The Anatomy of Arminianism, Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
That the Arminians make fore-ſeene faith the cauſe of the election of particular perſons.
I. THe Arminian conferrers at the Hage, and as many as are their ſectaries, in many places doe profeſſe, that they doe not make faith the cauſe of Election, but onelyonly a precedent condition, and ſome thing pre-required before Election. Theſe things they ſay onelyonly in word: For the ſame men, with very great diligence, doe heape vp arguments, whereby it may be proued, that faith is the cauſe of the election of particular perſons. But oftentimes, there fals from them, either vnwilling or vnawares, that which they indeauour to preſſe downe, and as Rats, they are catched by bewraying themſelues.
II. Nicholas Greuinchouius. pag. 103. doth confeſſe, that Arminius was of opinion, that election *inuiti.did reſt vponupon fore-ſeene faith. The Remonſtrants in the conference at the Hage, p. 117. doe vſe the ſame manner of ſpeaking: And Arminius in the 47. page of his declaration; The decree (ſaith he) whereby God decreed to ſaue ſome certaine men, doth reſt on the fore-knowledge of God, whereby from eternity he hath knowne who will belieue, &c. The Arminians, page 38. of their anſwere to the Walachrians, hauehave theſe words: We determine, that the fore-ſeeing of faith and infidelity, doth in order goe before the decree of predeſtination, and that this decree doth *inniti.reſt on that former fore-knowledge. Truely he is blinde that doth not ſee that it is one thing to follow one, & another thing to reſt on him: For if the riſing ſtarre doth in order goe before the following ſtarre, doth therefore the latter reſt on the former? Arminius therefore doth not lay downe faith onelyonly as an antecedent thing, but as ſomething which doth ſuſtaine election, in which it is founded, and on which election doth reſt: And he doth no leſſe make election depend vponupon faith; who ſaith, that faith is the foundation, then he that ſaith that it is the cauſe of Election: for the cauſe giueth to election that it ſhould be, the foundation giueth to it, that it ſhould ſtand and be firme: Either way alike iniury is done to God, whether you ſay, that ſome vertue which is in man, is the cauſe of the good pleaſure of God; or whether you ſay that the good pleaſure of God hath his foundation from ſome vertue of man.
III. But by thoſe words, they doe not obſeurely acknowledge, that fore-ſeene faith is the cauſe of election: for they will hauehave the fore-ſeeing of faith ſo to goe before election, as the fore-ſeeing of incredulity, doth in order goe before reprobation: But that the reprobates are appointed to condemnation, for incredulity, and becauſe they are vnbeleeuers, they eueryevery where acknowledge. And Arminius againſt Perkins. p. 86. doth roundly affirme, that ſinne is the meritorious cauſe of reprobation. So Arnoldus, p. 151. Election and reprobation of particular perſons were made in reſpect of the fore-ſight of faith and incredulity. Arnoldus; Can any ſuſpect your fidelity, that you take the word, ex, equiuocally, in reprobation, to note the cauſe, but in election to note the condition? It muſt needes be therefore, that they acknowledge that the elect are appointed to ſaluation for faith fore ſeene, becauſe they beleeue, and that fore-ſeene faith is the cauſe of the election of particular perſons.
IV. But there is no difference, whether you ſay that Election doth reſt on faith fore-ſeene, or that it doth reſt on the fore-ſeeing of faith: for both wares faith is made the cauſe of election, in the latter it is made the neereſt cauſe, in the former it is made the remote cauſe: for fore-ſeene faith is made the cauſe of fore-ſeeing it, and the fore-ſeeing it, is made the cauſe of election: For why doth God fore-know that they will beleeue, vnleſſe becauſe they will beleeue? and why doth he elect, vnleſſe becauſe he fore-knoweth they will beleeue? Theſe are the words of Arminius againſt Perkins. p. 142. In that God fore-knowes, he therefore fore-knowes, becauſe it will afterward be.
