The Doctrine of King James, Essay
THE GROVNDS OF ARMINIANIS ME, Naturall and Politicke.
NAture is a ground of Arminianisme▪ but it is corrupted Nature, euen that Nature, by which wee are the children of wrath. Neither is Nature the fountaineEph 2▪ and spring of it, by a large common way, as theGal. 5. 20. flesh is generally the mother of haeresies, but by a more peculiar, inward and deepe generation. There are two euills▪ that by mans wretched fall are deepely grounded, and intermingled, with the very principles and rootes of man; and as farre as man is man, so farr and so deepe, their venome and infection doth enter. The one is Prede, and evill that by the fall hath so throughly▪ soked and pierced into the foundations of man, that man naturally desires to stand by himselfe, and to bee a selfe-vpholder, which is no other then that miserable perferment, which the Divell at the beginning promised to mankind in their first parents▪ That they should bee as Gods. For it is God onelyonly▪ Exod. 3. 14.whose Name is I am, it is God onelyonly that is a selfevpholder, and standeth of himselfe; and it is by the stabilitie of God alone, that all other things are established; from whose establishment, as much as the wills of the Creatures are freed, so much they are in danger. Yea this substantiue, and selfevpholding estate, is to corrupted Nature, a very plausible and desirable thing, and man exceedingly desires with the prodigall sonne, to hauehave his portion put by his Father into his one hands, euen to hauehave Gods grace, deliuered over to the keeping of Mans Freewill, But the miserable consequence of this, in that prodigall sonne plainely appeared when hee had gathered all, Hee went into a Luk. 15. 13.farre countrey, and there wasted all his substance with riotous living. Mans will, will not keepe the grace of God, but will forfite and spend it, as Adam our common Father did at the beginning; neither may it be hoped, that the sonne with a great portion of corruption, should stand, in that state of fredome, wherein his Father newly comming from the hands of God his maker, would fall. Therefore it is the true safety of mans will, to bee held by God, rather then to be left free to hold God; to bee established by grace, rather then to establish grace in it selfe, to bee apprehended by God, rather then to bee left free whether it will apprehend God, or no. Surely the Diuell, is as strong as euer, if not more strong by being more cunning, and man being lesse strong, because more corrupt, his fall cannot bee but more certaine. Therefore if the Diuell, and his spirituall wickednesses, powers Eph. 6. 19.and principalities must bee resisted, and ouercome, wee hauehave need of the whole armour of God, yea wee hauehave neede of God himselfe to support, strengthen, and establish vsus; and accordingly the Apostle fitly begins,2. Cor. 1. 21. Bee strong in the Lord, and the power of his might. For as else where, Hee which establisheth vsus in Christ is God. The Deity is the Rocke, which in Christ Iesus establisheth vsus and makes vsus to stand; and so to stand, that the Gates of Hell cannot preuaile against vsus. The Rocke keepes vsus, wee keepe not the Rocke, yea the Rocke keepes vsus, that wee keepe the Rocke, for if it did not so, the Rocke did not keepe vsus, for if our keeping of the Rocke, were not kept by the Rocke, wee should neither keepe it, nor bee kept. But Scripture saith, wee are kept from falling, because wee are grounded on the Rocke, and therefore the Rocke dothMat. 7. 25. keepe vsus euen from falling from the Rocke. But this true and onelyonly ground of safety, the Pride of man scorneth and despiseth, and it still desires to hauehave the will free and loose from this establishment of the Rocke, that in the sand of this freedome, hee may build a glorious, but a ruinous house, and walking in the Turrets of it, hee my say of it, as that stalking and presumptuous Monarch, Is not this great Babylon, Dan. 4.that I hauehave built, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my maiesty? But this Pride is a most certaine way to ruine. For the same man that would bee like a God, God made him vnlike a man, and the same heart that swelled into the assuming of God▪ head, was changed into the heart of a beast, vntill hee lifted vp his eyes o… Heaven, and honoured him that liueth for ever, whose Dominion is an euerlasting Dominion, and who doth what hee will in the army of Heaven, and the inhabitantes of the Earths Wherefore it is the safety of ou… Will, to be established by that supreme Will, which onelyonly is stable and to attribute the safety of our Will, to that GOD, from whom onelyonly wee can receiue it, Except wee rather approue this Great Monarch, in his pride, then in his repentance, and do louelove proud R…ine, rather then humble stability.
