The Anatomy of Arminianism, Chapter 35
CHAP. XXXV.
The Obiections which the Arminians borrow from the Pelagians and Papiſts, are anſwered. Whether an vnregenerate man doth neceſſarily ſinne; and whether neceſsitie excuſeth the ſinner: Alſo whether God doth command thoſe things which cannot be performed by man.
I. THeſe thornes and difficulties being taken away, wee are to come to the Arguments, or rather Declamations, with which they would odiouſly burden our cauſe. They ſay, that by our doctrine, an vnregenerate man doth neceſſarily ſinne, and nothing but ſinne: That it is not ſinne which is committed neceſſarily, and cannot be auoided. Arminius againſt Perkins, pag. 106. The neceſsity and immutability of ſinning, doth excuſe the ſinne, and doth free from puniſhment the committing of that act. And Arnoldus, pag. 188. Neceſsity doth excuſe the ſinne. It is in vaine commanded, if it be impoſſible to be obayed. God, (ſaith Arnoldus) doth require nothing of vsus, to which he doth not giuegive vsus ſufficient power: yea, (ſaith hee) if God ſhould require of man any thing, and ſhould not giuegive him ſufficient power to doe it, he ſhould gather, where he hath not ſcattered. The ſame things doth Vorſtius reckon vp, pag. 28. Collat… in Piſcat.
II. This Pelagian Colewort, theſe Sectaries do again ſet before vsus, and a thouſand times they ſing one and the ſame ſong, which we muſt needes exactly conſider of, although they boaſt of theſe things, rather for oſtentation and to trouble weake wits, then that they thinke as they ſay.
III. Firſt, we ſay that neceſſity of ſinning doth not excuſe ſinne, if it be voluntary, and if this neceſſity be procured by his owne fault. So Ariſt. Ethic. foreign, &c.3.7. ſaith, that at the firſt, vniuſt and intemperate men had power not to be ſuch; but after that by their owne will they were made ſuch, they cannot but be ſuch; nor are they therefore to be excuſed: Alſo he ſaith, that it is a ſhamefull thing, if one by his drunkenneſſe, ſhould bring blindneſſe vponupon himſelfe. And if it be ſo in the vices of the body, into which, when any one hath fallen by his owne fault, hee doth wiſh he had not fallen into them, and would redeeme it with a great price; how much more is it in the vices of the minde, which ſeeing they are procured by habit and generation, are loued by him who is voluntarily euill? For herein is placed the greateſt part of the diſeaſe, that he which is vicious doth louelove his vices, and will not be amended; for there is a neceſſity which is voluntary, and therefore free; Nor is it ſufficient, to ſay that ſuch a neceſſity is ſpontaneus, and of a mans owne accord, ſeeing euen beaſts, led by inſtinct, are carried of their own accord, & without knowledg: but he that is neceſſarily euill, is euill, not onelyonly of his owne accord, but alſo voluntarily, becauſe it is with ludgement and knowledge: So God is neceſſarily good, but yet freely: and Sathan is neceſſarily euill, but with a moſt free will; and the Saints in heauen are freely good, and yet neceſſarily; for it is not credible, that they hauehave loſt their liberty by their glorification: Nor can it be ſaid, that the Saints in heauen therefore cannot ſinne, becauſe there is no occaſion of ſinning, and no temotation; for the Angels before their fall, had no more occaſion of ſinning: By the very gifts of God wherewith they were abundantly furniſhed, they tooke occaſion of too much louing themſelues, and by it were made more ſlacke to the contemplation of God, ſtaying in the admiration of themſelues; whence came their pride, and from their pride, their rebellion. It muſt needes be, that the neceſſity of the perſeuerance of the Saints, doth reſt on another foundation, to wit, the election of God; who doth furniſh thoſe whom he predeſtinated from eternity, and gaue to Chriſt, with gifts and neceſſary meanes to perſeuere in that ſtate, whereunto they were appointed. Further alſo, there is a certaine viſion and beholding of God, to which, when the creature is admitted, he is neceſſarily transformed into the likeneſſe of God; no otherwiſe then the glaſſe doth burn at the ſunne: Of which viſion it is ſpoken, 1 Iohn 3. We ſhall be like him, becauſe we ſhall ſee him as be is. and Pſal. 17.15. Finally, if hee is vniuſtly puniſhed who doth ſinne neceſſarily, although he ſinne voluntarily, and hath brought vponupon himſelfe the neceſſity of ſinning by his owne fault; then he alſo ſhall vniuſtly hauehave benefits and glory beſtowed and heaped on him who cannot ſinne, and who is neceſſarily good; ſuch as we hauehave proued the Angels and Saints in heauen to be.
