A Display of Arminianism, Argument · Chapter 2

A Display of Arminianism · Argument · Chapter 2

p. 5CHAP. II.

Of the eternitie and immutabilitie of the decrees of Almightie God, denied and overthrown by the Arminians.

IT hath been alwayes beleeved among Chriſtians, and that upon infallible grounds, as I ſhall ſhew hereafter, that all the decrees of God, as they are internall, ſo they are eternall acts of his will, and therefore unchangeable, and irrevocable: mutable decrees, and occaſionall reſolutions, are moſt contrary, to the pure nature, of Almightie God: ſuch principles as theſe, evident, and cleere, by their own light, were never queſtioned, by any, before the Arminians began, foreign, and to profeſſe themſelves, to delight, in oppoſing common notions of reaſon, concerning God and his eſſence, that they might exalt themſelves into his throne: to aſcribe the leaſt mutabilitie, to the divine eſſence, with which, all the attributes, and internall free acts of God, are p. 6one and the ſame,Phil lib quod ſit Deus immutabilis. was ever accounted foreign tranſcendent Atheiſme, in the higheſt degree: now be this crime of what nature it will, it is no unjuſt imputation, to charge it on the Arminians, becauſe, they confeſſe themſelves guiltie, and glory in the crime.

1. They undermine, and overthrow, the eternitie of Gods purpoſes, by affirming, that (in the order of the divine decrees, there are ſome which precede, every act of the creature, and ſome againe, that follow them) ſoaa…, quaedam ſunt quae omnem actum … quaedam quae …. cap. 5. ſee. 1. pag 67. Corvinus the moſt famous, of that ſect; now all the acts of every creature, being but of yeſterday, temporary, like themſelves, ſurely, thoſe decrees of God, cannot be eternall, which follow them in order of time: and yet they preſſe this, eſpecially, in reſpect of humane actions, as a certaine, unqueſtionable veritie: (it is certaine that God willeth or determineth, many things, which he would not, did not ſome act of mans will, goe before it) ſaith their greater MaſterbbCertum eſt Deum quaedam velle, quae non velle ni…i aliqua … humana antecederet, A… min. Antipe. k…p 211. Arminius: the like affirmeth, with a little addition, (as ſuch men do alwayes proficere in peius,) his genuine ſcholler Nic. ccMulta tamen arbitror Deum velle, quae non vellet, adeoque nec juſt… velle poſſet, niſi aliqua actio creatu… praece le…et▪ ad Ameſ. pag. 24.Grevinchovius, I ſuppoſe (ſaith he) that God willeth many things, which he neither would, nor iuſtly could will, and purpoſe, did not ſome action of the creature precede: and here obſerve that in theſe places, they ſpeak not of Gods externall works, of thoſe actions, which out wardly are of him, as inflicting of puniſhments, beſtowing of rewards, and other ſuch outward acts of his providence, whoſe adminiſtration we confeſſe to be various, and diverſly applyed to ſeverall occaſions: but of the internall purpoſes of Gods will, his decrees, and intentions which have no preſent influence upon, or reſpect unto, any action of the creature: yea they deny that concerning many things, God hath any determinate reſolution at all, or any purpoſe, further, then a naturall affection towards them: God doth, or omitteth, that, towards which, in his owne nature, and his proper inclination, he is affected, as he findes man, to comply, or not to comply, with that order, which he hath appointed, ſaithddDeus facit vel non facit …, ad quod, …, & natura … inclinatione … eſt … prou… … cum iſto ordine conſp…at vel non conſp…a… … ad … cap. 5. ad ſee. 3. Corvinus: ſurely, theſe men care not, what indignities they caſt upon the God of heaven, ſo they may maintaine the pretended endowments of their own wils; for ſuch an abſolute power do they here aſcribe unto them, that God himſelf, cannot determine p. 7of a thing, whereunto, as they ſtrangely phraſe it, he is well affected, before, by an actuall coucurrence, he is ſure of their complyance: now this imputation, that they are temporary, which they caſt upon the decrees of God in generall, they preſſe home upon that particular, which lies moſt in their way, the decree of election: concerning this, they tell us roundly, that it is falſe that election is confirmed from eternitie, ſo the eeFalſum eſt quod electio facta eſt ab aeterno. Rem. apol. cap. 18. p. 190.Remonſtrants in their Apologie; not withſtanding, that Saint Paul tels us, that it is the purpoſe of God, Rom. 9. 11. and that we were choſen before the foundation of the world, Epheſ. 1. 4. neither is it any thing materiall, what the Arminians there grant, viz, that there is a decree, preceding this, which may be ſaid to be from everlaſting, for ſeeing that Saint Paul teacheth us, that election, is nothing but Gods purpoſe, of ſaving us, to affirme that God eternally decreed, that he would elect us, is all one, as to ſay, that God purpoſed, that in time he would purpoſe to ſave us: ſuch reſolutions, may be fit, for their own wild heads, but muſt not be aſcribed to God only wiſe.

