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. XXXIV.

The reasons of the Arminians are examined, by which they maintaine free-will in an vnregenerate man, con∣cerning things that are spirituall, and belonging to sal∣uation.

I. AGainst the doctrine of the Ortho∣doxe Church, which doth put away from man all free-will in the worke of saluation, being vpholden by the word of God, and proued by sence it selfe, and experience, the Arminians doe oppose themselues with great diligence, and doe patronize free-will in those that are vnregenerate.

II. They doe euery where obiect and reckon vp that of Saint Paul, Rom. 2.14. The Gentiles which haue not the Law, doe by nature those things contained in the Law. I answere, that by the Law it is comman∣ded to loue God with all the heart, with all the strength, which cannot be done vnlesse you direct all your actions to his glory, and vnlesse you be indued with faith, because whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne: Whosoeuer shalexamine the vertues of heathen men, by the line of these rules, shall finde that in their most honest deedes, there were many things wanting, and much sinne in them: Hence it appeareth that the Gentiles indeede, in an externall worke, doe those

things which are of the Law: The words of Saint Paul are not to be extended any further: But the forme of a right worke, which is placed in the inward conueniency and agreement of the minde with the law of God, was alwaies absent from infidels and heathen men. It is one thing to doe those things that are of the law, it is another thing to fulfill the law: The one is to obey the law, as concerning the ex∣ternall matter of the worke, the other is to be obe∣dient to the law, after that manner, with that minde, and to that end, which is commanded by the word of God.

III. They scatter some little motiues, as that, Esay 55. v, 1. They that thirst are inuited by God, that is, those that are desirous of reconciliation with God, and of saluation. And that Matth. 11. They that are heauy laden are called, Come vnto mee yee that are weary and heauie laden: By those that are laden, are noted our, those that are pressed downe with the conscience of their sinnes, and sighing vnder the bur∣den of them: Therefore (say they) they were already desirous of saluation, and were pressed downe with the conscience of their sins, before they were called, and regeneration is after calling: And therefore in the vnregenerate there may be a sauing griefe, and a desire of remission of sinnes; but I affirme that those men so thirsting, and so laden, were not vnregenerate: For that very desire of saluation and the grace of God, and the sighes of the conscience, panting vnder the weight of sinne, by which wee are compelled to flie to Christ, is a part of regeneration: And that be∣ginning of feare (if it be acceptable to God) is an effect

of the holy spirit mouing the heart: For what hin∣dreth, that he who thirsteth after the grace of God, hath not already tasted of it, and as it were licked it with his lippes? What hindreth that he who is com∣manded to come to Christ, should not already moue himselfe and beginne to goe, although with a slow pace? Doth Christ as often as he commandeth men to beleeue in him, speake onely to vnbeleeuers? Yea, this exhortation to beleeue, and to come to him, doth especially belong to them, whose faith being new bred, and weake, doth striue with the doubtings of the flesh.

IV. It is familiar to the Arminians to cite the words of Christ, Iohn 7.17. If any one will doe the will of him that sent me, hee shall know of my doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speake of my selfe. Hence they would proue, that one may doe the will of God, before he know Christ and his doctrine. This is to delude the Scripture, and to wrest it at their plea∣sure: For they speake, as if Christ had said, Hee that doth fulfill the commandements of God, shall afterward know of my doctrine, whether it be of God, &c. Also by the words, to doe the will of God, they vnderstand, to acknowledge their sinnes, to feare God with a seruile and slauish feare, seriously to wish the grace of God, and remission of sinnes, to doe those things which are of the law, &c. All false: For to doe the will of God, in this place, is nothing else, then to beleeue Christ speaking; for this is that which Christ doth vrge, that this is the will of the father, that we should beleeue on the Sonne: Whose words if any man be∣leeues, hee thereby knoweth that his doctrine is

heauenly and diuine, wherefore we are not to thinke that we doe the will of God before we beleeue in his Sonne. Thus, although it be true that he who is mo∣ued doth liue, yet it doth not thence follow, that mo∣tion is before life: So in that Christ saith, Whosoeuer will doe the will of the father, shall know that my doctrine is from God: It doth not thence follow, that the will of the father must be done before it can be knowne that his doctrine is from God: But if there is any or∣der of time here, it must needes be that the doctrine of Christ be first knowne to be from God, before he can be beleeued, or obeyed when he speakes: For no man doth beleeue that which hee doth not in some part know. Christ followeth this order, Iohn 17.8. They haue knowne that I came out from thee, and they haue beleeued that thou didst send mee. And, Chap. 14.17. he saith, that the spirit of truth is not receiued by the world, because the world doth not know him: To know therefore is before to receiue.