IV. Wherefore Saint Auſtin in many places hath not doubted to ſay, that there is in man a neceſſity of ſinning; So Diſput. 2. contra Fortunat. After that man ſinned by his free will, wee who diſcended from his ſtocke, are neceſſarily fallen into a neceſsity of ſinning. And in his booke, de perfect. iuſtitiae. Ratio. 9. Becauſe the will ſinned, there followed the ſinner a hard and forcible neceſsity of ſinning. Arminius differeth from him, whoſe words againſt Perkins, Page 106. are theſe: It is impoſsible that that which one doth freely, he ſhould doe neceſſarily. Yea, Page 144. he is bold to pronounce, that God by all his omn…potency cannot make that that which is done neceſſarily, ſhould be done freely: For it is familiar to this man, as to make lawes to Gods iuſtice, ſo to ſet bounds to his omnipotency.
And if God is neceſſarily good and not freely, Page 106. in Perkit….as Arminius is of opinion, and it be farre more excellent to be good freely then not freely, without doubt man ſhall be better then God, and the blaſphemy of Seneca is to be ſubſcribed to, who in his 53. Epiſtle ſaith, that a wiſe man doth goe before God himſelfe, becauſe man is wiſe by the benefit of nature, but God by his owne. Therefore as God is freely good, and yet cannot but be good; and as Satan is neceſſarily euill, but yet freely and voluntarily, ſo alſo a man that is dead in ſinne, doth neceſſarily ſinne, but yet voluntarily, and therefore freely.
V. In which thing, ſo great is the force of truth, that it often falleth from them vnawares; for Arnoldus eyther vnwittingly or elſe on purpoſe, doth acknowledge this neceſſity of ſinning, Page 394. where, according to Arminius, Idem habet Page 398.he ſaith, That man, vnderunder the ſtate of ſinne, can vnderſtand, will, or doe nothing that is good: And hence it is that he doth neceſsarily ſinne, onleſſe God gratiouſly take away that neceſsity. He doth therfore confeſſe that man ſinneth neceſſarily, before God taketh away that neceſſity of ſinning; and that man ſinneth neceſſarily, euen then when he ſinneth freely. For (as Arminius confeſſeth) it were not ſinne, vnleſſe he ſinned freely. But perhaps Arminius and Arnoldus are of opinion, that God taketh that neceſſity of ſinning from all men: Let vsus therefore heare what Arnoldus in the ſame place doth adde: Arminius (ſaith he) doth determine that God is prepared, for his part, to take away that neceſsity of ſinning. In which words he doth not obſcurely confeſſe that God doth not take that neceſſity from all, but that he is prepared to take it away, if themſelues will; but that hee doth not take it away from all, is our owne fault; as Arnoldus himſelfe doth acknowledge, Page 398. The ſame man, Page 399. according to Arminius doth ſay, That God by little and little, by the grace of his ſpirit, doth free men from this neceſsity of ſinning: It is not therefore preſently taken away; yea it remaineth alwaies in them in whom the grace of the holy Ghoſt, eyther doth not worke, or doth not preuaile. The ſame man, Page 406. doth acknowledge that there is in man an impotency and diſability of reſiſting ſinne, and this impotency, what is it elſe then the neceſſity of ſinning.
