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. XLII.

The consent of the Arminians with the Semipelagians, is declared.

SAint Austin writ bookes against Pelagi∣us, Coelestius, and Iulian, wherein he main∣tained the sound faith, concerning Origi∣nall sinne, Predestination, Grace, Free∣will, and Election, according to the purpose of God. Pelagianisme being shaken by his Arguments, taken out of the holy Scripture, as it were with most strong battering Rammes, and at length being ouerthrowne, neuer after lifted vp the head: Therefore next to God, we are indebted to the industry and wit of so great a man, that this deadly plague was driuen from the bowels of the Church.

But Sathan being shaken off by his labour and dili∣gence, deuised other practises, by which hee doth so fight for grace, that he doth secretly fight against it: For there were not wanting men in diuers places,

especially in Aquitania, & in the region of Massilia, who although they professed themselues to differ from Pe∣lagius, yet they carped at the writings of Saint Austin, and doe thus inveigh against his doctrine of absolute Election: That by it mens consciences are made slug∣gish, that they might sleep in vices; by it the raines are losened to al wickednes; by it men are driuen headlong to desperation. That Precepts, Exhortations, & threats, are needelesse, if the number of the elect be determi∣ned by the purpose of God, or if by the immutable decree of God some men are elected to faith and sal∣uation, and some are appointed to damnation. Final∣ly, free-will is tyed by the bands of necessitie, in as much as they who are so elected, cannot but perse∣uere. They thought therefore that the middle way betweene Pelagius and Saint Austin, was to be gone in. For they taught that the sinne of Adam flowed into his posteritie: That mans nature was corrupt, and that by the powers of nature he could not come to saluation: But they taught that the grace which should cure nature, is present with all men; and that all men, either by the naturall law, or by the written law, or by the Gospell, are so called, that it is free for euery man to embrace or refuse the offered grace, to beleeue, or not to beleeue: For (they say) that Christ obtained reconciliation for all men; and that God from eternity elected those whom he fore-saw would beleeue in Christ, and perseuere in the faith: And therefore that the number of the elect is not de∣termined by the decree of God; but that our electi∣on is then certaine, when the course of our life is mea∣sured out.

These are they who are commonly called Semipe∣lagians: Differing from Pelagius in this, that they ac∣knowledge nature to be depraued with Originall sinne, and that they distinguish nature from grace; but yet by a secret agreement, they doe fauour Pela∣gius; because they will haue nature so to be a diuerse thing from grace, that yet they will haue grace equal∣ly to extend it selfe as farre as nature: Also they make such a grace, the vse whereof doth depend vpon free-will.

Hee that would throughly know the meaning of these men, let him reade the Epistle of Prosper to Saint Austin, inserted into the Seauenth Tome of the workes of Saint Austin, most worthy to be read with care: For he being a very great admirer of Saint Au∣stin, and being for this cause accused by these Semipe∣lagians, he requireth the helpe of Saint Austin, and doth desire to be furnished with arguments, where∣by hee might defend himselfe against them. Sure∣ly, there you shall plainely know the Arminian vaine, and you shall see Arminianisme graphically and liuely painted out: And but that the title of the Epistle, and the Epistle it selfe, did testifie, both the Author and the age, you would sweare, it were the Epistle of one, who being prouoked by the Arminians, and being ill en∣treated, doth implore the helpe of one more learned. That now it cannot be a doubt, out of what puddles they haue drawne their opinions, and which of the ancient Heretiques they haue propounded to them∣selues to imitate; I shall not much stay the hastening Reader if I lay downe the words of the Semipelagians themselues, as they are recited by Prosper himselfe.

