The Anatomy of Arminianism, Title page – Errata
THE ANATOMY OF Arminianiſme: OR The opening of the CONTROVERSIES lately handled in the Low-Countryes, Concerning the Doctrine of Prouidence, of Predeſtination, of the Death of CHRIST, of Nature and GRACE.
BY PETER MOVLIN, Paſtor of the Church at Paris.
Carefully tranſlated out of the originall Latine Copy.
LONDON: Printed by T.S. for Nathaniel Newbery, and are to be ſold at the ſigne of the Starre vnderunder Saint Peters Church in Cornehill, and in Popes head Alley. 1620.
TO THE RIGHT Worſhipfull, Sr. Henry Mildmay, Knight, Maſter of his Maieſties Iewels, and Sir HENRY ROVV, Knight: All Health, Proſperity and Happineſſe.
RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL: It is not a new faſhion, for ſuch as publiſh any Bookes, whether of greater or leſſer worth, to preſent them to ſome worthy Perſonages, for to be patronized, which howſoeuer it may be ſuperfluous and vnfit at ſometimes, and for ſome Bookes, yet it cannot but be very requiſite and ſit in this, both in reſpect of the Authour, and of his worke: For the Authour by Nation is a ſtranger, and the worke doubtleſſe ſhall meete with many enemies: And therefore howſoeuer they are both of them of very great worth, yet both of them will hauehave neede of good countenance and defence. And as their neceſſitie in a forraine Region requires this; ſo their great worthineſſe and pious intention demaunds it, as a dutie, at the hands of all good men: for herein the ſcrupulous doubts, or rather the ſubtle and querilous queſtions and diſputes of ouer-witty and audacious men, in very waighty points of Faith, are exquiſitely diſcuſſed and reſolued, to the pacifying no doubt of many vnſetled and vnquiet mindes in the Church of Chriſt, which are more ready to be inquiſitiue into deepe myſteries, then to beleeue them. Now then my ſelfe being vtterly obſcure, and indeed altogether vnaccompliſhed for ſuch a buſineſſe, yet the Lot being fallen to mee to ſend this tranſlation forth into the world; I had almoſt let it goe at all aduentures, to receiue ſuch entertainment as the world vſually affords vntounto ſtrangers, but that calling to minde your Worſhips great courteſie and affabilitie, I thought they ſhould not be vnwelcome vntounto you: Beſides, hauing a great deſire to teſtifie the louelove and much reſpect I beare vntounto you; I imagined that I could not better doe it, then by intitling your Worſhips vntounto ſo learned and holy a Treatiſe, tending to the maintenance of Religion and Truth; becauſe as one of your Names is honoured, Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge, founded by Sir Walter Mildmay.and that moſt worthily, by a famont and laſting Monument of louelove vntounto Learning, Religion, and Truth; ſo I reſt aſſured, that by your patronage of this Booke, your Honourable fame ſhall be encreaſed; for which, and for all other bleſſings abundantly to be conferred vponupon you, praying vntounto almighty God: I beſeech your Worſhips to pardon the boldneſſe, and to accept of the good will of him, who euer will reſt moſt humbly
At your Worſhips command.
TO THE MOST JLLVSTRIOVS AND Moſt Potent Lords: the Lords the States generall of the Vnited Prouinces of the Low-Countryes.
INnumerable are the benefits (moſt Renowned and moſt mightie Lords) which hauehave happened to your Prouinces by the goodneſſe of God, and are ſupplyed to you, as it were by the immediate prouidence of God. Theſe are great things, that your Common-wealth, flouriſhing with Riches, inlarged with Territories, potent by ſea and land, famous in the Artes both of Warre and Peace, hath ſo beaten backe the force of a moſt mighty enemy, that you hauehave alwayes waged warre on your enemyes ground, and your Cities in the midſt of the heate of the warres, enioyed Halcion-dayes of Peace. All which are done by the authority of your moſt Honorable Senate, and by the conduct of the Prince of ORENGE; of whoſe prayſes it is better to be ſilent then to ſpeake but little. Euen they who enuy your good ſucceſſes, doe yet admire your vertue. Finally, your Common-wealth hath had ſuch a Senate, and ſuch Princes, as God doth giuegive whenſoeuer hee will aduance poore and afflicted eſtates, to the higheſt top of power and glory.
But among the other benefits of God, this is moſt eminent, that when the bottomleſſe pit doth caſt out that thicke ſmoake, which couereth almoſt the whole world in a thicke miſt of ignorance, amongſt you the Sunne of Truth doth clearely ſhine in his pure orbe, and hath ſcattered the darknes of ignorance. Whence it is come to paſſe that your country, together with ciuill bondage, hath ſhaken off the yoke layd vponupon your conſciences.
