The Doctrine of the Synod of Dort, Treatise · Part 3 · Section 3
The third Section.Sect. 3.
THe minister or Comforter will then aske the patient, Treat.if he never felt the witnes of adoption, which the Spirit of God beareth with the Spirit of the elect. And if he be assured that he once had faith, he may be certeyne that he hath it still, notwithstanding the small fruit that it produceth. Wherunto the Patient will reply that Calvin himself doth much trouble, & obscure this doctrine of certitude in his Institut. lib. 3. cap. 2. parag. 10. where saith he; The heart of man hath so many secret corners of vanitie, is so full of so many hiding holes of lying, is covered with such guilefull hypocrisie, that it d…ceaveth it selfe, and persuadeth him that he hath true faith when he hath it not.
If the patient acknowledgeth that he never found this testimony in his heart, his comforter will answere him in the same manner, as he formerly did the profane, when he tooke upon him the office of a censurer and corrector, to witt, how that all are not called at the same houre.
But if the patient doe then aske him some assurance that he shall be thus efficaciously called before his death, the comforter will finde none for him eyther at Dort or Arles, only he will tell him that assuredly Christ dyed for him, if so be he believes in him, wherin he will shewe himselfe eyther a praevaricator of his owne side, and an overthrower of the doctrine of the Synods; or else that he is deprived of common sense. For if he give the selfe same consolation to all that are sicke, to all that are afflicted, yea, even to those, who for their greater offenses are ledde to execution, and if this consolation be founded upon the truth, doth it not then follow, that Christ dyed for all and every one?
And if he so understandeth it, that this becommeth true by the faith, which the Patient addeth to the disc…urse of the Minister, he hath lost his sense, in affirming that the object of faith, or thing proposed to be believed, receaveth its truth, and depende…h of the consent and beliefe of men, who by his approbation and faith, hath no more power▪ to make that true, which is false in it self, then to make that false by his incredulitie, which in it self is true. The incredulitie of man may deprive him of the benefi…e of this death, yet can it not make, that Christ suffered not this death, to testifie his love unto all mankind universally, even as all are bound to believe in him, and yet no man bound to believe that which is false.
The Apostle saith, that God will sende the Spirit of errour upon them that have not receaved the love of the truth. And yet according to the Doctrine of Dort, he would have all men first to beleeve, that Christ dyed for him, which is false in the judgemen of the Synod, and then afterward for believing this falshood, he shallbe punished with the Spirit of errour, for giving credence to a lye.
Consid. That there is a Spirit of adoption, whereby, we cry Abba Father, is as true as the word of God is true; as also, that his Spirit doth testifie together with our Spirit, that we are the Sonnes of God. And that there is no falling away from the state of sanctifying grace, we are ready to mainteyne, according unto Gods word, whensoever we shallbe called thereunto.1. Iohn. 2.19. Of some Apostates S. Iohn writes plainely, saying: They went out from us, but they were not of us, for had they bene of us,Matt. 16. they had continued wih us. By faith, we are built on Christ, as on a rocke, and our Saviour hath tolde us,1 Pet. 1. that the gates of Hell shall not prevayle against them that are built thereon; and no me…veyle, for they are kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation.
And consequently whosoever is assured, that he once had Faith, may be as well assured that he hath it still.
Peter sinned fowly,Luc. 23. in denying his Master, yet Christ had prayed for him, that his faith should not fayle. An… not for Peter onelyonly did our Saviour pray; but for all those, whom his Father had given h…m, and that in this forme: Father keepe them in thy name, Ioh. 17. Nor for those onelyonly, whom his Father had at that time given him, but for those also, who hereafter should beleeve through their word, Ioh. 17.
And we know full well what smal fruit Peters faith brought forth at th…t time when he denyed his Master, and in David also, when he sinned in the matter of Vriah; yet would not Bertius professe, that David by those sinnes of his had deprived himself of the Spirit of God;Bert. de apostas. Sanctorū. and that propter graves causas. Neither doth it follow, that because true faith bringeth forth small fruit at sometimes, as in the houre of temtation, and when a man sinkes under it, therefore it brings forth small fruit simply, as this Author caryeth the matter.
