The Anatomy of Arminianism, Chapter 40
CHAP. XL.
The ſame ſufficient and vniuerſall grace is impugned by arguments and reaſons.
I. FIrſt of all, this opinion of ſufficient grace, doth manifeſtly delude God, while it doth faigne, that God ſeriouſly and from his heart doth deſire to ſaue all men, and to that end doth giuegive all men ſufficient grace by which they may be conuerted, and beleeue: but hee doth ſo ſparingly adminiſter this grace, to the greateſt part of mankinde, that no man can be named in the whole world who hath beene ſaued by this ſufficient grace, ſeeing that no man, deſtitute of faith, and of the knowledge of the redeemer, hath euer rightly vſed thoſe naturall gifts, or hath worſhipped God with a worſhip that is pleaſing to him: Neither could the Arminians yet bring any example; nor if they could bring one or two examples, they could not thereby wipe away that blot which they ſet vponupon God. For he thinketh but ill of God, who teacheth that God doth ſeriouſly deſire all men to be ſaued, and to that end doth giuegive to all men ſufficient grace, whereby they may be conuerted and beleeue, but hee doth ſo ſparingly adminiſter this grace, that of infinite millions, ſcarce one or two hath by this ſufficient grace, conuerted himſelfe and come to faith.
II. Nay what? That this doctrine with a raſh boldneſſe doth ſet lawes to God himſelfe, and doth preſcribe to him the manner and meaſure whereby he ought to beſtow his gifts, and to giuegive the increaſes of grace? For if any one by the helpe of ſufficient grace, hath righ…ly vſed the gifts of nature, the Arminians ſay, that God is bound to giuegive to that man greater grace, & becauſe he hath well vſed the light of nature, he is bound to giuegive him ſupernaturall light, & the knowledg of the Goſpel: But I think that the creator is by no bond tied to the creature; yea, if he were bound, yet it were not our part, audaciouſly to tell him to his face what he ought to do, nor to admoniſh him of his duty, as if there were danger that he ſhould not keepe his credit, or ſhould ſin againſt thoſe lawes by which he is bound. Alſo by this meanes the benefits of God are leſſened, and made very ſmall: For (if theſe ſectaries be beleeued) God gining to a man the power of beleeuing, doth doe nothing but what hee ought to doe, and doth giuegive nothing but what hee is bound to giuegive.
III. The ſame doctrine determining that ſufficient grace is giuen to the Gentiles which hauehave not knowne Chriſt, that according to the meaſure thereof they may worſhip God, doth plainely ſay, that there is a worſhip which may be acceptable to God without Chriſt, and without faith. Neither doth Arnoldus ſay this thing obſcurely, but Page 409 ſpeaking of the heathens, who followed an auſtere kinde of life, that they might ſerue God: Whence will yee proue (ſaith he) that ſuch men doe eyther periſh, or remaine voide of Chriſt? This man, while he would hauehave vsus hope well of the ſaluation of the he then, who followed an auſtere kinde of life, although they were altogether ignorant of Chriſt, doth in the meane while vilifie and lightly eſteeme of Chriſtian faith, as not neceſſary, and doth ſecretly inſinuate, that one may be ſaued by Chriſt, without the knowledge of Chriſt: For although theſe Sectaries cry out that they are wronged as often as the corrupt matter is preſſed out of their Vlcers, yet hee ſhall eaſily perceiue whereto theſe thinges pertaine, who will exactly reade that whole diſputation of Arnoldus, contained in ſome Pages.
IV. With a like error doe the Arminians thinke that the power of beleeuing and obtaining faith, is giuen to man without the ſpirit of regeneration and adoption: And ſeeing that by faith we are the ſonnes of God, if man, without the ſpirit of regeneration, hath power of beleeuing, then without the ſame ſpirit he hath alſo power of effecting or cauſing that hee be the ſonne of God.
V. Alſo it is abſurd, and deſerues to be laughed at, to ſay that the power of beleeuing in Chriſt is giuen to a man without the ſpirit of regeneration, but that to beleeue it ſelfe, is not giuen without the ſpirit of regeneration; as if the powers of beleeuing were from one cauſe, but the vſing and excution of thoſe powers were from another cauſe; and as if it were not of the ſame ſaculty to be able to doe, and to doe; to be able to runne, and to runne: For they ſay that another ſpeciall grace is required to beleeue, and therfore that ſufficient grace is not ſufficient to beleeue in act. Theſe things ſeeme to me to be like the dreams of ſicke men.
VI. But how abſurd, and how contrary is it to the wiſedome of God, to ſay, that God is prepared to giuegive greater grace, and the light of his Goſpell, to thoſe who hauehave well vſed the light of nature? For, ſo God is ſaid to be ready to doe that which hee knoweth he ſhall not doe, and to be prepared to beſtow vponupon man new and greater grace, vnderunder a condition which no man hath fulfilled, nor ſhall fulfill: For no man, that is deſtitute of faith, of the knowledge of the redeemer, and of the ſpirit of regeneration, hath rightly vſed the light of nature, nor hath worſhipped God with a worſhip which hath beene pleaſing to him, becauſe whatſoeuer is without faith is ſinne; and whoſoeuer hath not the Sonne, hath not the Father; yea, he is without God in the world, as the Scripture teacheth.
