A Display of Arminianism, Argument · Chapter 11

A Display of Arminianism · Argument · Chapter 11

p. 116CHAP. XI.

Whether Salvation may be attained without the knowledge of or Faith in Chriſt Jeſus.

I Shall ſhut up all this diſcourſe concerning the meritorious cauſe of Salvation, with their ſhutting out of Chriſt, from being the onelyonly one, and abſolutely neceſſary meanes, to bring us unto heaven, to make us happy: this is the laſt Pile they erect upon their Babyloniſh foundation, which makes the Idol of humane ſelfe-ſufficiencie, every way perfect, and fit, to be ſacricrificed unto: untill theſe proud builders, to get materials for their owne Temple, laid the Axe to the root of Chriſtianitie, we tooke it for grounded, that there is no ſalvation in any other, becauſe there is none other name under heaven, given unto men, whereby we muſt be ſaved: Acts 4. 12. Neither yet ſhall their nefarious attempts, frighten us from our Creed, nor make us be wanting to the defence of our Saviours honour, but I ſhall be very briefe in the conſideration of this Heterodoxie, nothing doubting, but that to have repeated it, is fully to have confuted it, in the judgement of all pious Chriſtians.

Firſt then, they grant ſalvation, to the ancient Patriarches and Iewes, before the coming of Chriſt, without any knowledge of, or faith in him at all: Nay, they deny, that any ſuch faith in Chriſt, was ever preſcribed unto them, or required of them: aaCertum eſt locum nullum eſſe, unde appareat, ſidem iſtam, ſub Vet. Teſt praeceptam fuiſſe, aut viguiſſe, Rem. Apol. cap. 7. fol. 91.It is certaine that there is no place in the Old Teſtament, from whence it may appeare, that faith in Chriſt (as a Redeemer) was ever enioyned, or found in any of them: ſay they joyntly, in their Apologie: the truth of which aſſertion, we ſhall ſee hereafter: onelyonly they grant a generall faith, involved under types, and ſhadowes, and looking on the promiſe, as it lay hid in the goodneſſe, and providence of God, which indirectly might be called a faith in Chriſt: from which kinde of faith, I ſee no reaſon, why thouſands of heathen Infidels ſhould be excluded: agreeable unto p. 117theſe aſſertions, are the Dictates, of their Patriarch Arminius: bbConſideretur omnis deſcriptio fidei Abrahae, Rom. 4. & apparebit in illa Ieſu Chriſti non fieri mentionem, expreſſe, ſed illa tantum implicatione, quam explicare cuivis non eſt facile, Armin. Gaviſus eſt videre natalem Iſaac, qui fuit typus mei: idem.Rom 4affirming, that the whole deſcription of the Faith of Abraham, Rom. 4. makes no mention of Ieſus Chriſt, either expreſſely or ſo implicitely as that it may be of any one, eaſily underſtood, and to the teſtimonie of Chriſt himſelfe, to the contrary, Ioh. 8. …6. your father Abraham reioyced to ſee my dayes and he ſaw it, and was glad: he anſwereth, he reioyced to ſee the birth of Iſaac, who was a type of mee, a goodly gloſſe corrupting the text.

Secondly, what they teach of the Iews, that alſo, they grant concerning the Gentiles: living before the incarnation of Chriſt: they alſo might attaine ſalvation, and be juſtified without his knowledge: forccGentes ſub veteri teſtamento viventes licet ipſis iſta ratione qua Iudaeis non fuit revelatum: non tamen inde continuo ex faedere abſolute excluſae ſunt, nec à ſalute praeciſe excluſi judicari debent quia aliquo ſaltem modo vocantur. Corvi. defenſ. Armin. ad Tilen. fol. 107. although ſaith Corvinus, the Covenant was not revealed unto them by the ſame means, that it was unto the Iews: yet they are not to be ſuppoſed, to be excluded from the Covenant (of grace) nor to be excluded from ſalvation: for ſome way or other, they were called.