Sathan, that hee might hinder the courſe of theſe proſperous affaires, hath for many yeares tryed outward forces: From which enterpriſe being driuen, he hath betooke himſelfe to craftie ſubtiltyes, and to inteſtine diſſentions: hauing gotten men, who affecting nouelty, vnderunder the pretence of Pietie, hauehave torne the bowels of their owne Country and Church. Pittifull was the ſight of your Pouinces: The enemy of our ſaluation did brandiſh amongſt you the fire brand of deadly diſſention: A tumultuous tragedy was acted on the Theatre of Belgia, your aduerſari…s beholding it with much pleaſure: Finally, wee ſaw your Common-wealth ſhaking, and your eſtate almoſt deſperate, had not God appearing, beyond all expectation, turned away this imminent deſtruction by timely and ſeaſonable remedyes: vſing to that purpoſe, your Authoritie, Wiſedome, and prudent Conſtancie. With how great patience you hauehave endured theſe turbulent wits, with how great vigilancy you hauehave preuented this ſpreading contagion, if no man ſhould ſpeake of it, yet the greatneſſe of the diſeaſe, and your eſtate reſtored againe to ſafety, would aboundantly witneſſe. In which enterpriſe, the vertue of the moſt famous Prince of ORENGE hath manifeſtly appeared, in whom wee hauehave a ſingular proofe what very great induſtry can performe with greateſt fortitude; who hath added to ſo many warlike acts the praiſe of ciuill prudency. By this deed (moſt Honourable Lords) yee hauehave obtayned more praiſe, by reſtoring, then by enlarging the Common-wealth: For this inteſtine peſtilence hath in few yeares brought more dammage, then forraine warres were able to bring in many ages. Of which your vertue all the Orthodoxe Churches throughout Europe doe reape great fruit; becauſe the ſparkes of this flame did already flye to them; and the iudgements of many among forraine nations did wauer concerning theſe controuerſies. For in the queſtions of Prouidence and Predeſtination, that opinion is wont to be moſt acceptable among the common people which doth meaſure the counſels of God by the counſels of men, and doth put vponupon God humane affections.
But among other things which were prudently and happily done by you, the conuocation of the Synode of Dordt hath obtained the chiefe place. Then which Synode for many ages paſt there hath beene none more famous, more holy, nor more profitable to the Church. Wherevnto that yee might call moſt choiſe men from diuers parts, yee ſpared neither coſt, nor labour; wherein all things were done ſo orderly and grauely, that it hath drawne the people into admiration, and hath ſtayed thoſe that were ſtaggering, and hath ſo troubled headſtrong & obſtinate perſons onelyonly with the ſight thereof, that they which before did ſeeme to be deſirous of the conflict, and greedily to call for the encounter, hauehave by contrary practiſes, (whether feare ſtrooke them, or their conſcience affrighted them) begun to ſhun the hearing of the cauſe, to hate the light, and to worke delayes. To ſo excellent a thing, both other Princes did exhort you, and eſpecially the moſt renowned Prince IAMES, King of great Brittaine, who hath alwayes beene moſt earneſt and forward to driue away the errours of all innouators; who as he is rightly ſtiled the Defender of the Faith, ſo he hath his eyes vigilant on all ſides, carefully watching leſt Chriſtian faith ſhould any where receiue any damage.
And I who to ſo holy a worke could not bring my trauell, hauehave at leaſt brought my deſires. It cannot be expreſſed how earneſtly I deſired to be preſent at that reuerend Synode, to which the Churches of France appointed me, with ſome of my brethren. What were the impediments which hindred my determined iourney, I neede not rehearſe; yet being abſent, I performed what I could; For I ſent to the Synode my opinion of the fiue points of the Controuerſies which are hindred in Belgia, hauing ſtrengthned it with places & proofes out of the holy Scripture. And when many men, and the ſame good men, and of great authoritie and wiſedome amongſt you, had exhorted me that I would write ſomewhat vponupon theſe controuerſies, I not vnwillingly obeyed; which I hauehave done, not ſo much in hope of effecting what I would, as being aſhamed to refuſe them, and deſirous of making triall: For I had rather that godly and learned men ſhould finde in me want of prudence, then accuſe me of negligence. Therefore I hauehave printed my Scheduls and papers, and hauehave reviewed thoſe things which I had meditated vponupon theſe queſtions, which I hauehave vttered in a plaine and vntrimmed ſtile, that as it were in a leane ſpare body, the force of the truth might clearely appeare. And I hauehave indeauoured to bring light to this darkeneſſe, in which the moſt quicke-ſighted doe often grope at the way.
