The Anatomy of Arminianism, Chapter 41
CHAP. XLI.
The Arguments whereby the Arminians doe maintaine vniuerſall ſufficient Grace, are refuted.
I. THE arguments of the Arminians for Vniuerſall, Sufficient, and Helpfull Grace, are almoſt the ſame with them, which they are wont to bring for the liberty of free-will in an vnregenerate man, which ſeeing they are aboundantly confuted, Chapter 34. there will be no great labour in examining ſome few, which they moſt frequently vſe, to proue ſufficient grace common to all men.
They maintaine it by that place of the Apoſtle, Rom. 1.19. where Saint Paul doth thus ſpeake of the Gentiles: That which may be knowne of God, is manifeſt in them, for God hath ſhewed it vntounto them. Surely here is no mention of ſufficient grace, which the Arminians think to be ſupernaturall: For here the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of the light of nature, and of any ſort of the knowledge of God, by the creatures, which may be had without ſupernaturall grace; by which the Apoſtle doth not ſay, that man hath power of beleeuing in Chriſt, or that he can diſpoſe or prepare himſelfe to regeneration; but he onelyonly ſaith, that the power, and that the deity of God, was ſeene of them by the creation, that they might be inexcuſable. And they are inexcuſable, not becauſe they hauehave abuſed that grace which was mediately or immediately ſufficient to ſaluation, but becauſe they hauehave not vſed the light of nature as farre as they might; and hauehave endeauoured to choake that light engrafted in them.
II. They pretend the words of the ſame Apoſtle, Chapter 2.14. The Gentiles which hauehave not the law, doe by nature the things contained in the law: But neither can this place be drawne to ſtabliſh ſufficient grace, which theſe Sectaries will hauehave to be ſupernaturall: For it ſpeaketh onelyonly of naturall impreſſions of equity and goodneſſe, and of outward actions that are ciuilly honeſt, which are done by the guidance of nature; for Saint Paul doth here make no mention of grace. Furthermore, thoſe things contained in the law, may be done by him who doth violate and breake the law: for in the externall worke, he may doe the things commanded by the law, and yet not doe them after that manner, and to that end which the law doth require; that is, with faith, and to the glory of God.
III. That which they obiect out of the foureteenth Chapter of the Acts, Verſ. 17. is nothing to the matter, where Saint Paul doth thus ſpeake of the heathen people; Neuertheleſſe, he left not himſelfe without witneſſe: They doe falſely thinke, that this witneſſe was ſome ſufficient ſauing and ſupernaturall grace, and the law naturally engrauen in their hearts, which ſhould be a Schoole-maſter to Chriſt: For the Apoſtle in the following words, doth explaine what manner of teſtimony this is; ſaying, that God gaue them raine from heauen, and fruitfull ſeaſons, and filled their hearts with foode and gladneſſe; no mention of ſupernaturall grace: And I deny that the law written or printed on the heart, can be a Schoole-maſter to Chriſt, to thoſe who are altogether ignorant of Chriſt; for the law doth not lead vsus to a thing vnknown; but after that the grace of Chriſt is offered by the Goſpell, the law, by threats and terrours, doth compell to the embracing of it, that what we cannot attaine to in the law, we might finde in Chriſt: Therefore the morall Law might be to the Iſraelites, a Schoole-maſter to Chriſt, becauſe Chriſt was ſhadowed to them by the ceremoniall law, and was foreſhewed by Propheſies.
IV. And in what ſence that of Eſay, Chap. 5.4. What was more to be done to my vineyard, that I hauehave not done? ought to be taken, we hauehave taught in the thirty ſeauenth Chapter. Surely, nothing can be pulled out of this place for ſufficient grace, which is common euen to them to whom the word of God was neuer preached; ſeeing that by this vineyard, the lewes were vnderſtood, to whom the word of God was preached, and the meanes to ſaluation were abundantly ſupplyed: Nor doth Eſay ſpeake of the grace which is giuen to particular men, but that which is giuen to a whole Nation, taken together: and that the meanes which Eſay doth number vp are externall, and not internall, doth appeare by the ſame place where God is compared to a Vine-dreſſer, which planted a Vineyard in a fruitfull ſoyle, he made a trench about it, he ſet vp a hedge, and built a Wine-preſſe, and a Tower; but he doth not infuſe the groath and vitall iuyce, nor doth ſend the ſunne, and the ſeaſonable raine: God therefore ſaith, that he outwardly ſupplied whatſoeuer things could be adminiſtred to conuerſion; for man ought to bring inward diſpoſitions of his owne: Neither is God bound to reſtore to man theſe diſpoſitions which he loſt by his owne fault; Indeede, God in that place ſaith, that he looked for grapes, and behold wilde grapes: But this expectation is attributed to God, after the manner of men: God is ſaid to expect ſomething from man, when he doth require ſomething from him; and when he doth deferre the puniſhment, if at any time due fruits are not brought forth, and doth not preſently with the Axe cut vp by the roote the vnfruitfull fig-tree: as Chriſt teacheth, Luke 13. Verſ. 7.8. & 9.
V. They doe often reckon vp that old and worne out argument: To him that hath, it ſhall be giuen, Mat. 25.29. By which words, they ſay, Chriſt doth inſinuate, that God will beſtow greater grace vponupon him, who hath well vſed the light of nature: Thus they lay the Scripture on a racke, that they may wreſt any thing from it, whereunto it is vnwilling. Chriſt doth there bring the parable of the Talents, and ſaith, that the talent which the wicked ſeruant had hid, was taken from him, and giuen to the ſeruant who had encreaſed his Maſters eſtate, by doubling the fiue talents: For (ſaith he) to him that hath ſhall be giuen, and he ſhall hauehave abundance; but from him that hath not, ſhall be taken away, euen that which he hath. By the talents, are the gifts of God vnderſtood, and eſpecially the knowledge of God by the Goſpell; which knowledge hee is ſaid to hide, who doth detaine the truth in vnrighteouſneſſe, and doth keepe in the knowne truth: This talent therefore cannot be that ſufficient grace, which doth happen to infidels and vnregenerate perſons; but that grace which God doth beſtow on his domeſticall ſeruants: Neither by him that hath, is vnderſtood a man in his meere naturals, or ſome heathen man furniſhed with ſufficient grace, but a man furniſhed with the knowledge of the Goſpell, which is giuen to one for that end, that by edifying his neighbour he might ſpread the knowledge farre abroad, and like mony put out to vſe, it might be encreaſed with daily additions.
VI. Arnoldus, pag. 368. hath theſe words; It is connenient to the iuſtice and goodneſſe of God that he ſhould giuegive, or be prepared to giuegive meanes neceſſary to faith, to all them for whom he gaue Chriſt to death, and of whom he requireth faith; ſo that on his part nothing hindreth that all men ſhould not come to faith. Now wee anſwer, that God doth not require from all men faith on Chriſt, but onelyonly from them to whom the Goſpell is preached; and hee is not bound to giuegive meanes neceſſary to faith, to all them to whom the Goſpell is preached, becauſe man loſt thoſe meanes by his owne fault: For God requiring of man what he oweth, is not bound to reſtore to man the power of fulfilling that which hee commandeth, ſeeing that man loſt theſe powers by his owne fault. Indeede, the anger of God doth remaine on vnbeleeuers, as Arnoldus addeth, but there is no man that would not be incredulous, if God ſhould change his heart by the ſpirit of regeneration. Surely Arnoldus doth coine a new Goſpell, while hee doth thinke that any one may beleeue the Goſpell, without the ſpirit of regeneration.