persevere in faith unto salvation. There is no predestination of unbeHevers unto death.
§ 6. The Remonstrant Doctrine.
In the early part of the seventeenth century Arminius intro- duced a new system of doctrine in the Reformed churches of Hol- land, which was formally condemned by the Synod of Dort Avhich sat from November 1618 to May 1619. Against the decisions of that Synod the advocates of the new doctrine presented a Remon- strance, and hence they were at first called Remonstrants, but in after years their more common designation has been Arminians. Arminianism is a much lower form of doctrine than Lutheranism. In all the points included under Anthropology and Soteriology it is a much more serious departure from the system of Augustinian- ism which in all ages has been the life of the church. The Ar- minians taught, —
1. That all men derive from Adam a corrupt nature by which they are inclined to sin. But they deny that this corruption is of the nature of sin. Men are responsible only for their own volun- tary acts and the consequences of such acts. " Peccatum originale nee habent (Remonstrantes) pro peccato proprie dicto .... nee pro malo, quod per modum proprie dictse poenae ab Adamo in pos- teros dimanet, sed pro malo infirmitate."^ Limborch^ says, " At- qui ilia physica est impuritas (namely, the deterioration of our nature derived from Adam), non moralis : et tan turn abest ut sit vere ac proprie dictum peccatum."
2. They deny that man by his fall has lost his ability to good. Such ability, or liberty as they call it, is essential to our nature, and cannot be lost without the loss of humanity. " Innatam arbitrii Immani libertatem (i. e., ability) olim semel in creatione datam, nunquam .... tollit (Deus)."^
3. This ability, however, is not of itself sufficient to secure the return of the soul to God. Men need the preventing, exciting, and assisting grace of God in order to their conversion and holy living. " Gratiam Dei statuimus esse principium, progressum et complementum omnis boni : adeo ut ne ipse quidem regenitus absque preecedente ista, sive prseveniente, excitante, prosequente et cooperante gratia, bonum ullum salutare cogitare, velle, aut peragere possit."*
1 Apologia pro Confessione Remonstraniium, edit. Leyden, 1630 p. 84.
2 Theologia Christiana, v. xv. 15, edit. Amsterdam, 1715, p. 439.
3 Confessio Remonstrantium, vi. 6 ; Episcopii Opera, edit. Rotterdam, 1665, vol. ii. part 2, n. 80.
1 /bid. xvil. 6; ut supra, p. 88.
328 PART III. Ch. L — the plan OF SALVATION.
4. This divine grace is afforded to all men in sufficient measure to enable them to repent, believe, and keep all the commandments of God. " Gratia efficax vocatur ex eventu. Ut statuatur gratia habere ex se sufficientem vim, ad producendum consensum in vo- luntate, sed quia vis ilia partialis est, non posse exire in actum sive effectum sortiri sine cociperatione liberse voluntatis humanse, ac proinde ut efTectum habeat, .... pendere a libera voluntate." ^ This grace, says Limborch, " incitat, exstimulat, adjuvat et corro- borat, quantum satis est, ut homo reipsa Deo obediat et ad finem in obedientia perseveret." And again r^ "Sufficiens vocatio, quando per cooperationem liberi arbitrii sortitur suum efFectum, vocatur efficax." .
5. Those who of their own free will, and in the exercise of that ability which belongs to them since the fall, cooperate with this divine grace, are converted and saved. " Etsi vero maxima est gratise disparitas, pro Uberrima scilicet voluntatis divinas dispensa- tione tamen Spiritus Sanctus omnibus et singulis, quibus verbum fidei ordinarie prsedicatur, tantum gratiae confert, aut saltern con- ferre paratus est, quantum ad fidem ingenerandum, et ad promo- vendum suis gradibus salutarem ipsorum conversionem sufficit." ^ The Apology for the Remonstrance, and especially the Remon- strant Theologians, as Episcopius and Limborch, go farther than this. Tnstead of limiting this sufficient grace to those who hear the gospel, they extend it to all mankind.
