The anatomy of Arminianisme: or The opening of the controuersies lately handled in the Low-Countryes, concerning the doctrine of prouidence, of predestination, of the death of Christ, of nature and grace. By Peter Moulin, pastor of the church at Paris. Carefully translated out of the originall Latine copy

CHAP. XX.

Election for faith fore-seene is confuted by places taken out of the Gospell of Saint Iohn.

THis contention will cease, if we stand to the testimony of Christ himselfe; in the Gospell according to Saint Iohn, hee faith many things which cut this knot, and leaue no place for doubting.

I. Iohn 6 37. he thus speaketh to the Iewes, What∣soeuer my father giueth me, shall come to me: To come to Christ, is to beleeue; for so Christ himselfe ex∣pounds it, verse 35. He that commeth to me, shall not hunger, and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst: He might haue said in both places; Hee that commeth shall not hunger, nor shall thirst; but in the latter place he puts beleeue, for come, that wee might know that we come to Christ by beleeuing. The meaning there∣fore of Christ is, that those that are giuen him by the

father, will beleeue in him.; and they are giuen to the sonne, who are therefore giuen, that hee might saue them, and they might be his flocke. The sense therefore of these words, whatsoeuer my father giueth to me, shall come, is this, Whosoeuer my father giueth me to be saued, shall beleeue in me. They are giuen then to Christ, before they can come, or can beleeue; for therefore they come to Christ, and beleeue, because they are giuen him. But Arminius will haue them be∣leeue before they be giuen, for he will haue them to be elected, and therefore to be giuen to Christ for faith fore-seene. Christ saith that therefore they come, be∣cause they are giuen him: the sectaries on the contrary say, that therefore they are giuen, because they come.

In another place, the head-strong obstinacy of these men, doth no lesse discouer it selfe, by them who are giuen to Christ; they would haue the faithfull to be vnderstood, as if Christ had said, he that beleeueth in me will come to me. But we haue already proued, that to come, is the same that it is to beleeue. The sence therefore of these words of Christ, according to Armi∣nius, will be this; Whosoeuer doth beleeue, shall beleeue in me: Adde to these, that seeing in the Arminian election, faith and perseuerance in faith is considered as already performed, and therefore they that are elected, are considered as dead, or in the very limits of life and death; they cannot be said to come, who haue not already measured out the course of their life. Neither by them who are giuen to Christ, can be vn∣derstood those which first gaue themselues to Christ; for this were not to giue themselues to the sonne, but to be willing that the sonne should receiue them com∣ming

to him. He indeede receiueth those that come, but they therfore come, because Christ draweth them; as he himselfe saith, verse 44. No man can come to me, vn∣lesse the father, that sent me, draw him.

The Arminian conferrers at the Hage, pag. 87. doe suspect, that by those that are giuen to the sonne, are to be vnderstood, not the faithfull, but those that are gi∣uen to beleeue. But seeing the Arminians are of opini∣on, that the reprobates also are giuen to beleeue, and that God doth seriously intend their faith and sal∣uation, they should be falsely said, that they were to come to Christ, that is, that they wil beleeue, as many as are giuen him to beleeue. The very words of Christ doe affirme, and common sense doe conuince this, that by those that are giuen to Christ, are vnderstood his flocke, and therefore the elect: for as much as those that are giuen to Christ, are here seuered from those that are not giuen.

II. Iohn 8.47. Ye therefore heare not, because ye are not of God: They therefore which heare and beleeue, doe therefore heare and beleeue, because they are of God; and to be of God, what is it else, then to belong to God? As on the contrary part, verse 44. they are said to be of the diuell, who belong to the diuell. See∣ing then that Christ himselfe doth witnesse, that there∣fore some men beleeue, because they belong to God; who doth not see, that it must needes be, that they first belong to God, before they beleeue, for as much as to belong to God, is the cause why they be∣leeue?

III. Nor is there lesse force in the words of Christ, Iohn 10.26. Yee beleeue not, because yee are not of my

sheepe: They then who beleeue, doe therefore beleeue, because they are of the sheepe of Christ: Not accor∣ding to Arminius, who would therefore haue them to be of the sheepe of Christ, because they beleeue. It pleaseth the Arminians to haue the faithfull vnder∣stood by the sheepe of Christ, and I doe not deny, but that the sheepe of Christ, are they which beleeue; but I deny that the word sheepe, can be so taken in this place: For so an vnsauory tantalogy and vaine repe∣tition should be put vpon Christ; ye beleeue not, be∣cause ye beleeue not. This is a declaration of it, that a lit∣tle before he called those also his sheepe, which were not yet conuerted: Other sheepe I haue, which are not of this fould, them also I must bring, and they shall heare my voice.

IV. So, Iohn 17.6. I haue manifested thy name vnto them which thou gauest me: Therefore first they were giuen, before Christ declared to them the name of God, by which declaration they receiued faith. The Arminian conferrers at the Hage, pag. 87. thinke that it is here spoken of the Apostles, who did already be∣leeue; but they proue nothing by it: for this being granted, yet that stands which I maintaine, that the Apostles were first giuen to Christ, before he had de∣clared himselfe to them. But that it is not here spoke of the Apostles alone, Christ himselfe doth expresly witnesse, verse 20. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall beleeue on me, through their word. And seeing that ver. 9. they are opposed to the world, it appeares that these things are to be extended to all the faithfull: Vnlesse, perhaps the Schoole and fol∣lowers of Arminius, doe thinke that the Apostles

alone are they that are not of the world, and that they alone are exempted from the curse of the world. Fur∣thermore, seeing there is no part of the Scripture which doth bring more comfort, nor doth more vp∣hold our faith, striuing with temptations, then this diuine and large prayer of Christ, because the petiti∣ons of Christ, making intercession for vs, are so ma∣ny secret promises and declarations of the good will of the father, which doth alwaies agree with the peti∣tion of the sonne; let the Arminians see with what spirit they are led, and why with so great diligence they endeauour to defraud vs of that comfort, which is certainely taken from vs, if this Prayer of Christ doth intercede for the Apostles alone; and if the Apostles onely be meant by those that are giuen vn∣to Christ.