The Doctrine of the Synod of Dort, Treatise · Part 3 · Section 5
Sect. 5.The fift Section.
Treat.FOr summe of all, it will come unto that passe to believe, it were better to addresse our admonitions unto God, for him, to finish his worke in men, to convert, correct, and comfort them by his omnipotency, which no person is able to resist, and that it is his fault that so many persons continue faithlesse, profane, and desperate, because it is he that refuseth to give, or taketh away the grace necessary, as well to their conversion, as to their repentance and perseverance in the faith, If any of these Synod…sts were sicke of the palsie, and praesented themselves to some Physician, who by the meanes of an excellent potion, promiseth him to make him leave his bed ere long, & goe whither he pleaseth; the other having recovered his health, and the use of his arme, and legge, would he further binde his physician to cary him upon his shoulder from place to place, for the sparing of his legges, and nourishing of his sloth, while he in the meane time lyes lazy in his bed, and continueth the excesse which brought him unto his sicknes? and yet not withstanding these men are not contented, that God should furnish them with necessary and sufficient grace to preserve, and keepe them from all temta…ion, from the divill, the world, and the flesh, and to continue in that faith, and therby to conserve this grace in watching, fasting, and praying, they will allso have God immediately, and irresistibly to produce all th…se thinges in them.
What remayneth then but to say, that God himselfe doth beleeve, repent, and persevere in well doing, even as Servetus said, that the Fire doth not burne, the Sunne doth not shine, that bread nourisheth not, but onelyonly that God doth all these things, immediately in his creatures, not having given them their properties.
Consid. In the like manner some there were, who opposed the grace of God 1200 yeares agoe, in the dayes of Austin, and thereupon he wrote his booke de Correptione & gratia; Rursus (saith he) ad eosdem scripsi alterum librum, quem de correptione & gratia praenotavi, cum mihi nuntiatum esset, dixisse ibi quendam, neminem corripiendum si Dei praecepta non facit: sed pro illo ut faciat tantummodò or andum.
And in the booke it selfe, and 4. chapter, he represents their discourse more at large in this manner: Praecipe mihi quid faciam: & si fecero; age pro me gratias Deo, qui mihi ut facerem dedit. Si autem non fecero, non ego corripiendus sum, sed ille orandus est, ut det quod non dedit: id est ipsam, qua praecepta ejus fiant, fidelem Dei & proximi charitatem. Ora ergo pro me ut hanc accipiam, & per hanc ex animo cum bona voluntate, quae praecipit faciam. Rectè autem corriperer si eam mea culpa non haberem: hoc est, si eam poss…m mihi dare vel sumere ipse nec facerem, vel si dante illo accipere noluissem. Cum ergo & ipsa voluntas à Domino praeparetur, cur me corripis, quia vides me eius praecepta facere nolle: & non potius ipsum rogas, ut in me operetur & velle.
Now, to all this, Austin in the next chapter answereth in this manner: Ad haec Respondemus: Quicunque Dei precepta jam tibi nota non facis, & corripi non vis, etiam propterea corripiendus es, quid corripi non vis. Non vis enim tibi tua vitia demonstrari: non vis ut feriantur, fiatque tibi utilis dolor, quo medicum quaeras: Non vis tibi tuipse ostendi, ut cum deformem te vides, reformatorem desideres, eique supplices ne in illa remaneas foeditate. Tuum quippe vitium est quod malus es, & maius vitium corripi nolle, quia malus es: quasi laudanda vel indifferenter habenda sint vitia▪ ut n…que laudentur neque vituperentur; aut verò nihil agat timor correpti hominis vel pudor vel dolor: aut aliud agat cum salubriter stimulat, nisi ut rogetur bonus & ex malis qui corripiuntur, bonos faciat qui laudētur. Quod enim vult pro se fieri qui corripi non vult, & dicit, …ra potius pro me ideo correpiendus est ut faciat etiam ipse pro se. D…lor quippe ipse quo sibi displicet, quando sentit correptionis aculeum, excitat eum in majoris orationis affectum: ut Deo miserante, incremento charitatis adjutus desinat agere pudenda & dolenda, & agat laudanda atque gratanda. Haec est correptionis utilitas, quae nunc major nunc minor pro peccatorum diversitate salu…riter adhibetur, & tunc est salubris, quando supernus medicus respicit. Non enim aliquid proficit, nisi cum facit ut peccati sui quemque paeni…eat. Et quis hoc dat, nisi qui respexit Apostolum Petrum negant…m & fecit flentem. Vnde & Apostolus Paulus posteaquam dixit, cum modestia corripiendos esse diversa sentientes, protinus addidit: Ne quando det iis Deus paenitentiam ad cognoscendam veritatem, & resipiscant de diaboli laqueis. Gods omnipotencie no creature is able to resist, and therfore if God will have any man to believe freely, to repent freely, to doe this or that good worke freely, it is impossible it shoulde be otherwise but that looke what he doth by divine instinct he should doe it freely; And that God is he who workes in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ, is as true as the epistle to the Hebrewes is a part of the newe testament, though like enough it is no part of the Gospell of this old Evangelist.
