Defense of the Synod of Dort, Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII.
Of Freewill.
AFTER a lowd blast in the beginning, as formerly, of their full and sufficient dealing in the former point, our Adversaries begin this with a false, and foul accusation.
ADVERSARIES.
THE Calvinists hold, that wicked men are compelled to sinnPag. 94. 95. by Gods power; and again, that men are compelled by the power, force and compulsion of Gods predestination to all wicked, and cruell crymes. Against which they alleag out of Bastingius, and Thes. Genev. that Man by evill was spoyled not of his will, but of the soundnesse of his will. Therfore that which in nature was good, in quality became evill: and that, as Bernard teacheth, there is in us all power to will, but to will well, we had need to profit better; to will evill we are able already by reason of our fall: as also, that there remains freedom in all good, naturall, civill, morall, and judiciall things, but not in spirituall. These things, they say, if we wil stand to, they require no more.
DEFENCE.
BOth we will stand to them, and they must fall by them, as they might evidently see, if they considered, that all our question is about freedom of will in spirituall things; which alone we deny.
The ground of their errour here is, that they unskilfully confound necessity & compulsion; and conceiv not how a thing, both free and casuall in it selfe, may be the over-ruling hand of Gods providence be determined necessarily this way, or that. The difference between necessity and compulsion I hauehave formerly both proved and opened at large: shewing how mansPag. 20. 21. freewill in chusing that which is evill, and Gods powerfull hand in governing him in that his choise, according to his wise counsell, to his holy ends, may well stand together. And for that which is good, God works it by inclination, by his Word and Spirit; which inclination cannot be compulsion, seeing compulsion and violence is onelyonly against the inclination of the thing, and not the inclining of it. God herein first takes away the former corrupt inclination, that …t reign not, which is the coard wherewith a man is tyed, as they speak, and then giues a new inclination contrary to the former, not haleing up a man by main force, as they mishape a similitude forPag. 98. us, but giving inward will and strength of grace for the man to raise up himselfe by. And if all kinde of necessity abolish all kind of freedom, then in truth a man doth nothing freely; for whatsoever he doth, he doth it necessarily, when he doth it.
They doe here in vain heap up Scriptures like medicinesPag. 96. upon a sound stomack, to prove that election, and choyce cannot be but in, or rather with liberty. We acknowledg that whatsoever good or evill a man doth outwardly, or inwardly, where the will comes to work (for there may be acts of the understanding, and motions of the affections before and without the wills working) he useth liberty and freedom in chusing, or refusing: that is, he doth it not by any violence or compulsion, but from the inward principles of his mind; the understanding directing, and the will consenting; though yet the wicked, being left of God, cannot but doe wickedly, any more then the Aethiopian can change his skin, or the Leopard his Ier. 13. 23.spots: nor the godly but doe godlily, by the grace of God effectually inclining him thereunto. Neither doth our affirmation make voyd, or unmoveing the threatnings of God; but makes both threatnings, and promises, and precepts, and all, most effectuall; God by the inward work of his spirit giving an encrease to the outward preaching; and opening the heart to receaue the same. One man can move another by outward motives, words, and the like. Will these menNumb. 11. 25. 26. Iudg. 14▪ 5. 19. Ps. 51. 11. 12. Ezech. 11. 19. & 36. 26. 27. Luk. 1. 15. Act. 1. 8. & 2. 17. 18. Rom. 8. 9. 18. 26. 27 Pag. 95. affoord God no more, or other work? Will they deny any inward work of Gods spirit at all, above the words work, though in, and by it? What mean then the holy Scriptures speaking so frequently of this Spirits work in men, with means, without means; for ordinary, and extraordinary operations, both gifts, and graces? Or if there be such a spirit of God dwelling, and working in men, why doe they deny unto it, a prevailing power, wheresoever it pleaseth God to bestow it? And for those that cannot repent, as they plead for some; God, and their own consciences will plead against them, that they will not repent: and so are not tyed with a coard by others, and violently with-held, as they plead for them, but doe willingly cast, and keep the coards of iniquity, and rebellion upon themselvs.