Thirdly, they are come at length, to that perfection, in ſetting out this ſtaine of Chriſtianitie, that Bertius on good conſideration, denied this propoſition, that no man can be ſaved, that is not ingrafted into Chriſt, by a true faith: and ddNego hanc propoſitionem: neminem poſſe ſalvari, quam qui Ieſu Chriſto, perveram fidem ſit inſitus, Bert. ad ſibrand. fol. 133.Venator to this queſtion, Whether the only means of ſalvation, be the life, paſſion, death, reſurrection, and aſcenſion of Ieſus Chriſt, anſwereth, no? thus they lay men in Abrahams boſome, who never beleeved in the ſonne of Abraham: make them overcome the ſerpent, who never heard of the ſeed of the woman, bring goats into heaven, who never were of the flock of Chriſt, never entred by him the doore: make men pleaſe God without faith, and obtaine the remiſſion of ſins,eeAd hanc quaeſtionem an unica via ſalutis, ſit vita paſſio mors reſurrectio & aſſcenſio Ieſu Chriſti? reſpondeo, non. Venat. apud Teſt. Hom. & Peltiam. without the ſprinkling of the blood of the Lambe: to be ſaved without a Saviour, redeemed without a redeemer: to become the ſons of God, and never know their elder brother: which prodigious errour, might yet be pardoned, and aſcribed to humane imbecillitie, had it caſually ſlipt from their pens asffZuing. profeſ. fid. ad reg. Gal. it did from ſome others: but ſeeing it hath foundation, in all the grounds of their new doctrine, and is maintained by them, on mature deliberation, ggArtic. of the Church of Eng. art. 18.it muſt be looked on by all Chriſtians, as an hereſie to be deteſted and accurſed. For, firſt deny the contagion and demerit, p. 118of originall ſinne: then make the Covenant of grace to be univerſall, and comprehend all and every one of the poſteritie of Adam, Nihil magis repugnat fidei, quā ſine fide ſalvum eſſe poſſe quempiam hominum. Acoſt. de indo, Salu. Proc.thirdly, grant a power in our ſelves to come unto God, by any ſuch means as he will appoint and affirme, that he doth aſſigne ſome means unto all, and it will naturally follow, that the knowledge of Chriſt, is not abſolutely neceſſary to ſalvation: and ſo down fals the preheminence of Chriſtianitie, its heaven reaching crown, muſt be laid levell with the ſervices of dung-hill gods.

It is true indeed, ſome of the ancient Fathers, before the riſing of the Pelagian hereſie; who had ſo put on Chriſt, as Lipſius ſpeaks, that they had not fully put of Plato, have unadviſedly dropt ſome ſpeeches, ſeeming to grant, that divers men before the Incarnation, living foreign, according to the dictates of right reaſon, might be ſaved without faith in Chriſt: as is well ſhewed by learned Cauſabon, in his firſt excercitation on Baronius: but let this be accounted part of that ſtubble, which ſhall burne at the laſt day, wherewith the writings of all men, not divinely inſpired may be ſtained: it hath alſo ſince, (as what hath not) been drawn into diſpute among the wrangling Schoolemen: and yet, which is rarely ſeene, their verdict in this particular, almoſt unanimouſly paſſeth for the truth:hhAquin. 2. 2 ae. q. 2. a. 7. c. Chriſtus naſcitur ex virgine, & ego credo in eum, ô Sol, ſub Irenae & Conſtantini temporibus iterum me videbis. Aquinas tels us a ſtory of the corps of a heathen, that ſhould be taken up in the time of the Empreſſe Irene, and her ſonne Conſtantine, with a golden plate on his breſt, wherein was this inſcription: Chriſt is borne of a virgin, and I beleeve in him oh Sun, thou ſhalt ſee me againe, in the dayes of Irene and Conſtantine: but the queſtion is not, whether a Gentile beleeving in Chriſt may be ſaved? or whether God did not reveale himſelfe, and his Sonne, extraordinarily to ſome of them: for ſhall we ſtraighten the breſt, and ſhorten the arme of the Almighty, as though he might not doe what he will with his own. But whether a man by the conduct of nature, without the knowledge of Chriſt, may come to heaven:iiDum multum ſudant nonnulli, quomodo Platonem faciant Chriſtianum, ſe probant eſſe ethnicos, Bern. Epiſt. the aſſertion whereof, we condemne as a wicked Pelagian Socinian hereſie: and thinke, that it was well ſaid of Bernard; that many labouring to make Plato a Chriſtian, doe prove themſelves to be Heathens: and if we looke upon the ſeverall branches of this Arminian novell doctrine, extenuating the precious worth and neceſſitie of faith in Chriſt: p. 119we ſhall finde them, hewed off by the two edged ſword of Gods word.

Firſt, for their denying, the Patriarchs and Iews, to have had faith, in Chriſtum exhibendum & moriturum, as we in him, exhibitum & mortuum, it is diſproved by all Evangelicall promiſes, made from the beginning of the world, to the birth of our Saviour, as that, Gen. 3. 15. The ſeed of the woman ſhall breake the Serpents head, and Chap. 12. 3. Chap. 49. 10. Pſal. 2. 7, 8. and 110. with innumerable other, concerning his life, office, and redeeming of his people: for ſurely they were obliged to beleeve the promiſes of God.

Secondly, thoſe many cleare expreſſions of his death, paſſion, and ſuffering for us: as Gen. 3. 15. Iſaiah 53. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, &c. Chap. 63. 2, 3. Dan. 9. 26. but what need we reckon any more: our Saviour taught his Diſciples, that all the Prophets from Moſes, ſpake concerning him, and that the ſole reaſon, why they did not ſo readily embrace the faith of his paſſion, and reſurrection, was, becauſe they beleeved not the Prophets, Luk. 24. 25, 26. ſhewing plainly, that the Prophets required faith in his death and paſſion.

Thirdly, by the explicite faith of many Iews, as of old Simeon, Luke 3. 34. of the Samaritan woman, who looked for a Meſſias, not as an earthly King, but as one that ſhould tell them all things: redeeme them from ſinne, and tell them all ſuch things, as Chriſt was then diſcourſing of, concerning the worſhip of God, Ioh. 4. verſ. 25.

