A Display of Arminianism, Argument · Chapter 10

A Display of Arminianism · Argument · Chapter 10

p. 106CHAP. X.

Of the cauſe of faith, grace, and righteouſneſſe.

THE ſecond part of this controverſie, is in particular, concerning grace, faith, and holineſſe, ſincere obedience to the precepts of the new Covenant, all whoſe praiſe we appropriate to the moſt high, by reaſon of a double intereſt. Firſt, of the merit of Chriſt which doth procure them for us. Secondly, of the holy Spirit which works them in us: the death of Chriſt is their meritorious cauſe, the Spirit of God and his effectuall grace their efficient, working inſtrumentally with power by the word and ordinances: now becauſe this would deprive the Idoll of his chiefeſt glory, and expoſe him to open ſhame, like the bird furtivis nudata coloribus, the Arminians advance themſelves in his quarrell, and in behalfe of their darling, quite exclude both merit of Chriſt, and Spirit of God, from any title to their production.

Firſt, For the merit of Chriſt, whereas we affirme that God p. 107bleſſeth us with all ſpirituall bleſſings in him, or for his ſake, Eph. 1. 3. amongſt which, doubtleſſe faith poſſeſſeth not the loweſt roome, that he is made unto us righteouſneſſe, and ſanctification, and redemption; he was made ſinne for us, that we might be made the righteouſneſſe of God in him: that he is the Lord our righteouſneſſe, and glories to be called by that name: and whatſoever he is unto us, it is chiefely by the way of merit: that to us it is given foreign, for Chriſts ſake to beleeve on him, Phil. 1. 29. where foreign, is plainly referred to foreign is given, as if the Apoſtle ſhould have ſaid, Chriſt is the meritorious cauſe of the beſtowing of thoſe good gifts, faith, and conſtancy unto martyrdome upon you, when I ſay we profeſſe all theſe to be the proper and immediate products of the paſſion and blood of Chriſt, theſe turbulent Davuſſes, come in with a prohibition, and quite expell it from having any intereſt therein.

aaNihil ineptius nihil vanius, quā regenerationem & fidem, merito Chriſti tribuere, ſi enim Chriſtus dicatur nobis meritus fidem & regenerationem, tum fides conditio eſſe non poterat: quam à peccatoribus, Deus ſub comminatione mortis aeternae exigeret: Rem. Apol. cap. 8. pag. 95. Si fides ſit effectum meriti Chriſti non poteſt eſſe actus officii noſtri: idem.There is nothing more vaine, nothing more fooliſh (ſay they in their Apologie) then to attribute our regeneration, and faith, unto the death of Chriſt, for if Chriſt may be ſaid to have merited for us faith, and regeneration, then faith cannot be a condition, whoſe performance God ſhould require, at the hands of ſinners, under the paine of eternall damnation: And again, If faith be the effect of the merit of Chriſt, it cannot be our dutie; No? Suppoſe then that the Church ſhould pray, that it would pleaſe God, for Chriſts ſake, to call home thoſe ſheepe that belong to his fold, not as yet collected? that he would grant faith and repentance, for the merit of his Sonne, to them that are as yet a farre off? were this an altogether vaine and fooliſh prayer? let others thinke as they pleaſe, it is ſuch a vanitie, as I deſire not to be weaned from, nor any one elſe I beleeve, that loves the Lord Ieſus in ſinceritie: Oh that Chriſtians ſhould patiently endure, ſuch a diminution of their Saviours honour? as with one daſh of an Arminian pen, to have the chiefe effects of his death and paſſion quite obliterated: if this be a motive, to the love and honour of the Son of God, if this be a way, to ſet forth the preciouſneſſe of his blood, by denying the efficacy thereof, in enabling us by faith to get an intereſt in the new covenant: moſt Chriſtians in the world are under a neceſſity of being new Catechiſed by theſe Seraphicall Doctors.

p. 108Vntill when, they muſt give us leave to beleeve, with the Apoſtle, that God bleſſeth us, with all ſpirituall bleſſings in Chriſt, Epheſ. 1. 3. and we will take leave to account faith a ſpirituall bleſſing: and therefore beſtowed on us for Chriſts ſake; againe, ſince our regeneration is nothing but a purging of our conſciences from dead works, that we may ſerve the living God: which being done by the blood of Chriſt, as the Apoſtle witneſſeth, Heb. 9. 14. we will aſcribe our new birth, or forming anew to the vertue of that grace, which is purchaſed by his blood: that precious blood it is, which redeemeth us from our vaine converſation, 1 Pet. 1. 18, 19. by whoſe efficacie we are vindicated from the ſtate of ſin and corrupted nature wherein we are born.