VII. Yea, whoſoeuer ſhall looke ouer the records of all hiſtories, ſhall finde that the moſt wiſeſt amongſt the heathen, whoſe liues were more temperate, whoſe appetites were leſſe violent, and who loued iuſtice, and ſaide or writte many famous things concerning God, were yet very farre from the kingdome of Heauen. Experience hath proued this; for when the Goſpell beganne to be publiſhed through the nations, Chriſtian Religion endured no greater enemies then the Philoſophers: Theſe turned the ſubtilty of their wit to defame the croſſe of Chriſt, and held out to others fierce firebrands to cruelty & perſecution: For the more any one doth affect the praiſe of ciuill vertue, and hath his wit practiſed with much learning, ſo much the more baſe doth the ſimplicity of the Goſpell ſeeme to him, and he is the more offended with the ſcandall of the croſſe of Chriſt.
VIII. But it is a meruaile by what meanes any man can be prepared to ſaith and regeneration, by naturall inſtructions, and by the light of nature; ſeeing that man by the inſtinct of his corrupt nature, is ſtirred vp to idolatry: For it is ingrafted in man to deſire to hauehave ſome preſent and viſible obiect, on which he may ſetle his eyes, while hee poureth forth his prayers, and mans wiſedome hath oftentimes troade Religion vnderunder foote.
XIX. Arnold. page 404. Deus primo h… agit, vt home intelligat ſe in precatis mortuum.Furthermore ſeeing that (as Arnoldus confeſſeth) the firſt effect of grace is, for a man to know that he is dead in ſinne, and that naturally hee is ſubiect to the eternall curſe, neither can any one know this except he be inſtructed by the word; ſeeing I ſay, it is thus, whatſoeuer the Arminians doe tattle of vniuerſall and ſufficient grace doth fall to the ground, ſeeing that by it a man cannot attaine to that which is the beginning and firſt element of conuerſion, and that from which grace doth neceſſarily begin; certainely, hee that ſhall turne ouer the writings of the heathen, ſhall finde nothing of the death in ſinne, nothing of the viuification and regeneration, nothing of the neceſſity of ſupernaturall grace. The beſt of the heathens ſet this as the Cynoſure and ſtarre by which they would direct the courſe of their life, viz. to follow nature: when on the contrary, this is the office and worke of the grace of God, viz. to reſtore and change nature.
X. But in ſetting downe the time wherein this ſufficient grace is at the firſt giuen to eueryevery man by God, they doe not explaine themſelues: For if all men hauehave this grace from the wombe, then it is not rightly diſtinguiſhed from nature; ſeeing that that is natural which is ingrafted in eueryevery man from his birth and natiuity: But if this grace be giuen onelyonly to them that are growne in yeares, in what yeare of their age is it giuen? Is it giuen to all at a certaine and equall age? or is it giuen to ſome ſooner, and ſome later? And if it be giuen in the tenth or twelfth yeare of the life, what ſhall be done with thoſe who dye in the ſeauenth or ninth yeare? what ſhall be done with them whom death doth take away a day or two before that grace is beſtowed? Alſo if one dye preſently after that ſufficient grace is giuen, before hee hath time of well vſing this grace, what ſhall become of this man? Being excluded from the right vſing of grace, by the ſhortnes of the time, ſhall he be excluded therefore from the kingdome of heauen? Surely while they tye God to lawes, they doe entangle themſelues in bonds which cannot be ſhaken off.
XI. And when the Arminians ſay that ſufficient grace, which is common to all men, euen to vnregenerate men and in fidels, is ſupernaturall, it is a hard thing, that he who is at the firſt touched with this ſupernaturall and helpefull motion, ſhould not feele it: Or if the beginnings of it are doubtfull and vncertaine, at the leſt it muſt needes be felt in progreſſe of time: But neuer any of the heathen hath profeſſed that he hath euer felt this grace, nor is there any mention of it in their wrightings.
XII. Alſo it would be worth the labour to know, by what degrees the heathen man, dwelling in the ſouth countrie, or in the inmoſt part of Tartaria, well vſing naturall inſtructions, may at length come to faith in Chriſt: For theſe Sectaries muſt needes faigne many things here, and wantonly play with bold coniectures, and with vnconſtant raſhneſſe: For they muſt faigne that eyther Oracles were poured on that man from heauen; or that Angels were ſent to him; or ſome Prophet, lifted vp by the hayre, hath beene carried thither from ſome other place, that he might inſtruct that man in the Chriſtian faith: For where the Scripture is wanting, audacity muſt needes ſupply the place of the Scripture.
XIII. Finally, what is to be thought of this ſufficient grace, may hence be iudged, in that the Arminians themſelues, are not conſtant to themſelues, and they doe ſo build it vp, that they pull it downe: For they which ſay, and doe maintaine with great force that God doth giuegive ſufficient grace to all men, doe afterward ſay that God is ready and prepared to giuegive it to all; as if he indeede were willing to giuegive it to all, but it was hindred by man that it was not done. Alſo, the ſame men teach, that no man is conuerted without ſpeciall grace, by which ſpeech they confeſſe that generall grace is not ſufficient. Finally, when they diuide that grace, into grace which is ſufficient mediately; and grace which is ſufficient immediately, they doe confeſſe that ſome grace is ſufficient mediately, which is vnſufficient immediately, and they make many degrees of ſufficient grace, which degrees how many, and what they are, none of them hath explained.