Animadversions on Doctor Heylins Quinquarticular History, Part 64 – Part 71
Dr. H. Ibid.
He is also so gentle, and so desirous of mans salvation, that he is ready to suffer pains for the sins of all men, and to take upon him our evils, because he would bestow upon us his good things.
Answ. This is so dilute a speech, that I will strengthen it, and say, that he did suffer pains for the sins of all men: and yet dare peremptorily aver, that no Gomarist would refuse to subscribe the saying; for he can grant, that Christ died with an intention to purchase some benefits for the very Reprobates: and he will further say, that for ought appears to the contrary, Erasmus might, by all men, mean the genera singulorum, and not the singula generum; for doubtless that phrase in Scripture, sometimes signifies no more, than men of all sorts, ages, countries. I wish men would either not at all dispute for the amplitude of Redeeming grace, or else bring more apposite and concluding testimonies and authorities than any that the Doctor hath here brought.
Nor is the Doctor more advantaged by any thing that he alledgeth out of the Institution of a Christian Man; for if the Reformation in Henry the Eighths time were looked on as a standard, (which it is not by any Protestant;) yet is there not a tittle in all the five particulars gathered by him, Par. 2. p. 21, 22, that hath so much as a face of opposition to any opinion of Mr. Calvin's concerning Predestination. Had the Authors of that part of the Institution put the Pen, after they had made it, into Calvin's own hand, he would not have dashed out any one period or expression in it.
Many and just exceptions might be taken against sundry passages relating to the Composers, and composition, of the first and second Book of Liturgy, and the Book of Homilies of King Edward, pag. 23, 24. But being aprosdionysous to our main Controversie, let them pass.
Nor will I wrestle with the Historian concerning any thing he saith about the Composers of the Articles, or the Articles themselves, or the authority they carry in respect of the making, or how they are to be understood in respect of the meaning, from pag. 25. to pag. 33. Though if I should wrestle, I were sure to lay him on his back.
I will also submit to every Rule by him laid down, for the interpreting of the Article concerning Predestination, pag. 34.
Let this be agreed on, 1. That that only is the Doctrine of our Church, which is laid down expresly in our Articles, or by good consequence may be thence deduced. 2. That if any phrase occur, about which there is any doubt, that be taken for the meaning, that shall be found agreeable to the mind of those who first composed, or were authorized to review the Articles, or were familiarly acquainted with such, and may be presumed to know their meaning, or to have received their notions from them. 3. Let this also be taken for granted, that none are to believe, or think themselves elect, but those who find in themselves a faith working by love: or that none can take unto themselves the comfort of being given to the Son by the Father's decree, but only those who are come unto him: and that no ones reprobation can be known by himself, or another in any ordinary way, unless by discerning some such sin as is alway accompanied with final unbelief and impenitence; (such is only the sin against the holy Ghost.)
But the thing to be enquired, is, Whether God's purpose to save out of fallen man all that believe and persevere in believing, be his whole decree of Predestination? and his purpose to condemn all who continue in unbelief, the whole of his Reprobation? So say the Remonstrants. If our Church acknowledge no other decree of Election or Reprobation but this, Dr. Heylin then hath got the day: But if the Church, besides this general purpose, do acknowledge a decree, to give to a certain number of persons grace and glory, and a decree, to leave others in that sin and misery that they brought on themselves by the fall, then he loseth the day.
But do the Remonstrants acknowledge no other Election and Reprobation besides these?