Secondly, as they affirme them to be temporary, and to have had a beginning, ſo alſo to expire and have an ending, to be ſubject, to change and variableneſſe: ſome acts of Gods will, doe ceaſe at a certaine time, ſaithffVolitiones aliquae Dei ceſſant ce…to quodam tempore Epiſcop. diſp. de vol. Dei. Theſ. 7. Epiſcopius: what? doth any thing, come into his minde, that changeth his will, yes ſaithggDeus vult omnes Salvos …ieri, ſed compulſus pertinaci & incorrigibili malitia quorundam, vult illos jacturam facere Salutis. Armin. Antip. fol. 195. Arminius, he would have all men to be ſaved, but compelled, with the ſtubborne, and incorrigible malice of ſome, he will have them to miſſe it: however this is ſome recompence, denying God a power to do what he will, then grant him to be contented to do what he may: and not much repine at his hard condition: certainly, if but for this favour, he is a debtor to the Arminians, theeves give, what they do not take, having robbed God of his power, they will yet leave him ſo much goodneſſe, as that he ſhall not be troubled at it, though he be ſometimes compelled to, what he is very loath to do: how doehhBell. Amiſſ. pal. Armi. antip. crin. 3. Rem apol. ut. they and their fellows the Ieſuits, exclaime upon poore Calvin, for ſometimes uſing the harſh word of compulſion, deſcribing the effectuall, powerfull working of the providence of God, in the actions of men, but they, can faſten the ſame terme, on the will of God, and no harme done: p. 8ſurely, he will one day plead his own cauſe againſt them: but yet blame them not, ſi violandum eſt ius, regnandi cauſa violandum eſt: it is to make themſelves abſolute, that they thus caſt off the yoke of the Almightie: and that both in things concerning this life, and that which is to come, they are much troubled, that it ſhould be ſaid, thatii(Docent) unum quem que invariabilem vite foreign … ortu, in lucem ha… nobiſcum …. every one of us, bring along with us, into the world, an unchangeable preordination, of life and death eternall; for ſuch a ſuppoſall, would quite overthrow, the maine foundation of their hereſie, viz. that men can make their election, voide and fruſtrate, … Armin. in epiſt. de…. ad Examen. lib. Per.as they joyntly lay it down, in theirkkPoſlunt homi nes electionem ſuam irritam & fruſtraneam reddere, Rem. apol. cap. 9. p. 105. Apologie, nay it is a dreame, ſaith D^r.llIackſon of the divine eſſence. Iackſon, to thinke of Gods decrees, concerning things to come, as of acts, irrevocably finiſhed, which would hinder that which Welſingius laies down for a truth, to wit,mmNon mirum videri debet quod aliquando ex electis reprob… & ex reprobis clecti ſiant, Welſin. de of. Ch. hom. that the elect, may become reprobates, and the reprobates, elect, now to theſe particular ſayings, is their whole doctrine concerning the decrees of God, inaſmuch, as they have any reference to the actions of men, moſt exactly conformable, as:

Firſt,nnOmnia Dei decreta, non ſunt perempto…ia, ſed quaedam conditionata ac mutabilia: concio. Ad Cle. …xon. ann. 1641. Rem. decla. ſen in ſynod. alii paſſim: electio ſicut & juſtificatio, & incerta & revocabilis, … tramque vero conditionatam qui negave…t, ipſum quo que evagelium negabit: Grevin. ad Ames. p. 136. 137. their diſtinction of them, into peremptory, and not peremptory, (termes, rather uſed in the citations of litigious courts, then as expreſſions of Gods purpoſe, in ſacred Scripture) is not, (as by them applyed) compatible, with the unchangeableneſſe of Gods eternall purpoſes: foreign, ſay they, or temporary beleevers, are elected, (though not peremptorily) with ſuch an act of Gods will, as hath a coexiſtence every way commenſurate, both in its originall, continuance, and end, with their fading faith: which ſometimes, like Ionas gourd, is but filia unius noctis, in the morning it flouriſheth, in the evening it is cut down, dried up, and withereth: a man in Chriſt by faith, or actually beleeving, (which to do, is as they ſay, in every ones own power) ooAd gloriam participandam pro iſto tempore quo credunt electi ſunt Rem. apol fol 190.is in their opinion the proper object, of election; of election, I ſay, not peremptory which is an act pendent, expecting the finall perſerverance, and conſummation of his faith: and therefore immutable, becauſe man having fulfilled his courſe, God hath no cauſe to change his purpoſe, of crowning him with reward; thus alſo, (as they teach) a man according to his infidelitie, whether preſent, and removeable, or obdurate and finall, is the only object of reprobation: which in the latter, cauſe, is peremptory, p. 9and abſolute, in the former conditionall and alterable; it is the qualities of faith, and unbeliefe, on which their election, and reprobation doe attend.ppDecreta hypothetica poſlunt mutari, quia conditio reſpectu hominis vel non praeſtatur vel non praeſtatur, atque ita exiſtit vel non exiſtit: & … extitit aliquandiu, ſaepe exiſtere deſinit, & urſus poſtquam aliquandi… deſiit, exiſtere incipit. Corvi. ad Moli. cap. 5. ſee. 10. Now let a faithfull man, elected of God, according to his preſent righteouſneſſe, apoſtate totally from grace, (as to affirme that there is any promiſe of God, implying his perſeverance is with them to overthrow all religion) and let the unbeleeving reprobate, depoſe his incredulitie and turne himſelfe unto the Lord; anſwerable to this mutation of their conditions, are the changings of the purpoſe of the Almightie, concerning their everlaſting eſtate: againe, ſuppoſe theſe two by alternate courſes, (as the doctrine of Apoſtacie maintaineth they may) ſhould returne each to their former eſtate, the decrees of God concerning them, muſt againe be changed, for it is injuſt with him, either not to elect him that beleeves, though it be but for an houre, or not to reprobate unbeleevers: now what unchangeableneſſe can we affixe to theſe decrees, which it lies it in the power of man to make as inconſtant as Euripus: making it beſide to be poſſible, that all the members of Chriſts Church, whoſe names are written in heaven, ſhould within one houre be enrolled in the blacke book of damnation;

