A Display of Arminianism, Argument · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
THe ſoule of man, by reaſon of the corruption of nature, is not onlyaEpheſ. 4. 18. Iohn 1. 5. 1 Cor. 2. 14. darkened, with a miſt of ignorance, whereby he is diſ-inabled, for the comprehending of divine truth, but is alſo armed, withbIohn. 6. 42. and 7. 52. Natura ſic apparet vitiata ut hoc majoris vitii ſit, non videre: Aug. prejudice and oppoſition, againſt ſome parts thereof, which are either, moſt above, or moſt contrarie, to ſome falſe principles, which he hath framed unto himſelfe. As a deſire of ſelfe-ſufficiencie, was the firſt cauſe of this infirmitie, ſo a conceit thereof, is that where with he ſtill languiſheth, nothing doth he more contend for, then an independencie of any ſupreme power, which might either helpe, hinder, or controll him, in his actions. This is that bitter root,Pelag: Semipelag. Scholaſtico. from whence have ſprung, all thoſe hereſies, and wretched contentions, which have troubled the Church; concerning the power of man in working his owne happineſſe, and his exemption, from the over-ruling providence of Almightie God. All which wrangling diſputes of carnall reaſon, againſt the word of God: come at laſt to this head, whether the firſt and chiefeſt part,In hac cauſa non judicant ſecundum aequitatem, ſed ſecundum affectum commodi ſui. Luth. de erv. Arbit. in diſpoſing of things in this world, ought to be aſcribed to God, or man: men for the moſt part have vindicated this preheminence, unto themſelves, by exclamations, that ſo it muſt be, or elſe, that God is unjuſt, and his waies unequall: never did any men poſtquam Chriſtiana gens eſſe caepit: more eagerly endeavour the erecting of this Babel, then the Arminians, the modern blinded Patrons of humane ſelfe-ſufficiencie; All whoſe innovations in the received doctrine of the reformed Churches, aime at, and tend to, one of theſe two ends.
Firſt, to exempt themſelves from Gods juriſdiction, to free themſelves from the ſupreme dominion of his all-ruling providence, not to live, and move, in him: but to have an abſolute independent power, in all their actions, ſo that the event of all things, wherein they have any intereſt, might have a conſiderable relation, to nothing, but chance, contingencie, and their owne wils; a moſt nefarious, ſacrilegious attempt: to this end.
Firſt, they deny the eternitie, and unchangeableneſſe of Gods decrees: for thoſe being eſtabliſhed, they feare, they ſhould be kept within bounds, from doing any thing, but what his counſel hath determined ſhould be done, if the purpoſes of the ſtrength of Iſrael, be eternall, and immutable, their idoll Free-will, muſt be limited, their independencie prejudiced: wherefore, they chuſe rather to affirme, that his decrees, are temporary and changeable, yea that he doth really change them, according to the ſeverall mutations he ſees in us: which how a wild a conceit it is, how contrary to the pure nature of God, how deſtructive to his attributes: I ſhall ſhew in the ſecond Chapter.
Secondly, they queſtion the praeſcience, or foreknowledge of God: for if knowne unto God, are all his workes, from the beginning, if he certainely foreknow all things, that ſhall hereafter come to paſſe, it ſeemes to caſt an infallibilitie of event, upon all their actions, which encroaches upon the large territory, of their new goddeſſe contingencie, nay it would quite dethrone the Queene of heaven, and induce a kinde of neceſſitie, of our doing all, and nothing but, what God foreknows: now that to deny this praeſcience is deſtructive to the very eſſence of the Deitie, and plain atheiſme, ſhall be declared, Chapter the third.
Thirdly, they depoſe the all-governing providence of this King of Nations, denying its energeticall, effectuall power, in turning the hearts, ruling the thoughts, determining the wils, and diſpoſing the actions of men, by granting nothing unto it, but a generall power, and influence, to be limited, and uſed, according to the inclination, and will of every particular agent: ſo making Almighty God a deſirer, that many things, were otherwiſe, then they are, and an idle ſpectator of moſt things that are done in the world, the falſeneſſe of which aſſertions ſhall be proved: Chapter the fourth.
