The Anatomy of Arminianism, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Of the ſinne of Adam.
I. GOD, hauing created man, enlightned his minde with a ſupernaturall light, and adorned his will with righteouſnes and holineſſe; but ſo that he was mutable; for otherwiſe God had created a God, and not a man; for not to be able to change, is a prerogatiue peculiar to God, whereby he is diſtinguiſhed from all created things.
II. Arminius, whom the old way hath alwaies diſpleaſed, Articul. Perpend. Pag. 18. is of opinion, That an inclination to ſinning was in man before his fall, although not ſo vehement and inordinate as now it is. If this be true, it muſt needes be, that God put in man that inclination to ſinne; which ſeeing it is an euill thing, God ſhould be made the author of that which is euill, and to hauehave inclined man to ſinne; which cannot be ſpoken without hainous wickedneſſe.
III. It was the leaſt finne which Adam ſinned in, gluttony, but that was farre the greateſt, that he had rather beleeue the Serpent then God, and that being ſpurred on by ambition, he would be like God in the knowledge of good and euill: And that while hee obeyed the Serpent, hee gaue credit to reproaches caſt vponupon God. Finally becauſe he preferred ſo ſmall a thing before the commandement of God, therefore the leſſer the eating of the Apple was, the greater was his ſinne.
IV. This ruine beganne at the vnderſtanding, ouer which Sathan had ſpread the cloud of falſe opinion, and had caſt the imagination of a falſe good. To whoſe perſwaſion, when man ſhewed himſelfe ready, then peruerſeneſſe of the will, and inclination of the appetites to ſinne, followed this darkening of the minde.
V. This fall happened, God indeede not compelling it, but yet permitting it. There was not wanting power to his omnipotency, by which hee was able to hinder this fall, neither did enuy turne away his goodneſſe: God therefore permitted it, becauſe he would permit it, and becauſe it was good that he ſhould permit it He that is the chiefeſt good, would not hauehave permitted euill, vnleſſe it had beene good that euill ſhould hauehave entred into the world; by that permiſſion, he made a way for the manifeſtation of his glory and opened a way, to man himſelfe, to a ſtate farre more excellent: For without ſinne, the mercy of God, whereby he pardoneth, and his iuſtice whereby he puniſheth, had neither of them been made knowne, nor had hee made knowne his infinite louelove to the church, by the ſending of Chriſt into the world, to aboliſh our ſinnes, and to carry vsus to a celeſtiall glory: Neither doe I ſay theſe things, as if I thought that God doth ſtand in neede of our wickedneſſe, to the manifeſtation of his glory; but I ſay, that God created man, that hee might come to greater perfection then that was, in which hee was created. And hee could not come to that perfection, without the knowledge of Gods iuſtice and mercy, which doth ſhine forth out of this fall, and out of the remedy which he had prepared for this fall: To which purpoſe, the words of Saint Auſten, in his booke de Correp. & grati. Cap. 10. are very proper. He that created all things very good, and fore-knew that euill things would riſe out of thoſe good things, knew that it did more pertaine to his omnipotent goodneſſe, to make good things, euen out of euill things, then not to ſuffer euill things to be. The like hee ſaith, Encherid. Chap. 96.
VI. The Arminians bring no other cauſe of this permiſſion, then this: Becauſe God would not force mans voluntary liberty, nor compell his will, neither did he thinke it conuenient to vſe his omnipotency, in a thing which belongs to mans free will: But they doe too negligently touch ſo great a matter, neither doe they ſufficiently weigh the moment of things, and the circumſtances of the fall of Adam. For God without the diminiſhing of mans liberty, could hauehave reſtrained Sathan, and hindred him that hee ſhould not tempt man. He could hauehave forewarned man, that he ſhould not beleeue the Serpent. He was able not to hauehave propounded the tree to man, by the eating whereof he knew man would ſinne. Hee could hauehave giuen man more ſtrength, and more light, and more vnderſtanding. He could hauehave giuen extraordinary ſtrength in the very inſtant of temptation: And yet by theſe, force had not beene offered to mans will, nor his liberty violated. The Angels are examples hereof, whom he doth confirme in good, without any conſtraint: By theſe it is manifeſt that the fall of man happened, God not compelling, but yet diſpenfing, and by his prouidence turning that euent which hee fore-knew from eternity, to an end which hee had determined with himſelfe from eternity.
VII. Neither is it to be ſaid, that God withdrew his grace from man; for this were to compell him, as the houſe doth neceſſarily fall, when the pillars are taken away; nor that God tooke from him the liberty of his will, for ſo he had brought a neceſſity of ſining; but he would not hinder that man ſhould not be tempted by Sathan, nor would he helpe him with extraordinary ſuccour. And whereas man ſinned freely, yet that fell out, which God from eternity fore-knew would bee, and the creatures themſelues, before the creation of man, did teſtifie that it would come to paſſe: For before Adam had ſinned, God had put into the Plants healthfull powers to keepe away diſeaſes; already had he cloathed the ſheepe with fleeces, and had formed cattell for the vſe of man, which are reliefes of humaine infirmity, and had beene in vaine created, if man had ſtood in his integrity.
VIII. Now whether the digeſtion and egeſtion of meate, to be refreſhed with ſleepe after labour, to enioy the marriage bed, to grow in ſtature, to hauehave fleſh that may be wounded and burnt (to all which man before his fall was obnoxious,) whether I ſay, theſe are ſuch things as may perpetually agree to a creature perfectly bleſſed, or whether they doe not ſecretly teſtifie what ſhould be the condition of man to come, I leaue it to be iudged of by wiſe men.
IX. And yet it is no doubt, but that Adam, without any extraordinary helpe, had ſtrength to reſiſt Sathan: For it is not credible, that God gaue a Law to man, when he was made at firſt, to the performing of which he did not giuegive power: yet in reſpect of the fore-knowledge of God, the fall of man was certaine. For the act of the will may be certaine and defined before God; the liberty of mans will being vntouched and intire: So it is no doubt, but the tortours had power and ability of breaking the bones of Chriſt, when yet in reſpect of the fore-knowledge and prouidence of God, it was impoſſible that they ſhould be broken. The will of man may by a certaine and voluntary motion, determine it ſelfe to ſome one thing, and yet doe that which, either the knowledge of God hath certainely fore-knowne, or his prouidence hath certainely fore-ordained.
X. Theſe things are firmely to be held, leaſt the fault of man be transferred vponupon God. For howſoeuer God doth draw good out of the fall of Adam, yet he neuer doth doe euill, that good may come of it: Neither muſt we think that God would force man to ſinne, although his glory ſhould manifeſt y appeare thereby. Gods glory muſt not be further. I with the damage of his iuſtice; but after a ma…ue…ous and vnvtterable manner, God doth ſo diſpoſe and gouerne the euents of things, that vnauo…dably thoſe things happen, which he doth condemne and diſalow, and the diuine prouidence doth keepe a courſe betweene iniuſtice and negligence. They therefore doe inuert the nature of things, who ſay that God decreed that Adam ſhould ſinne, becauſe hee had determined to ſend Chriſt, who ſhould cure Adams ſinne: when rather God decreed to ſend Chriſt, becauſe Adam was to ſinne. Man did not ſinne that Chriſt ſhould aboliſh ſinne; but Chriſt came that he might aboliſh ſinne.
Here is nothing ſaid, that ought to trouble tender eares, or which ſhould make God partaker of ſinne: which yet if any one doth either not conceiue, or not digeſt, it is better to accuſe his owne dulneſſe, then accuſe the iuſtice of God, and to abſtaine from lawfull things, then attempt vnlawfull things.