The Anatomy of Arminianism, Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII.
The decree of generall election is ſearched into, by which Arminius will hauehave all men to be elected to ſaluation, vnderunder the condition of faith.
I. WE hauehave taught in the fift Chapter, that the antecedent will of God, as Arminius hath receiued it after Damaſcen, is a meere forged deuiſe, and a thing contumelious againſt God. This foundation being taken away, that vniuerſall election, common to all men, vnderunder the condition of faith to be performed, doth fall downe: For this generall election Arminius will hauehave to belong to the antecedent will of God.
II. Whereunto adde thoſe things which we hauehave ſpoken, Chapter 12. where we hauehave diſſolued, and vnlooſed the chaine of the foure decrees, in which the Arminians doe comprehend the whole doctrine of Election: There we hauehave ſhewed that the ſecond decree, by which ſaluation is not decreed to particular perſons, but it is determined, that they ſhall be ſaued, who ſhall beleeue, is not the decree of prouidence nor predeſtination, but is the rule of the Goſpell, which doth preſcribe and ſet downe the way to ſaluation.
III. This queſtion is put to ſlight, onelyonly by the name of election; for Election cannot be of all men; he doth not chooſe that taketh all: Neither, in the time of the deluge, had Noah beene choſen that hee ſhould liue in the deluge, if no man had periſhed by the flood: He is elected, who is preferred before others, the reſt being eyther deſpiſed, or leſſe accounted of.
IV. And ſeeing in all the points of faith, wee ought to be wiſe, and taught out of the Scriptures, much more in ſo high an argument, which doth exceede our capacitie. Let therefore the Arminians ſhew by what place of Scripture all men are ſaid to be elected, by that election which is oppoſite to reprobation (for of that it is ſpoken here, and not of the election of ſeuerall men, by the conſequent will of God. Who euer heard it ſaid, that Pharaoh or Iudas, did any way belong to the election of God? Saint Peter indeede 2. Epiſt. Chap. 1. doth ioyne calling to election, commanding vsus to make our calling and election ſure, that is, by the earneſt endeauour of good workes, to effect that the ſence of our effectuall calling, and the perſwaſion of our election may daily be increaſed in vsus: But he will not therefore hauehave our calling and election to be the ſame, nor will hee hauehave all that are any waies called, to be elected: Yea, many are called, but few choſen, Matth. 20.16.
V. That alſo is to be obſerued, that by this generall election, it is not decreed who are to be ſaued; but what manner of men are to be ſaued: and that the Arminians draw the ninth chapter to the Romanes to proue this; where it is plainely ſpoken of the good pleaſure of God, and his mercy towards ſome ſeuerall and peculiar perſons, whom it ſeemeth good to God to chooſe: For thoſe words, I will hauehave mercy on whom I will hauehave mercy, ſpeake of ſome certaine men; and not of what qualified men; for then he had ſaid, Miſer…tor qualium: I will hauehave mercy on men ſo qualified, and not cuius, or quorum, of whom: Neither had the example of Iſaac and Iacob, who were particular perſons, beene applied to explaine the election not of particular perſons, but the election eyther of all, or of men ſo qualified.
VI. But I would learne of the Arminians, whether Iudas or Pilate; whether the high prieſts and the Scribes, by the inſtigation and accuſations of whom our Sauiour was crucified, were elected conditionally, and comprehended in that generall election. If they were not comprehended, then that generall and conditionall election which they would hauehave to be extended to all men: falleth to the ground. On the other ſide, if Iudas and thoſe high prieſts were conditionally elected, the decree of God, concerning the crucifying of Chriſt, could not be abſolute, becauſe it was done by men, which were conditionally elected, vnderunder a condition which they might fulfill: It might therefore hauehave come to paſſe, that before this wicked deede, they might hauehave beene conuerted and become faithfull, and ſo had not crucified Chriſt.