Answ. Sometimes they do not; and then, all their Election notwithstanding, no one man may be saved: but sometimes they are in a better mood, and give us notice of another Election, according to which some shall certainly be saved. This their decree is terminated to singular persons, but it is nothing else but God's purpose to save S. Iames, or S. Clement (for example,) whom he eternally foresaw persevering in faith unfeigned to the end of their lives. This latter decree they speak of but rarely; (what our thoughts are of it, will be seen by and by:) Nor doth it honour Divine election at all; for when they are closely examined, they say, the designation of S. Iames to salvation, was founded on the foresight of a faith, not which he attained unto by virtue of any grace prepared for him by Divine election, but which he attained unto by the good use of his own Free-will. Never do I find them, or any that follow them, acknowledge an Election of the Son of Zebedee, or any other person▪ unto Faith, or unto any other part of Holiness. Other Questions there be betwixt the Calvinist and Anticalvinist, besides the Question of Election; but such as are reduceable to it, or at least such, about which they would easily agree, could they but agree in this. I for my part would only ask that angry man, who calls me Manichee, Blasphemer, &c. Why did Iames believe? why did he persevere? why was he ordained to eternal life? If in answering these, he fly to a special discriminating love and mercy, then will I never look on him as an Adversary: But if he shall say, the cause of all is to be referred to Iames his own using of such sufficient means as were vouchsafed to Iudas as well as to him, then must I needs think, that he taketh from God to give to man; I must also needs think, that he shapeth his Notion of the Divine decree and grace, neither according to Scripture, nor according to the Doctrine of the Fathers who wrote against Pelagius, nor according to the English Church.
As to our English Church, thus runs her Article, according to the Doctor,
Dr. H. Pag. 27.
Predestination to life, is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby (before the foundations of the world were laid) he hath constantly ordered by his Council, secret unto us, to deliver from curse and damnation, those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation, as vessels made to honour.
Furthermore, we must receive God's promises in such wise, as they be generally set forth to us in holy Scripture; and in our doing the will of God, that is to be followed which we have expresly declared to us in the Word of God.
One would think that the many words used in this Article, were sufficient to determine what kind of Predestination the Church meaneth; For, 1. If she had meant nothing but God's purpose to save all Believers, it had been but bringing some one Scripture, in which eternal life is promised to Believers, and all had been done. Nay, what needed any Article at all concerning Predestination and Election, when we had one before concerning Justification; which according to this Notion very little differs from Election? God's Justification considered as an internal immanent act in himself, was nothing but his purpose to justifie fallen man believing in Christ. How much Mr. Playfer is gravelled with this Argument, may be seen App. Evan. pag. 360. 2. If Election be nothing but God's purpose to save Believers; why is it said, that as many as are endued with so excellent a benefit of God, be called according to God's purpose; by his Spirit working in due season, they through grace obey, and they walk religiously; and at length, by God's mercy, they attain to everlasting felicity? The benefit that any man hath by Election in this way, is but to know, that if he believe he shall be saved. And are all that know so much, called, justified, made to live righteously, and saved? We know they are not. Again, it is said, that the godly consideration of Election in Christ, is of unspeakable comfort to godly persons, and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ. But in the Doctor's way, Predestination is comfortable to those who feel nothing of the Spirit; for the promise is to them, that if they believe they shall be saved: and other promise the godly man hath not; he may the next hour lose all his holiness, and what certainty hath he then of salvation? It is also said, that for curious and carnal persons, to have alway before them the sentence of God's Predestination, is a most dangerous downfal, whereby the Devil doth thrust them into desperation, or into wretchlesness of living. But now for any men to have the Doctor's Election, or sentence of Predestination alway before them, is no way dangerous, or apt to beget either despair or wretchlesness. We cannot advise carnal persons to a more profitable and pertinent object of meditation. In a word, the very calling of Election by the name of Predestination, is enough to determine what kind of Election is meant: The Doctor's Election is a Postdestination; for it then only makes men ordained to eternal life, when having overcome all temptations, they are possessed of it.
But I must hear what the Historian hath to observe from this Article, viz.
Dr. H. Pag. 35.
1. That Predestination doth suppose a Curse, or state of Damnation, in which all mankind was represented to the sight of God, which plainly crosseth the opinion of the Supralapsarians.
Answ. I have no fondness for the opinion of the Supralapsarians (though I honour the memory of some Supralapsarians;) but yet cannot deem, that there is any thing in the Article that doth overthrow their Opinion. He that is of another mind, may do well to frame a Syllogism out of the Article, and to try his strength: And withal, he may do well to refute Mr. Wotton, who hath so expounded the Article, as to draw the Supralapsarian platform out of it; and his Argument is not inconsiderable, pag. 137, Answer to Mountague.