It is untrue, that Calvin doth tro…ble or obscure this doct…ine of Certitude: and that the Patient will say so, is but this Authors fict…on: if he should say so, we will be as ready to disproove it.
The words of Calvin are these: Tot vanitatis recessus habet, tot mendacii latebris scatet cor humanum, tam fraudulenta hypocrisi ob…ectum est, ut seipsum saepe fallat. He might as well have said, that the H. Ghost troubles & obscures this doctrine of Certitude,Ier. 17.9. by saying: That the heart of man is deceitfull above all things who can know it? But the Apostle makes this use of it, 2. Cor. 12.5. Examine your selves, whether you are in the faith, proove your selves; know ye not your selves that Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
There is indeede a secret hypocrisie unknowne to a mans owne heart; as when he presumes that all thinges goe well betweene him and God, when indeede it is not so; their rightousnes such as it is, is not simulata conterfeyted by them; but they deceave themselves as well as others; and from such a state a man may fall, as Austin acknowledgeth, who nevertheles cleerly professeth his minde, that no man falls away from the state of spirituall, and wholsome repentance; that being such a condition as wherunto God never brings any one whome he hath not predestinate. Istorum (that is non praedestinatorum) neminem adducit ad spiritualem & salubrē paenitentiam qua homo reconciliatur Deo in Christo, five illis ampliorem patientiam, five non imparem praebeat. Contr. … Pelag. lib. 5. cap. 4.
This is not the case of an afflicted soule; the hypocrite is secure, and without suspicion of the integritie of his condition in the state of grace, but the afflicted soule is too suspicious of himself, conceaving his faith at the best, to be but counterfeyte; this is his sorrow, this is the cause of the disquietnesse of his minde, and whereof we may take good advantage for his consolation, both in respect that he judgeth and condemneth himself; And in this case the word of God assures us, we shall not be judged of the Lord; as also that hereby is clearly manifested a desire to be free from hypocrisie,1. Cor. 11. to be in a confortable condition, by a true and sincere faith in Christ; Now, these are manifest evidences of the life of grace. Not to speake of generall grounds of consolation, such as these: Blessed are they that mourne, they shall be comforted; Blessed are they that hunger & thirst after righteousnesse, they shall be filled.
It is true, that all are not called at the same houre; and seeing affliction, especially when it is of a spi…ituall nature, is the ordinary introduction into the state of grace, in the course of Gods providence, like as the valley of Achor was a doore of hope,Hos. 2.15. unto the Children of Israell; and our Saviour, in going to Ierusalem, (the vision of peace,) did commonly take B…thany (the house of mourning) in his way, we have cause to conceave good hope, that th…se pangs may be as the pangs of childbirth unto an afflicted soul. But yet we will not satisfy our selves with our Patients saying, that he never felt the testimony of adoption in his heart, as therupon to conclude that as yet he is but in the state of nature, and not washed from his filthines, we will take notice of all circumstances of his cariage in this condition, and of such observations as we have made of them in the course of their conversation for the time past, and not suffer a melancholy passion to obscure the mercy of God towards them, we will be very loath to be streitned in our proceedings in the course of our consolation by a Comaedians witt, that coms to discourse of such tender pointes, as if he came to make a play, or to act a part upon the stage, to make his Arminian hearers sport. In the next place he puts a most absurd demaund in the mouth of his Patient, requiring forsooth some assurance that he shalbe thus efficaciously called before his death; A demaund, I am verily persuaded, never brought to light but by Arminian invention.
Can any Arminian assure their Patients of any such condition? We willingly professe, we can assure none therof; but where we find men afflicted in soule through conscience of sinne, and a fearfull apprehension of Gods wrath; this Spirit of bondage makes us to conceave hope, that a child is now come unto his birth, and that there shall not want strength in good time to bring him forth. We are not likely to tell him, that Christ surely dyed for him, if so be, he believes in him; this is a Gossips bowle of this Authors making, to carouse an health to his companions.