VI. Nay, more then this, the Arminians doe ſay, that God doth vnreſiſtably harden ſome men? For I vſe their owne words. Now there is nothing more euident, then that he doth neceſſarily ſinne, who is vnreſiſtably hardned: We hauehave therefore the confeſſion of theſe Sectaries, that there are ſome who ſinne neceſſarily, and whom the neceſſity of ſinning doth not excuſe from their ſinne, becauſe they hauehave contracted this neceſſity to themſelues by their owne fault.
VII. It is a meruaile therefore that the Arminians, who are otherwiſe ingenious, doe ſtumble at this ſtraw, and had rather patronize and maintaine Pelagius, and borrow weapons from him, then yeelde to the Scripture, and to the euidence of truth: For after the ſame manner doth Caeleſtius, a Pelagian, diſpute, in Saint Auſtins booke, de perfect iustitiae-Ratio. 2. Againe (ſaith hee) it is demanded, whether ſinne be of the will, or of neceſsity? If of neceſsity, it is not ſinne: If of the will, it may be auoided. In Arminius therefore we hauehave Pelagius raiſed to life againe.
VIII. We determine therefore, that the neceſſity of ſinne doth excuſe from ſinne, if he that ſinneth hath not procured this neceſſity of ſinning by his owne fault. As alſo if by neceſſity, conſtraint and a greater force of the outward agent be vnderſtood, or a naturall neceſſity appointed to ſome one thing by the creator, and being voide of knowledge, ſuch as is the naturall inclination of heauy things to the center of the earth. But neceſſity doth not excuſe ſinne, if he that ſinneth hath procured on himſelfe that neceſſity of ſinning, and if hee ſinneth wittingly and willingly, and is delighted with that inclination to ſinne.
IX. And that which the Sectaries ſay, that there is no place for puniſhment, if man want the liberty of his free-will, may be admitted, if by libertie of free-will be vnderſtood, foreign, that which is of ones owne accord; In which ſence many of the ancients, eſpecially before Saint Auſtin, doe defend the liberty of free-will: For, whoſoeuer ſinneth, ſinneth of his owne accord. But if by the liberty of freewill be vnderſtood, foreign, an inclination, which is alike free, eyther to good or to euill, in thoſe things which belong to faith and ſaluation, I conſtantly affirme, that man is worthy of puniſhment, although he want this liberty. It is ſufficient to puniſhment, that he doth not onelyonly ſinne of his owne accord, but alſo voluntarily, and that hee himſelfe is the cauſe of his neceſſity of ſinning, and that hee doth applaude and pleaſe himſelfe in this voluntary neceſſitie.
X. Yet the Arminians doe obſtinately perſiſt, and doe maintaine, that it is in vaine commanded, if we baue not power to obey: That exhortations, promiſes, threats, and counſells are in vaine, if none of them can be neither perceiued nor performed by man; for that were as much as if a ſong ſhould be ſung to a deafe man; or as if one ſhould command a blinde man to ſee; or one that is fettered to runne; or as if one ſhould thus ſpeake to the dry bones of them that are dead, be ye conuerted, be ye conuerted, and ſee. This is an old obiection of the Pelagians, as may be ſeene in Saint Auſtin, lib. de perfect. iuſtitiae. Rat 6. & 11. Where Caeleſtius the Pelagian doth thus diſpute: Againe, it is demanded, whether man be commanded to be without ſinne: For eyther hee cannot, and it is not commanded, or becauſe it is commanded hee can: For why ſhould that be commanded, which cannot at all be done? And Rat. 11. Certainely all thoſe things which are forbidden, can as well be auoided, as thoſe things which are commanded can be done: For that in vaine would be forbidden or commanded, which cannot be auoided nor fulfilled. Here is very ſtarke Arminianiſme. Caeleſtius tooke this argument from Cicero, as Saint Auſtin witneſſeth, lib. 5. de ciuitate Dei, Cap. 9. where hee ſaith, That Cicero whileſt by the denying of the fore-knowledge of God hee would make men free, made them ſacrilegious.