We acknowledg also (and they therefore prove in vain)Pag. 100 101. that to whomsoever the word comes, them God would have gathered unto him, hearken unto his voyce, repent that they might live and not dy, to wit, in that degeee of willing, which stands in commanding those things, and approving them if they follow; and that the fault is onelyonly in mens obstinacy, if they repent not.
Neither doe the Calvinists, as they surmise, make either Gods decree, or the defect of his grace in fault, if men repent not; because they affirm that God decreed not to give them the grace to repent, nor doth give it them; except eyther God may not require repentance of all, or be bound to give it to all. It is not my fault, that a drunkard fals and lyes in the street, though he cannot but both fall, and ly there, except I hold, and help him up; except withall I be bound so to help him: nor my fault that a prodigal spend-thrift comes into debt, and is cast into prison, and cannot escape the one, or other, unlesse I pay his debts; except withall I be bound to pay them: so neither is it Gods fault that men remain and peri…h in that impenitency, out of which they neither will, nor can come without Gods speciall gift of repentance, except it be Gods bounden duty (as these men seem to make it) to bestow that grace upon them.
The two places Esa. 5. 1. 2. 3, &c. and Math: 11. 21. 22, we will a little more particularly examine. In the former where God saith, he could doe no more to his vineyard then he had done, he speaks onelyonly of outward means, as the text makes it plain, I fenced it &c. I would ask these men, whether there be not requisite, that the naturall vineyard may bring forth fruit, something besides the fencing, gathering out of the stones, and the rest there mentioned? It cannot be denyed, that, except besides, and above all these, God give the encrease by an inward blessing, all planting, & watering, and outward dressing whatsoever is nothing: so is it in the spirituall vineyard much more though planted by Paul himself, yea by Christ himself in the outward ministery. And where God saith, He expected sweet grapes, but it brought forth wild v:4. we must not imagine (as our adversaries seem to doe) that God is deceaved in his expectation, as men often are: but onelyonly, that the Israelites did not perform that which God required, and they ought.
Touching the repentance of Tyre & Sidon. First I would know how they prove that Christ speaks of other then legall repentance, such as Ahab manifested in sack-cloth? which was1. King. 21. 26. not from a godly sorrow for sin; but from a servile fear of punishment. Secondly eyther this repentance should hauehave been wrought by those mighty works alone, or by them with other helps. Mighty works alone cannot work faith, & repentance, Rom. 10. 17 2. Tim. 2. 25. Mar. 16. 20which must come by hearing, & instructions of the word, which they serve to confirm unto men. If Christ speak of his mighty works, as means though not sufficient of themselvs, yet availeable, with other requisite helps, he excludes not the spirits work, but includes it. But, in truth, the meaning of Christ seems to be no more, but to reprove the obstinacy of Corazin in a form of speach like unto that Luk. 19. 40. If these should hold their tongue, the stones would imediately cry out. And as it were a vain thing hence to dispute about the speaking of stones; so is it, to gather any thing thence of the Tyrians repentance. The meaning of the Lord here is not to commend the Tyrians at all, but to upbraid the Chorazites, and to shew their hardnes of heart to be greater then the others. The like form of speach we hauehave to the like purpose Ezech: 3. 6. And if so be there were in these Tyrians this pronenes to repentance▪ if they had enjoyed the means which the others did, but they wanted; & withall, that God so desires the repentance & salvation of all; how came it to passe, that God did not afford those helps unto them that were so prone and willing to have used them aright? It seems, the former case is now altered, and that men might say to God, that they would, but he would not.
ADVERSARIES.
THeir invincible Argument servs onelyonly to bewray their incurablePag. 101. disease in heaping together many Scriptures to prove that, which no man doubts of; namely, that the works wrought in us by God are attributed to us also; as the cleansing of our hearts &c: wherein yet they mingle with Gods truth their own errours, and that in particular, in affirming, that God takes Pag. 102.it to himself as a proper title, to justify a sinner: and yet that Dasaith, he justified his heart.