The Arminians have but one argument, that ever I could meet with, whereby they ſtrive to rob Chriſt of this glory, of meriting and procuring for us faith and repentance; and that is, becauſe they are ſuch acts of ours, as in dutie and obedience to the precepts of the Goſpel, we are bound to performe:bbRem. Apol. ubi ſup. Corvin. ad Moli. cap. 28. ſect. 9. and this they every where preſſe at large, uſ que & uſ que , in plain tearms they will not ſuffer their Idoll to be accounted defective in any thing that is neceſſary to bring us unto heaven: now concerning this argument, that nothing which God requireth of us, can be procured for us by Chriſt: I would have two things noted. Firſt, that the ſtrength of it conſiſts in this, that no gift of God beſtowed upon us, can be a thing well pleaſing to him as being in us: for all his precepts and commands ſignifie only, what is well pleaſing unto him, that we ſhould be, or doe; and it is not the meriting of any thing by Chriſt, but Gods beſtowing of it, as the effect thereof, which hinders it from being a thing, requireable of us, as a part of our dutie, w^ch I ſhall conſider hereafter: only now obſerve, that there being nothing in us, by the way of habit or act from the beginning of our faith, to the conſummation thereof from our new birth, untill we become perfect men in Chriſt, by the finiſhing of our courſe, that is not required of us in the Goſpel, all, and every grace, whereof we are in this life partakers, are by this means denied to be gifts of God. Secondly, conſider the extent of this argument it ſelfe: nothing whoſe performance is our dutie, can be merited for us by Chriſt; when the Apoſtle beſeecheth us, to p. 109be reconciled unto God, I would know, whether it be not a part of our duty to yeeld obedience to the Apoſtles exhortation: if not his exhortation is frivolous and vaine, if ſo, then to be reconciled unto God, is a part of our dutie, and yet the Arminians ſometime ſeeme to confeſſe, that Chriſt hath obtained for us a reconciliation with God: the like may be ſaid, in divers other particulars, ſo that this argument, either proveth that we enjoy no fruit of the death of Chriſt in this life: or (which is moſt true) it proveth nothing at all: for neither the merit of Chriſt procuring, nor God beſtowing any grace, in the habit, doth at all hinder, but that in the exerciſe thereof, it may be a duty of ours, inaſmuch as it is done in us, and by us: notwithſtanding then this exception, which cannot ſtand by it ſelfe alone without the helpe of ſome other, not as yet diſcovered; we will continue our prayers, as we are commanded in the name of Chriſt: that is, that God would beſtow upon us thoſe things we ask for Chriſts ſake, and that by an immediate collation, yea even then when we cry, with the poore penitent, Lord helpe our unbeliefe, or with the Apoſtles, Lord increaſe our faith.

Secondly, the ſecond plea, on Gods behalfe, to prove him, the Authour, and finiſher of all thoſe graces, whereof in this life we are partakers, ariſeth, from what the Scripture affirmeth, concerning his working theſe graces in us, and that powerfully, by the effectuall operation of his holy Spirit: to which, the Arminians oppoſe a ſeeming neceſſitie, that they muſt needs be our owne acts, contradiſtinct from his gifts, becauſe they are in us, and commanded by him: the head then of this contention betwixt our God, and their Idol, about the living child of grace, is: whether he can worke that in us, which he requireth of us: let us heare them pleading their cauſe.

