The Anatomy of Arminianism, Chapter 37
CHAP. XXXVII.
Of the diſtinction of grace, into ſufficient, and effectuall grace.
I. THe diſtinction of grace into ſufficient and into effectuall grace, is an old & worne diſtinction in the Schooles: But effectuall grace is taken two wayes. For it doth either ſignifie, that grace which is apt and fit to effect and worke; as when we call that medicine effectuall, and that remedy forcible, which although it be not taken by the ſicke man yet is apt and fit to heale: Or we call that grace effectuall, which doth effect and worke in act; in which ſence, effectuall is vſed for efficient, and the efficacy is vſed for the effect, or for the efficiency. The Philoſophers ſay, that there is a double efficient cauſe, one in power, as the Architect and the Phyſitian; another in act, as hee that buildeth, and hee that cureth: Hence proceedeth that double acceptation of the word, efficacy.
II. The Papiſts thinke, that there is ſufficient aide to conuerſion giuen to all men: with which aide, they may ſo cooperate with the helpe of their free-will, that they may be conuerted, although there come no other effectuall aide: And by effectuall grace, they vnderſtand that grace which is efficient, and doth bring forth its effect.
III. The Arminians, who in the queſtion of grace and free-will, doe ſo dreſſe and trimme vp Popery, as the Papiſts doe Pelagianiſme, doe often vſe that diſtinction of ſufficient and effectuall grace; but with ſuch a floating ſpeech, and affected ambiguity, that it is hard to know what is effectuall grace with them. Arminius againſt Perkins, pag. 245. doth ſay, that that is effectuall grace, which doth in very deede worke the effect; and hee doth bring theſe examples: God was able to make many worlds, but hee did it not effectually; Chriſt was able to ſaue all men, but he did it not effectually: Which ſpeech is certainely abſurd, and deſerueth to be laughed at; for he ſpeaketh, as if God did ſomething not effectually, or as if hee had created many worlds ineffectually: For in ſtead of to doe effectually, hee ought to hauehave ſimply ſaid, to doe, or to make.
IV. But Arnoldus being as Diomedes, melior patre, better then his father, doth forſake Arminius: For he, pag. 397. hath theſe words; That thing is ſaid to be effectuall, not which doth effect any thing, but which is ſo powerfull to doe ſomething, as is an effectuall remedy, and forcible meanes. Thus the Patrons of errour, are fallen out betweene themſelues. But here I am bound to patronize and maintaine Arminius againſt his Scholler: For if effectuall grace be taken for that which doth effect and worke in act, then this diſtinction of grace into ſufficient and effectuall may be admitted; becauſe there are many things of ſufficient power to worke, which yet doe not worke in act; as the abſent Phyſitian, and the ſleeping Phyloſopher: But it cannot be ſaid, that one grace is ſufficient to worke, and another is fit and apt to worke, for theſe two are both one; neither can any thing be ſpoken more abſurd…y, then that there is ſome grace ſufficient, which is not fit to worke: That cannot be an efficient cauſe, which is not of ſufficient power.
V. Therefore according to Arminius, the meanes to faith and ſaluation are adminiſtred to all ſufficiently, but not effectually and efficiently. But according to Arnoldus, God doth adminiſter theſe meanes to all men, both ſufficiently and effectually; for he had rather take efficacy for aptitude and fitneſſe to worke, then for efficiency and the working it ſelfe; that he might ſay, that the efficacy of grace doth not depend on free-will: For if he had taken efficacy for efficiency, then he muſt hauehave ſaid, that the efficacy of grace doth depend on free-will: For the Schoole and followers of Arminius, doe hold this by the teeth, and doe cry out with one mouth, that the effect or efficiency of grace, doth depend on free-will. God indeede doth giuegive grace and ſufficient power to conuerſion, but that man is conuerted, or not conuerted in act, is in the power of free-will. Arnoldus doth teach this at large, 447. We determine (ſaith hee) that the vſe of grace is ſubiect to mans will, ſo that man may vſe it, or not vſe it, according to his naturall liberty: And a little after, ſpeaking of a man furniſhed with the power of grace, hee ſaith, that the effect of the mercy of God, is in the power of man. And pag. 448. he teacheth, that if efficacy be taken for efficiency, man maketh grace ineffectuall: For Arnoldus was aſhamed to adde the other member, and to ſay that man made grace effectuall or ineffectuall; and yet there are other places brought by vsus out of their writings, which are equipollent and of like force with this ſpeech: as alſo that which he ſaith, pag. 449. Man, if he be not wanting to himſelfe, may conuert himſelfe. The Reader therefore ſhall marke how peſtilent this doctrine is (which the ARminians, reſtrained as it were with ſhame, doe ſcarce at any time vtter without ambiguities;) That the grace of God is effectuall (that is, efficient and working,) it is to be attributed to free-will, and the efficiency of the grace of God is ſubiected to the will of man. By which ſpeech they meane this; that God doth ſaue man, if man himſelfe will, for this it is to depend on mans will.
VI. The Orthodoxe Churches doe much differ from this doctrine: For how can we be conuerted by the grace of God, if wee will, ſeeing that this very thing that we are willing, is the grace of God, yea, it is conuerſion it ſelfe? For he that doth ſeriouſly deſire to be conuerted to God, is already in ſome part conuerted. But of theſe things we hauehave already ſpoken much, and more ſhall be ſpoken, when wee treate of the manner by which the grace of God doth certainely worke conuerſion in vsus, which manner, the Arminians call (by an odious and rude word) irreſiſtibilitie.