V. That is no better which Arnoldus doth adde, Page 409. The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wise∣dome, Prou. 1. And, The Lord reuealeth his secrets to them that feare him, Psal. 25. But I deny that the feare of the Lord, of which it is spoken here, can agree to vnbeleeuers and vnregenerate men. Salomon saith, that the feare of the Lord, is the head of wisedome, that is, the chiefe part, and that wherein wisedome doth chiefely consist, for this the Hebrew word, Reshith, doth plainely signifie: And those that feare God, to whom he reuealeth his secrets, are not vnre∣generate persons, but those which are truely godly, to whom hee doth daily giue increase of wisedome,

and of the true knowledge of God.

VI. To the same end Arnoldus, Page 397. doth bring the words of the 51. Psalme, A contrite spirit is an acceptable sacrifice to God. And, Esay 66. God will dwell in a contrite spirit. Arnoldus thinketh that these things are spoken of an vnregenerate man, but yet such a one as doth confesse his sinnes, doth grieue, hath the beginning of feare, &c. But hee eyther de∣ceiues or is deceiued: For there Dauid lamenting his sinnes, with a large confession, doth comfort himselfe with this hope, and doth promise to himselfe that his contrition will be an acceptable sacrifice to God. Whosoeuer therefore doth say that Dauid there spea∣keth of the contrition of an vnregenerate man, doth affirme that Dauid himselfe was vnregenerate: And there is no man but seeth, that Esay doth speake of them that are truely faithfull, and of a filiall feare and contrition, and not of that feare which may be in the vnregenerate, and in the heathen, who haue not heard the word of God. For the Prophet saith, To whom shall I looke? To him that is afflicted and of a contrite heart, and trembleth at my word: Hee speaketh of the man who is instructed in the word of God, and who with a holy feare is moued to the hearing of it.

VII. Arnoldus, a little before, had reckoned vp the good workes which may be done by an vnregenerate man, viz. To doe those things which are of the law, to haue some sparkes of light and knowledge engra∣uen on his heart, to grieue for his sinnes, to implore the grace of remission of sinnes, and of the new spirit: But how many nations are there, who doe not know

what this new spirit is, nor haue euer heard any thing of the grace of remission of sins? Also I would know whether such things that are done by the vnregene∣rate, without faith, are truely good: If they be true∣ly good, then we can doe that which is truely good without Christ, without his spirit, and without faith: If they are not truely good, how can that not be true∣ly good and iust, which God alone intendeth, and which alone, nothing more (if Arminius be beleeued) he doth require from the vnregenerate man as long as he is vnregenerate?

VIII. A little after, he saith, that the same worke cannot be performed as perfect in its essence, without the faith of Christ; and he doth put this difference betweene workes which are done before regenerati∣on, and they which are done after regeneration; to wit, that they are imperfect, these are perfect. These are the two kindes of merits, with which, in the Schooles of the Papists, make such a noyse, merits of congruity, and merits of condignity, but new dres∣sed and cloathed with other names. The Reader there∣fore shall note, that the Arminians place in a regenerate man perfect workes, and a perfect loue of God: For they thinke that the regenerate, may by the spirit of Christ so conforme their life, according to that law, that they may come to that degree of obedience which God doth require of them. These are the words of Arnoldus, pag. 492. and pag. 399. according to Arminius, he saith, that there is a double spirit, one that doth goe before regenerati∣on, and doth tend to it, which is the spirit of bondage to feare, the other which doth regenerate, and doth perfect regeneration. Arminius, Resp. ad. 31. Art. pa. 164.

and 165. I doe not repugne that opinion of Austin, where∣by he determines, that man may be without sinne in this life. Truely it is boldly spoken: The Arminians then are better then the Apostle Iames, who speaketh thus, Chap. 3. In many things we offend all. In which speech, he doth account himselfe among them who offend in many things: Better then Saint Iohn, whose confessi∣on is this; If we say we haue no sinne, wee deceiue our selues, and the truth is not in vs: Yea, better then all the Apostles, who did daily say, Forgiue vs our trespasses. Neither is it to be maruailed at, if the Arminians thinke that the regenerate can fulfill the Law, seeing they al∣so say, that the Law of nature may be fulfilled by the heathen and vnregenerate: Now the Law of nature is that, to which Adam before his fall stood bound, which bond passed to his posteritie: This Law for∣bids a man to lye; but the Scripture, that cannot lye, saith, that euery man is a lyar: The same Law, com∣mandeth that God be loued withall our heart, and all our strength; which thing, how can it be performed by the vnregenerate, seeing it was neuer peeformed by the regenerate themselues? That which a liuing man neuer performed, how can it be performed by him that is dead? Finally, we must bid Christian reli∣gion farewell, and another Gospell must be coyned, if this prodigious doctrine be admitted.