ccIllud certiſſimum eſt, nec jubendum eſt quod efficitur, nec efficiendum quod jubetur, ſtulte jubet & vult, ab alio fieri aliquid, qui ipſe quod jubet in eo efficere vult: Rem. Apol. cap 9 p. 105. a.It is moſt certaine that, that ought not to be commanded, which is wrought in us: and that cannot be wrought in us, which is commanded: he fooliſhly commandeth that to be done of others, who will worke in them what he commandeth: ſaith their Apologie.ddAt exigua concluſione pene tu totum Pelagianum dogma confirmas, dicendo, nullius laudis eſſe ac meriti: ſi id in eo Chriſtus quod ipſe donaverat praetuliſſet. Proſp. ad Collat. cap. 36. O fooliſh Saint Proſper, who thought that it was the whole Pelagian hereſie, to ſay, That there is neither praiſe, nor worth, as ours, p. 110in that, which Chriſt beſtoweth upon us: fooliſh Saint Auguſtine, eeDa Domine quod jubes, & jube quod vis. Aug.praying, Give us O Lord, what thou commandeſt, and command what thou wilt: fooliſh Benedict Biſhop of Rome, who gave ſuch a forme to his prayer, as muſt needs caſt an aſperſion of folly, on the moſt high: O ffO Domine doce nos quid aganius, quo gradiamus oſtende, quid efficiamus operare: Ben. Pap. in Concil. Legunſtad.Lord (ſaith he) teach us what we ſhould do; ſhew us whither we ſhould goe, worke in us, what we ought to performe: O fooliſh Fathers of the ſecond Arauſican Councel, affirming, ggMulta in homine bona fiunt quae nonfacit homo: nulla vero facit homo bona, quae non Deus praſtet, ut faciat. Conſil: Arau. 2. Can. 20. Quotie… enim bona agimos, Deus in nobis & nobiſcum, ut operemur, operatur: Can. 9.that many good things are done in man, which he doth not himſelfe, but a man doth no good, which God doth not ſo worke, that he ſhould doe it: And againe, as often as we doe good, God worketh in us, and with us, that we may ſo worke: In one word, this makes fooles of all the Doctors of the Church, who ever oppoſed the Pelagian hereſie, in as much as they all unanimouſly maintained, that we are partakers of no good thing, in this kinde without the effectuall powerfull operation, of the Almightie grace of God: and yet our faith and obedience ſo wrought in us, to be moſt acceptable unto him: yea, what ſhall we ſay to the Lord himſelfe, in one place commanding us to feare him, and in another promiſing that he will put his feare into our hearts, that we ſhall not depart from him, is his command fooliſh, or his promiſe falſe: the Arminians muſt affirme the one, or renounce their hereſie? but of this, after I have a little farther laid open this monſtrous errour, from their owne words, and writings.

hhAnne conditionem quis ſerio & ſapienter praeſcribet alteri, ſub promiſſo praemii & poenae graviſſimae comminatione, qui eam, in eo eui praeſcribit efficere vult, haec actio tota ludicra, & vix ſcaena digna eſt: Rem. Apol. cap. 9. p. 105. a.Can any one, ſay they, wiſely and ſeriouſly preſcribe the performance of a condition to another, under the promiſe of a reward, and threatning of puniſhment, who will effect it in him, to whom it is preſcribed? this is a ridiculous action, ſcarce worthy of the Stage: that is, ſeeing Chriſt hath affirmed, that whoſoever beleeveth ſhall be ſaved, and he that beleeveth not ſhall be damned, Matth. 16. 16. whereby faith, is eſtabliſhed, the condition of ſalvation, and unbeleefe, threatned with hell: If God ſhould by his holy Spirit, ingenerate faith in the hearts of any, cauſing them ſo to fulfill the condition, it were a meere mockery, to be exploded from a Theater as an unlikely fiction: which, what an aſperſion it caſts upon the whole Goſpel of Chriſt, yea, on all Gods dealling with the children of men, ever ſince, by reaſon of the fall, they became unable of themſelves, to fulfill his commands, I leave p. 111to all mens ſilent judgements: well then, ſeeing they muſt be accounted foreign, things inconſiſtent, that God ſhould be ſo righteous, as to ſhew us our dutie, and yet ſo good and mercifull, as to beſtow his graces on us: let us heare more of this ſtuffe: iiFides & converſio non poſſunt eſſe obedientia, ſi tantum ab aliquo, in alio, efficiantur: Rem Colloq. Hag. fol. 196.faith and converſion cannot be our obedience, if they are worught in us by God, ſay they at the Hague: and Epiſcopius, kkAbſurdum eſt ſtatuere Deum aut efficere per potentiam, aut procurare per ſapientiam, ut electi ea faciant, quae ab ipſis, ut ipſi ea faciant, exigit & poſtulat Epiſcop. diſp. pri. 8. Theſ. 7.That it is a moſt abſurd thing, to affirme, that God either effects by his power, or procureth by his wiſedeme, that the elect ſhould doe thoſe things, that he requireth of them: So that where the Scripture cals faith the gift, and worke of God, they ſay it is an improper locution, in as much as he commands it, properly, it is an act or worke of our owne: AndllApol. cap. 9. ubi. ſup. Deum dona ſua in nobis coronare, dictum hoc Auguſtini niſi cum grano ſalis accipiatur neutiquam eſt admittendum: idem: Ibid. fol. 115. for that renowned ſaying of Saint Auguſtine, that God crowneth his own gifts in us, that it is not to be received without a graine of ſalt: That is, ſome ſuch gloſſe as wherewith they corrupt the Scripture: the ſumme at which they aime is, that to affirme, that God beſtoweth any grace upon us, or effectually worketh them in us, contradicteth his word, requiring them as our dutie, and obedience: by which means they have erected their Idol, into the throne of Gods free grace and mercy, and attribute unto it all the praiſe, due to thoſe many heavenly qualifications, the ſervants of God are endowed withall, for they never have more good in them, no, nor ſo much, as is required, all that they have, or doe, is but their dutie: which how derogatorie it is to the merit of Chriſt, themſelves ſeeme to acknowledge, when they affirme, that he is no otherwiſe ſaid to be a Saviour,mmAtqui dices, ſic ſervatores noſtri eſſent omnes, (eodem ſenſu quo Chriſtus) ſaltem ex parte qui praeconio, miraculis, martyriis ſalutis viam, confirmant: eſto? quid tum: Idem. cap. 8. then are all they, who confirme the way to ſalvation by preaching, miracles, martyrdome, and example: ſo that having quite overthrowne the merits of Chriſt, they grant us to be our owne Saviours in a very large ſenſe: Rem. Apol. fol. 96. All which aſſertions, how contrary they are to the expreſſe word of God, I ſhall now demonſtrate.