VII. But in the tearme of ſufficient grace, they doe not onelyonly differ one from another, but eueryevery one of them differeth from himſelfe: For they will hauehave ſufficient grace to beleeue, & power of beleeuing to be giuen to all particular men. *Arnal p 405. Licet ſit generalis gratiae quod homines dons iſtis peſſint recte vti. tamen quod actu recte ijs vtantur à ſpeciali gratia eſt. Potentia eniminactum non producitur niſi per auxilium alterius gratiae ſubſiquentis, quae ſpecialis eſt quia non omnibus contingis.And yet the ſame men ſay, that no man can beleeue in act, and vſe well this vniuerſall grace, without ſpeciall grace. O your faithfull ſtability! Can that be called ſufficient grace, which doth neuer bring forth that effect for which it is giuen, vnleſſe ſome other ſpeciall grace come to it? Is that a ſufficient cauſe, which doth neuer worke alone? Or is any thing leſſe agreeable to reaſon, then with Arminius, to make one kinde of grace, which is ſufficient, by which the ſinner may be conuerted, but is not conuerted, and another which is effectuall, by which the ſinner is conuerted? Is it not of the ſame power and faculty to be able to doe, and to doe? to be able to ſee, and to ſee? Surely, a giddineſſe hath ceaſed on theſe men, while they ſtudy for ſubtiltie.
VIII. I am deceiued, if Vorſtius did not diſcerne this; and therefore in the twentie and twentie one ſections, Collat. cum Piſcat. he doth make two kindes of grace, one ſufficient and altogether neceſſary, which God doth giuegive to all them that are called: the other extraordinary, ſuperabounding, and ſingular, by which men are indeede conuerted; and hee doth reiect them that ſay none at all are conuetted by that former grace: For (he ſaith) that God hath not promiſed to conuert all that are conuerted, with this more then ſufficient helpe, and ſuperabounding efficacy of grace.
IX. But we taking the tearme of effectuall grace, for that grace which is apt and fit to worke that for which it is giuen and appointed, doe acknowledge no ſufficient grace which is not effectuall, that is, apt to worke that for which it is giuen and appointed, whether it doth effect and worke alone, or with others; which I do purpoſely adde, becauſe oftentimes to one effect and perfect action, many cauſes doe concurre; as to Learning, Nature Art, and exerciſe doe concurre; to the fer…i…ity and fruitfulneſſe of the field, the goodneſſe of the ſoile the ſunne, raine, and conuenient manuring doe concurre.
X. And ſeeing that in the concourſe of cauſes, to the producing of one effect, there are certaine cauſes, that doe not onelyonly worke with others, but which doe alſo worke by others, and doe giuegive efficacie and power to the adioyning cauſes: So in the conuerſion of man, the holy Ghoſt, and the preaching of the word, doe concurre, but the ſpirit doth giuegive efficacy to the word: For in vaine are the eares beaten on, vnleſſe God open the heart, and with the word, doth inſpire his ſecret power.
XI. And we acknowledge that there is no grace abſolutely ſufficient, eyther to conuerſion, or to faith, or to ſaluation, without the ſpirit of regeneration, and knowledge of Chriſt. And we condemne the ſchoole of Arminius, teaching that all men, euen the heathens, to whom the name of Chriſt hath not come, are indued with ſufficient and ſauing grace, to come to faith, and by it to ſaluation.
XII. Yet the outward meanes to ſaluation, that are largely adminiſtred without the inward efficacy of the holy Spirit, may in ſome meaſure be called ſufficient grace, not onelyonly becauſe they ſuffice to make them inexcuſable, but alſo becauſe theſe meanes ought to ſuffice to come to ſaluation, if man were ſuch as he ought to be. For if any thing is wanting to that grace, the defect is bred on his part who is called, not on his part who calleth, who, by the rule of iuſtice, is not bound to ſupply inward diſpoſitions, becauſe man is bound to giuegive them of his owne, and to bring them of himſelfe: Nor is God bound to reſtore them to man, after man hath loſt them by his owne fault: Therefore God doth iuſtly ſay, Eſay 5. What ought I to hauehave done more to my vineyard, that I hauehave not done to it? For, ſpeaking after the manner of men, God is ſaid that he ought to doe that which his iuſtice doth require, and which if he ſhould not doe, there would ſeeme to be cauſe of expoſtulating: But that God doth there ſpeake of the outward meanes, doth hence appeare, becauſe he compareth the benefits beſtowed vponupon Iſrael, to a planting in a fruitfull place, to a digging, to fencing with a hedg, to gathering out ſtones, and to the building of a Tower: But there is no mention of the ſecret vegetation and growth of it, of the fauourable fitneſſe of the ayre, of the ſeaſonable raine, which are things rather of an inward and ſecret power. Furthermore to that queſtion whereby it is demanded, whether God doth giuegive to ſeuerall men ſufficient grace, this place of the fift of Eſay is not properly brought; where it is not ſpoken of that ſufficient grace which God doth offer or giuegive to ſeuerall men, but of that which he giueth to a whole nation: For the gift of the ſpirit and the power of beleeuing, which Arminius will hauehave to be giuen to ſeuerall men, is a gift which is giuen to particular men ſeuerally, and not to a whole nation taken together. But concerning this ſufficient grace, a particular Treatiſe is to be made.