But by the way it appeares, that howsoever this Comedian did at the first entrance hereupon professe, that consolation in Christs death was not actually applyable to any, but such as beleeve in Christ, and consequently that a man can have no confort in Christ, untill he beleeve in him, by a true and lively faith; yet he carryeth the matter so, as if this were comfort enough to a man to believe that Christ dyed for him, albeit as yet he hath obteyned no true faith in Christ, wheras it is apparant; that no more consolation can arise is this case to a Christian, then to a Turke, to a childe of God then to a childe of the divil, to an elect, then to a reprobate. For their doctrine is, that Christ dyed indifferently for all. Yet albeit this practise of his is base enough, at pleasure to putt upon us what cause of consolation he thinkes good; I will not spare to examine how judiciously he caryeth himselfe in elevating this feigned suggestion of ours. Suppose we shoulde say, that whosoever believes▪ Christ dyed for him, I am ready to make it good in spight of this Authors course taking upon him to represent the absurditie therof; which imputation I nothing doubt, shall light in full weight and measure upon his owne head, to the discovery of his shamefull ignorance, which he is well content to cherishe for the advantage of his cause, by the confusion of thinges that differ. He saith that herin we shall shewe our selves eyther as praevaricators of our owne side, and overthrowers of the doctrine of the Synods, or else that we are deprived of common sense; all which is but the froth of his owne ignorance, as I hope to make it appeare to all indifferent, and unpartiall judges; First he sa…th, that if we give the selfe same consolation to all that are sicke, to all that are afflicted, yea even to those who for their greater offenses are ledde to execution, and if that this consolation be founded on the truth, doth it not then followe that Christ dyed for all and every one? I willingly professe I am not a litle recreated with confidence of our cause, when I doe observe the desperate condition of the adversary cause, that takes delight in so vile props as this Authors discourse, and magnifie them as unanswerable, and call in others to take notice of them as foreign, as if they were some notable atchievemens, who seeth not that nowe we are upon the office of ministring consolation to an afflicted soule? Now is this the condition of all and every one? Alas how fewe are they that mourne in comparison to the Ioviall Neds of the world? How few are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse, in comparison to them that are full? But suppose it were delivered of all, namely, that if they beleeve in Christ, certainly Christ dyed for them.
Dare any Arminian deny this? doe they holde it lesse sure that Christ dyed for them that beleeve in him, then that he dyed for all? Even for Turkes and Saracens, for Tartars & Canniballs, not one of them excepted?
Lastly, what doth it advantage their cause, that Christ dyed for all and every one? Surely, this nothing at all advantageth them; but the confused and indistinct consideration of the true meaning hereof, that is it which bringeth water to their mill, and that alone.
To dye for us, is to dye for our benefite; Now, we love to speake plainly, and distinctly, and accordingly doe distinguish of those benefits, which Christ hath procured for us; Now, some of these are such as God useth to conferre upon men of ripe yeares, not absolutely, but conditionally. And these are the remission of sinnes, the salvation of soules; we say therefore, that Christ merited for us the pardon of sinne, & salvation of soule, to be conferred upon us onelyonly conditionally, to witt, provided that we doe beleeve in him; and thus we may well say, that he dyed for all & every one; that is, he dyed to procure pardon of sinne, and salvation of soule for every one, in case every one should beleeve in him; which in effect is as much, as to say, that he dyed in this sense, for none but such as sometimes or other are found to beleeve in him. Yet, whether we beleeve or no, Gods word doth assure us, that he dyed to procure remission of sinne, & salvation of soule, to all that doe or shall beleeve in him. Now, besides these benefites, there are other benefits, which Christ hath procured for us, merited for us▪ & these are faith & repētance which are not conferred by God upon man conditionally, to witt, upon the performance of some cōdition by man; for if it were so, then these graces should be conferred, according to mēs works, which is clearly & undenyable, stark Pelagianism.