DEFENCE.
FIrst, if it be proper to God to justifie a sinner, how is it common to David with him? Secondly, They slaunder David in making him say, he justified his heart. Could David forgiue the sin of his heart? which God doth in justifying a sinner. David Psal. 73. speaks of sanctification, not of justification.
They ignorantly apply the Scriptures, Psal. 108. 12. & Psal.Pag. 103. 118. 13. to Gods working grace in men, being meant onelyonly of his working deliverance for them.
They vainly, and deceitfully affirm, from Acts. 7. 51. & Pag. 103. 104.13. 46. that man may resist the grace of God, wrought by his word and spirit. The places speak not of any grace wrought by either of them. The former speaks onelyonly of resisting the spirit; as the Authour of the word in the Prophets and others. The latter of resisting the word of God, not working, but offering grace onelyonly. Besides, they notably abuse those Scriptures cited,Pag. 104. in making them plainly to shew that man hath free choise (to wit alike) to work with God, or against God in the work of his grace. It is true, that men whether receiving or refusing grace, doe it freely, and without compulsion: but the latter freely of themselvs, being left of God to themselvs; the former freely▪ by Gods speciall grace, and spirit, giving them, and effectually drawing them to Christ. I say more effectually▪ Ioh. 6. 44.though not violently, then any one creature can by violence draw another. Oh, that any made partakers of this free grace of Gods spirit dwelling in them, should deny the powerfull work of it, to establish their own freewill!
After Scriptures, they come to experience. And first,Pag. 104. they erre in thinking, that liberty and necessity of sinning in wicked men cannot stand together. It is certain, that the more wicked either man or devill is, he sinneth both the more freely, and the more necessarily. Their similitude, of a mans drinking poyson, is against themselvs, so far as it is pertinent. I would know of them how the drinking of poyson by any is unavoydable? If they say, because hee knows it not to be in his drink, therin they grant that sins of ignorance are done unavoydably, and yet not by compulsion, as they conclude. Secondly, who would think, that any, after the profession of the knowledg, and obedience of the Gospell, which these men hauehave made, so many yeares, both in the Church of England, and else where, should so far apostate therefrom to Popery, and Pha…isaism, as to think it as easie a thing, for a man, yea, though never so wicked, to keep himselfe from all sin, as from drinking of poyson, which he knew to be in his cup? For he that knows it not cannot avoyd it. How grievously erre they, in affirming, that all men are able to keep the Law, toPag. 105. wit, without the least fayling, all their life long, in thought, word or deed? For this they plead in this whole Section, that except it be possible for every man thus to keep the Law, neither his conscience can accuse him, nor God justly punish him for breaking it.
Neither doe the Calvinists hold, as they barbarously speak.▪ & unjustly slander, that men commit evill by force of Gods providence, or are decreed to doe evill, or compelled to sin by power. But they beleev, as the Scriptures teach, that all men in Adam hauehave Rom. 5. 12. 15. Rom. 8. 3.sinned, and by sin lost the Image of God in which they were made; so as the Law is impossible unto them by reason of the flesh, and so cannot possibly but sin, by reason of the same flesh raigning in the unregenerate, and dwelling in all: (which these light persons, expresly confesse in the sequel of this book:) andPag. 117. 119. that this so comes to passe by Gods holy decree, and work of providence answerable, not forceing evill upon any, but ordering all persons in all actions, as the supreme Governour of all: and that the wicked, being left of God; some destitute of the outward means, the Gospell; all of them of the effectuall work of the Spirit, from that weak flesh, and naturall corruption, daily increased in them, sin, both necessarily as unable to keep the Law; and willingly, as having in themselvs the beginning and cause thereof, the blindnesse of their own minds, and perversenesse of their will and affections; and so are inexcuseable in Gods sight.
