The Anatomy of Arminianism, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV.
That the Apoſtle Saint Paul, in the ninth to the Romanes, by the word Maſſe, vnderſtood the corrupted Maſſe.
I. SAint Paul keepes himſelfe within theſe limits, in the ninth chapter to the Romanes, where hee ſpeaketh more fully, and more exactly of the election and reprobation, then any where elſe. For if he had written with a beame of the Sunne, it could not more cleerely appeare, that he ſpeakes of the corrupted maſſe, and of the will of God, by which of ſinfull men, one is choſen, and the other reprobated.
II. The ſcope of the Apoſtle, is to beate back the vaine confidence of the Iewes, who boaſted in the law, and in the righteouſneſſe of their workes, to whom it did ſeeme an abſurd and impoſſible thing that the Iſraelites, or the greater part of them, fell from the couenant of God, and were not reckoned among the ſonnes of God. That hee might pull this ſcruple out of their mindes, and might waſh away this pride; he fetcheth the matter from the very originall, and doth deny that carnall propagation, or the righteouſneſſe of workes, is the cauſe why any one is to be reckoned the ſonne of Abraham, but the good pleaſure of God, and the free election of grace, by which God, of the iſſue of Abraham, choſe whom he would, and whom he would hee reiected; hath mercy of whom he would, and whom he would hee hardned: and of the ſame maſſe, hath prepared ſome veſſels for honour, and hath patiently endured the veſſels prepared for deſtruction. To which purpoſe he bringeth two paire of examples, Iſaac and Iſhmaell, Iacob and Eſau; and he doth lay downe Iſaac and Iacob, as ſonnes of the promiſe, and examples of the free election of grace; but Iſhmaell and Eſau, as examples of reiection: And he doth ſeeme of purpoſe to adde the example of Eſau and Iacob for a prolepſis, or preuention of an obiection. For the Iewes might except, that therefore the difference was betweene Iſaac and Iſhmaell, becauſe the one was of the ſeruant, the other of the free woman: Then alſo becauſe when Iſaac was borne, Iſhmael already had ſhewed the ſignes of an euill diſpoſition, and had done thoſe things, for which hee ought to be excluded from the couenant. The Apoſtle doth fitly preuent this obiection, by the example of Iacob and Eſau, who both were the ſonnes of the free woman, and neither of them had done any good or euill, yet God loued the one, and hated the other.
III. All theſe things are brought by the Apoſtle, that he might teach in what reſpect God choſe ſome of the Iewes, and reprobated others, although they were puft vp with the opinion of legall righteouſneſſe: This nation ſeeing it was impure and corrupt, it could not be compared to the pure maſſe: And the Apoſtle ſhould plainely ſpeake beſides the matter if he ſhould vſe the example of the vndefiled maſſe, to teach how God out of a corrupted nation choſe ſome, and reprobated others.
IV. The examples of Iacob and Eſau doe conuince and proue the ſame thing, of whom, when they were in the wombe, and had done neither good nor euill, God doth pronounce, that he loued Iacob, that hee hated Eſau. Now God could not conſider theſe twins in the wombe, but he muſt conſider them ſuch as they were: & they were corrupted & defiled with originall ſinne. Surely he cannot be ſaid to be preferred before the other, becauſe he was better when he was in the womb, ſeeing neither of them had done good or euill. This is that with which S. Paul doth ſtop the mouth of theſe queſtioniſts, and will not hauehave any to plead againſt God, or anſwere him againe; ſeeing there is no cauſe but the meere good pleaſure of God, why, of two that were equally euill, he preferred the one before the other.
V. Neither is there any ſmall force in theſe words; I hauehave hated: for God could not hate the creature whom he conſidered as pure and voide of ſinne.
VI. It is no light thing that hee ſo deſcribeth the elect, to wit, that they are they whom God will hauehave mercy on. ver. 18. whence alſo, ver. 23. they are called the veſſels of mercy: for mercy preſuppoſeth miſery. They force the words of the Apoſtle, who by miſereri, to hauehave mercy, vnderſtand ſimply benefacere, to doe well. I ſhould doubt and make conſcience to affirme, that God had had mercy on Chriſt as man, on whom yet he hath beſtowed more gifts, then on any other creature.
VII. There is great weight alſo in the word hardning: he hardneth (ſaith the Apoſtle) whom he will. As by thoſe on whom God will hauehave mercy, the Elect are vnderſtood; ſo by them that are hardned, the reprobate are vnderſtood: And to thinke that God determined to harden that man, whom hee conſidereth as pure, & as in the incorrupted eſtate, is great wickedneſſe, and contumelious againſt the iuſtice of God: By this meanes God ſhould not onelyonly puniſh the innocent, but alſo depraue and corrupt the guiltleſſe. For obduration and hardning is a ſpecies and kinde of puniſhment, and therefore after ſinne; God hardneth none, but he who is already hard; ſo he hardned Pharaoh, he being already ſtubborne, and prone to rebell of his owne diſpoſition.
VIII. Neither is there neede of much wit to perceiue, that Pharaoh is no fit example of reprobation, out of the incorrupted Maſſe, and of a man conſidered without ſinne.
IX. It is alſo greatly to be obſerued, that the Apoſtle ſpeaking of reprobates, doth ſay that they are veſſels, foreign, fitted, or prepared, to deſtruction: He doth not ſay, that God prepared or ſitted them, leaſt he ſhould ſeeme to ſay that God put ſinne in them, by which they might be prepared to deſtruction; but when he ſpeaketh of the elect, hauing turned his ſpeech, ſaith, that God prepared them for glory, which God doth, by giuing them the ſpirit, and faith. It is not without conſideration that the Apoſtle would not after the ſame manner ſpeake in both places, viz. becauſe God found ſome veſſels fitted to deſtruction, but made others veſſels appointed to glory, and that by hauing mercy on them.
X. Saint Auſten is expreſſe to this purpoſe: For in ſixe hundred places, either explaning or touching this place of Saint Paul, hee doth vnderſtand by the name Maſſe, the Maſſe corrupted and polluted with ſinne. So Epiſt. 105. Becauſe that whole Maſſe is iuſtly condemned, iuſtice hath giuen that contumely and diſgrace that is due, and grace doth giuegive that honour which is not due: and in the ſame Epiſtle, The vniuerſall Maſſe is iuſtly condemned of ſinne: and a little after, If they are the veſſels of wrath, which are made for that deſtruction which is du…ly giuen to them, let them impute this to themſelues; becauſe they are made of that Maſſe, which for the ſinne of one man, is iuſtly and deſeruedly condemned of God. He doth repeate the ſame thing, Epiſt. 106. and Encherid. cap. 98 99. and 107. where he calleth it the Maſſe of deſtruction: See alſo the 2. lib. againſt the two Epiſtles of the Pelagians, cap. 7. and lib. 5. againſt Iulian, cap. 3. Neither did euer any among the ancient, thinke that Paul ſpeakes of the ſound, and not corrupted Maſſe.