And here observe, that this doth not thwart my former assertion, where I showed that they deny the election of any particular persons, which here they seem to grant upon a foresight of their faith and good works; for there is not any one person, as such a person, not- withstanding all this, that in their judgment is in this life elected, but only as he is considered with those qualifications of which he may at any time divest himself, and so become again to be no more elected than Judas.
The sum of their doctrine in this particular is laid down by one of ours in a tract entitled " God's Love to Mankind," etc. ; a book full of palpable ignorance, gross sophistry, and abominable blasphemy, whose author seems to have proposed nothing unto himself but to rake all the dunghills of a few of the most invective Arminians, and to collect the most filthy scum and pollution of their railings to cast upon the truth of God ; and, under I know not what self-coined pre- tences, belch out odious blasphemies against his holy name.
The sum, saith he, of all these speeches (he cited to his purpose) is, *" That there is no decree of saving men but what is built on God's foreknowledge of the good actions of men." No decree? No, not that whereby God determineth to give some unto Christ, to ingraft
' Grevinch. ad Ames., p. 24; Corv. ad Molin., p. 260.
2 " Electionis et veprobationis causa unica vera et absoluta non est Dei voluntas, sed rcspectus obedientite et inobedientioe." — Epis. Disput. viii.
3 " Cum peccatum pono causam meritoriam reprobationis, ne existimato e contra me ponere justitiam causam meritoriam electionis." — Armin. Antip. ; Rem. Apol., p. 73.
* God's Love, p. 6.
02 A DISPLAY OF ARMINIANISM.
them in him by faith, and bring them by him unto glory ; which giveth light to that place of Arminius, where he afifirmeth, ^ " That God loveth none precisely to eternal life but considered as just, either with legal or evangelical righteousness." Now, to love one to eternal life is to destinate one to obtain eternal life by Christ, and so it is coincident with the former assertion, that our election, or choosing unto grace and glory, is upon the foresight of our good works; which contains a doctrine so contradictory to the words and meaning of the apostle, Rom. ix. 11, condemned in so many councils, suppressed by so many edicts and decrees of emperors and governors, opposed as a pestilent heresy, ever since it was first hatched, by so many orthodox fathers and learned schoolmen, so directly contrary to the doctrine of this church, so injurious to the grace and supreme power of Almighty God, that I much wonder any one, in this light of the gospel and flourishing time of learning, should be so boldly ignorant or impudent as to broach it amongst Christians. To prove this to be a heresy exploded by all orthodox and catholic antiquity were to light a candle in the sun; for it cannot but be known to all and every one who ever heard or read any thing of the state of Christ's church after the rising of the Pelagian tumidts.^
To accumulate testimonies of the ancients is quite beside my pur- pose. I will only add the confession of Bellarmine,^ a man other- wise not over-well affected to truth, " Predestination," saith he, " from the foresight of works, cannot be maintained unless we should suppose something in the righteous man, which should make him differ from the wicked, that he doth not receive from God ; which truly all the fathers with unanimous consent do reject." But we have a more sure testimony, to which we will take heed, even the holy Scripture, pleading strongly for God's free and undeserved gi'ace.
First, our Saviour Christ, Matt. xi. 26, declaring how God re- vealeth the gospel unto some, which is hidden from others (a special fruit of election), resteth in his will and good pleasure as the only cause thereof: "Even so. Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight." So, comforting his " little flock," Luke xii. 32, he bids them fear not, " for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the king- dom;" — " His good pleasure is the only cause why his kingdom is pre- pared for you rather than others," But is there no other reason of this discrimination? No; he doth it all " that his purpose according to election might stand" firm, Rom. ix. 11 ; for we are " predestinated
' "Dcnm nullani crcatuvam prrecise ad vitam a?temara amarc, nisi consideratam ut justam sive justitia legali sivc cvangclica." — Ainiin. Artie. Perpend., fol. '11.
2 Vid. Prosp. ad Excep. Gen. nd Uub., 8, 9. Vid. Car. de Ingratis., c. 2, 3.
' " Non potest dcfeudi prredcstinatio ex operibus ijnvvisis, nisi aliquid boni jwnatur in honiinc jii.sto, quo discernatur ab inipio, ([uod non sit illi a Deo, quod ame patrcs omues sununa consensioue rejiciunt." — I3ellar. dc Grat., ct Lib. Arbit.,cap. xiv.
PREDESTINATION CORRUPTED BY ARMINIANS. 63
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will," Eph. i, 11. But did not this counsel of God direct hini to choose us rather than others because we had something to commend us more than they? No; " The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; but because the Lord loved you," Deut. vii. 7, 8. "He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy;" yea, "the child- ren being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger : as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated," Rom. ix. 11-13. In brief, wherever there is any mention of election or predestination, it is still accompanied with the purpose, love, or will of God ; his foreknowledge, whereby he knoweth them that are his; his free power and supreme dominion over all things. Of our faith, obedience, or any thing importing so much, not one syllable, no mention, unless it be as the fruit and effect thereof It is the sole act of his free grace and good pleasure, that " he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy," Rom. ix. 23. For this only end hath he " saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began," 2 Tim. i. 9. Even our calling is free and undeserved, because flow- ing from that most free grace of election, whereof we are partakers before we are [i. e., exist]. It were needless to heap up more testimonies in a thing so clear and evident. When God and man stand in compe- tition who shall be accounted the cause of an eternal good, we may be sure the Scripture will pass the verdict on the part of the Most High. And the sentence, in this case, may be derived from thence by these following reasons : —