Dr. H. Ibid.
2. That it is an act of his from everlasting; because from everlasting he foresaw into what misery wretched man would fall.
Answ. Our Article doth indeed call Predestination, the everlasting purpose of God: but that it therefore calls it so, because God foresaw what misery man would fall into, is to speak mildly an unproved dictate.
Dr. H. Ibid.
3. That he founded it, and resolved for it in the Man and Mediator Christ Iesus, both for the purpose and performance: which crosseth as directly with the Sublapsarian.
Answ. The Article in describing those whom God hath predestinated, saith, they are such whom he hath chose… in Christ; therefore God founded Election, and resolved for it in the Man and Mediator Christ Jesus, both for the purpose and performance: This is an Argument that hath scarce sense in it, so far is it from having any strength of reason.
But how doth this cross with Sublapsarian? Why, because,
Dr. H. Ibid.
They place the absolute Decree of Predestination to Life, and of Reprobation unto Death, both of Body and Soul, before the decree or consideration of sending his onelyonly beloved Son into the World, to be the common Propitiation for the Sins of Men.
Answ. This may perhaps be true of some Sublapsarians; of all I am sure it is not. The Sublapsarians I converse with, say, that if we respect God's nature and perfection, he doth, by one most simple act and at once, decree all things; but if respect be had to the things decreed, some priority and posteriority hath place. They also say, that the Controversie betwixt them and the Arminians, is not concerning the order of the Divine decrees, (which almost every considerable Author hath framed with some variety.) Would the Remonstrants but acknowledge, that God did by his decree ordain men to Faith, as well as to eternal life, they would permit them to abound in their own sense, Whether he did first ordain to the means, or to the end? Christ is by all Sublapsarians, that I ever heard of, made the meritorious cause of our Salvation; but they say, he is not the impulsive cause, why one rather than another is chosen to Eternal life, any more than he was the cause of sending himself into the World. Whether the consideration of the Mediator did in God's decree precede the consideration of Salvation to be obtained by him; or the Salvation appointed to the Elect precede the consideration of the Mediator? is a thing disputed among the Calvinists themselves.
Dr. H. Ibid.
4. That it was of some special ones alone, and not generally extended unto all mankind; a general election, as they say, being no election.
Answ. This is a great truth, that Election cannot be of all; a General election being oppositum in apposito: But the Doctor would have merited much of the Arminians, if he had shewn us what Election they acknowledge, which is not of all. Arminius makes four Decrees, 1. The Decree to send Christ to Redeem mankind. 2. The Decree to give Eternal life to Believers. 3. The Decree to give Grace and Strength sufficient to Believe. 4. The Decree to give Salvation to those particular Persons whom he foresaw would Believe, and persevere in the Faith. The three first concern all, or at least all that hear of Christ. As for the fourth, methinks it is not worth the name of a Decree, nor beseeming the Divine Wisdom; for if our King foreknowing who would come in and acknowledge their Rebellion, should decree that all comers in, &c. should be pardoned; would it be suitable to Royal Wisdom to make another decree, to pardon those whom he foresaw would come in, &c? Besides, this fourth Decree can be of no use or efficacy to any man in this life: it conferred no more benefit to David than to Saul, to Abel than to Cain; for this Decree supposeth perseverance in Faith to the last breath, and so belongs to the other world. Now let all Christians judge, whether the Scriptures describe not such an Election, as hath its efficacy and fruit in this life.
Dr. H. Ibid.
5. That being thus elected in Christ, they shall be brought by Christ (but not without their own consent and co-operation) to everlasting salvation.
Answ. The Historian would do well to ponder, Whether Infants be not brought to eternal salvation, without their own consent or co-operation? whether they are all placed among the Elect? S. Austin was wont to urge such an Argument against the Adversaries of absolute Election, and it gravelled them: the Doctor dealt wisely to take no notice of it. Of adult Persons his observation may be granted.