Now that any in Austins dayes eyther amongst the Adrumetine▪ monkes, or amongst the P…lagi… ̄s, did from the same ground object that it is Gods fault that so many persons continue faithles, profane, and desperate, I reade not. For albeit our Saviour is bolde to tell the Iewes to their face that therfore they did not heare his wordes, because they were not of God, and Moses to the Israelites in the wildernes signifies; that therfore they did not profite eyther by Gods wordes which they heard, or by his wonderfull workes which they saw, because God gave thē not an heart to perceave, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear unto that day; yet neyther the Iews of our Saviours words, nor of Moses words, the Israelites took any such advantage, as to say that then it was, Gods fault that so many continue faithles, profane and desperate. For what though God coulde cure their infidelitie, profanesse, and desperate condition, yet if he be not bound to cure, it shall he be accoumpted faultie for not doing what he is nothing obliged to doe? how many uncurable diseases are to be founde in the bodies of men throughout the world, as leprosies, gangrenes, the woolfe, cancers, gouts, dropsies, which no question God is as well able to cure as that uncurable disease wherof Hezechias somtimes lay sicke; what then, shall we not spare to blaspheme God in saying, It is his fault that so many diseases are not cured? God deales playnly and tells us to our face, that he will have mercy on whom he will; yea and that he hardneth whom he will, even to the blaspheming of him, and his providence in this profane manner. And albeit he will not cure profanesse, and hardnes of heart in many, yet will he take libertie still to complayne of their disobedience; And farre more savoury were it to object against this providence of God and say; If God hardeneth whom he will, why then doth he yet complayne, for who hath resisted his will?
Yet in this case, we know full well how the holy Apostle takes such a one downe; first with, O man, who art thou that disputest with God, and then answeres him in this manner: Shall the thing formed, say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the Potter power over the clay, of the same lumpe to make one v…ssell unto honour, another unto dishonour?
In Austins dayes I reade of such an objection, as this: Quomodo meo vitio non habetur quod non accepi ab illo, à quo nisi detur, non est omnino alius unde tale ac tantum munus habeatur. They sayde, it is he alone that giveth grace, and thereupon they built that objection; They sayd, as this Author doth, that it is he that taketh away the grace necessary, as well to their conversion as to their repentance, we acknowledge, that where God gives the grace of perseverance, thereby perseverance is wrought▪ and consequently impossible it is, that grace should be taken away.
In like sort, of conversion and repentance, neyther doe we mainteyne, that there is any falling away from this grace.
The Physician, I willingly confesse, doth not use to cary h…s Patient upon his shoulder, after he hath cured him, neyther doth the Patient expect it, or so much as accoumpt it any courtesie, for it would proove unnecessarily cumbersome unto them both, and that were not to use his owne legges in going, but to have the soundnesse of them restored to him in vayne.
Man, if naturally sound, is able to go without the helpe of any Physician: And is man so sound spiritually taken at the best, that he is able to doe any thing that is good without the helpe of God?
What is it to contradict the Apostle to his face, if this be not, who professeth, that God it is, who worketh in us both the will and the deede, & that according to his good pleasure, Phil. 2.13. Yea, that worketh in us every thing that is pleasing in his sight;Heb. 13, 21 doth the Physician sett the mans leggs; whom he hath cured?
