The Anatomy of Arminianism, Chapter 38
CHAP. XXXVIII
The opinion of the Arminians concerning vniuerſall grace, which is alſo called ſufficient grace.
I. IN that Series, and ranke of the foure decrees, in which the Arminians doe comprehend their whole doctrine of Predeſtination, the third decree was this, whereby they ſay, that God decreed to adminiſter and ſupply the meanes neceſſary to faith and repentance, ſufficiently on all and ſeuerall men. Arnoldus will hauehave theſe meanes to be effectually adminiſtred to all, becauſe by efficacy hee vnderſtandeth aptitude and fitneſſe to effect and worke.
II. Not that theſe Sectaries will hauehave the meanes to faith and ſaluation to be equally adminiſtred to all: For they will hauehave them to be ſupplied to ſome more ſparingly, to ſome more liberally, yet to all, in that meaſure that may ſuffice to beleeue, if they will, and by which all men are diſpoſed to viuification, ſo that it is not hindred by God, but that all men may hauehave faith, and by beleeuing be ſaued.
III. And they thinke that God doth irreſiſtably giuegive to all men the *Arnold page 407.power of beleeuing: But not the act of beleeuing it ſelfe, whereunto although God doth giuegive ſufficient grace to all men, yet they will hauehave it to be in the power of free-will to vſe this grace, or not to vſe it, to beleeue or not to beleeue: For God doth not *Arnold page 336. Di…at Arminius gratiam quia facultas credindi datur quam plurimis, dicat omnibu… commun…m eſſe, an proinde nega… gratiam eſſe? Arminius in Perkinſ. p. 256. 257. Quanti refutatio tu…? Quid enim ſi quis dicat omnes in vniuerſum homin…s habere potentie… credendt & ſalu…m conſequ…ndi ſ… velint? Et hanc ipſam potentiam eſſe naturaeh minum dium …as collatam, quo tuo argumento confutabis illum.ſupply theſe ſufficient meanes by a preciſe intention of ſauing any particular perſon; but he doth miniſter to all and particular men, thoſe means which ſuffice to ſhew that God doth ſeriouſly, & from his heart deſire the ſaluatiō of al men, & that it is not hindred by him, but that all men ſhold be ſaued.
IV. They ſay moreouer, that there are ſome men to whom this ſufficient grace is adminiſtred more ſparingly, to whom, notwithſtanding, God is prepared to giuegive more meanes, if they will vſe thoſe well which they hauehave; according to that ſpeech, To him that hath it ſhall be giuen. Theſe are the words of Arminius againſt Perkins, Page 259. & 260. The Gentiles while they were made deſtitute of the knowledge of God, yet God hath not left them without a teſtimony, but euen at that time, he made knowne to them ſome truth concerning his power and goodneſſe, he alſo preſerued the law engrauen in their mindes, which good things if they had rightly vſed, at leaſt from their conſcience, hee would hauehave giuen them greater grace, according to that ſaying: to him that hath ſhall be giuen. Neither doe they doubt, to ſay that the Gentiles, deſtitute of the knowledge of the Goſpell, may as well come to thoſe good things which are offered in the Goſpell, as thoſe to whom the Goſpell is preached. Heare the words of Arnoldus, Pa. 105.106. which when I read I trembled at: Although (ſaith he) many nations are deſtitute of the ordinary preaching of the Goſpell, yet they are not preciſely excluded from the grace of the Goſpell, but alwaies the good things which are offered in the Goſpell doe remaine equally propounded to them as to the rest, who doe enioy the priuiledge of the preaching of it, ſo that they performe the conditions of the couenant. Oh *Arnold. page 360. Deus indiſcriminati… ſtatuit media ad finem adminiſtrare. Et page 372. Etiam Ethnicis ante adnentum Chriſti media ad fidem in Chriſtum ſufficienter & efficaciter adminiſtrata. Et page 443. Deus nihil a nobis exigit ad qued vires ſufficientes non det. Ibid Si peteres ab homine aliquid nec daret ad obliquendum colligeret vbi non ſparſit.the faith of God and men! Hath Satan ſo much liberty, that in this light of the Goſpell he ſhould ſtirre vp men, who ſhould openly teach and write, and that vnderunder a pretence of piety, that an entrance into heauen doth lie open, and that ſaluation is propounded as well to heathens and infidels, to whom not ſo much as the name of Chriſt is knowne, as to thoſe to whom Chriſt is preached? But of theſe things hereafter. But by the way it is to be obſerued, how this man doth confute thoſe things which himſelfe hath laid downe, and by the adding of an abſurd, and impoſſible clauſe, doth deſtroy thoſe things which he had builded vp: For he ſaith that ſaluation, is no leſſe propounded to heathen men, then to Chriſtians, ſo that they fulfill the conditions of the Couenant: Theſe conditions are, Faith, and Repentance; but how ſhould he beleeue in Chriſt, who is ignorant of Chriſt? how ſhould he repent to whom God hath not giuen the ſpirit of regeneration? Thus is the Reader openly deluded.