There is not one, of all thoſe plaine texts of Scripture, not one of thoſe innumerable and invincible arguments, whereby the effectuall working of Gods grace, in the converſion of a ſinner, his powerfull tranſlating us, from death to life, from the ſtate of ſinne and bondage, to the libertie of the ſonnes of God, which doth not overthrow this prodigious error. I will content my p. 112ſelfe with inſtancing in ſome few of them which are directly oppoſite unto it, even in termes,

Firſt, Deuter. 10. 16. The Lord commandeth the Iſraelites, to circumciſe the fore-skin of their hearts, and to be no more ſtiffe necked: ſo that the circumciſing of their hearts, was a part of their obedience, it was their dutie ſo to do in obedience to Gods commands: and yet in the 30. Chapter, verſ. 6. he affirmeth, that he will circumciſe their hearts, that they might love the Lord their God, with all their hearts: So that it ſeemes, the ſame thing, in divers reſpects may be Gods act in us, and our dutie towards him: and how the Lord will here eſcape the Arminian cenſure, that if his words be true, in the latter place, his command in the former, is vaine, and fooliſh, ipſe viderit, let him plead his cauſe, and avenge himſelfe, on thoſe, that riſe up againſt him.

Secondly, Ezek. 18. 31. Make you a new heart, and a new ſpirit, for why will you die, O houſe of Iſrael? The making of a new heart, and a new ſpirit, is here required under a promiſe of a reward of life, and a great threatning of eternall death: ſo that, ſo to doe, muſt needs be a part of their dutie and obedience: and yet Chapter 36. verſ. 36. He affirmeth that he will doe this very thing, that here he requireth of them: a new heart alſo will I give you, and a new ſpirit, will I put within you, and I will take away the ſtony heart, out of your fleſh, and give you an heart of fleſh: and I will cauſe you to walke in my ſtatutes, &c. In how many places alſo, are we commanded to feare the Lord, which when we doe, I hope none will deny to be a performance of our dutie; and yet Jerem. 32. 40. God promiſeth that he will put his feare in our hearts, that we ſhall not depart from him.

Thirdly, thoſe two, againſt which they lay particular exceptions, faith, and repentance, are alſo expreſly attributed, to the free donation of God: he granteth unto the Gentiles repentance unto life: Acts 11. 18. and of faith directly, it is not of our ſelves, it is the gift of God: Epheſ. 2. 8. To which aſſertion of the holy Spirit, I ſhall rather faſten my beliefe; then to the Arminians, affirming that it is no gift of God, becauſe it is of our ſelves: and p. 113yet this hindereth not, but that it may be ſtiled, Our moſt holy faith: Iude 20. Let them that will deny, that any thing can properly be ours, which God beſtoweth on us: the Prophet accounted them not inconſiſtent, when he averred, that God worketh all our workes in us: Iſa. 26. 12. They are our workes, though of his working: the Apoſtle laboured, though it was not he, but the grace of God that was with him: 1 Cor. 15. 10. He worketh in us foreign, of his good pleaſure, Philip. 2. 13. and yet the performance of our dutie, may conſiſt, in thoſe acts of our wils, and thoſe good deeds, whereof he is the Authour: ſo that according to SaintnnPetamus ut det quod ut habeamus jubet: Aug. Auſtins counſell, we will ſtill pray, that he would beſtow, what he commandeth us to have.