I thinke he hath enough to doe, to sett his owne legges, & members going according to their severall motions, was holy Paul nourished in his sloath, who both professeth that he laboured more abundantly then they all yet in the same breath,1. Cor. 15 10. acknowledgeth that nevertheles it cannot he, but rather the grace of God in him. Nay how is it possible that God should bring a man to a sermon while he lyes lazy in his bed? How is it possible he should continue that excesse which brought him to his sicknes, when God workes in him that which is pleasing in his sight? and fullfills the good pleasure of his goodnes towards him,1. Thes. 1, 11. and the worke of faith in power? But we may easily proceave the Spirit of his Author he would not be a child still, he would goe on highe alone, and not have any neede of the leading of his heavenly Father; his owne Spirit serves his turne to performe any holy duetie, any gracious worke; And as Plato discerned the pride of Antisthenes through his patcht coate; so may we thorough these wilde expressions, as if God did mans worke for him, while he lay in sleepe, we may easily perceave the pride of his heart requiring no more succour from God, to the performance of to velle & agere of that which is good, then Pelagius of olde did. Yet the Lord by his prophet playnely professeth of himselfe that he causeth us to walke in his statutes and judgments and to doe them; and the Apostle as playnely teacheth us that God workes in us both the will and the deede according to his good pleasure;Ezech. 36.27. yea that he workes in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ. The meaning where… Pelagius his opinion was only this, that suadet omne quod bonum est; and in all liklihood no other is the meaning of the Apostle in the opinion of this Author; though he comes not so farre as to the discussing therof, and to treate of Gods concourse; For which kinde of exercise this comicall witt of his, is nothing accommodated, and like enough this discourse of his, is plausible to none but such comicall witts as himselfe is of, and no merveyle if it be magnified of them; For Lactucas similes labra simillima habent, like lettice like lips.
Yet he doth us wrong in saying we are not content that God should furnish us with necessary and sufficient grace to preserve and keepe us from sinne; For albeit we doe require that God should immediately, and irresistibly worke all our good workes in us, yet surely we acknowledge this to be necessary unto every good act, and no grace without this, sufficient ad velle & agere, though there may be without this a grace sufficient ad posse; and the word of God it selfe we acknowledge to be sufficient in its kinde, to witt, in the way of instruction; but the ministery therof, we willingly professe goes no farther then Pauls planting, and Apollos wateringe, over and above all, which▪ unles God be pleased to give the encrease, we shall continue unfruitfull still; only there is a sect, that have a better opinion of their activitie unto that which is good,2. Thess. 5 1.11. then so. Sure I am, the Apostle tells us that God doth fulfill the good pleasure of his goodnes in us, and the worke of faith with power; and if he fulfill the worke of faith with power, doth he not fulfill the worke of love, of repentance, of obedience, of all holy conversation and godlines, & that with power? Molira will have Gods concourse to be simultaneous with the will, not antecedaneous in nature to the wills operation, least otherwise God should not be the immediate cause of the act, of the maintenance wherof he was zelous; and it seemes Armini…s tooke his conceyte from him, of making God in the same manner an immediate cause of every act. But Suares his fellowe Iesuite doth not approove of that Molinaes conceyte; and is of opinion that albeit God doth worke the will to her operation, yet this nothing hinders the immediate condition of Gods causalitie. So that all of them stande for the maintenance of Gods immediate causalitie; which this Author very judiciously and profoundely out of the depth of his scholasticalitie rejects, and after his manner takes it in scorne that God shoulde be required to performe an immediate operation in producing any good worke; he would have that left to the will of man; not that he desires to have wherof to boast; for he will be ready in great plerophory of wordes to professe, that he gives God the glory of all, but how? Forsooth of working him so to that which is good as to leave it to his will at the pleasure therof to be the immediate operator in all. Otherwise he should worke irresistibly, which is a phrase of an ill accent in their eares, and stickes as a burre in their throate it will not downe with them; for they are verily persuaded it would breede no good blood in them, not for feare least herby they should ascribe too much to God, and too litle to themselves; farre be that from the Spirit of their humilitie, but they would have the Allmightie cary himselfe decently in dealing with them; and sith he hath indued them with free will, not to damnifie the free course therof, which were to disanull his owne workmanship. For as yet they are not arrived to any such faith, as to believe that it is in the power of the Almightye to make them to worke this or that freely.
But let me have leave to spurre this Author one quaestion. Cannot he endure that God should so powerfully worke them unto that which is good, that the world should have no abilitie to resist him nor the divill, and his Angells of darkenes? We knowe the course and fashions of the one, and the practises, and suggestions of the other are prest, and forward enough to hinder us in the good wayes of the Lord, as much as ever the Angell of God was to hinder Balaam in his wicked courses: Now, why should you be so zealous of maynteyning the power eyther of the world or the divill, to corrupt your soule, and overthrowe your faith? were it not rather cheifly to be desired, that God should so worke us by his holy Spirit unto every thing that is pleasing in his sight, that it shoulde not be in the power of the very gates of hell to prevayle against us? that is, I trowe to worke us unto that which is good irresistibly, that is, so that the world nor the divill should not be able to resist Gods operation though they much desire it.
I shoulde thinke it is not the genius of this Author to oppose irresistible operation divine in this sense; though it may be he was never cast upon this distinction untill now.