And truely it cannot be ſaid, that Iudas and Caiaphas, were elected to ſaluation, vnderunder the condition of beleeuing in the death of Chriſt, ſeeing they were appointed to that very thing, that by their incredulity and wickedneſſe, Chriſt might be deliuered to death: but if Iudas and Caiaphas had beleeued in Chriſt, Chriſt had not beene deliuered to death; and therefore this decree, whereby the Arminians will hauehave God to hauehave elected Iudas and Caiaphas, and Pilate, vnderunder this condition, if they would beleeue in Chriſt, doth infolde a contradiction: For they doe as much, as if they ſhould bring in God, ſpeaking thus: I appointed to ſaue Iudas and Caiaphas, if they will beleeue in the death of Chriſt: But if they ſhall beleeue, and ſhall be faithfull, Chriſt ſhould not be deliuered to death, nor be crucified.
Alſo of the foure decrees of the Arminians, the two former are contrary one to another: For by the firſt decree, God decreed to vſe the incredulity and perfidiouſneſſe of Iudas, to deliuer Chriſt to death: But by the ſecond decree, God elected Iudas vnderunder the condition of faith, in the death of Chriſt: Therefore by the former decree, Iudas is abſolutely conſidered as an vnbeleeuer and a reprobate, but by the ſecond, he is conſidered as one conditionally elected. The ſchoole of Arminius is painted about with theſe monſters, and Chimeraes, contrary one to another, which would moue laughter, if the church were not troubled by them, and the wiſedome of God expoſed to reproach.
VII. Furthermore, by that generall decree whereby all men are ſaid to be elected vnderunder the condition of faith to be performed, Greuinch. p. 101 Decretū conditionale de quolibet ſi credat ſeruando. & Pag. 2. Decreuit ſalutem conferre ſub conditione fidei preſtande ab ijs qui. bus ſalutem ap. plitaret.God is openly mocked: For it is a fooliſh decree, which is made vnderunder a condition, which condition, he that decreed it knew certainely in the very moment he decreed it, that it would not be fulfilled; eſpecially if this condition cannot be fulfilled but by the helpe and power of him who decrees it: For by ſuch a decree, God ſhould ſet a law to himſelfe, not to man. But it is manifeſt by experience that God doth not miniſter to all men the meanes that are neceſſary to the fulfilling of this condition: For he will not hauehave his Goſpell preached to all, neither doth he giuegive the ſpirit of regeneration to all.
VIII. Finally, what is to be iudged of this generall election, appeares by the conſectaries, and concluſions which are drawne thence; whereof that is the chiefeſt, and farre the worſt, whereby they denie that the number of the elect is certaine, and determined by the will of God, electing; whence it followeth that the election of particular perſons, is not certaine by the will of God: For if it were certaine by the decree of God, that this, or that man, were of the number of the elect, then of ſeuerall perſons ioyned together, the whole ſumme and certaine number would be made vp. But that which Arnoldus ſaith, Arnold P. 192. Numerum ſtatuitis certum eſſe & ex preciſa dei ordinatione determinatum, qui nec angeri n… minui poſſit id que ex eadem ordinatione longe viro aliter Euangelium & vera predeſtinationis doctrina que in genera tantum docet quales ſunt electi.Pag. 192. That the number of the elect may be increaſed or diminiſhed, is ſuch a thing, that there is no good man who doth not tremble at the hearing of it. For what is it in God, to diminiſh the number of the elect, but to change his opinion, and to take from the number of the elect, thoſe which indeede being not ſufficiently well conſidered of, and as hauing caſt his accounts amiſſe, he had brought into the white roule of the elect, which ſhould rather hauehave beene carried into the blacke booke of reprobates?
IX. Of the ſame euill ſtampe, is that of Greuinchouius againſt Ames, Pag. 136. making a halfe, an incompleate, and ſo a reuocable election. In the Scriptures (ſaith hee) men are called elect, 1. incompleately, according to the preſent ſtate, in as much as they are ſuch, to wit, faithfull men for the preſent time, the laſt tearme of their life being excepted, in which, 2. Election is fulfilled. Behold a depending election, by which eueryevery moſt wicked man; is incompleately elect, and the decree of God is incompleate, vntill it be made compleate by man, which ſurely are not, dogmata, but portenta, not doctrines, but monſtrous opinions, which neuer came into the minde of any one, of whom the name of Chriſt is any where heard of.
