ARMINIANISIVI, 31 and iácrificeto their own nets, as the foie providers of their glory ; but fo it is hu- man vileiefs will ftìll. be, declaring it fel , by claiming a worth no way due unto it t of a furtherance of which claim, if the Armiaians be not guilty, let the following declaration of their opinions in this particular determine. We (e) confers, iày they roundly, that faith in theconfderation of God's chuf g us unto f lvation doth precede, and not follow as a fruit of eleftion ; fothat whereas chriftiang havehitherto believed, that God befloweth faith on them that arechofen; it feems now it is no fach marter, bat that thofe whom Godfindeth to believe upon the Rock of their own abilities, he afterwards choofeth. Neither is faith in their judgment only required as a neceffbry condition in him that is to be chofen, but as O. caufe moving the will of God to ele t him that bath it, (b) as the will of the judge it moved to be- pro a reward on him, who according to the lam bath deferved it ; asGrevinchovius fpoaks, which words of his indeed Crvieua Strives to temper, but all in vain, though he wreft them contrary to the intention of the author ; for with him agree all his fel- lows : (c) the one only abfolute caufe óf elettian, is not the mil! of Gad; but the refpetl of our obedience, faith Epifreius. At firft they required nothing but faith, and that as a condition, not as (d) a caufe, then perfeverance in faith, which at length they be- gan to call obedience, comprehending all our duty to the precepts of Chrift ; for the caufe, faythey, ofthis love toanyperfon, is the righteoufbef, faith and piety where- with he is endued, which being alt the good works of a chriflian, they, in effei , affirm, a man to be chofen for them : that our good works are the caufe of ele- ftion, whichwhether it were ever fa gro&ly taught either by Pelagian, or papifls I fomething doubt. And here obferve, that this doth not thwart my former affertion, where I Mew- ed, that they deny the ele£tion of any particular perfons, which here they Teem to grant upon a forefight of their faith; and good works ; for there is not any .one perfon, as fuck a perfon, notwithftanding all this, that in their judgment is in this life elefted, but only as he is confidered with thofe qualifications, of which he may at any time diveft himfelf, 'and fo become again to be no moreelated than }'udas. The fum of their doftrine in this particular, is laid down by one of ours in a tra£t, entitled, God's love to mankind, &c. a book fall of palpable ignorance, grofs fophiftry, and abominable blafphemy, whole author feems to have propofed no- thing unto himfelf, but to rake all, the dunghills of a few the molt inveftive Ar minians, and to colleft the molt filthy farm-and polution of their railings to cart upon the truth of God, and under I know not what felf-coined pretences, belch out odious blafphemies agamft his holy name. The fum, faith the, of all thefe fpeeches, (he cited to his purpofe) is, (e) 7hae there is no decree of faving men, but what is built on God's fore-knowledge of the good aliens of men. No decree. No not that whereby God determineth to give force unto Chrift, to ingraft them in him by faith, and bring them by him unto glory, which giveth light to that place of (f) Arminius ; where he afhrmeth, rho God loveth nose precife[y to eternal life, but coffered as All either with legal or evangelical .righteoufirfa. Now to love one to eternal life, is to deftinate one to obtain eternal life by Chrift; and. fo is co-incident with the former affertion, that our eleftion or .choolìng unto grace and glory is upon the forefight of our goodworks, which con- tains a doftrine focontradi£lory to the words and meaning of the apoftle, Rom. ix. d s. condemned ill fo many councils, fuppreffed by fo many edifts and decrees of' emperors and governours ; oppofed as a peftilent herefy ever fince it was firft hatch- ed, by fo many orthodox fathers and learned fchool-men ; fo diretily contrary to the doftrine of this church, fo injurious to the grace and fupream power of al- mighty God ; that I much wonder any one inthis light of theGofpel, and flourifh- ing time of learning shouldbefo boldlyignorant or impudent, as to broach it amongft chriftians. Toprove this to be a herefy, exploded by all orthodox and catholick ió) Rotunde fatemdr, fides, in eonfideratione Dei in eligendo ad falutemantecedere, & non tangpam fsuflum eleflionis fequi, Rem.Hag. roll. p. 31. (5) Grtuin. adAmef. p. 24. Cox ad MelM. p. alo. (e) Elellionis & reprobationis, canfa unica vera & abfoluta non eft Dei voluntas, fed nefpeftu obedi- ate &inobedientie, Ep fdfpuq8. (a) Cum peccatum. Penn caufam meritoriam reprobation,, ne exiftimato e contra me ponere, juftitiam eaufam meritoriam elefttenis, Armin. Antepetk. Rim. 4pol. P; 73 (e) God's Love, p. 6. (f') Deus, Hallow creatoram precife ad vitam eternas, amare, ahfi corJderatum ut jultam five jultitia legali five evaagetica, Armin. attic. psopsod.fil. a r. mar antiquity,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=