IX. But that we may come to that double spirit of God. Arminius, and according to him Arnoldus, pag. 399. doe deuise two spirits, or rather two acts of the same spirit: The one of these spirits, they will haue to be common to all men, euen to the vnregenerate, yea, and to heathen men, to whom the Gospell hath

not come; by which spirit, they thinke that God doth worke in all men, and is idle in none: This is that spi∣rit, which they call the spirit of bondage, of which it is spoken, Rom. 8.15. which is opposed in that place to the spirit of Adoption, which is peculiar to the true faithfull. This spirit of bondage, the Arminia••s will haue to be effectuall in the law, not onely in the written law, but also in that which is naturally im∣printed in mens hearts: By this spirit they thinke that vnregenerate men doe tremble with a sauing feare, doe acknowledge and confesse their sinnes, doe im∣plore the grace of God, and apply themselues to the obedience of the law of nature: these they thinke are preparation and dispositions to regeneration, if so be that free-will doth vse well that vniuersall and suf∣ficient grace which is common to all men: These are the decrees of this new sect, full of many perplexi∣ties, and filled with nice and slender points.

X. I finde in the holy Scripture the spirit of adop∣tion, the first fruits of the spirit, the spirit of sanctifi∣cation; but I no where finde a spirit of God, that is tyed to the law, and common to all men: Nor can the spirit of God, working in our hearts, be without very great wickednesse, seperated from the know∣ledge of Christ: * 1.1 Nor doe I see how there can be in them whom Saint Paul, Ephes. 2. saith, to be dead in sinne, strangers from the life of God, and without God in the world, either any spirituall life, or the spirit of God dwelling in their hearts, and sauingly mouing and affecting them: Certainely, the Apostle had ne∣uer called the Law, seperated from the Gospell a kil∣ling letter, nor had opposed it to the spirit, if the spirit

of God were alway ioyned to the law, or if the spi∣rit of God did worke in mens hearts, and dispose them to faith and conuersion, without the knowledge of the Gospell: Nor is the Law a Schoole-master vnto Christ, vntill the grace of Christ is offred to vs: for then the Law, with terrour and threats doth compell vs to imbrace the grace offred.

XI. But that is most dangerous, which the Armi∣nians presse downe and hide, but dare not vtter, to wit, that the holy spirit is naturally in euery man. For if the spirit of God be effectuall in the law, and the law be naturally engrauen in euery man, it must needes be, that the spirit of God is naturally in euery man. And so, whatsoeuer the Scripture speaketh of the se∣cond birth, by the spirit, of the creation of the new man, and of the spirituall resurrection, will fall to the ground, yea, will be ridiculous: For, what neede were there to infuse a new spirit for regeneration, if the same spirit of God did already dwell in the hearts of the vnregenerate?

XII. And that place of Saint Paul, Rom. 8. Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage againe to feare, they doe falsely, and against the Apostles will, draw to this matter. For Saint Paul neuer called the spirit of God, the spirit of bondage; for so he had reproached the spirit of God: but he onely saith, that the spirit that was giuen to them, was not seruile, and such as should strike their hearts with a slauish feare: For, where the spirit of God is, there is liberty, 2 Cor. 3. If I should say, that we haue not receiued from God the spirit of ly∣ing; should I therefore say, that there is a spirit of God that compels to lying? Is the spirit of God contrary

to it selfe; that one spirit of God, should be called the spirit of bondage, and another the spirit of liber∣ty? The plaine and simple meaning therefore of the words of the Apostle, is this; Ye haue receiued the spi∣rit of God, not that which should terrifie your consciences with a slauish feare, which made you vncertaine and doubt∣full, before the grace of God, and the adoption of Christ was reueiled to you, &c.

XIII. And they doe extreamely dote, when they put the feare and terrour, wherewith the law (desti∣tute of the spirit of regeneration, and the knowledge of Christ,) doth strike mens hearts, among the effects of the spirit of God: For the law thus receiued, can onely restraine the raging affections with the feare of punishment, and frame a man to certaine outward obedience: but it will neuer purge the inward filthi∣nesse, or instill any one drop of true repentance: yea, rather it will stirre vp the inward lusts, by the resi∣stance of it, as it is engrafted in euery man, to encline to that which is forbidden, and wheresoeuer hope of impunity is propounded, men hauing broken their barres, doe so much the more outragiously riot, by how much they were straightly bridled in. This is that which the Apostle would expresse, Rom. 7.5.8. The motions of sinnes by the law, did worke in our mem∣bers, and sinne taking occasion, by the commandement it selfe, wrought concupiscence. And that vntill the spirit of life, which in Christ frees vs from the law of sinne and death, as it is said, Chapter 8.2. that is, vntill the powerfull efficacy of that quickning which we haue from Christ, free vs from that bondage of deadly sinne.

XIV. It is vaine and idle which they obiect, that the corruption of an vnregenerate man, is compared to sleepe, and to an Vlcer. I confesse it is compared to a sleepe, but to a deadly one, and such a one, out of which, man cannot awaken and raise himselfe: That Vlcer and scarre which is spoken of, Esay 53.1. and 1 Pet. 2. doth not signifie sinne it selfe, but the punish∣ment of sin. This therefore is nothing to the reliques and remainds of spirituall life, in an vnregenerate man.

Notes

• * 1.1

  2 Cor. 3.6. Ministers of the new Testa∣ment, not of the Letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kil∣leth, but the spirit giueth life.