' "In ordine volitorum divinorum, qusadara sunt qtise omnem actum creaturse prsece- dunt, quffidam quse sequuntur." — Corv. ad Molin., cap. v. sect. 1, p. G7.
2 " Certum est Deum qucedam velle, quae non vellet nisi aliqua volitio humana antece- deret." — Armin., Antip., p. 211.
* " Multa tamen arbitror Deum velle, quae non vellet, adeoque nee juste velle posset, nisi aliqua actio creaturce praecederet."— Ad Ames., p. 24.
* " Deus facit vel non facit id ad quod, ex se et natura sua ac inclinatione propria est aitectus, prout homo cum isto ordine conspii-at, vel non conspirat." — Corv. ad Molin., cap. V. ad sect. 3.
16 A DISPLAY OF ARMINIANISIM.
decree of election. Concerning this they tell us roundly, that it is false that election is confirmed from eternity : so the Remonstrants in their Apology, notwithstanding that St Paul tells us that it is the " purpose of God," Rom. ix. 11, and that we were " chosen before the foundation of the world," Eph. i. 4. Neither is it any thing material what the Arminians there grant, — namely, that there is a decree pre- ceding this, which may be said to be from everlasting: for seeing that St Paul teacheth us that election is nothing but God's purpose of saving us, to affirm 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 affirm them to be temporary and to have had a beginning, so also to expire and have an ending, to be subject to change and variableness. " Some acts of God's will do cease at a certain time," saith Episcopius.^ What? doth any thing come into his mind that changeth his will? "Yes," saith Araainius, ^" He would have all men to be saved ; but, compelled with the stubborn and incorrigible malice of some, he will have them to miss it." How- ever, this is some recompense, — denying God a power to do what he will, they 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. Thieves give what they do not take. Having robbed God of his power, they will leave him so much good- ness as that he shall not be troubled at it, though he be sometimes compelled to what he is very loath to do. How do they and their fellows, the Jesuits,^ exclaim upon poor Calvin, for sometimes using the hard word oi compulsion, describing the effectual, powerful work- ing of the providence of God in the actions of men ; but they can fasten the same term on the will of God, and no harm done ! Surely he will one day plead his own cause against them. But yet blame them not, "si violandum est jus, regnandi causa violandum est." It is to make themselves absolute that they thus cast off the yoke of the Almighty, and that both in things concerning this life and that which is to come. They are much troubled that it should be said that "every one of us bring along with us into the world an unchange- able pre-ordination of life and death eternal; for such a supposal
' " Falsum est quod elcctio facta est ab a)terno." — Rem. Apol., cap. xviii. p. 190.
2 " V-olitioncs aliquDe Dei ccssant certo quodam tempore.' — Episcop. Disp. de Vol. Dei., thes. 7
3 '= Dcus vult omnes salvos iieri, sed compulsus pcrtinaci et incorrigibili malitia qiiorundain, vult illos jactuvam facere salutis." — Armin. Antip. fol. 195.
* Bell. Amiss. Urat. ; Armin. Antip. Rem. Apol.
« " (Doccnt) iinum(|ucmque invariabilem vita;, ac mortis -rpoTayrtv una cum ipso ortu, in luceni hauc nobiscum adierre." — Filii Armin. in Epist. Ded. ad Examcn Lib. I'erk.
OF THE DECREES OF GOD. 17
would quite overthrow the main foundation of their heresy, — namely^ that men can make their election void and frustrate, as they jointly lay it down in their Apology.^ Nay, it is a dream, saith Dr Jackson,^ to think of God's decrees concerning things to come as of acts irre- vocably finished ; which would hinder that which Welsingius lays down for a truth, — to wit, ^" 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, ^ Their distinction of them into peremptory and not peremp- tory (terms rather used in the citations of litigious courts than as expressions of God's purpose in sacred Scripture), is not, as by them applied, compatible with the unchangeableness of God's eternal pur- poses. Hfdsxaipoi, say they, or temporary believers, are elected (though not peremptorily) with such an act of God's will as hath a co-existence every way commensurate, both in its original, con- tinuance, and end, with their fading faith; which sometimes, like Jonah's gourd, is but "filia unius noctis," — in the morning it flourish- eth, in the evening it is cut down, dried up, and withereth. A man in Christ by faith, or actually believing (which to do is, as they say, in every one's own power), ^is, in their opinion, the proper object of election; — of election, I say, not peremptory, which is an act pendent, expecting the final perseverance 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 re- ward. Thus also (as they teach), a man according to his infidelity, whether present and removable, or obdurate and final, is the only object of reprobation; which, in the latter case, is peremptory and absolute, in the former conditional and alterable. It is the qualities of faith and unbelief on which their election and reiDrobation do attend.'' Now, let a faithful man, elected of God according to his present righteousness, apostate [apostatize] totally from gxace (as to afiirm that there is any promise of God implying his perseverance is