The Anatomy of Arminianism, Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
The ſame Election, in reſpect of Faith fore-ſeene, is confuted by Reaſon.
I. REaſon it ſelfe doth agree to the Scripture: For if perſeuerance in Faith, be conſidered in Election, as a thing already performed, no man is elected but he is conſidered as dead, and as hauing finiſhed his courſe, for no man can be ſaid to hauehave perſeuered vntill the end, but hee which is come vntounto the end.
II. Hence alſo it appeareth, that Arminius is contrary to himſelfe; For hee ſaith, Election is of them that beleeue: But they that are dead ceaſe to beleeue: Therefore, that Arminius might be conſtant to himſelfe, hee ought to ſay, that Election is of them that ceaſe to beleeue, and not of them that beleeue.
III. Alſo if election to glory, be made for ſome fore-ſeene vertue, Chriſt himſelfe, as hee was man, was not predeſtinated to glory: for he was not carried to ſuch a height of glory, for the fore-ſeeing eyther of faith, or workes, or any vertue; for whatſoeuer vertue or holineſſe is in Chriſt, as he is man, doth flow from the perſonall vnion with the diuinity, and from the purity of his conception, by which he was free from originall ſinne. Therefore this his holineſſe cannot be ſaid to be fore-ſeene, but to be decreed. Nor was he predeſtinated for holineſſe, but to holineſſe. And that the election of the head, ſhould be contrary to the election of the members, and that the head ſhould be elected to vertue, the members for vertue, no reaſon doth admit.
IV. Adde to theſe, that while election is ſaid to be for faith fore-ſeene, there is appointed an election, which doth not belong to infants that are taken away by an immature and vntimely death, becauſe they want faith.
V. Yea, election for faith fore ſeene, cannot be called election, but it is an admiſſion and receiuing of them who come to Chriſt by Faith, and of them, who by their free-will, vſing Grace well, doe firſt chooſe God, in whom they put their truſt before they be choſen by God. Chriſt on the contary ſide ſaith, Iohn 15.16. Ye hauehave not choſen me; but I hauehave choſen you. The Arminians, while they contend that it is here ſpoken onelyonly of election to their Apoſt…ſhip, doe not obſcurely confeſſe that this place doth hurt them, if it be there ſpoken of election to ſaluation: their will is therefore in the worke of ſaluation, that God be choſen by man, before man be choſen by God. Goe to then, let vsus grant, that it is here ſpoken onelyonly of election to their Apoſtleſhip, for that doth not a little further our cauſe. For if the Apoſtles were elected to their Apoſtleſhip, not for any fore-ſeene vertue, but were elected to receiue thoſe vertues and gifts, by which they might execute their Apoſtleſhip; it is much more likely, that man is not elected to ſaluation for any fore-ſeene vertue, ſeeing eternall ſaluation is a farre greater benefit then the Apoſtleſhip, and further remoued from the power of man, and more exceeding our capacity, and therefore it is a thing whereunto we hauehave much more neede of the helpe of God, and which is leſſe in the power of mans freewill, then the obtaining of an Apoſtleſhip.
VI. By the ſame doctrine, faith in Chriſt, is made a thing of mans free-will, in the power whereof, it is to vſe grace, or not to vſe it, to beleeue, or not to beleeue, and to vſe, or not to vſe thoſe powers to beleeue, which are giuen vnreſiſtably. Surely Arminius, had neuer ſaid that election had beene for ſaith foreſeene, if he had thought that God had certainely decreed to giuegive faith to ſome certaine men, whom hee elected to ſaluation, for he acknowledgeth no preciſe and neceſſary decree of God of giuing to any one the very act of beleeuing: For this ſpeech were vnapt, God elected Paul becauſe he fore-ſaw that hee would giuegive him Faith: If in election faith be conſidered as already performed, and as that on which election doth reſt, it muſt needes be, that God hath not wrought it: Otherwiſe God ſhould be ſaid to be willing to ſaue a man, becauſe he determined to giuegive him faith; when on the contrary ſide, he doth therefore giuegive faith to one, becauſe he hath decreed by his certaine and immutable will to ſaue him.
VII. What is to be thought of this doctrine, Armin. in Perk. p 283 & 224. Cauſa totalis cur iſte credat iſ…e non, eſt voluntas Dei & liberum arbitrium h…minis.may be gathered by the conſequents which they build on this foundation: ſuch as are theſe; The election of God in this life is not certaine, nor irreuocable; the number of the elect is not certaine and determined by the will and election of God: the grace of God is not the totall cauſe of faith, which is a grieuous ſpeech, and ouerthroweth the foundations of faith, as we hauehave already proued, and hereafter more ſhall be ſpoken of the ſame thing.
VIII. What a thing is it? that by this opinion, no man can beleeue that he is elected: For if any one did beleeue he were elected, hee would beleeue alſo that his faith was after his election. So he that beleeueth he is a man, was a man before he beleeued it: and if faith and perſeuerance in faith, doth goe before election, he who beleeueth in Chriſt, may indeede preſume or hope that he is elected, after he hath perſeuered; but he cannot beleeue that hee is already elected, ſeeing according to Arminius, no man is elected, but after hee hath beleeued, and when he hath ceaſed to beleeue. Hath therefore this pernicious doctrine torne the bowels of the Churches of the Low-Countries, that it might pull out of their mindes he confidence of Election, and that no man, vnleſſe it were impudently and falſely, might beleeue that hee is elected by God to ſaluation?