And these we say Christ hath merited for us, even to be absolutely bestowed upon us; Now will Arminians assure any man, who yet believes not, that Christ hath merited for him not only pardon of sinne, and salvation in case he believe, but allso the very grace of faith and regeneration? I trowe, not one of our Englishe Arminians will undertake this, but rather acknowledge, that it cannot appeare who they are for whom Christ hath merited faith and regeneration, untill they doe believe, untill they are regenerate. As for outlandishe Arminians, they utterly deny that Christ merited faith & regeneration for any. Now wherin are wee found eyther p…evaricators of our owne cause, or overthrowers of the doctrine of the Synods, or voyde of cōmon sense in all, or any particular of this? Nay doth not this Author betray miserable nakednes throughout, emboldned & made confident by his …ich ignorance, wherin he cherisheth himselfe, and steepes sweetely as upon his Arminian pillowe, by miserable confusion of the meaning of this phrase Christ dyed for us, taking it hand over head and in the generall, without any due consideration of the particular benefites signified herby which Christ is sayde to procure for us. But let us proceede wi…h him who proceedeth …hus.
But if he so understandeth it, that this becommeth true by the faith which the patient addeth to the d…scours of the Minister, he hath lost his sense, in affirming that the object of faith or thing proposed to be believed, receaveth its truth, and dependeth of the consent and beliefe of man, who by his approbation, and faith, hath no more power to make that true which is false in it selfe, then to make that false by his incredulitie, which in it selfe is true. The incredulitie of man may deprive him of the benefite of his death, yet can it not make that Christ suffered not this death to testifie his love to all mankind universally, even as all are bound to believe in him, and yet no man bound to believe that which is false. Thus he doth expatiate in a large fielde, nothing at all to the purpose. This argument is Bellarmines argument long agoe but against what? surely against the doctrine of our Protestant Churches, concerning the object of faith speciall, which we maynteyn to be the remission of our sins. Yet absurd enough on Bellarmines part, though very plausible I confesse upon a superficiary consideration of thinges. For he supposeth that God doth first pardon sinne, and afterwards we believe that God hath pardoned them. But can Bellarmine tell what it is for God to pardon sinne? or where it is that thus he pardons them? Sure I am the nominalls are very much to seeke about the formalitie of pardoning of sinne. And I verily believe, Bellarmine did nothing trouble his braynes about eyther of them, if he had, and well considered that justification in scripture phrase, especially where S. Paul disputes of it, is a judiciary act; and all one with absolution, or pronouncing sentence for a man; And that the pronouncing of this sentence is not in heaven (though his love was aeternall, and his purpose aeternall as an action▪ immanent within him) for to whom should God pronounce it there? should he tell the Angells of it? and when I pray might that be? at the first conversion of every one? this were a very pretie fiction, and fitt for such a Commaedian as this Author.
But if God pronounceth it no where but in the conscience of man, where he hath erected his tribunal seate, and that by the testimony of his Spirit, which can be no other then to make the Spirit of man apprehende it by faith; I say if Bellarmine had seriously considered this, cecidisset̄ omnes de crinibus hydrae, he woulde not have bene so forward to betray his shame by an argument plausible only through ignorance, in not understanding what that is, wherof he discourseth. So much for Bellarmine whose argument this is, which here is used by this Author, but nothing at all to his present purpose, we say not here that any thing becommeth true by the faith of him that believes it; but only this, that the benefite which is procured for all and every one, upon a condition becomes his, and peculiarly his alone who performeth the condition.
Christ dyed to procure pardon of sinne, and salvation to be obteyned by faith; so that if all and every one should believe, all and every one should be saved; which in effect is to say, that Christ dyed in this respect only for believers; and by the faith of man the benefite of Christs death is approp…iated unto him; but till he believes, it is not knowne eyther to himselfe or any other man, that he shall have any benefite by the death of Christ▪ Only God knowes from everlasting, who shall have benefite by the death of Christ, and who not, for as much as he hath determined to give faith in Christ to some and not to others; and accordingly hath sent Christ into the world for their sakes, not only to merit pardon of sinne, and salvation, in case they believe, but to merit faith and regeneration allso for them. So that the love of God, and of Christ to all, goes no farther then this, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Ioh. 3. but Gods speciall love to his elect is to send Christ into the world to merit, not that only for them which is to be conferd upon the condition of faith, but to merit faith allso for them, which is conferd upon them absolutely, and upon no condition, we doe not say that any man is bound to believe that which is false; but as for believing in Christ wherunto all are bound that are called by the Gospell, that is no such believing, the object wherof is capable of truth or falshood, as this Author according to his superficiary course, is still in confounding thinges that differ.