Fourthly, 1 Cor. 4. Who made thee differ from another, or what haſt thou, that thou haſt not received? Every thing that makes us differ from others, is received from God: wherefore the foundation of all difference in ſpirituall things betweene the ſonnes of Adam: being faith and repentance, they muſt alſo of neceſſitie, be received from above. In briefe; Gods circumciſing of our hearts, Coloſ. 2. 11. His quickning us when we are dead, Epheſ. …. 1. 2. Begetting us anew, Iohn 1. 13. Making us in all things, ſuch as he would have us to be, is contained in that promiſe of the New Covenant, Jerem. 32. 40. I will make with them an everlaſting Covenant, that I will not turne away from them to doe them good, but I will put my feare in their hearts, that they ſhall not depart from me: and is no way repugnant to the holy Scripture, declaring our dutie, to be all this, that the Lord would have us: and now let all men judge, whether againſt ſo many, and cleere teſtimonies of the holy Ghoſt, the Arminian reaſons borrowed from the old Philoſophers, be of any value: the ſumme of them all, you may finde in Cicero, his third Booke De Natura Deorum: ooQuia ſibi quiſque virtutem acquirit,—neminem de ſapientibus unquam de ea gratias Deo egiſſe, propter virtutem enim laudamur, & in virtute gloriamur, quod non fieret, ſi Donum eſſet Dei, non à nobis, Cicero De Nat. Deor.Every one, ſaith he, obtaineth vertue for himſelf: never any wiſe man thanked God for that, for our vertue we are praiſed, in vertue we glory, which might not be, were it a gift of God: and truely this in ſofter termes, is the ſumme of the Remonſtrants Arguments in this particular.

p. 114Laſtly, obſerve, that this errour, is that which of all others, the Orthodox Fathers did moſt oppoſe in the Pelagian heretiques: yea and to this day,ppAlvarez: diſput. 86. ubi Aug. Thom. alios, citat. the more learned Schoolemen ſtoutly maintaine the truth herein againſt the innovating Ieſuits: with ſome few of the teſtimonies of the Ancients I will ſhut up this diſcourſe: It qqCertum eſt nos facere cum facimus, ſed ille facet ut faciamus Aug. de Grat. et Lib. Arbit. cap. 16.is certaine, that when we doe any thing we doe it, ſaith Saint Auguſtine, but it is God that cauſeth us ſo to doe: and in another place;rr—Neque id donum Dei eſſe fateamur, quon…am exigi audivimus a nobis, praemio vitae ſi hoc fecerimus oblato? abſit, ut hoc placeat particibus & defenſoribus gratiae: Aug. de Praedeſt. San. cap. 20. Shall we not account that to be the gift of God? becauſe it is required of us, under the promiſe of eternall life? God forbid that this ſhould ſeeme ſo, either to the partakers, or defenders of grace: where he rejecteth both the errour, and the ſophiſme, wherewith it is upholden?ſſTanta eſt erga homines bonitas Dei, ut noſtra velit eſſe merita quae ſunt ipſius dona: Caeleſt: Epiſt. ad Ep. Gal. cap. 12. So alſo Coeleſtius Biſhop of Rome in his Epiſtle to the Biſhops of France: So great, ſaith he, is the goodnes of God towards men, that he will have thoſe good things to be our good duties (he cals them merits according to the phraſe of thoſe dayes) which are his owne gifts: to which purpoſe I cited before two Canons out of the Arauſican Councel: and Saint Proſper in his Treatiſe, againſt Caſſianus the Semipelagian, ttNon enim conturbat nos, ſuperbientium inepta quaerimonia; quia Liberum Arbitrium cauſantur anferri: ſi & principia & profectus, & perſeverantia in bonis uſque ad finem, Dei dona eſſe dicantur: Proſp. ad Collat. pag. 404.affirmeth it, to be a fooliſh complaint of proud men, that Free-will is deſtroyed, if the beginning, progreſſe, and continuance in good, be ſaid to be the gifts of God: and ſo the imputation of folly, wherewith the Arminians in my firſt Quotation, charge their oppoſers, being retorted on them, by this learned Father, I referre you to theſe following excerpta for a cloſe.