V. Nay what ſhall wee ſay to this, that they doe not onelyonly affirme, that God doth giuegive ſufficient grace and power of beleeuing to all men, but that alſo they contend, that God is bound and tied to giuegive this grace, and they make lawes to God himſelfe. That there is danger leſt an action of iniuſtice ſhould be entred againſt God, or that he had no reaſon of his iuſtice, vnleſſe ſome one of the Arminian ſect, had helped him with profitable counſell. Arnoldus, page 262. hath theſe words: God when hee doth propound the new couenant of grace, and doth promiſe remiſsion of the fault committed, vnderunder the condition of new obedience, hee is moſt of all bound to giuegive power, whereby man may fulfill that condition: For otherwiſe it cannot be iudged that God doth ſeriouſly offer this grace. Boldly, and imperiouſly ſpoken. His affinia habet Vorſtius, Collat cū Piſcat. Sect. 19. Vuelferi verba hac ſunt, lib de offici… hominis Chriſtiani. F. 3. Cauſa huius erroris eſt quod creditum fuit nullum ſalutarem & iuſtificantem fidem vnquam ſuiſſe niſi fidem in Chriſtum. Vide Bertium. Diſcept. Epiſt. 73. & 67.The cauſe of this aſſertion hee doth render, page 443. God (ſaith he) doth ſhew that he will not be loaden with this vniuſt ſuſpition, that hee ſhould require any thing from vsus, to the performing whereof hee will not giuegive vsus ſufficient power. And this hee ſaith is ſhewed by God, when hee teacheth that hee doth not gather where hee hath not ſcattered.
VI. Nor is the audacity of Verſtius leſſe, Collat. cum piſcat. Sect. 8. God (ſaith he) by the law of his nature, that is, of his naturall iuſtice, goodneſſe, and prouidence, is alwaies bound, at the leaſt to will thoſe good things to men, without which they cannot eyther be men, or ſimply attaine to that end which is propounded to them by God. Behold men that are ready to giuegive ſentence vponupon God himſelf, if he ſhall do any thing that is not equall, or is againſt that rule of iuſtice laid downe by them. It cannot be ſaid how much theſe things doe differ from Chriſtian modeſty: Surely if thoſe things were true which they affirme, it were the part of pious and prudent men to keepe in theſe things, leſt they ſhould ſeeme to goe about, eyther to preſcribe ſomething to God in the worke of ſaluation, or to put God in mind of his dutie.
VII. This doctrine doth reſt on two falſe principles. Firſt; that God doth require nothing of man, which cannot be performed by man. Secondly; that the condition of the new couenant, that is, Faith, is not commanded by the law, nor is a naturall debt, and that the power of beleeuing is not loſt by the fall of Adam: The former of which principles is drawne out of the dregges of Pelagianiſme, and is refuted by vsus, in the 44. and 35. Chapter: The latter we hauehave ouerthrowne in the whole eleauenth Chapter. The law is the naturall debt of man: This law commanding that God be loued and worſhipped, doth command alſo that hee be beleeued, ſpeaking and promiſing: Therefore when man by the ſinne of Adam, loſt the power of obeying God, and of louing him, he loſt alſo the powers of beleeuing his promiſes. When God doth require this faith of man, hee doth require nothing but what man doth owe, and hee is not bound to reſtore to man thoſe powers of be…eeuing, which he loſt: Neither can he be accuſed of iniuſtice, if hee doe not reſtore them; nor in this thing is he ſubiect to the lawes of the Arminians, or doth feare their aduerſe and contrary iudgements.