The Apostle saith so indeede, and of Gods judgments in this kinde we have plentifull experience, at this day; how God striketh such persons with the Spirit of giddines, making them to erre in their counsayles, and discourses as a drunken man erreth in his vomite; yet they thinke themselves the only sober men of the world; and glory in their illusions, which are most pleasing unto them, like unto the dreame of an hungry man, who eateth and drinketh and maketh merry (as he thinketh) but when he awaketh, his soule is emtye. Surely the doctrine of Dort, teacheth not that God would have a man first believe that which is false, when he commandeth every one to believe that Christ dyed for him; like enough it is false in the judgment of the Synod that Christ dyed for every one: but where doe they say, or acknowledge that God commandeth every one to believe that Christ dyed for him? Can he shewe this, if he can, why doth he not; but he came only upon the Stage to play some gamboles, which done, his discourse is at an ende. They maynteyne, like enough, that not all and every one, but all and every one that heares the Gospell, is bounde to believe in Christ, but it is incredible unto me that they should professe that every one is bound to believe that Christ dyed for him. But it is nothing strange for this Author to confounde these, as if there were no difference betweene believing in Christ, and believing that Christ dyed for us. And Arminians, I willingly confesse, doe usually confounde these; The truth is, we deny that Christ dyed for all, in as much as he dyed not to procure the grace of faith and regeneration for all, but only for Gods elect; and consequently neyther shall any but Gods elect have any such interest in Christs death, as to obteyne therby pardon of sinne and salvation, for Arminians themselves confesse, that this is the portion only of believers. But seing pardon of sinne and salvation are benefits merited by Christ, not to be conferd absolutely but conditionally, to witt, upon condition of faith; we may be bold to say, that Christ in some sense dyed for all and every one, that is, he dyed to procure remission of sinnes, and salvation unto all and every one in case they believe; and as this is true, so way we well say, and the Councell of Dort might well say; that every one who heares the Gospell is bound to believe that Christ dyed for him in this sense, namely, to obtayne salvation for him in case he believe. But what thinke Arminians; are we bound to believe that Christ dyed for us in such a sense, as to purchase faith and regeneration for us?
Surely, not one of them will affirme this, because they doe not beleeve this (no not one of them that I know) that Christ by his death merited faith and regeneration for all and every one; Nay, the Remonstrants professe, that he merited faith and regeneration for none, Exam. Cen…ura, p, 59.
We acknowledge, that Christ merited this for Gods elect, and accordingly, they are bound as soon as they doe beleeve, and are regenerated to give God the glory of it, as the bestower of these graces upon them for Christs sake. For it is he, who makes us perfect to every good worke, working in us that, which is pleasing in his sight, through Iesus Christ, Hebr. 13.21.
But before God hath bestowed faith and regeneration upon them, it is utterly uncertaine by ordinary meanes, both whether God hath determined to bestow any such grace upon them, and whether Christ dyed for the procuring of any such benefite unto them.
As for the phrase, this author useth, of beleeving falshood; There is a great difference betweene the beleeving of somewhat which is false, and the believing of falshood. When God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Piscator, conceaving that Abraham was bound to beleeve that it was Gods good pleasure, that Isaac should be sacrificed, which yet notwithstanding was false, as appeared by the event; and yet I hope Abraham needed not feare any such punishment for beleeving this, as to be given over to the Spirit of errour.
And I hope this Author will bethinke himself, and take heede how he censureth Abraham, for giving credence to a lye in this, but he runnes on, more like a blind man, then like one, who (as Salomon saith) hath his eyes in his head. Yet am not I of Piscators minde in that; like enough, Abraham was apt to thinke so; but I see no cause to say, that Abraham was bound to beleeve that, which Piscator saith he was.