Fourthly, they denie the irreſiſtibilitie, and uncontrolable power of Gods will, affirming, that oftentimes he ſeriouſly willeth, and intendeth what he cannot accompliſh, and ſo is deceived of his ayme: nay whereas he deſireth, and really intendeth, to ſave every man, it is wholly in their owne power whether he ſhall ſave, any one or no, otherwiſe, their Idol Free-will, ſhould have but a poore deitie, if God, could how, and when, he would, croſſe and reſiſt him, in his dominion: concerning this ſee Chapter the fifth. His gradibus itur in coelum, corrupted nature, is ſtill readie, either nefariouſly with Adam, to attempt to be like God,Pſal. 50. or to thinke fooliſhly, that he is altogether like unto us: one of which inconveniences, all men runne into, who have not learned, to ſubmit their fraile wils, to the Almightie will of God, and captivate their underſtandings, to the obedience of faith.
Secondly, the ſecond end, at which the new doctrine of the Arminians aimeth, is to cleere humane nature, from the heavie imputation, of being ſinfull, corrupted, wiſe to doe evill, but unable to doe good: and ſo to vindicate unto themſelves, a power, and abilitie, of doing all that good, which God can juſtly require to be done, by them, in the ſtate wherein they are, of making themſelves, differ from other, who will not make ſo good uſe, of the endowments of their natures, that ſo the firſt, and chiefeſt part, in the worke of their ſalvation, may be aſcribed unto themſelves: a proud Luciferian endeavour; to this end:
Firſt, they deny, that doctrine of predeſtination, whereby God is affirmed, to have choſen certaine men, before the foundation of the world, that they ſhould be holy, and obtaine everlaſting life, by the merit of Chriſt, to the praiſe of his glorious grace: any ſuch predeſtination which may be the fountaine, and cauſe of grace, or glory, determining the perſons, according to Gods good pleaſure, on whom they ſhall be, beſtowed: for this doctrine, would make the ſpeciall grace of God, to be the ſole cauſe, of all the good, that is in the elect, more then the reprobates, would make faith, the worke, and gift of God: with divers other things, which would ſhew their Idol to be nothing, of no value: wherefore what a corrupt hereſie they have ſubſtitute into the place hereof, ſee Chapter the ſixth.
Secondly, they denie originall ſinne, and its demerit, which being rightly underſtood, would eaſily demonſtrate, that notwithſtanding, all the labour, of the Smith, the Carpenter, and the Painter, yet their Idol, is of its owne nature, but an unprofitable blocke, it will diſcover, not onelyonly the impotencie of doing good, which is in our nature, but ſhew alſo, whence we have it: ſee Chapter the ſeventh.
Thirdly, if ye will charge our humane nature, with a repugnancie to the Law of God, they will maintaine, that it was alſo in Adam, when he was firſt created, and ſo comes from God himſelfe: Chapter the eighth.
Fourthly, they denie the efficacie, of the merit, of the death of Chriſt, both, that God intended by his death, to redeeme his Church, or to acquire unto himſelfe, an holy people, as alſo, that Chriſt by his death, hath merited, and procured for us, grace, faith, or righteouſneſſe, and power to obey God, in fulfilling the condition of the new covenant; nay this were plainely to ſet up an Arke, to breake their Dagons necke: for what praiſe (ſay they) can be due, to our ſelves, for beleeving, if the blood of Chriſt, hath procured God to beſtow faith, upon us: increpet te Deus ô Satan, ſee Chapter nine and ten.
Fiftly, if Chriſt will claime ſuch a ſhare in ſaving of his people, of them that beleeve in him, they will grant, ſome to have ſalvation, quite without him, that never heard, ſo much as a report, of a Saviour: and indeed in nothing, doe they advance their Idol, neerer the throne of God, then in this blaſphemie, Chapter 11.
Sixthly, having thus robbed God, Chriſt, and his grace, they adorne their Idol Free-will, with many glorious properties, no way due unto it, diſcuſſed, Chapter 12. where you ſhall finde how, movet cornicula riſum, furtivis undata coloribus.
Seventhly, they doe not onelyonly claime, to their new made Deitie, a ſaving power, but alſo affirme, that he is very active, and operative in the great worke of ſaving our ſoules.
Firſt, in fitly preparing us for the grace of God, and ſo diſpoſing of our ſelves, that it becomes due unto us: Chapter 13.
Secondly, in the effectuall working of our converſion, together with it: Chapter 14.
And ſo at length with much toyle, and labour, they have placed an Altar for their Idol, in the holy temple, on the right hand of the Altar of God: and on it, offer ſacrifice, to their owne net, and dragge; at leaſt nec Deo, nec libero Arbitrie, ſed dividatur: not all to God, nor all to Free-will, but let the Sacrifice of praiſe, for all good things, be divided betweene them.