Here, with the lowd boasts of their large and undenyable Pag. 106. 107.proofs, they joyn sundry errours. As first, in making the good things of creation to come from Gods grace, viz. for salvation, of which our question is. The good things of creation the ScripturesGal 5. 4. Ephes. 28. Rom. 7. 5. account our own, and of our selvs, ever opposing them to the good things of grace, to salvation. Secondly, they err egregiously, in saying, that what Adam had in creation, and lost by transgression for himself and his posterity, that is restored through Christ, to wit, to all; for so the question is. By this, all should be restored actually into Gods favour, hauehave his image repaired in them, and be wholly free from that weak flesh, making the Law impossible unto them. With like perversnesse doe they misapply to all Adams posterity without difference, that which the Apostle speaks of himselfe, and other godly Ministers, and Christians onelyonly, Rom. 8. 3. 4, 2 Cor. 3. 5, Phil. 4, 13, as any that pleaseth to peruse the places, may see. Lastly, they mostRom. 1. 6. 15. & ch. 8 1. 8. 12. 13. Gal. 5. 17. 24. absurdly affirm, that the flesh through Christ is able to fulfill the Law; wheras we fulfill the Law no further, then as we kill, crucifie, and destroy the flesh, and lusts thereof, by the Spirit.
ADVERSARIES.
TO the question, Whether a man can doe any thing in the Pag. 107. 108.work of his regeneration, they answer, after much froath of words, that faith and repentance is regeneration, and that it is most plain (as what is not to their peircing eye) that even in the work of regeneration, man may submit to it, or hinder it.
DEFENCE.
AN ignorant assertion, shewing the ground of their errour in not putting difference between Gods work, and mans. They may as rightly say, that the life and motion of the childe is its begetting. To regenerate is nothing else, but to beget anew. Doth the child beget it selfe? Or doth not the parent onelyonly beget it? So God begets by the Ministery of the Word, and man is begotten by him: according to that of the Apostle, Every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also Ioh. 5. 1.that is begotten of him. So Iam. 1. 18. Of his own will begat he us, by the word of truth. By these mens doctrine we should beget our selvs of our own will. Begetting in creatures, is both in nature and time, before the being of the begotten. Men then before they be, must beget themselvs, by their saying. And as God regenerates, and not man; so doth man, being regenerated, beleev and obey, and not God. Wheras, if faith and obedience be regeneration, then God beleevs and repents; seeing God regenerates. Besides, as the outward means of regeneration may be, and are, by too many hindred from working, and made unprofitable: So where God pleaseth to add to the outward means, and motives of the Gospell, the inward work of the Spirit, of which Spirit, we are born or begotIoh. 3. 5. 6. 8 1 Pet. 1. 23. anew; of the Spirit, I say, though by the Word; by the same Spirit which he puts within them, he takes away first what mightEzech. 11. 19. Ier. 24. 7. & 31. 33. Ezech. 36. 27. Eph. 2. 8. 2 Tim. 2. 25 hinder thier regeneration, even their stony heart; and giving them a heart of flesh, a heart to know God, and putting his fear in their hearts, and by putting his Spirit in them, causing them to walk in his statutes; he thereby regenerates them, or giues them faith, and repentance, which they must hauehave before they can beleev or repent: as the childe must hauehave life before it can liue, or doe acts of life, and must be generated, or begotten, before it hauehave life, or being. Regeneration therefore goes before faith, and repentance.
This Head they shut with answering three Scriptures. The first Math. 22, but mistaken, for Luk. 14. 23, which as it is frivolously objected (if by any) so is it easily answered.
