The Anatomy of Arminianism, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
The opinions of the parties vponupon the doctrine of Predeſtination.
I. WE hauehave already ſaid that predeſtination is the decree of God, by which, in the worke of our ſaluation, God hath from eternity determined what hee will doe with eueryevery particular man; and that there are two parts or ſpecies of it, Election, and Reprobation.
II. Arminius, Theſ. 15. Theolog. Diſputa. vnderſtanding by the name of Predeſtination, onelyonly election, doth thus define it. Predeſtination is the decree of Gods good pleaſure in Chriſt, whereby from eternity hee hath determined with himſelfe, to iuſtifie, to adopt, and freely to reward with eternall life, the faithfull, to whom hee hath decreed to giuegive faith, to the praiſe of his glorious grace. All other his ſectaries doe with one mouth ſay, that election is the decree of God, of ſauing thoſe that beleeue in Chriſt, and ſhall perſeuere in faith.
III. But here the Arminians doe with a maruailous craft hide their minde and meaning: For that definition laid downe by Arminius doth ſeeme to teach, that God choſe ſome certaine men to ſaluation: But it is otherwiſe, nor is this the meaning of this difinition: for by theſe words, the faithfull to whom hee decreed to giuegive faith, they doe not vnderſtand ſome certaine men whom God hath preciſely elected; but they onelyonly inſinuate of what quality they are whom God would elect, to wit, ſuch as ſhould beſeeue: And they teach, that God is often diſappointed of that will by which he hath decreed to giuegive men faith, and that he may be condemned whom God hath ſo elected: Greuinch. p. 101 dicit. Hoc decretum eſſe condits, onale de qusitbet ſi credat ſeruando.For they deny that this decree is preciſe, but that it is conditionall, and which depend of faith foreſeene; of which faith the grace of God is but a cauſe in part, for free will hath alſo a part here, in the power whereof it is to vſe well or ill the preuenting & accompanying grace of God, & eyther to receiue, or to refuſe it: Therefore they make God, by this decree, ſeriouſly to intend the ſaluation of all men, & to hauehave determined to giuegive them ſufficient grace & power to bele…ue: but that he is diſappointed of this his decree & intention in many, mans will hindring it, whereby it comes to paſſe that God is deceiued of his naturall deſire and firſt intention, which ſurely muſt needes be the beſt. Coll. Hag. p. 96.Leaſt therefore any one ſhould thinke, that by this decree of election, which Arminius hath defined, ſome certaine men are appointed to life, it muſt be obſerued, that this decree, according to the meaning of Arminius, doth conditionally belong to all men whatſoeuer, and that by this antecedent will, Pharaoh and Iudas, Arnold P. 192.&c. are conditionally elected; wherefore the Arminians doe deny that the number of the elect is certaine by the preciſe appointment of God, which can neither be increaſed, nor be diminiſhed.
IV. Obſerue alſo, that that definition laid downe by Arminius, doth not belong to infants, which are taken away by an immature and vnſeaſonable death; for the Arminians will hauehave onelyonly them that beleeue to be elected.
V. Beſides this generall and conditionall election, by which all men without exception are elected, they make another election of particular men, which doth reſt & relye on faith foreſeene. This they define to be the abſolute decree of God, of ſauing ſome certaine men, whom he from eternity fore-ſaw would beleeue in Chriſt, and perſeuere in the faith, which faith and perſeuerance, they ſay, is conſidered in the decree of election, as already fulfilled: The ſame men are alſo of opinion, that this election, while wee are pilgrimes vponupon earth, is incompleate, and reuocable: For ſo Greninchouius, P. 136.137. As the good things of our ſaluation, which are continued, faith being continued, and are reuoked and called backe, faith being denied, are incompleate; ſo election is in this life incompleate, not peremptory, not irreuocable: But the courſe of election being finiſhed, they will hauehave this decree then to bee compleate and irreuocable.
VI. They will hauehave the will of God, of ſauing ſome certaine men, to be after the will of man, and to depend vponupon the fore-ſeeing of faith.
VII. They will hauehave that firſt election to belong to the antecedent will, the latter election to the conſequent will.
VIII. That God doth ſupply tomen the meanes to beleeue, they thinke it to be the act of his prouidence, and not of this election, whereby hee hath appointed ſome certaine men to glory: and they denie true faith and perſeuerance in faith, to be an effect of this latter and abſolute election: ſeeing preciſe election doth rather depend on the fore-ſeeing of that faith, and faith is before election: For they denie that God hath preciſely predeſtinated any one to faith, but they will hauehave it, that they that hauehave faith are predeſtinated to ſaluation.
IX. They comprehend the whole doctrine of election in foure decrees, which they ſo knit among themſelues with a perpetuall linking, that the latter depend on the former.