In respect of whom then would he have this divine operation to be resistible?
Is it in respect of the fleshe?
But if he be well content that it shoulde not be in the power of the worlds or the divill to resist Gods operation working us to good, why should he affect to have it in the power of the flesh?
1. Considering, that if it be in the power of the flesh to resist divine operation, it is therwithall in the power of Satan; For in fulfilling the will of the flesh, and the minde, we are sayde to walke after the Prince that ruleth in the ayre, Eph. 2.
2. Why should any man be so zealous for upholding the power of his flesh, is it not a signe he is in love with it still?
3. Or rather is it in zeale of the honour of his owne performances, in doing good as it were in despight of such a potent adversary?
If so, then let hell be loosed, and the divill, and the world both armed with the like power, and that honour in withstanding them is likely to be greater, and you shall have the greater cause to rejoyce; but where is your respect to the glory of God in all this?
Or in fine, would you have your regenerate part to be so strong and able, that neyther flesh within, nor world or divill without, be able to resist its course in grace; only you would have it free eyther to yeilde or to resist divine exhortations?
But consider I pray, is not your unregenerate part, your flesh free enough, and forward enough yea most prop…ne and propense to resist that; and shoulde you not rather desire that your regenerate part should be as free, and forward; as propense and prone to resist them, and to doe that which is good?
Otherwise in what a miserable case shall man be even in state of regeneration; when his worse part is still prone to sinne, and wants not the world and the divill to drive him headlong therinto; and his best part, to witt, his regenerate part, shall not be as prone to good, but only indifferent to good or evill.
Beside, doe you not consider how you debase the grace of regeneration, making it inferior to morall goodnes? For morall goodnes doth not leave a man indifferent to good or evill, but inclines him naturally to that which is good, and to that alone, but the grace of regeneration is so shaped by you, as to bring a man but to an indifferent constitution, to doe eyther good or evill. But perhaps you will say, if regeneration, and the grace thereof, shall cary a man naturally unto that which is good only; where is a mans freedome? I answere, as much as in a morally vertuous constitution; For who was ever knowne to affirme that morall vertues take away a mans libertie? Agayne why should any man be so eagerly sett upon libertie to doe evill? were it not better for us to enioy such a libertie alone as of many good …hings to choose which we thinke good; but must we needes affect such a libertie as to choose evill allso if we thinke good? and doe you not perceave what colour of contradiction steales upon you ere you are aware; and shrewde evidence of the unreasonablenes of your affections.
Yet take one thing… more to acquaint you with that which perhaps may seeme a mystery unto you in morall philosophy; for some may be so given to the stage, and taken up with the obsequies therof, that they may forget their philosophy. Therfore I say, that like as morall vertues tende only to the ordering of the reasonable soul aright, as touching her right ende by light of nature, so the grace of regeneration tendes to the ordering of the degenerate soule aright as touching her right end discovered by the light of grace. Now, Libertie of will consists not in appetitione finis, the nature of man rightly ordered, is naturally caryed on thereunto. But freedome of will hath place in electione mediorum.
So that albeit my right end, being once discovered, and my nature so qualified, as it ought to be in respect thereof, albeit I am necessarily & naturally caryed to the affecting of that end, yet still I am free to choose amongst many, what shall seeme most convenient to the obteyning of that end. Whether in all this I have not spoken parables and mysteries, in the judgement of this Author, I know not; yet this I know, God can open his eyes, and the eyes of those that are in love with these frivolous discourses of his; and make them to discerne the vanity of their wayes, in opposing the grace of God, and withall Gods judgements upon them, in striking them with such confusion, as not onelyonly to shutt their eyes against the light of grace, but runne themselves on ground, and cast themselves away, as touching common sobriety, while the courses they take are contradictious to the very light of nature. What a sottish objection is that which followeth? & how dissolute a consequence is this, which here he frames? namely, that because we say, God doth worke in us both the will and the deed; Ergo, it is not Man, that willeth, but God, not man that doth this or that good worke but God; God doth repent, in making us repent; and God doth obey his owne commandements, in making us obey them? God hath given all creatures their naturall properties, and on som he bestoweth supernaturall qualities, and mooves them all, & that effectually to worke, according to their properties; whose operations, though they are from him, as the efficient cause thereof, for in him we live, and moove, and have our beings; and hitherto the Arminians themselves have pretended to concurre with us herein; yet they are not formally to be attributed unto him, but to the secōd causes, whose proper operations they are, as for a Lyon to roare, for an horse to neigh, an asse to bray, an oxe to lowe, a dogge to barke, and the like.