And indeede Arminianisme may iustly looke for Ruine, for it opposeth stability. Yea I dare confidently to affirme that Arminianisme opposeth the maine scope and summe of the Scripture. The maine scope of the Scripture is this, to bring all Glory to the Creator, from the Creature. This Glory plainly ariseth, while wee see the great vncertainty and mutability of the most perfect Creatures, not established by vnion with the Creator: and the strength and stability of the weakest and most fraile creatures being knit to the Deity▪ A paterne of the one is Adam with his Free-will, and a paterne of the other are the members of Christ Iesus, And that this latter paterne may bee more euidently emminent, God hath chosen out of weake and corrupt mankind, the most weake and wretched, That hee which glorieth, may glory in the 1. Cor. 29Lord. Thus is the whole Frame of Scripture as it were a maine Body of our Doctrine, which giues glory to God, by making the Greature, wholly to depend on his Creator: And Arminianisme is an opposition to the same Scripture, and to the Doctrine thereof, while it giues the stability of the Creature to the will of the Creature; so that a Creature may answere St. Paul (as I learne an Arminian hath answered) Ego meipsum discerno: I make my selfe to differ from another; I am mine owne establisher. But be it still our ste…fast2. Cor. 4. 7. ground, That Hee which establisheth vsus in Christ is God. 2. Cor. 1. 21. Psal. 18. 31.And who is God saue the Lord, and who is a Rocke saue our God.
Another Naturall ground of Arminianisme, is the Naturall wisedome of man, or the wisedome of Naturall man. This Naturall wisedome approues that onelyonly for true wisedome which it selfe comprehendes, and the wayes which are past finding out, or are contrary to that which it hath Decreed for Wisedome, are meere foolishnesse to it. Wherefore euen the Wisedome of God, and the Iustice of God, if they bee not wise and iust that way, in which the Naturall man thinkes Wisedome and Iustice onelyonly to bee, hee censureth the one to be Folly, and the other Iniustice. Thus by the fall of man, man is fallen into this drunkennesse, that hee thinkes the wisedome creating, can bee measured and iudged by the wisedome created, yea, not by the wisedome created, but by the wisedome corrupted. The wisdome of man fallen, is set for a Iudge of the incomprehensible wisedome of him who made man in his perfection; and hee that is now lesse then himselfe, will comprehend him, that was infinitely greater, then man, when hee was greater then himselfe. Neither is this a stone that wee stumble at, for lacke of notice. For God hinselfe hath shewed vsus this Rocke of offence. The naturall man, perceineth not the thinges 1. Cor. 1. …. &cof God, but they are foolishnesse to him. And, The world in the wisedome of the world knew not God. Now by the same reason, the more of this wisedome that knoweth not God, and that counts Gods wisedome to be foolishnesse, the more doth the wisedome of God seeme folishnesse to it. Therefore there were no greater enemies and opposers to the Doctrine of God, then Politicians and Philosophers, both which were vnited in that most able Naturall man, and most venemous adversary of Christianity, Iulian the Apostate. And that God may glorify this wisedome of his which they count foolishnesse, and make it to triumph ouer their foolishnesse which they so seriously and reuerently thinke to bee wisedome, hee takes simple, weake, and base men euen foolish thinges, and by his spirit giuing them his diuine wisdome, hee confoundes the wisedome of the worldly wise, while these foolish thinges are saued by the wisedome of God, and the wise men perish by the wisedome of man. So that there remaines no other remedy for this disease of humane wisdome. but that such men become fooles, that they may bee wise. They must put off humane wisdome, and esteeme it to bee folly, if they will put on the wisdome of God. The Naturall wisedome must bee captiuated by the Spirit, and a spirituall Doctrine must be receiued by a spirituall vnderstanding; for spirituall truths are not kindly to bee receiued but by a spirituall hand. And surely if Humane wisdome had neede to bee put off in the receiuing of any spirituall Doctrine, it had neede especially to bee laid aside in receiuing the Doctrine of the Grace of God. For that Doctrine is very spirituall, it flyes high, and the top of it pearcheth the cloudes, and hides it selfe in heaven, to bee adored rather then to bee discerned. And so the great Apostle him-selfe doth leaue it. Now these high, and most spirituall doctrines, offend the eyes of naturall wisdome, which enioyeth those secrets chiefly which it selfe comprehendeth, and accountes a transcendent wisdome to bee foolishnesse. So the Owle thinkes day to bee night, and the sunne to bee a cause of blindnesse; but the Night goes for day, and the setting of the Sunne, to bee the Spring of the morning. Therefore the witt of man, offended with the purity of this spirituall doctrine, hath invented a doctrine of its owne which exceedingly agreeth, with the wit of man that bare it; for here (though not in a better case) the Mother is the Nurse, The wit of Man hath made a Foard in the depths of God, it hath found out the wayes that are past finding out, and where St. Paul cryes out O depth, there they leade along their schollers, that they passe through it allmost with dry feete The plot of Election and Grace is discovered, and these men will tell you the reasons of Gods Counsell; Neither is it a new devise of mine, to accuse Mans wisdome of this folly, it hath long since beene done: yet will I bring a witnesse whom I may call an Oracle of these last times, a man of the most sound and definite Iudgment, that these latter Ages hauehave brought forth, And his discovery may very well serue for a remedy.
The Diuines of greatest name, held that Article (of free Praedestination) for Orthodoxe, and the contrary for Hereticall, because good writers of the Schoole, as Saint Thomas, Scotus and others, did commonly thus beleeue, That God before the foundation of the world, out of the vniuersall masse of mankind, by his onelyonly and meere mercy did chuse some to glory, to whom he prepared effectuall meanes for the obtaining of the same, and this is called, to Pradestinate. And of these there is a certaine and determined number, which is not to dee increased, &c. Yet this opinion was oppugned by other Diuines, but of lower note; who called it hard, cruell, horrible, and impious, as that which made God to bee an accepter of persons, &c.
