The Anatomy of Arminianism, Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
Election for faith fore-ſeene is confuted by places taken out of the Goſpell of Saint Iohn.
THis contention will ceaſe, if we ſtand to the teſtimony of Chriſt himſelfe; in the Goſpell according to Saint Iohn, hee faith many things which cut this knot, and leaue no place for doubting.
I. Iohn 6 37. he thus ſpeaketh to the Iewes, Whatſoeuer my father giueth me, ſhall come to me: To come to Chriſt, is to beleeue; for ſo Chriſt himſelfe expounds it, verſe 35. He that commeth to me, ſhall not hunger, and he that beleeueth in me ſhall neuer thirſt: He might hauehave ſaid in both places; Hee that commeth ſhall not hunger, nor ſhall thirſt; but in the latter place he puts beleeue, for come, that wee might know that we come to Chriſt by beleeuing. The meaning therefore of Chriſt is, that thoſe that are giuen him by the father, will beleeue in him.; and they are giuen to the ſonne, who are therefore giuen, that hee might ſaue them, and they might be his flocke. The ſenſe therefore of theſe words, whatſoeuer my father giueth to me, ſhall come, is this, Whoſoeuer my father giueth me to be ſaued, ſhall beleeue in me. They are giuen then to Chriſt, before they can come, or can beleeue; for therefore they come to Chriſt, and beleeue, becauſe they are giuen him. But Arminius will hauehave them beleeue before they be giuen, for he will hauehave them to be elected, and therefore to be giuen to Chriſt for faith fore-ſeene. Chriſt ſaith that therefore they come, becauſe they are giuen him: the ſectaries on the contrary ſay, that therefore they are giuen, becauſe they come.
In another place, the head-ſtrong obſtinacy of theſe men, doth no leſſe diſcouer it ſelfe, by them who are giuen to Chriſt; they would hauehave the faithfull to be vnderſtood, as if Chriſt had ſaid, he that beleeueth in me will come to me. But we hauehave already proued, that to come, is the ſame that it is to beleeue. The ſence therefore of theſe words of Chriſt, according to Arminius, will be this; Whoſoeuer doth beleeue, ſhall beleeue in me: Adde to theſe, that ſeeing in the Arminian election, faith and perſeuerance in faith is conſidered as already performed, and therefore they that are elected, are conſidered as dead, or in the very limits of life and death; they cannot be ſaid to come, who hauehave not already meaſured out the courſe of their life. Neither by them who are giuen to Chriſt, can be vnderſtood thoſe which firſt gaue themſelues to Chriſt; for this were not to giuegive themſelues to the ſonne, but to be willing that the ſonne ſhould receiue them comming to him. He indeede receiueth thoſe that come, but they therfore come, becauſe Chriſt draweth them; as he himſelfe ſaith, verſe 44. No man can come to me, vnleſſe the father, that ſent me, draw him.
The Arminian conferrers at the Hage, pag. 87. doe ſuſpect, that by thoſe that are giuen to the ſonne, are to be vnderſtood, not the faithfull, but thoſe that are giuen to beleeue. But ſeeing the Arminians are of opinion, that the reprobates alſo are giuen to beleeue, and that God doth ſeriouſly intend their faith and ſaluation, they ſhould be falſely ſaid, that they were to come to Chriſt, that is, that they wil beleeue, as many as are giuen him to beleeue. The very words of Chriſt doe affirme, and common ſenſe doe conuince this, that by thoſe that are giuen to Chriſt, are vnderſtood his flocke, and therefore the elect: for as much as thoſe that are giuen to Chriſt, are here ſeuered from thoſe that are not giuen.
II. Iohn 8.47. Ye therefore heare not, becauſe ye are not of God: They therefore which heare and beleeue, doe therefore heare and beleeue, becauſe they are of God; and to be of God, what is it elſe, then to belong to God? As on the contrary part, verſe 44. they are ſaid to be of the diuell, who belong to the diuell. Seeing then that Chriſt himſelfe doth witneſſe, that therefore ſome men beleeue, becauſe they belong to God; who doth not ſee, that it muſt needes be, that they firſt belong to God, before they beleeue, for as much as to belong to God, is the cauſe why they beleeue?
III. Nor is there leſſe force in the words of Chriſt, Iohn 10.26. Yee beleeue not, becauſe yee are not of my ſheepe: They then who beleeue, doe therefore beleeue, becauſe they are of the ſheepe of Chriſt: Not according to Arminius, who would therefore hauehave them to be of the ſheepe of Chriſt, becauſe they beleeue. It pleaſeth the Arminians to hauehave the faithfull vnderſtood by the ſheepe of Chriſt, and I doe not deny, but that the ſheepe of Chriſt, are they which beleeue; but I deny that the word ſheepe, can be ſo taken in this place: For ſo an vnſauory tantalogy and vaine repetition ſhould be put vponupon Chriſt; ye beleeue not, becauſe ye beleeue not. This is a declaration of it, that a little before he called thoſe alſo his ſheepe, which were not yet conuerted: Other ſheepe I hauehave, which are not of this fould, them alſo I muſt bring, and they ſhall heare my voice.
IV. So, Iohn 17.6. I hauehave manifeſted thy name vntounto them which thou gaueſt me: Therefore firſt they were giuen, before Chriſt declared to them the name of God, by which declaration they receiued faith. The Arminian conferrers at the Hage, pag. 87. thinke that it is here ſpoken of the Apoſtles, who did already beleeue; but they proue nothing by it: for this being granted, yet that ſtands which I maintaine, that the Apoſtles were firſt giuen to Chriſt, before he had declared himſelfe to them. But that it is not here ſpoke of the Apoſtles alone, Chriſt himſelfe doth expreſly witneſſe, verſe 20. Neither pray I for theſe alone, but for them alſo which ſhall beleeue on me, through their word. And ſeeing that ver. 9. they are oppoſed to the world, it appeares that theſe things are to be extended to all the faithfull: Vnleſſe, perhaps the Schoole and followers of Arminius, doe thinke that the Apoſtles alone are they that are not of the world, and that they alone are exempted from the curſe of the world. Furthermore, ſeeing there is no part of the Scripture which doth bring more comfort, nor doth more vphold our faith, ſtriuing with temptations, then this diuine and large prayer of Chriſt, becauſe the petitions of Chriſt, making interceſſion for vsus, are ſo many ſecret promiſes and declarations of the good will of the father, which doth alwaies agree with the petition of the ſonne; let the Arminians ſee with what ſpirit they are led, and why with ſo great diligence they endeauour to defraud vsus of that comfort, which is certainely taken from vsus, if this Prayer of Chriſt doth intercede for the Apoſtles alone; and if the Apoſtles onelyonly be meant by thoſe that are giuen vntounto Chriſt.