V. The ſame men a little after, againſt the Walachrians, doe vſe (although fearefully) the word depending, that they might make election depending on faith: And although (ſay they) that word of depending, which we are neuer wont to vſe in this argument, be foreign, eaſily ſubiect to calumny, yet if a maleuolent minde be abſent, it cannot be drawne to the leaſt ſuſpicion of any abſurdity. Yes, it may be drawne to the greateſt: For Greuinchouius himſelfe, Pag. 198.doth acknowledge, that dependency, ſtrictly taken, doth argue cauſality, and the dependency of a ſuperiour by an inferiour. And truely theſe men doe not obſcurely declare how willingly they would vſe this word, if they did not feare our purſuite.
VI. There is extant a Treatiſe of Greuinchouius, with this Title, Of election *ex.for faith fore ſeene: but that word, ex, from, or for, doth not onelyonly note priority, but alſo cauſality: For who would endure a man that ſhould ſay, that Tiberius was from Octauius Auguſtus? or that this yeare is from the former, becauſe one went before the other? A man that is not vnskiifull of the Latine, doth ſufficiently know, that the praepoſition ex, is not fit to note onelyonly the priority of faith, vnleſſe beſides the priority, there is alſo ſome efficiency or dependency: Wherefore the ſame man, page 24. hath theſe words: It is altogether conuenient to the nature of lawes and preſcribed conditions, that the will of the Iudge ſhould be moued to giuegive the reward, by the required and performed condition. This performed condition, the Arminians ſay to be faith, which (if we beleeue them) is conſidered in election, as performed: They will therefore hauehave God to be moued by this fulfilled condition, that he ſhould giuegive the reward; which if it be true, faith is plainely the cauſe, both of decreeing and giuing the reward, becauſe it is that which moueth the Iudge.
VII. So in the conference at the Hage, the Arminians doe contend, that God doth not elect without reſpect of qualities; which thing is true, not onelyonly of faith, but alſo of repentance, ſo it be taken thus; that God in electing, conſidered men, as they that by his gift and bounty would beleeue and be renewed in repentance. If you take this reſpecting otherwiſe, it muſt needes be, that this reſpecting is the cauſe; for one is ſaid to chooſe any thing in reſpect of ſome quality or vertue, who by that qualitie or vertue, is moued to chooſe it, otherwiſe he would not.
VIII. Nay what? That the Arminian conferrers at the Hage, p. 86. doe vſe the word Cauſe? (God ſendeth his word whether it ſeemeth good to him, not according to any abſolute decree, but for other cauſes lying hid in man: Then is man the cauſe why hee is called: whence it comes, that he is the cauſe alſo that he is elected. For that which is the cauſe, why God doth call a man to ſaluation, is plainely the cauſe why God will ſaue him; for theſe are things connexed and knit together. The ſame men, page 109. It is abſurd to put the abſolute will of God in the decree of election, for the firſt and principall cauſe, that it ſhould goe before the other cauſes, to wit, Chriſt, faith, and all other cauſes. Here you heare that faith is put among the cauſes of election: wherefore Arnoldus, page, 53. doth leaue it in the middle, whether faith ought to be called the cauſe, or the condition; Whether (ſaith hee) faith ſhould be called the condition, or whether it ſhould be called the cauſe, it alwayes being laid downe for granted, that it is the gift of God, this alone is the queſtion, how faith hath reſpect to election. And a little before he had ſaid, If any ſhould ſay, that in the decree of election, faith hath the reſpect of a cauſe, yet he ſhould not thereby deny that it is the gift of God: Not obſcurely inſinuating how prone hee was to that part, and perceiued that hee was not raſhly to be blamed, who hath called faith the cauſe of our election.
IX. Adde to theſe that Arnoldus, page 186. and the reſt with him, doe contend, that faith is not of thoſe that are elected, but that the election is of thoſe that are faithfull. We truely out of Saint Paul to Titus, chap. 1. v: 1. ſay, that faith is of the elect, which we ſo take, becauſe election is the cauſe of faith; to which our aſſertion, ſeeing they oppoſe theirs as contrary, whereby they ſay that election is of them that are faithfull; what elſe would they, but hauehave faith to be the cauſe of our election?