Fourthly, by the expreſſe teſtimony of Chriſt himſelf: Abraham ſaith he, reioyced to ſee my day, and he ſaw it and was glad: Ioh. 8. 56. his day, his houre, in the Scripture principally denote his paſſion: and that which he ſaw ſurely he beleeved, or elſe the father of the faithfull, was more diffident then Thomas the moſt incredulous, of his children.

Fifthly, By theſe following and the like places of Scripture: p. 120Chriſt is a Lambe ſlaine from the foundation of the world, Revel. 13. 8. ſlaine in promiſes, ſlaine in Gods eſtimation and the faith of beleever, he is the ſame yeſterday to day and for ever, Heb. 13. 8. under the law and the Goſpel: There is none other name under heaven given unto men, whereby they muſt be ſaved: Acts 4. 12. never any then, without the knowledge of a Redeemer, participation of his paſſion, communication of his merits, did ever come to the ſight of God: no man ever came to the Father but by him: hence S^t. Paul tels the Epheſians, that they were without Chriſt, becauſe they were aliens from the Common-wealth of Iſrael: Epheſ. 2. 12. intimating that Gods Covenant with the Iews, included Chriſt Ieſus and his righteouſneſſe, no leſſe then it doth now with us: on theſe grounds holy Ignatius,kkforeign Ignat. Epiſt. ad Epheſ. called Abel a martyr of Chriſt, he died for his faith in the promiſed ſeed: and in another place, llforeign. Epiſt. ad Phil.all the Saints were ſaved by Chriſt: hoping in him: and waiting on him, they obtained ſalvation by him: So mmNon alia fide quemquam hominum ſive ante legem, ſive legis tempore, juſtificatum eſſe credendum eſt, quā hac eadem qua Dominus Ieſus, &c. Proſp. ad ob. 8. Gallorum.Proſper alſo, We muſt beleeve that never any man was iuſtified, by any other faith, either before the Law, or under the Law, then by faith in Chriſt, coming to ſave that which was loſt. Whence Euſebius contendeth, that all the old Patriarchs might properly be called Chriſtians, they all eate of the ſame ſpirituall meat, and all dranke of the ſame ſpirituall drinke, even of the rocke that followed them, which rocke was Chriſt.

Secondly, if the ancient people of God, notwithſtanding, divers other eſpeciall revelations of his will: and heavenly inſtructions obtained not ſalvation, without faith in Chriſt, much leſſe may we grant this happineſſe without him, to them, who were deprived of thoſe other helps alſo:nnOmnes ergo illos qui ab Abraham ſurſum verſus ad primum hominem, generationis ordine conſcribuntur, etſi non nomine, rebus tamen, & religione Chriſtianos fuiſſe, ſi quis dicat, non mihi videtur errare. Euſ. Hiſtor. eccleſ. lib. 1. cap. 1. ſo that though we confeſſe the poore naturall indeavours of the heathen, not to have wanted their reward: either poſitive in this life, by outward proſperitie, and inward calmneſſe of minde, in that, they were not all perplexed, and agitated with furies, like Nero and Caligula, or negative, in the life to come, by a diminution of the degrees of their torments: they ſhall not be beaten with ſo many ſtripes: yet we abſolutely deny, that there is any ſaving mercy of God, towards them revealed in the Scripture, which ſhould give us the leaſt intimation of their attaining everlaſting happineſſe: for p. 121not to conſider the corruption and univerſall diſability of nature, to doe any thing that is good, (without Chriſt we can doe nothing) Ioh. 15. 5. nor yet the ſinfulneſſe of their beſt works, and actions, the ſacrifices of the wicked being an abomination unto the Lord, Prov. 15. 8. Evill trees cannot bring forth good fruit, men doe not gather grapes of thornes, nor figs of thiſtles, Matth. 7. 16. the word of God is plaine, that without faith, it is impoſſible to pleaſe God, Heb. 11. 6. that he, who beleeveth not, is condemned, Mark. 16. 16. that no nation, or perſon, can be bleſſed, but in the ſeed of Abraham, Gen. 12. and the bleſſing of Abraham, comes upon the Gentiles only by Ieſus Chriſt, Gal. 3. 14. He is the way, and the truth, and the life, Ioh. 14. 6. none comes to the Father but by him, he is the doore, by which thoſe that doe not enter, are without, with Dogs, and Idolaters, Revel. 22. So that other foundation, (of bleſſedneſſe) can none lay, but what is already laid, even Ieſus Chriſt, 1 Corinth. 3. 12. in briefe, doe but compare thoſe two places of Saint Paul, one Rom. 8. 30. where he ſheweth, that none are glorified, but thoſe that are called: and Chap. 10. 14, 15. where he declares, that all calling, is inſtrumentally by the preaching of the Word and Goſpel: and it will evidently appeare, that no ſalvation can be granted unto them, on whom the Lord hath ſo farre powred out his indignation, as to deprive them of the knowledge of the ſole means thereof Chriſt Ieſus. And to thoſe that are otherwiſe minded, I give only this neceſſary caution, let them take heed, leſt whileſt they indeavour to invent new wayes to heaven for others, by ſo doing, they looſe not the true way themſelves.