I am not ignorant, how dangerous a thing it is to vndergoe the hazard of ſo many iudgements; how many there that are ambitiouſly ſoure, and proudly diſdainfull; how few there are that take and vnderſtand theſe things; how fewer that are taken by them; how hard it is to contend with wily and wittie men; who euen when they themſelues are caught, doe ſo ſpeake as if they had catched others; and who in a deſperate cauſe doe ſo carry themſelues, as if they were touched with commiſeration: who vndoe againe the things that hauehave beene begun by themſelues, and doe of purpoſe infold their meanings, fearing to be vnderſtood; like Lyzards, who out of the open field doe runne into buſhes. Nor am I ignorant how hard a thing it is for a man that is imployed, whoſe minde is troubled with other cares and buſineſſe, to write punctually and exactly concerning thoſe things whereto the moſt free ſtudies are ſcarce ſufficient, nor men at greateſt leaſure,
But your humanitie and wiſedome hath moued and ſtirred me vp, to be bold to attempt it: For ye know, that in great and hard enterpriſes, the endeauour is laudable, euen when ſucceſſe is wanting. Nor hauehave I doubted to conſecrate theſe my labours to you, that the worke done for the defence of that cauſe, which ye happily maintaine, might manifeſt it ſelfe in your name: I ſhall ſeeme to my ſelfe not to hauehave loſt my labour, though I get no praiſe, if I obtaine pardon: Or if by my example, I ſhall ſtirre vp any to performe ſome thing more perfectly, whereby the truth may ſtand vnſhaken againſt theſe innouators, which doe naughtily abuſe their wits, and are of a wicked and vnhappy audacity.
In the meane while, in your wiſedome you ſhall obſerue from what beginnings, to how great encreaſes this peſtilence hath come, and how vnderunder a ſhew of the liberty of propheſing, the raines are let looſe to wanton wits, which couer licentiouſneſſe vnderunder the name of liberty. For whileſt (as it were for the exerciſe and ſhew of wit) men diſpute of thoſe foundations of faith, of which heretofore there was no ſtrife amongſt vsus, the moſt holy and moſt certaine things began to be called into doubt, and their ſcholaſticall skirmiſhing, forthwith burſt out into a ſerious and earneſt fight. For when this liberty (as it falleth out) had paſſed from the Schooles into the holy Pulpets, and ſo into the Streetes, Tauernes, and Barbers-ſhops, the whole Country was changed into a certaine ſea, boyling with tumults: Whence hatred hath beene bred in the people, and pietie is turned into contention, and obedience towards Magiſtrates is more ſlack: to which euils, when the ambition of ſome men, affecting nouelties, had ioyned it ſelfe, which ſtirred vp this fire with winde and fuell laid to it, this flame in a ſhort time hath vnmeaſurably encreaſed: But by the goodneſſe of God, and by your authority and prudent vigilancy (moſt illuſtrious Lords) the flame of ſo great a fire is abated, liberty is recouered, the Common-wealth is ſetled, the Vniuerſitie purged, and truth, which in many places durſt ſcarce open the mouth, or elſe was diſturbed by contrary clamours, broke through the obſtacles, and (as it is in the ſtriking of flints) it ſhone more cleare by the very conflict; yea truely, by it there hauehave appeared no obſcure encreaſes of pietie in the people; by it there is greater concourſe to heare the word of God, and greater attention. For God (ſuch is his goodneſſe) doth vſe vices themſelues to ſtir vp vertues which grow ſloathfull in idleneſſe; For zeale and pietre being prouoked doe encreaſe, euen as the fire of the Smiths furnace decaying, is ſet on fire by water poured on. Alſo they that hauehave learned by experience, what ſnares Sathan doth lay for them that are a ſleepe and vnwarie, are ſtirred vp to keepe watch for the time to come.
There yet remaine ſome reliques of this diſeaſe, neither is the malice of the Factions quite aſſwaged; but there is hope that the ſides of this wound will in a ſhort ſpace cloſe together againe, and mens mindes will be reconciled. So that it may be vnlawfull in your Vniuerſitie (from whence this contagion crept into the whole Country) hereafter to teach any doctrine differing from the truth, and to call into doubt thoſe things which are piouſly and prudently determined out of Gods word in your ſacred Synode; and that hereafter no man be admitted to the ſacred Miniſtery, whoſe faith is not tryed, and his conſent with his brethren knowne; and that the authority be reſtored to Synodes, and their vſe be made more frequent: that the euills that are breeding may be preuented at their beginnings, as when the ſtinging Scorpion is bruiſed preſently vponupon the wound. Alſo it hath beene wiſely prouided by you that theſe things hereafter bee not publiſhed among the common ſort, that the people be not taught ſo much to diſpute, as to liue: and that they accuſtome themſelues to fight with their owne vices, and not with other mens opinions. For it is a moſt hard, and a very profitable combate which eueryevery godly man maketh with himſelfe. On the contrary ſide, when ſtrife is ſowne by ſtrife, and not the truth but the victory is ſought, firſt charity and then truth is loſt among the contenders.
