ARMINIANISM. I7 aaions, would exempt and free the will ofman, not only from allfore-determining, to the produ£tion offilch and fucheffefts ; but alfo, from any effeftual working or in- fluenceofthe providenceof God into the will it felf, that fhould fuftain, help, or co- operate with it, in doing or willing any thing. And therefore the authors of this imaginary liberty, have wifely framed an imaginary concurrence ofGod's providence, aitfiverable unto it : viz. a general and indifferent influence, always waiting, and ex- petting the will of man todetermine it felf to this, or that effe£t, good or bad : God being as it were always readyat hand, to do that fmall part whichhe bath in our aftions, whenfoever we pleafe to ufe him r Or, if we pleafe to let him alone, hé noway moveth us to the performance ofany thing. Now God forbid that we fhould give our confect to the choice offuch a captain, under whofe conduit we might go down again unto Paganifm ; to the ere£ting offuch an idol into the throne of the almighty. No doubtlefs; let as be more indulgent toour wills, and aflign them all the liberty that is competent unto a created nature, to do all things freely according to eleftionand fore- goingcounfel, being free from all natural neceflty, and outward compulfion : but for all this, let us not prefume to deny God's effe£tual affiftance, his particular powerful influence into the wills and a£tions of his creatures, direfting of them.to a- voluntary performanceof whathe bath determined : which the Arminians oppofing in the behalf of their darling freewill, do work in the hearts of men an overweening of their own power, and an abfolute independence of the providence of God. For, they deny that God, inwhom see live sadmove, and have our being, doth any thing by his provi- dence, (a) whereby the creature fhould beflirred up, or helped in any of hisaftions; that is, God wholly leaves a man in the hand of his own counfel, to the difpofal of his own abfolute independent power, without any refpe£l to his providence at all. Whence, as they do, they may well conclude (b) That chafe things, which God would have to be done of us freely, filch as are all human aftions, he cannot himfelf will or work more powerfully ands era-bully, than by the way of wjhing or dfiring, as Vrffius fpeaks, which is no more than one man cam do concerning another, perhaps far lets than an angel. I can with or deface that another man would do what- l have a mind he lhould, but to defcribe the providence of God by fach expreffons, Teems to me intolerable blafphemy ; but thus it muff be, without fuch .helps as thefe, pagan can- not keep on his head, nor the idol of uncontroulable freewill enjoy his dominion (c) HenceCorvinus will grant, that the killingof a man by the flipping of an axe's head from the helve, altho' contingent, may be Paid to happen according to God's counfel, and determinate will; but on no terms will he yield, that this may be ap- plied to aftions wherein the counfel and freedom of man's will do take place, as tho', that they alfa fhould have dependance..ois any filch overruling power, where- by he abfolutely excludeth the providence of God from having any fovereignty within the territory of human aftions, which is plainly to lhake off the yoke of his dominion, and to make -men Lords paramount within themfelves; fo ,that they may well afcribe unto God, as they do, (d) only a deceivable expe£ta- Lion of thole contingent things that are yet to come ; there being no aft of his own in the producing of fuch effefts¡ on which he can ground airy certain- ty; only, he may take a conje£ture, according to his guefs' at mens inclinations. And indeed this is the Helena for whole enjoyment, thefe thrice ten years they have Maintained warfare with the hafts of the living God ; their whole endeavour being to prove, that notwithflanding the performance of all things. on the part of God required for.the produftion of any a£tion, (e) yet the will of man remains abfolute- ly free, yea in refpeft of the event, as well as its manner of operation to do ir, or not to.do it; that is, notwithflanding God's decree that fach an a£tion (hall be performed, and his foreknowledge that it will fo come to pafs, notwithflanding his co-operating with the will of man (as far as they will allow him) for the doing of it, and the' he hath determined, by that aft of man to execute force ofhis own (à) Deus infiuxu fuo nihil confort creature, quoad agendum incitetur an adjuvetur, Co,. ad Malin. cap. 3. felt. 5 p. 33.- (b) Quo Deus libere prorfos & contingenter a nobis fieri volt, napo- tenth s antefficacies quam per modem voti ant defiderii, velle-non well, Volt. par f. p. 4. (t) Deinde etfi in iao cafe deftinatam aliquodconfilium ac voluntas Dei determinata conlideranda effet, ta- mes inomnibus eftionibus, & in its quidem quo ex deliberato hóminam confilio & libera voluntate & male quidem fiant, ica fe rem' habere iode concludi non polit, puta, quia- hie tullum confilium & arbitrii libertas locum habent, Car. ad. Mono. r p 'ape 33 f. 33. (d) Rco, ci yna: pals (e) in fe, sum s, om lam a Dee extenatia,llicaturi man defer.font. in' eá. f. tali. (e) fat.I vol id.Ou,b ace). ca Zli m necelftate immunis debet manere, Rem.:o ÌJ .cap. 6. fat. ;. Vid. plum. Rem. apol. rap. 6. fol. 69.a. ... -,:. G judgments ,),« °'..
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