VIII. But when they come to explaine the nature of this vniuerſall grace, they doe very little differ from the Pelagians: For Pelagius, leſt he ſhould ſeeme to be an enemy to grace, doth aſcribe to it eueryevery good worke that is done by man: But by grace hee did vnderſtand nature it ſelfe, becauſe it had beene made and created by God: But according to Arminius, nature is one thing, vniuerſall Grace is another: Neuertheleſſe he will hauehave ſufficient grace to be giuen to all & particular men, and that nature is in no man to whom God doth not giuegive ſufficient grace to obtaine faith, and by faith ſaluation; whence it commeth to paſſe, that according to Arminius, ſufficient grace doth extend it ſelfe as farre as nature. Pelagius doth confound nature with grace; but Arminius doth ioyne nature and grace together, ſo that nature is in none, to whom grace is not giuen; which grace how little it doth differ from nature, doth hence appeare, in that the Arminians will hauehave the right vſe of this grace to be nothing elſe then the right vſe of that naturall light and knowledge which is engrafted in eueryevery one, by the contemplation of the creatures, and by the law of nature; ſo that the vſe and office of grace and nature is altogether the ſame; when rather the Scripture teacheth that the right vſe of grace, conſiſteth in the change of nature. If theſe things are true, all the arguments both of vsus and of the auncients doe fall to the ground, by which they doe proue that the grace of God is a thing diuerſe from nature, and that becauſe nature is giuen to all, and the grace of God is the priuiledge but of ſome: For Arminius will hauehave ſufficient grace to faith, and by faith to ſaluation, to be common to all men.
IX. Arnoldus, pag. 418. doth call that ſufficient grace which is giuen to all men ſupernaturall grace, leſt hee ſhould ſeeme to confound it with nature; but a little after he addeth; It is demanded, whether that grace be not preſent to all men, by which they may rightly vſe that light of nature, not yet reſtored to the integrity thereof, as reliques and remainds of that light, that is, may worſhip God according to the meaſure of thoſe remainds. Doe you heare that all men hauehave that grace whereby they may rightly vſe nature, and worſhip God; and that that grace is preſent with all men, and therefore alſo to Infidels, and to the vnregenerate, and to them that know not Chriſt: and that the power of that grace which is common to all men, is placed in the right vſe of nature? The ſame man, pag. 405 doth ſay, It is the property of generall grace, that men ſhould be able rightly to vſe thoſe gifts: And hee ſpeaketh of the gifts of nature.
X. The ſame man, pag. 112. ſpeaking of vniuerſall grace, doth ſay, that there is a certaine calling which is common, and that there are common documents & inſtructions of nature, by which God doth call all men whatſoeuer, to ſome meaſure of the knowledge of himſelfe, and doth leaue them gifts according to the meaſure of the calling.
XI. Yet he denieth, that of this common grace, which is giuen to all, by which all men may rightly vſe the gifts of nature, that it will follow he reof, that grace and nature are of an equall extent: For (ſaith he) although it be in the power of generall grace, that all men may rightly vſe thoſe gifts, yet it is from ſpeciall grace that they may rightly vſe them in act: For that power is not brought into act, but by the helpe of another ſubſequent and following grace, which is ſpeciall, becauſe it doth not happen to all. This learned man, ſurely hath aſſigned and ſet downe, a fo…nd and vnſit cauſe why this common and ſufficient grace is not equally extended as farre as nature, to wit, becauſe this common grace hath neede of the helpe of ſpeciall grace. Which is as much as if I ſhould ſay, that the ſeeing faculty in man doth not extend as farre as mans nature, becauſe it hath neede of the light of the ſunne, that it may ſee in act, as if that which doth want the helpe of ſome thing, may not extend it ſelfe as farre as nature: There is ſcarce any naturall faculty, which can worke without the helpe of ſome other faculty, or of ſome inward or outward aide; and ſo there will be nothing at all naturall in man. I omit that Arnoldus doth ſtrike himſelfe with his owne ſting; for while he ſaith, that ſufficient grace doth not worke without the helpe of ſome other ſpeciall grace, he doth plainely deny it to be ſufficient.