X. But the Scripture teacheth, that the number of the elect is certaine, Reuel. 6. The ſoules which are vnderunder the Altar are commanded to waite while the number of the brethren is fulfilled; Alſo that which Chriſt ſaith of the ſheepe that were giuen him, euen before their conuerſion, Iohn 10.1. As alſo that he ſaith, that all ſhall come to him, as many as are giuen him by the father; Iohn. 6.37. And that none of his ſheepe can be taken out of his hand, Iohn. 10.28. doe all plainely declare, that the number of them is determined by the purpoſe of God. Saint Luke doth alſo accord, in whom, Chap. 10. v. 20. Chriſt thus ſpeaketh to the Apoſtles: Reioyce not that the ſpirits are ſubiect to you: but rather reioyce that your names are written in heauen. No leſſe expreſſely doth the Apoſtle to the Hebrewes ſpeake, Chap. 12. v. 22.23. where hee calleth the church, the heauenly Ieruſalem, the aſſembly of the firſt borne, which are written in Heauen. Hitherto pertaines that book of life, concerning which it is ſpoken in other places. And, Reuel. 20. where they are ſaid to be caſt into the lake of fire, which are not found written in the booke of life. The Arminians, Pag. 96. of the conference at Hage, doe with a vaine interpretation expound thoſe words of Chriſt: Reioyce that your names are written in the booke of life: For they will not hauehave theſe words to be taken of election to ſaluation, but they will hauehave this to be the ſence of it; Reioyce that according to the preſent ſtate of faith, righteouſneſſe, and obedience, ye are accounted for pious and godly men, yea for the ſonnes of God. O good God, where is modeſty! Here is neyther reaſon nor colour for this. For, to be accounted faithfull by men, is not to hauehave their names written in heauen: Nor was there any cauſe that the Apoſtle ſhould ſo reioyce, becauſe men thought well of them, ſeeing that often times happeneth to him that is moſt wicked; and this had beene much leſſe, then that the diuels did tremble at their voice, and fled from them: which yet Chriſt reckons to be but a ſmall thing, in compariſon of hauing their names written in heauen: Surely that ſpeech, to be written in heauen, is referred not to the opinion of men, but to the purpoſe of God: And this phraſe is taken from the Prophets, with whom, that is ſaid to be written before God, which is faſtened and determined by his decree. So, Eſay 4. v. 3. they are ſaid to be written for life, who were to be preſerued by the purpoſe of God. And Chap. 65.6. Behold it is written before me, I will not keepe ſilence, but will recompence: As if hee ſhould ſay, it is certaine and determined by mee, to reuenge theſe wicked deedes.
XII. I am aſhamed of that ſhift, whereby ſome of them ſay, that therefore the names of the Apoſtles are ſaid to be written in heauen, becauſe they were elected to their Apoſtleſhippe: For ſo the name of Iudas himſelfe was written in heauen; in which reſpect, he had ſo little cauſe to reioyce, that euen his very Apoſtleſhippe turned to his deſtruction. Then alſo we hauehave the words of the Apoſtle to the Hebrewes, which are plainely agreeable to theſe, by which he calleth the faithfull, the firſt begotten, which are written in heauen: which cannot bee drawne to the election to an office, ſeeing it belongeth to all the faithfull and the elect.
XIII. The queſtion of the booke of life is a greater and longer queſtion, not belonging to this place. I am not ignorant, that there is a certaine booke of life, which is not the booke of election, but the Catalogue of them who profeſſe themſelues to be members of the Church, and are viſibly grafted into the couenant, of which book there is mention, Eze. 13.9. Pſal. 69. ver. 29. out of which booke, there is no doubt but ſome are blotted. But when they are throwne headlong into hell, as many as are not written in the booke of life; it is plaine, that in this booke is ſet downe the certaine and determined number of men, who while other are appointed to the fire, they alone are reſerued to life; the number of whom can be encreaſed or diminiſhed no more now then in the laſt iudgement.
XIV. Theſe things concerning that generall and conditionall election. Now let vsus come to the abſolute election of ſeuerall perſons, which the Arminians would hauehave to reſt and depend on the fore-knowledge of faith, and to be made for faith fore-ſeene: The former of theſe elections hath the ſecond place in the ſeries and ranke of the foure decrees laid downe by Armintus; the latter election hath the fourth place; that doth pertaine to the antecedent will of God, this to the conſequent; that doth goe before, this doth follow mans will: Arminius ſaith, that God is diſappointed of that, but cannot be diſappointed of this.