XI. I anſwere to theſe things, that precepts, threates, and counſels, &c. are in vaine, if man wanted the faculty of vnderſtanding, and of willing or nilling ſomething of his owne accord, and with reaſon and iudgement. But an vnregenerate man is indued with vnderſtanding, and hath a will which is moued of its owne accord and incitation, and after fore-going knowledge and practicall iudgement. Nor is it alwaies true, that thoſe precepts are giuen in vaine which cannot be fulfilled: For the intemperate man, who by cuſtome hath brought on himſelfe inſenſibleneſſe, and cannot temper himſelfe from luſt and ſurfeiting, is yet tyed by the lawes of ſobrietie and temperance. Neither is it any doubt, but that the diuell, who is neceſſarily euill, and vnfit to yeelde obedience to God, is bound to obey God; for otherwiſe he ſhould not ſinne in being an enemy to God: So from a debtor, which hath conſumed at dice a great ſome of money which he tooke vp at vſe, that which he oweth is not in vaine nor vniuſtly required, nor can the creditor loſe his right by the wickedneſſe of the debtor. Seeing therefore, that man by his owne fault procured on himſelfe the diſability of performing that which God would hauehave done, God doth not vainely and vniuſtly require from him the obedience which he oweth: For it is not equall that the ſinne of man ſhould profit him, and that therefore he ſhould be lawleſſe, becauſe he corrupted himſelfe with his owne wickedneſſe, and brought vponupon himſelfe the diſability of paying to God the debt of nature, which God doth require of man, conſidered not as a ſinner, nor yet as iuſt, but ſimply as hee is a debtor, and in as much as he is a creature ſubiect and bound to obedience. After the ſame manner, that a creditour requiring his debt, doth not conſider the debtor as he is poore, or as he is rich, but ſimply as he is a debtor: God making his law, doth conſider man after this manner, and ſo he doth conſider him, when he doth adde promiſes and threates to the Law, ſaying, Doe this, and thou ſhalt liue. And chooſe good, that thou maiſt liue, &c. And make ye a new heart, for why will ye die O houſe of Iſraell? Ezech. 18. He is deceiued, ſurely he is deceiued; who thinketh that the commandements of God are the meaſure of our ſtrength, ſeeing they are the rule of our dutie: For in the law we doe not learne what we are able to doe, but what wee ought to doe; nor what now we are able, but what heretofore we were able to doe, and from what a height of iuſtice we fell by the fall of Adam.
XII. The Scripture doth ſupply moſt forcible proofes for this thing. Saint Paul, Philip. 2.12. doth command vsus to worke out our ſaluation with feare and trembling; but preſently after leſt it ſhould be thought that this can be performed by vsus, becauſe it is commanded, he doth adde; It is God which worketh in you both to will and to doe, of his good pleaſure. Thus Ezech. 18.31. Make you a new heart, and a new ſpirit. But leſt any ſhould thinke that this is a thing of our free-will, in the thirty ſixt Chapter of the ſame Prophecy, God ſpeaketh thus: I will take away the ſtony heart out of you, fleſh, and giuegive you a new heart. Thus Ioel 11. Be ye conuerted to mee with your whole heart; yet Ieremy, Chap. 31.18. doth acknowledge that the conuerſion of a ſinner is the gift of God; Turne mee O Lord, and I ſhall be turned. And the laſt of the Lamentations, Turne vsus O Lord, and we ſhall be turned. So Deut. 10.16. God doth thus ſpeake to the people: Circumciſe the fore-skinne of your heart; yet Chapter 30.6. it is declared who doth worke it: The Lord thy God will circumciſe thy heart. Thus Chriſt, Iohn 14.1. commands vsus to beleeue in him, and yet hee ſaith, no man can come to him, except the father draw him, Iohn 6 44. and that by comming hee meaneth beleeuing, he himſelfe teacheth, v. 35. He that commeth to me ſhall not hunger, and he that beleeueth in me ſhall neuer thirſt. And, Phil. 1. Epheſ. 2. wee are taught that faith, and the act of beleeuing is from God. Finally, the Scripture will hauehave men to gaine their bread by the ſweat and labour of their hands, and yet neuertheleſſe, wee are commanded to aske our daily bread of God, becauſe the foode of the body, is the gift of God, but that which hee doth giuegive to him that worketh: For the bleſſing of God doth not come on idleneſſe, but on labour. That I may not ſay many things: Doth not God require perfect obedience from the vnregenerate? Yes, and from the heathen, to whom Chriſt was neuer knowne: And yet if one ſhould ſay that they might be perfectly iuſt, and altogether without ſinne, he ſhould attribute that to vnbeleeuers, which neuer happened to any faithfull man. Doth not Arminius himſelfe acknowledge that ſome are vnreſiſtably hardned, from whom yet God doth require perfect obedience?