The second is, Ioh. 6. 44. No man can come to me except the Father draw him. This is not meant (say they) of violent compulsion. Pag. 109.True, nor yet onelyonly (as they would hauehave it) of outward teaching by heavenly doctrine: For thus the Father drew many that came not to Christ; whereas hee speaks here, of such a drawing as is peculiar to them that come to him; who shall never hunger, v. 35, and whom he will in no wise cast out, v. 37. He speaks not therefore of the outward teaching onelyonly, but withall, and principally, of the inward teaching of the spirit, as Esa. 54. 13, Ier. 31. 33. 34, 1 Ioh. 2. 27. The most of them whom the Father drew by heavenly doctrine, that is, to whom Christ preached, murmured at him, v. 41: this hee reproues, vers. 43, & vers. 44, takes away the offence which might arise, at the consideration of the small effect which his words had with many, considering what he testified of himselfe, v. 39. 40, shewing that such was mans perversenesse in spirituall things, as that except God, to the outward word, adjoyned the inward work of the Spirit, thereby drawing him, his obstinacy could not, nor would not be tamed, nor he turned to God.
Lastly, to Phil. 2. 13. It is God that works in you both the will and deed, after much impertinent discourse, and many erroursPag. 110. 111. 112. mingled among, they answer, that God doth this in men by reasons, and perswasions, that they would chuse life, and avoyd death.
And first, they conclude without and against reason, that if the regenerate hauehave power to resist, they hauehave power not to resist: which is, as if a man should say, if a fool can doe foolishly, then he can doe wisely, or the like.
Secondly, it is a slander upon the Calvinists, that they are divided in this point; or that any of them affirms, that the elect though unregenerate, cannot resist good. Whilst they are unregenerate they can doe nothing else but resist in spirituall things: But God in time (as he hath decreed) by the spirit of regeneration, overcomes their corruption, and works in them, not to resist, but willingly to follow him, that calleth them.
Thirdly, I would know what they mean by these phrases, of Gods sending his word and spirit to work our regeneration: and again, of God by the power of his word and spirit, shewing man the benefite of life &c. If they consider the spirit onelyonly as the Authour of the word, speaking in the men of God, why doe they not say the Spirit and the Word, rather then, as they do, the Word and the Spirit? Or how doth God send the spirit, thus understood, to work regeneration in men? If they answer, that God is ready to giuegive the spirit, and so doth to them that will receiv it: first, to be ready to giuegive, is not to giuegive or send: secondly, they should understand, that to be willing to receiv spirituall things, is a main fruit and effect of regeneration, and therfore not a cause, as they mistake. For the will, thus holily bent, presupposeth the understanding divinely enlightned, whose direction it follows, and without which going before, it is blind and brutish. Neither can a man possibly will a thing, but as he understands it to be good for him. If the understanding be divinely inlightned, and the will holily bent, then the whole man is before regenerated, that is, begotten before of God by the spirit of regeneration. In truth, they but speak of Gods sending his Spirit to work in mans regeneration, as Senacherib by Rabsakah spake of Gods sending him 2 King. 18. 25.against Ierusalem. He to cover the pride of violence; and they to cover the pride of free-will, in bending it selfe, of itself, to receiv grace offered.
To conclude this Head▪ referring the Reader to the ArgumentsPag. 44. 45. 46. 47. of conviction formerly laid down, I onelyonly add thus much: that if God onelyonly bend the will by perswasions of promises and threatnings, and works not otherwise, then by force of reasons, Pag. 108. 109. 111. Mat. 11. 25 1 Cor. 1. 26. 27.and by using strong arguments and perswasions, as they expresly affirm; then, that, whose contrary, both the Scriptures and experience confirms, would ordinarily come to passe; namely, that the wise and prudent should hauehave heavenly things revealed unto them, and discern them much more easily and effectually, then babes and weak persons; and so should be converted sooner then they: specially sooner then harlots and light persons, considering how much better they mind and understand; arguments and reasons of all sorts; then the other. We therfore conclude with the Apostle, that God works in us both the will and the deed: not onelyonly by his word working on us, but by his Spirit working in us: not onelyonly by sending Paul to plant, by propounding strong arguments of perswasion, but also by giving the increase by the most effectuall work of his Spirit, inlightning the eyes of the understanding Eph. 1. 18.to see the force of those arguments, opening the heart to attend unto them, and so writing them in the same heart, and most inward Act. 16. 14. Ier. 31. 34.parts, as they cannot be blotted out.