X. Let alſo the moment and force of their reaſons be weighed and conſidered. In the conference at the Hage, they profeſſe, that they doe not refuſe to write with great letters, and to ſubſcribe, that election is made by Chriſt, without any conſideration of good workes: And yet doe the ſame men, euen to loathing, beate vponupon this, that Election is the decree of ſauing them that beleeue; that there is no man elected by God, but in reſpect of faith. But I would know, why they ſo earneſtly exclude the conſideration of workes from election, ſeeing that the earneſt endeauour of good workes is a condition no leſſe fore-required to ſaluation, then faith? Who by theſe things doth not ſee, that faith is not laid downe by them, meerely as a fore-required condition? For if faith were thus conſidered by them; it is plaine, that the ſtudy and endeauour of good workes, had beene ioyned and placed in the ſame degree with faith.
XI. And if God electeth to ſaluation, not thoſe whom he abſolutely decreed, but thoſe whom hee fore-ſaw would beleeue; it is plaine that God in election, hath reſpect to ſome dignity and worth which is in theſe, but not in them: But it is not likely, that any wiſe man doth chooſe the beſt men, for any other cauſe, then becauſe they are the beſt: For if the goodneſſe of the faithfull doe goe before election, hee ſhould doe very ill that ſhould elect them for any other cauſe, then becauſe they are good.
XII. And certainely, whenſoeuer any thing is promiſed to a man, vnderunder a condition, which is in the power of mans free-will; it is plaine, that the fulfilling of the condition by mans free-will, is the cauſe why the promiſe is fulfilled; and the Arminians doe contend, that God doth giuegive, yea, and that hee is bound to giuegive grace and ſufficient power to beleeue: but to vſe that grace, or not to vſe it, is in the power of mans free-will.
XIII. Neither is it a hard thing to draw from them that which I would hauehave. For let the Schoole and followers of Arminius tell me, what moued God, by his conſequent will to chooſe Simon Peter, rather then Simon Magus? why Gregory rather then Iulian? They hauehave nothing to anſwer, but that it was done, becauſe God fore-ſaw faith in them, and incredulity in theſe. Therefore although they ſhould get it granted, that by their doctrine, fore-ſeene faith is not made the cauſe why God hath appointed this man to ſaluation; yet they muſt needes confeſſe, that according to Arminius, fore-ſeene faith is the cauſe of the difference betweene the elect and the reprobate, and therefore the cauſe why this man is preferred before the other; which ſurely is no other thing, then to be the cauſe of election: For eueryevery election is comparatiue, and doth inferre the reiection of one or more.
XIV. So when they deny, that by the will of God electing, the number of the elect is certaine and determined; it muſt needes be, that they would hauehave mans will to be the cauſe why the number is ſuch a number, and ſo eueryevery man is the cauſe why hee is of the number of the elect, and therefore alſo the cauſe of his owne election.
XV. Although therefore they would hauehave this ſuſpicion remoued from them, yet they will neuer wipe out this blot, by which they are contumelious againſt God, and doe weaken the firmeneſſe and ſtrength of faith: As they which make the eternall election and good pleaſure of God, to depend on mans free-will; & will hauehave ſaluation to be of him that willeth & of him that runneth; & they doe place ſome worth & vertue in man, which is the cauſe why ſaluation in the eternall counſell of God, is appointed to one, rather then to another: Whence it comes, that faith doth ſhake, and ſaluation is vncertaine: as that which although God doth certainely fore-know, yet he doth not certainely and infallibly will it; for Election is not an act of the fore-knowledge, but of the will of God, and this will, how can it be certaine, if it doth depend on an vncertaine thing, to wit, on mans will? But theſe things by the way; for they ſhall be more exactly examined in their place.