XIII. Neither doth God therefore command in vaine, or are his precepts to no purpoſe: For God in commanding, exhorting, threatning, &c. doth affect man with the ſence of his ſinne; hee doth teach man his debt; what once hee could doe, and whence he fell: Alſo he doth propound a rule of iuſtice, leſt any one ſhould pretend ignorance for his ſinnes: Finally, he doth ioyne to his word the efficacy of the ſpirit, and he doth, as it were, arme and head it, and make it ſharpe and effectuall. It is not in vaine to command him that is fettered to runne, if by that commandement his fetters are looſed. It is not in vaine to command a blinde man to ſee, if by thoſe words wherewith this is commanded, the eyes of him that is blinde are opened: For the words of God doe work that in vsus, which they command vsus to do: They doe ſo command that they doe alſo worke; as his words in the creation: God commandeth that which he would hauehave done, but hee giueth alſo that which he commandeth: and it is profitable for man to be preſſed downe with the intollerable burthen of the Law, which doth exceede his ſtrength, that he might the more couetouſly embrace the remedies offred in Chriſt. Excellently to this purpoſe Saint Auſtin, lib. de corrept. & gratia. cap. 3. O man, in the commandement know what thou oughteſt to doe: in the word of correction and reproofe, know that by thine owne fault thou haſt not that thou oughteſt to hauehave: in prayer, know whence thou mayeſt receiue what thou wouldſt hauehave. And in his booke, de ſpiritu & litera. God doth not meaſure his precepts by the strength of man, but where he commands that which is right, hee doth freely giuegive to his elect ability of fulfilling it.
XIV. The ſimilitudes which theſe Sectaries vſe to procure enuie to vsus, are plainly contrary, and nothing to the purpoſe: They ſay, it is to no purpoſe to blame the blinde man, becauſe he doth not ſee, although he hath pulled out his owne eyes; or to vrge him to worke, who hath cut off his owne hands. Concerning him that is blinde, I anſwere, that this example is brought by them vnproperly; for no blinde man, whether he is blinde by his owne fault, or by anothers, is bound to ſee: But hee that by his owne fault, is made wicked, and vnable to obey God, is yet bound to obey him: No man is bound to exerciſe naturall functions after they hauehave ceaſed; but the bond whereby the creature is bound to the Creator, can be wiped out by no occaſion, much leſſe by the wickedneſſe of man. But if any blinde man, had rather be blinde, then ſee, and ſhould refuſe the remedies offred, ſhould he not iuſtly be blamed? Such is the condition of man in the ſtate of ſinne; for he is not onelyonly neceſſarily euill, but he will not be good, and he is delighted with his wickedneſſe.
XV. The ſimilitude of him who hath willingly cut off his owne hands, hath the ſame defects; Wherevnto this is to be added; that the hands may be cut off, but the will, which is here ſignified by the hands, cannot be cut off: For eueryevery moſt wicked man, is endued with a will, by which hee is alwayes bound to worſhip and louelove God, although he hath corrupted it. Finally, the ſimilitudes of naturall and ciuill things, are for the moſt part very vnfitly and abſurdly drawn to morall things, and to religion. By the like reaſon, that ridiculous ſimilitude of a man ſpeaking to dry bones is diſ…olued; for theſe bones are not bound to moue themſelues, but an vnregenerate man is bound to beleeue, and to obey.