And eſpecially diligence is to be vſed, leſt peace and riches bring forgetfulneſſe of the Croſſe of Chriſt: and leſt the people vnmindfull of the benefits of God, ſhould at length draw vponupon them his iudgements. There are not wanting examples of people to whom when religion had brought forth riches and proſperity, a while after the ſame riches and proſperity choaked religion, and with a ſhamefull parricide killed their Mother. So much the more care therefore is to be had, that the eares of your people may alwayes ring with thoſe inſtructions whereby the memory of the calamities driuen from them may be refreſhed, and their mindes might tremble with a godly feare, when they foro-ſee a farre off the dangers to come, and Satan lying in waite for them.
To which thing it is no light inſtigation, that by theſe late tumults you hauehave tryed, that the peace of the common-wealth, doth conſiſt in the integrity of Religion, neither can the purity of true Religion (which is maintained by you) be violated, but that alſo the pillars on which your common-wealth ſtandeth, and by which the authority of your ſupreame Magiſtracy is ſuſtained, will be ſhaken. For theſe two are ſo knit together by a mutuall bond, that the one cannot be ouerthrowne, but the other alſo muſt fall downe. Your authority was ſtrooke at through the ſide of Religion; and in the foundations of the Church the foundations of the common-wealth were vndermined. Your power therefore will be ſound and ſafe, when obedience due to princes, ſhall be thought to be a part of piety: and when the Paſtors of the Church ſhall traine vp, by the word of God, the people to performe obedience to you. And on the other ſide, the Church ſhall flouriſh when Princes ſhall be her nourcing fathers, and ſhall thinke themſelues to be ſet by God at the ſterne of the Common-wealth, that God might raigne by them, and that Religion might grow vp, and might carefully be manured vnderunder the ſhadow of their ciuill power. This you doe (moſt Illuſtrious Lords) diligently and happily: It cannot be ſaid how much your people are indebted to you, and they will ſtill owe you more. Surely, all good men in the Chriſtian world, doe greet your ſo proſperous ſucceſſe, and doe admire at your wiſedome, and doe ſtriue in prayers with God, that he would preſerue you long to the Church and common-wealth; whom hee hath vſed to preſerue the Church and common-wealth: and that he would ſo gouerne you by his ſpirit, and defend you by his carefull prouidence, that all your endeauours may obtaine their wiſhed ends, and that yee may hauehave a common-wealth happily gouerned, a State ſet in ſafety, domeſticall concord, aboundant riches, valiant armies, frequent victories, a people obaying your command, and who may doubt whether they ſhould call you Lords or Fathers.
One that doth highly honour your moſt illuſtrious Lordſhips, PETER MOVLIN.
COurteous Reader, be entreated to take notice of theſe faults, becauſe they are materiall: The reſt may be amended by the prudent Reader. Page 4. line 2. reade people, out of the Pulpit: ſeeing. p. 13. l. 18 r. offend, God not compelling: But. p. 37. l. 1. r. by well aduiſed men. l 2. r. by vnaduiſed men. p. 41. l. 1. r. order. We deny not that, &c. l. 3. r. as mans will. p. 54. l. 5. r. thou doeſt not play. p. 69 l. 30.31. r. eueryevery where receiued. l 32. r. organicall body. p. 72. l. 7 to put ſinne into the will. p 83. l. 10.11. reprobated: and ſome are preferred others being neglected. p. 93. l. 22. r. the greateſt puniſhment p 95. l. 27. r. He could not. p. 144. l. 14. r. who will. p. 155. l. 5. r. We are predeſtinated to faith p. 169 l. 25. r. ſence. In his. p. 171. l. 15. r. in order, admit. p. 209. Let this be the title of the 26. Chapter. Of Reprobation p. 218. l. 7. r. from good. p 223 l 18. r. a token hereof that. p. 246. l. 14. r. of the ſonne, is p. 284 l. 7. r. inordinate affections. p. 311. l. 27 r. remainds, if vniuerſall ſufficient grace be added. p. 348. l. 14. r. this action of the ſpit it he carryeth. p. 422. l 7. ſhould not change. p. 462, l. 3. r. that by thoſe words. p. 476. l. 27. but may finally.