This is (saith Prosper) their declaration and profession, that euery man sinned when Adam sinned, and that no man is saued, in regeneration, by his owne workes, but by the grace of God, and yet that the propitiation which is in the Sacrament of the bloud of Christ, is propounded to all men without exception, that whosoeuer will come to faith and baptisme may be saued: And that God fore-knew be∣fore the making of the world, who were to beleeue, and who would continue in that faith, which afterwards should be helped by the grace of God: And that hee Predestinated those to his kingdome, whom he hauing freely called, he fore-saw would be worthy of Election, and would depart out of this life with a good end: And therefore that euery man is admonished by the ordinances of God to beleeue, & to worke that no man might despaire of obtaining eternall life; seeing that the reward is prepared for voluntary deuotion. But this purpose of the calling of God by which the difference of them that are to be elected, and of them that are to be reiected, is said to haue beene made, eyther before the be∣ginning of the world, or in the very creation of mankinde, that according to the pleasure of the creator, some should be created vessels of honour, others vessels of dishonour, this (they say) doth both take away from them that are fallen the care of rising againe, and also doth yeeld occa∣sion of sluggish drowsinesse to the Saints, because on eyther side labour is superfluous, if neither he that is reiected, can by any industry and diligence enter, nor he that is ele∣cted can by any negligence fall away: For after whatsoeuer manner they shall behaue themselues, nothing can happen to them, but what God hath determined; and vnder an vncertaine hope, the course cannot be constant, seeing that the intention of him that doth endeauour, is vaine, if

the Election of him that predestinateth hath appointed an∣ther thing: Therefore all industry is remoued, and all ver∣tues are taken away, if the appointment of God doe preuent the will of man; and a kinde of fatall necessitie is brought in, vnder this name of predestination. These were the words of the Semipelagians, altogether like Arminia∣nisme, and of the same stampe.

Let those things also which follow be pondered and considered of: They determine, that to this gift of saluation, all men vniuersally are called, either by the na∣turall law, or by the written law, or by the preaching of the Gospell, that both they that will, might be made the sonnes of God, and that they might be inexcusable, who will not be faithfull; because herein is the iustice of God, that they who will not beleeue should perish; and his goodnesse appea∣reth herein, that he will put backe no man from life, but indifferently would all men to be saued, and to come to the knowledge of the truth: And that our Lord Iesus Christ dyed for all mankinde; and that no man at all is excepted from the redemption of his bloud, although he passe through his whole life in a farre other opinion. And a little after; They doe not consent, that the predestina∣ted number of the elect, can neither be encreased nor diminished, least the incitations of them that exhort men, should haue no place with infidels, and those that neglect predestination, &c. They haue receiued the election of God, according to fore-knowledge, to wit, that therefore God hath made some men vessels of honour, and some vessels of dishonour, because he fore-saw the faith of euery one. Truely this is meere Arminianisme, but that the Ar∣minians doe clothe their opinions more gloriously, and doe paint them with exquisite colours, and doe

more sparingly vse the word Merit, which not one∣ly the Semipelagians, but also the Orthodoxe writers (but in another sence then the Papists at this day doe) did often vse. Finally they doe, as they doe who set before their guests old and reiected dainties, by putting to them new sauce.

To this Epistle is added another of the same argu∣ment, of Hilareus Bishop of Areles, to Saint Austin, where he doth attribute these things to the Semip••la∣gians: God in his fore-knowledge doth elect faith, that whom he fore-knew would beleeue, him he elected, to whom he would giue the holy Ghost, that by working good, they might obtaine eternall life. This fore-knowledge they thus vnderstand, to wit, that men are said to be fore-knowne for faith which is to follow, and that such a perseuerance is giuen to no man, from which hee is not suffered to swerue, but that he may fall from it, and be weakened by his owne will. Whatsoeuer is giuen to those that are predestinated, they contend, that they may loose it, or keepe it, according to their owne will. Which then were false if they did thinke it true that some men haue beene made partakers of that per∣seuerance that they could not but perseuere: Thence it is that they will not admit of this, that they should allow, that the number of them that are predestinated, and the num∣ber of them that are reiected is determined. These are they whose authority was more to Arminius, then the authority of Saint Austin, yea, then of Saint Paul himselfe: For they haue liberally and manifest∣ly borrowed all their opinions from the Semipe∣lagians.