XVI. Arnoldus, page 136. hath theſe words; We ſee (ſaith hee) that the Scripture doth often ſay, that he which doth beleeue and is conuerted, doth ſeperate himſelfe from euill, doth purge, quicken, ſanctifie, ſaue, and circumciſe himſelfe, doth make him a new heart, doth put on the new man, &c. Whence hee doth gather, that it may be ſaid, that man doth ſeperate himſelfe, although the Apoſtle ſaith, Who ſeperateth thee? vnderſtanding none but God. The places noted in the margent, whereby the proueth theſe things, are theſe, Ezech. 18.31. Make you a new heart, and a new ſpirit. Iam. 1.27 Pure religion, is to keepe himſelfe vnſpotted from the world. 1 Pet. 1.22. Wee are commanded to purifie our ſoules. 2 Tim. 2.21. If any one purge himſelfe, he ſhall be a veſſell vntounto honour, ſanctified, &c. Luke 17.33. Whoſoeuer ſhall looſe his life, ſhall preſerue it. Deut. 10.16. Circumciſe the fore-ſkinne of your heart. All which places are beſides the purpoſe, for they doe not ſay, that which Arnoldus doth apply to them, to wit, that theſe things are done by vsus, but they onelyonly commanded them to be done: and I meruaile how ſo great a negligence hath crept on a man of a ſharpe and acute wit: Yea, if theſe places ſhould ſay that man gaue himſelfe a new heart, that he did ſanctifie, and quicken, and ſaue himſelfe, yet it would not thence follow, that theſe things are done by our free-will; for it is familiar to the Scripture to ſay, that thoſe are done by vsus, which God doth worke by vsus: Thus man openeth to God, knocking, Reuel. 2.20. Thus the Apoſtles raiſed the dead: Thus the Paſtors of the Church forgiue ſins, Mat. 18. Iohn 21. Thus they ſaue ſoules, 1 Tim. 4.16. When yet without wickedneſſe, they cannot arrogate to themſelues the title of the Sauiour of ſoules.
XVII. And whether this doctrine tendeth of the concurrence of free-will with grace, and of the faculty whereby man may beleeue, & vſe grace if he will, or not beleeue & refuſe grace, and the totall cauſe of faith is aſſigned not to grace alone, but to grace with freewill; whether, I ſay, this doctrine, drawne out of the ditches and puddles of the Semipelagians, doth tend, it is eaſie to know: For it tendeth thither, that mans merits might cloſely be brought in, as it were by vndermining wayes: For a though theſe Sectaries doe at the firſt view, ſeeme to beare a hatred to merits, yet in many places, they doe eſtabliſh them. The Epiſtle againſt the Walachrians, hath theſe words, pag. 44. Thoſe whom God calleth, and to whom he doth before hand vouchſafe the grace of preaching, we confeſſe for the moſt part, to be ſuch men, that their vertues doe deſerue no leſſe then this free beſtowing of gifts. Behold then, ſome men who deſerue the beſtowing of the gifts of God, and that before regeneration. Arnoldus, pag. 328. God giueth to the creature, performing obedience, that which is theirs of due. Arminius againſt Perkins, pag. 218. God, of his promiſe, and of due debt, doth giuegive life to him that worketh. And Arnoldus, pag. 433. doth ſpeake of ſome, who by the helpe of grace, doe not make themſelues vnworthy, and doe not deſerue that the ſpirit ſhould ceaſe to worke in them.
XVIII. It liketh me well, for a corollary, to ſet downe here the famous ſentence of Saint Auſtin, ad Simplicium, queſt. 2. This is manifeſt, that we will in vaine vnleſſe God ſhew mercy; but I doe not know how it can be ſaid, that God ſheweth mercy in vaine, vnleſſe we doe will; for if God hath mercy, we are willing, becauſe it belongeth to that mercy, that we ſhould be willing: for it is God that doth worke in vsus to will and to doe, of his good will. And in the ſame place; The effect of the mercy of God cannot be in the power of man, that he ſhould in vaine hauehave mercy, if man be vnwilling, becauſe if he will hauehave mercy on them, he can call them after that manner that is fit for them that they ſhould be moued, and vnderſtand, and follow.