6. Those who thus believe are predestinated to eternal life, not however as individuals, but as a class. The decree of election does not concern persons, it is simply the purpose of God to save believers. " Decretum vocant Remonstrantes decretum praedesti- nationis ad salutem, quia eo decernitur, qua ratione et conditione Deus peccatores saluti destinet. Enunciatur autem hoc decretum Dei hac formula : Deus decrevit salvare credentes, non quasi cre- dentes quidam re ipsa jam sint, qui objiciantur Deo salvare volenti, sive prsedestinanti ; nihil minus ; sed, ut quid in lis, circa quos Deus praedestinans versatur, requii'atur, ista enunciatione clare significetur. Tantundem enim valet atqui si diceres, Deus decrevit
homines salvare sub conditione fidei Etiamsi hujusmodi
prsedestinatio non sit pr^destinatio certarum personarum, est tamen omnium hominum praedestinatio, si modo credant et in virtute praedestinatio certarum personarum, qute et quando credunt." *
1 Apologia pro Confessione Remonstrantium, p. 162.
a Theolngia, iv. xii. 8 ; p. 352.
8 Confessio Remonstrantium^ xvii. 8; p. 89.
* Apologia pro Con/essione Remonstrantium, p. 102.
I 7.] WESLEYAN ARMl>JiANISM. 329
§ 7. Wesleyan Arminianism. The Arminian system received such modifications in the hands of Wesley and his associates and followers, that they give it the desio-nation of Evangelical Arminianism, and claim for it original- ity and completeness. It differs from the system of the Remon- strants, —
1. In admitting that man since the fall is in a state of absolute or entire pollution and depravity. Original sin is not a mere physical deterioration of our nature, but entire moral depravity.
2. In denying that men in this state of nature have any power to cooperate with the grace of God. The advocates of this system regard this doctrine of natural ability, or the ability of the natural man to cooperate with the grace of God as Semi-pelagian, and the doctrine that men have the power by nature perfectly to keep the commandments of God, as pure Pelagianism.^
3. In asserting that the guilt brought upon all men by the sin of Adam is removed by the justification which has come upon all men by the righteousness of Christ.
4. That the ability of man even to cooperate with the Spirit of God, is due not to anything belonging to his natural state as fallen, but to the universal influence of the redemption of Christ. Every infant, therefore, comes into the world free from condemnation on the ground of the righteousness of Christ,, and with a seed of divine grace, or a principle of a new life implanted in his heart. " That by the offence of one," says Wesley,'-^ "judgment came upon all men (all born into the world) unto condemnation, is an undoubted truth, and affects every infant, as well as every adult person. But it is equally true, that by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men (all born into the world — infants and adults) unto justification." And Fletcher,^ says, " As Adam brought a general condemnation and a universal seed of death upon all in- fants, so Christ brings upon them a general justification and a uni- versal seed of life." " Every human being," says Warren, " has a measure of grace (unless he has cast it away), and those who faithfully use this gracious gift, will be accepted of God in the day of judgment, whether Jew or Greek, Christian or Heathen. In virtue of the mediation of Jesus Christ, between God and our fallen race, all men since the promise Gen. iii. 15, are under an economy of grace, and the only difference between them as subjects of the
1 W. F. Warren, System. Theologie, Erste Lieferung, Hamburg, p. 145.
2 Works, vii. p. 97. s Works, i. pp. 284, 285.
330 PART m. ch. I. — the plan of salvation.
moral government of God, is that wliile all have grace and light enough to attain salvation, some, over and above this, have more and others less." ^ Wesley says, " No man living is without some preventing grace, and every degree of grace is a degree of life." And in another place, " I assert that there is a measure of free will supernaturally restored to every man, together with that super- natural light which enlightens every man that cometh into the world." 2
According to this view of the plan of God, he decreed or pur- posed, (1.) To permit the fall of man. (2.) To send his Son to make a full satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. (3.) On the ground of that satisfaction to remit the guilt of Adam's first transgression and of original sin, and to impart such a measure of grace and light to all and every man as to enable all to attain eter- nal life. (4.) Those who duly improve that grace, and persevere to tiie end, are ordained to be saved ; God purposes from eternity, to save those whom He foresees will thus persevere in faith and holy living.