X. The 1. decree of God, is of giuing his ſon for the aboliſhing of ſin, & for the redemption of al mankind, in which redemption, they would haueal mankind to be reconciled, and remiſſion of ſins to be obtained for all. The 2. decree, that whereby God decreed to ſaue them that beleeue, & would perſeuere in faith: This is that generall & conditionall election. The 3. decree, is that wherby God decreed to giuegive to all men ſufficient grace for faith & repentance: which power, they ſay, is giuen irreſiſtably, yea; and that God is bound to giuegive all men this grace: But the very act of beleeuing, they ſay, is not giuen but reſiſtably, leaſt force ſhould be offered to mans will. They denie therefore that God decreed to giuegive to any one preciſely & abſolutely faith, and the act of beleeuing. The 4. & laſt decree, they would hauehave to be that whereby God hath preciſely and abſolutely decreed to ſaue ſome certaine men, for their faith fore-ſeene.
XI. Theſe are the decrees of the Arminians, and this is the ſumme of their whole doctrine, in the ſearching and viewing of which, the labour is not ſmall, they doe ſo enwrap their meanings, they doe ſo hide their mindes, that there alwaies lyeth open ſome hole to ſcape by; whoſe meaning he that doth not know, will eaſily beleeue, they hauehave wrong done them, they doe ſo parget ouer their errour with beautifull colours, as if they were of the ſame opinion with vsus, when they are very farre diſtant from vsus: Then alſo if one in expounding their opinion, hath not expreſſed all, euen their leaſt diſtinctions, or hath not obſerued all their ſhifts, it cannot be ſaid, what tragedies they ſtirre vp, how miſerably they complaine, as it were, of force and grieuous ſlanders, and calumny: Being ready alſo to forſweare Arminius, and themſelues to pluck vp their owne opinions, and to maintaine the cauſe of the Papiſts, finally, to doe any thing ſo they may eſcape our hands.
XII. But we handle the matter more plainely, nor doe we ſo laboriouſly, cut the election of God into members: Neither doe wee preſcribe an order to God, by which hee ſhould hauehave digeſted, or yet ought to digeſt his thoughts, and to diſpoſe his decrees. We acknowledge there is no generall election, ſeeing there is no election where nothing is left: And we acknowledge no election, vnleſſe it be of ſeuerall and particular perſons, and that alſo to be preciſe and determined by the purpoſe of God; neither doe we thinke any to be elected, but he that ſhall certainly and infallibly come to ſaluation: Nor doe we beleeue that we be elected from faith, or for faith, but vntounto faith. For God doth not elect thoſe that are good, by any goodneſſe which goeth before election, but by his election hee will make them good: Nor doth he fore-know any good in vsus, but what he himſelfe is to bring to paſſe; which is not to fore-ſee, but fore-ordaine: Neither doe wee make the election of perticular perſons, to depend vponupon mans will: Yea, and we beleeue, that perſeuerance, and the confirmation of mans will in faith doth proceede from Gods free election of grace, by which he decreed to giuegive to them whom he appointed to an end, the meanes to come to that end.
XV. Wee agree with the Arminians in this, that God, in electing, doth conſider a man, not onelyonly as fallen, but as one that by his gift is to beleeue: for thoſe which he appointed to ſaluation, he appointed alſo to faith and repentance; but we doe not thinke, that in election, faith is conſidered as accompliſhed; but as that which ſhould be accompliſhed by the grace of God, and which is the effect of our election; and that God doth this not by compelling the will, but by bowing it, and by granting that of its owne accord it ſhould follow him, calling: Not by a force, which is therefore called irreſiſtable, becauſe thou canſt not reſiſt it although thou wouldſt, ſeeing this very thing is a part of this grace, that thou ſhalt not be willing to reſiſt it: But that God is bound to giuegive his grace to men, we deteſt it, as an opinion contumelious, & reproachfull, againſt the mareſty of God. Alſo we deſpiſe the opinion of the Arminians, wherby they determine that God equally deſires ſaluation to all, as an opinion contrary to the Scripture & to experience.
XIV. Wee ſay that election is the eternall, and therefore immutable decree of God, whereby out of mankind fallen & corrupted, God decreed of his owne meere grace, by Chriſt, to ſaue ſome certaine men, and to giuegive them the meanes whereby they might come to ſaluation.
XV. The decree of giuing faith & repentance, we make to be a part of that decree: For the decree concerning the end, includes, alſo the meanes; ſo the decree of making warre, doth include, Horſes, Armes, and prouiſion; and the will whereby any one hath decreed to builde, doth neceſſarily include the will of gathering together ſtones and timber: Neither doe we thinke it ſafe to pull aſunder the counſels of God, and as it were, ſcrupulouſly to cut them into peeces.