saued by the decree of God doe not certainely know of their saluation and are often troubled with rising doubts There are some to whom after many yeeres of their life led soberly and godly the confidence of saluation is at last giuen them at their death Nor is it needefull that the faithfull man should trie himselfe whether hee be drawne with an vnresistible power but whether after serious and earnest repentance hee doth so wholy rest himselfe in the death of Christ and in the promise of God that thereby he might be stirred vp to piety and to the feare of God Whosoeuer doth feele himselfe to be thus affected ought not scrupulously to weigh and examine the poyses and drammes of the efficacy of the spirit of God and of vnconquerable grace but so to order himselfe that he may represse his rising doubts by prayer and by the remembrance of the promises of God and that hee may breake and bruise the serpentine power of his lusts resisting the Spirit XXIV And if any one doth otherwise we are not they who can preuent all euils or cure vices knowing that by the best documents and lessons the occasion of sinning may be taken and that the best things may be wrested to the worse part XXV I omit that these Sectaries ioyne those things which cannot be coupled together and doe make those things apposite and agreeing which are opposite and disagreeing For they faigne that hee that hath true faith may doubt whether he be seriously and indeede conuerted Which surely is impossible for true faith doth stirre vp in man serious and true repentance and the loue of God which cannot be in man but it must be felt XXVI Finally the discommodities which these Sectaries doe pick out of our doctrine may be auoided but the doctrine of the Arminians doth enwrap mens consciences in vnauoydable euills For hereby is man puffed vp with pride teaching that man can separate himselfe that he can conuert himself that he can conuert himself before he be conuerted in act by God that man hath wherof he may boast that God is bound to giue him sufficient grace that God doth giue to man what he is indebted to him that the grace of God is not the totall cause of faith that the grace of God is subiected to mans free-will And on the other side Arminianismâ— doth vexe mens consciences with a carefull doubting For who can be certaine of his saluation if our saluation is not certaine by the election and decree of God And if the number of the elect be not certaine by the will of God Or if God hath elected no man but being considered as already dead Or if the certainty of saluation doth rest on the strength of free-will in the power whereof it is to perseuere or not to perseuere to beleeue or not to beleeue to cause that God should be partaker of his desire or should faile of his propounded end Surely if there be place giuen to this deadly doctrine faith and Christian humilitie is lost For it must needs be that they must be most doubtfull who are most proud It must needes be that the expectation of those men must hang in suspence who make the will of man a floating and vnstable thing the foundation of their hope Surely Satan doth therefore puffe vp these men with pride that they might be burst in pieces and doth lift them vp on high that being cast downe from on high he might more grieuously break them and crush them to pieces XXVII But to that our obiection by which we said That if God doth worke in vs onely by the manner of perswasion he is not the efficient cause of faith but onely the stirrer vp thereof by the manner of an obiect as Satan himselfe doth make it manifest who is not the efficient cause of the sinne of man although he doth stirre vp and instigate and worke effectually in the sonnes of rebellion to this obiection the Arminians answere nothing But they obiect on the contrary side If God say they doth conuert those which are his which are farre the lesser part vnresistibly and Satan doth auert and turne away the greater part resistibly therin Satan is of more power then God who by lesse and inferiour helpes can execute his purpose in many more men These good men doe alwaies put that their word vnresistibly for certainely and infallibly But to the purpose I deny that they whom God doth draw and effectually conuert are fewer then they whom Satan doth auert and turne away Indeede it is not to be doubted but that some in the beginnings of their conuersion are remoued from that beginning by the subtlety of Satan But these are but few in comparison of them who neuer felt any assaults or pricks of repentance Satan doth not auert these seeing these are auerse by their owne nature And whatsoeuer Satan doth is but small in comparison of the efficacy of the spirit of God in the elect For Satan found men prone to sinne and thrust them foreward that were falling nor is it any doubt but that the reprobates are not carried so much by the impulsion of Satan as by their owne Certainly it is a greater thing to heale a few that are deadly wounded then to exacerbate and make more angry grieuous the wounds of many and to poure vinegar on the Vlcer It is farre more easie to thrust them forward that are falling then to raise them that are fallen to kill ten that are about to die then to restore one to life that is dead XXVIII And here they exclaime that mans nature is auerted and ouerthrowne while it is necessarily determined and limited to one thing I answere If by the word necessitie be vnderstood not constraint nor naturall necessitie such as is the poise and inclination of all heauy things to the center of the world but an infallible certainty and that voluntary and spontaneus by such a necessity nature is not ouerthrowne The nature of Angels is necessarily determined and limited to that which is good and yet