Secondly, as theſe not-peremptory decrees, are mutable, ſo they make the peremptory decrees of God, to be temporall: finall impenitencie,Dici que beatus ante obitum ne…o. ſay they, is the only cauſe, and the finally unrepenting ſinner, is the only object of reprobation, peremptory and irrevocable: as the Poet thought none happy, ſo they thinke no man to be elected, or a reprobate, before his death: now that denomination, he doth receive from the decree of God concerning his eternall eſtate, which muſt neceſſarily then be firſt enacted; the relation that is betweene the act of reprobation, and the perſon reprobated, importeth a coexiſtence of denomination: when God reprobates a man, he then becomes a reprobate: which, if it be not before he hath actually fulfilled the meaſure of his iniquitie, and ſealed it up with the talent of finall impenitencie in his death, the decree of God, muſt needs be temporall, the juſt judge of all the world, having till then ſuſpended his determination, expecting the laſt reſolution of this changeable Proteus: nay that Gods decrees concerning mens eternall p. 10eſtates, are in their judgement temporall, and not beginning untill their death, is plaine from the whole courſe of their doctrine; eſpecially, where they ſtrive to prove, that if there were any ſuch determination, God could not threaten puniſhments, or promiſe rewards:qqQuis enim cō minetur poenam ei, quem peremptorio decreto à poena immunem eſſe vult Rem Apol. cap. 17. fol. 187. Who, ſay they, ean threaten puniſhment, to him, whom by a peremptory decree, he will have to be free from puniſhment: it ſeemes he cannot have determined, to ſave any whom he threatens to puniſh if they ſinne, which is evident he doth all ſo long as they live in this world, which makes God not only mutable, but quite deprives him of his foreknowledge: and makes the forme of his decree run thus: if man will beleeve, I determine he ſhall be ſaved, if he will not, I determine he ſhall be damned, that is, I muſt leave him in the meane time, to doe what he will, ſo I may meet with him in the end.

Thirdly, they affirme no decree of Almightie God concerning men is ſo unalterable,rrAuthor of Gods Love to Mankinde. p. 4. but, that all thoſe who are now in reſt, or miſery, might have had contrary lots: that thoſe which are damned, as Pharaoh, Iudas, &c. might have been ſaved, and thoſe which are ſaved, as the bleſſed Virgin, Poten, Iohn, might have been damned, which muſt needs reflect with a ſtrong charge of mutabilitie on Almightie God, who knoweth who are his: divers other inſtances in this nature I could produce, whereby it would be further evident, that theſe innovators in Chriſtian religion, doe overthrow the eternitie, and unchangeableneſſe of Gods decrees, but theſe are ſufficient to any diſcerning man: and I will adde in the cloſe, an antidote againſt this poyſon, brieſly ſhewing what the Scripture and right reaſon, teach us concerning theſe ſecrets of the moſt High.

Firſt, knowne unto God, ſaith Saint Iames, are all his works, from the beginning, Acts 15. 18. whence, it hath hitherto been concluded, that, what ever God doth in time bring to paſſe, that, he decreed from all eternitie ſo to doe, all his works were from the beginning knowne unto him; conſider it particularly in the decree of election, that fountaine of all ſpirituall bleſſings; that a ſaving ſence, and aſſurance thereof, (2 Pet. 1. 10.) being attained, might effect a ſpirituall rejoycing in the Lord, 1 Cor. 15. 31. p. 11ſuch things, are every where taught, as may raiſe us to the conſideration of it, as of an eternall act, irrevocably and immutably eſtabliſhed; he hath choſen us before the foundation of the world, Epheſ. 1. 4. his purpoſe according to election, before we were borne muſt ſtand, Rom. 9. 11. for to the irreverſible ſtability of this act of his will, he hath ſet to the ſeale of his infallible knowledge, 2 Tim. 2. 19. his purpoſe of our ſalvation by grace, not according to works, was before the world began, 2 Tim. 1. 9. an eternall purpoſe, proceeding from ſuch a will, as to which, none can reſiſt: joyned with ſuch a knowledge, as to which all things paſt, preſent, and to come, are open, and evident: directed by an infallible wiſdome, and counſell: muſt needs alſo, be like the laws of the Medes, and Perſians, permanent and unalterable.