The first sentence, indeede comprehending a great mystery and secret, doth humble the minde of man: and while on the one side, it presentes to man, the deformity of sinne, and on the other side the excellency of Gods grace, it wholly fixeth him vponupon God. The second opinion is more plausible, popular, glittering, and agreeable to the pride of mans heart, and in this respect it was acceptable to the Fryers; professing more the Art of preaching, then the sound knowledge of Diuinity. It did also seeme more probable to the Courtiers, as being agreeable to reasons of policy. And indeede those Who defended it, because they relyed on reasons meerly humane, they preuailed with men of humane wisdome, but when the matter came to bee tryed by testimonies of Scripture, then their cause soone fell to the ground. Hist: Concil: Trid: Lib: 2.
So wee see here the same Author leades vsus to a secondPolitick grounds of Arminianisme. ground of Arminianisme which is Policy. It were too long for a worke which I intended to bee short, to insist on the seuerall sorts of Policy, in which this error hath beene rooted, and from which it hath sprung vp, and spread abroad the branches of it. My Author hath discouered one of the Friers; it serues their turne best for Rhetoricall perswasions, and plausible declamations. And I wish other Clergy-men had not also their Politicke endes, and did not seeke to get glory to themselues, by selling the glory of God. No question it were an outward and seeming glory to them, if when a man hath killed the seed of God in him, they without any seed of God could make this man to liue againe, & to enter into heauen, not being regenerated, that is, hauing wholly lost his Regeneration. But in these gaines, God looseth; for his seede looseth the glory of being incorruptible, that corruptible man may get the glory of God.
But I hasten to another Policy, and that is, The plot of3 bringing in Popery. Whosoeuer will bring in Popery, into a country strongly fixed in the Protestant Doctrin, must not presently fly in the face of the whole Protestant Doctrine, but his onelyonly way, is to worke into it by these degres of plausible Arminianisme, euen to put in these little theeues (they seeme litle to naturall men) into the window of a Church, & then they may vnlocke the dores of a Church, and let in all Popery. Our Religion is contained in diuers & seuerall Articles, & they run vponupon one Thred of Establishment & Authority, now if you can cut this Thred but in one place, and breake through the Authority which established thē, you may easily see, that all the rest like beades will run out. But here a word may serue to the wise.
Fourthly, Arminianisme being a kind of twilight,4 and a double-faced thing that lookes to two Religions at once, Protestantisme and Popery, hee that is in it, is like him that stands in the borders of two adioyning Kingdomes, who is ready to dwell in either, as either serues his turne best. So that an Arminian is like a flying fish, if preferment be among the birds, he is ready to fly after it with the birds, and if it be among the fishes, then among the fishes he will swimme after it.
Fiftly, it seemes to be a factious ground wherevpon5 Politicke men may worke their owne ends, & that I may vse the wordes of one that perchance will be more pleasing to some, and one that seemes to acknowledge such a thing de facto. Did no wiser men, or man worke vponupon perhaps exasperated mindes, or exasperate MONTAGVES Appeale. p. 42.mindes to worke vponupon, as it hath hapned else-where in pointes of controuerted Diuinity called into question, or maintained on Foote, that Religion may serue for a stalking horse to catch fooles, and bee pretended to serue Turnes.
For I yet hasten to a Sixth Policy, and that is a fearfull one, even a Policy to loose Religion, Land and all. For there is not a Policy more advantagable to the Spaniard, then to bring in Division into a Land, by bringing in Arminianisme. This is not wordes but deedes, which I speake▪ For even this Division, had almost forfeited the Low-countryes to the Spaniard. And whom the warres of so many yeares, did make still stronger, the peace of a few yeares with Arminianisme had almost brought to ruine. And it is well knowne to some that hauehave travelled, that this very Counsell hath beene given to the King of Spaine, by an execrable Author, for the destruction of England and the Low-countryes, even to bring in this doctrine, which now hath gotten the name of Arminianisme. But farre bee it from vsus, so to devide our selues, by opinions, that wee should make our selues weake and our enemies strong. Let vsus much rather like brethren, which quarrelled before, cast away the quarrels, and ioyne together against a common Enemy, both of Church and State. Let vsus striue to put our selues into the same Religion, into the same vnity, wherein God protected, and prospered vsus, against this deuourer of Europe, and his Inuincible Nauies. Wee neede no other Religion, no other vnity to prevaile against him hereafter, then that wherein wee hauehave miraculously preuailed against him hertofore. The same God of truth and peace, will defend vsus in the same Truth and the same Peace. And I doubt not but the heart of the Parliament is to this Truth and Vnity, and fully resolued, to passe by that path vntounto all due seruice, and fit supply that may tend to the strength of HIM, who is called in the Scripture The breath of our Nostrills, and to the confusion of His and our Enemies.
Amen.