Secondly,Quicquid operatur operatur u… eſt. the decrees of God being conformable to his nature, and eſſence, doe require eternitie, and immutabilitie, as their unſeparable properties: God, and he only, never was, nor ever can be, what now he is not; paſſive poſſibilitie to any thing, which is the fountaine of all change, can have no place in him who is actus ſimplex, & purely free from all compoſition, whence Saint Iames affirmeth, that with him there is no variableneſſe, nor ſhadow of turning, Iam. 1. 17. with him, that is in his will, and purpoſes: and himſelfe by his Prophet, I am the Lord, and I change not, therefore ye ſons of Iacob, are not conſumed, Mal. 3. 6. where, he proveth the not changing of his gracious purpoſes, becauſe he is the Lord: the eternall acts of his will, not really differing from his unchangeable eſſence, muſt needs be immutable.

Thirdly, whatſoever God hath determined according to the counſell of his wiſdome, and good pleaſure of his will, to be accompliſhed to the praiſe of his glory, ſtandeth ſure, and immutable: for the ſtrength of Iſrael, will not lye, nor repent, for he is not a man, that he ſhould repent, 1 Sam 15. 29. he declareth the end, from the beginning, and from ancient times, the things that are not yet done, ſaying, my counſell ſhall ſtand: and I will doe all my pleaſure. Iſa. 46. 10. which certaine and infallible execution of his pleaſure, is extended to particular contingent events, p. 12Chap. 48. 17. yea, it is an ordinary thing with the Lord, to confirme the certaintie of thoſe things that are yet for to come, from his own decree: as▪ The Lord of Hoſts hath ſworne ſaying, ſurely as I have thought, ſo it ſhall come to paſſe, and as I have purpoſed it ſhall ſtand, that I will breake the Aſſyrian, &c. Iſa. 14. 24, 25. it is certaine, the Aſſyrian ſhall be broken, becauſe the Lord hath purpoſed it: which were a weake kinde of reaſoning, if his purpoſe might be altered: nay, he is of one minde and who can turne him, and what his ſoule deſireth, that he doth, Ioh 23. 13. The Lord of Hoſts hath purpoſed, and who ſhall diſanull it, Iſa. 14. 7. So that the purpoſe of God, and immutabilitie of his counſell, Heb. 6. 16. have their certaintie, and firmneſſe, from eternitie: and doe not depend on the variable lubricity of mortall men, which we muſt needs grant, unleſſe we intend to ſet up impotency againſt omnipotency, and arme the clay, againſt the Potter.

Fourthly, If Gods determination concerning any thing, ſhould have a temporall originall; it muſt needs be, either becauſe he then perceived ſome goodneſſe in it, of which before he was ignorant; or elſe, becauſe ſome accident did affixe a reall goodneſſe, to ſome ſtate of things, which it had not from him: neither of which, without abominable blaſphemy can be affirmed; ſeeing he knoweth the end from the beginning, all things from everlaſting; being alwayes the ſame, the fountaine of all goodneſſe of which other things doe participate, in that meaſure which it pleaſeth him to communicate it unto them: adde to this, the omnipotency of God, there is power and might in his hand, that none is able to withſtand him, 2 Chron. 2. 6. which will not permit that any of his purpoſes be fruſtrate; in all our intentions, if the defect be not in the errour of our underſtandings, which may be rectified by better information; when we cannot doe that which we would, we will doe that which we can, the alteration of our purpoſe, is for want of power to fulfill it; which impotency cannot be aſcribed to Almightie God: who is in heaven, and hath done whatſoever he pleaſed, Pſal. 115. verſ. 3. So that the immutability of Gods nature, his Almightie power, the infallibility of his knowledge, his immunity from error in all his counſels; do ſhew, that he never faileth, p. 13in accompliſhing any thing, that he propoſeth for the manifeſtation of his glory.

To cloſe up this whole diſcourſe, wherein I have not diſcovered halfe the poyſon contained in the Arminian doctrine, concerning Gods decrees, I will in briefe, preſent to your view, the oppoſition that is in this matter, betwixt the word of God, and the Patrons of free-will.