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. VI.

Of the sinne of Adam.

I. GOD, hauing created man, enlightned his minde with a supernaturall light, and adorned his will with righteousnes and holinesse; but so that he was muta∣ble; for otherwise God had created a God, and not a man; for not to be able to change, is a preroga∣tiue peculiar to God, whereby he is distinguished from all created things.

II. Arminius, whom the old way hath alwaies dis∣pleased, Articul. Perpend. Pag. 18. is of opinion, That an inclination to sinning was in man before his fall, al∣though not so vehement and inordinate as now it is. If this

be true, it must needes be, that God put in man that inclination to sinne; which seeing it is an euill thing, God should be made the author of that which is euill, and to haue inclined man to sinne; which cannot be spoken without hainous wickednesse.

III. It was the least finne which Adam sinned in, gluttony, but that was farre the greatest, that he had rather beleeue the Serpent then God, and that being spurred on by ambition, he would be like God in the knowledge of good and euill: And that while hee obeyed the Serpent, hee gaue credit to reproaches cast vpon God. Finally because he preferred so small a thing before the commandement of God, therefore the lesser the eating of the Apple was, the greater was his sinne.

IV. This ruine beganne at the vnderstanding, o∣uer which Sathan had spread the cloud of false opini∣on, and had cast the imagination of a false good. To whose perswasion, when man shewed himselfe ready, then peruersenesse of the will, and inclination of the appetites to sinne, followed this darkening of the minde.

V. This fall happened, God indeede not compel∣ling it, but yet permitting it. There was not wanting power to his omnipotency, by which hee was able to hinder this fall, neither did enuy turne away his good∣nesse: God therefore permitted it, because he would permit it, and because it was good that he should per∣mit it He that is the chiefest good, would not haue permitted euill, vnlesse it had beene good that euill should haue entred into the world; by that permis∣sion, he made a way for the manifestation of his glory

and opened a way, to man himselfe, to a state farre more excellent: For without sinne, the mercy of God, whereby he pardoneth, and his iustice whereby he punisheth, had neither of them been made knowne, nor had hee made knowne his infinite loue to the church, by the sending of Christ into the world, to abolish our sinnes, and to carry vs to a celestiall glo∣ry: Neither doe I say these things, as if I thought that God doth stand in neede of our wickednesse, to the manifestation of his glory; but I say, that God crea∣ted man, that hee might come to greater perfection then that was, in which hee was created. And hee could not come to that perfection, without the know∣ledge of Gods iustice and mercy, which doth shine forth out of this fall, and out of the remedy which he had prepared for this fall: To which purpose, the words of Saint Austen, in his booke de Correp. & gra∣ti. Cap. 10. are very proper. He that created all things very good, and fore-knew that euill things would rise out of those good things, knew that it did more pertaine to his omnipotent goodnesse, to make good things, euen out of euill things, then not to suffer euill things to be. The like hee saith, Encherid. Chap. 96.

VI. The Arminians bring no other cause of this permission, then this: Because God would not force mans voluntary liberty, nor compell his will, neither did he thinke it conuenient to vse his omnipotency, in a thing which belongs to mans free will: But they doe too negligently touch so great a matter, neither doe they sufficiently weigh the moment of things, and the circumstances of the fall of Adam. For God without the diminishing of mans liberty, could haue

restrained Sathan, and hindred him that hee should not tempt man. He could haue forewarned man, that he should not beleeue the Serpent. He was able not to haue propounded the tree to man, by the eating whereof he knew man would sinne. Hee could haue giuen man more strength, and more light, and more vnderstanding. He could haue giuen extraordinary strength in the very instant of temptation: And yet by these, force had not beene offered to mans will, nor his liberty violated. The Angels are examples hereof, whom he doth confirme in good, without a∣ny constraint: By these it is manifest that the fall of man happened, God not compelling, but yet dispen∣fing, and by his prouidence turning that euent which hee fore-knew from eternity, to an end which hee had determined with himselfe from eternity.

VII. Neither is it to be said, that God withdrew his grace from man; for this were to compell him, as the house doth necessarily fall, when the pillars are ta∣ken away; nor that God tooke from him the liberty of his will, for so he had brought a necessity of sin∣ing; but he would not hinder that man should not be tempted by Sathan, nor would he helpe him with ex∣traordinary succour. And whereas man sinned freely, yet that fell out, which God from eternity fore-knew would bee, and the creatures themselues, before the creation of man, did testifie that it would come to passe: For before Adam had sinned, God had put into the Plants healthfull powers to keepe away diseases; already had he cloathed the sheepe with fleeces, and had formed cattell for the vse of man, which are re∣liefes of humaine infirmity, and had beene in vaine

created, if man had stood in his integrity.

VIII. Now whether the digestion and egestion of meate, to be refreshed with sleepe after labour, to enioy the marriage bed, to grow in stature, to haue flesh that may be wounded and burnt (to all which man before his fall was obnoxious,) whether I say, these are such things as may perpetually agree to a creature perfectly blessed, or whether they doe not secretly testifie what should be the condition of man to come, I leaue it to be iudged of by wise men.

IX. And yet it is no doubt, but that Adam, with∣out any extraordinary helpe, had strength to resist Sa∣than: For it is not credible, that God gaue a Law to man, when he was made at first, to the performing of which he did not giue power: yet in respect of the fore-knowledge of God, the fall of man was certaine. For the act of the will may be certaine and defined before God; the liberty of mans will being vntouched and intire: So it is no doubt, but the tortours had power and ability of breaking the bones of Christ, when yet in respect of the fore-knowledge and pro∣uidence of God, it was impossible that they should be broken. The will of man may by a certaine and voluntary motion, determine it selfe to some one thing, and yet doe that which, either the knowledge of God hath certainely fore-knowne, or his proui∣dence hath certainely fore-ordained.

X. These things are firmely to be held, least the fault of man be transferred vpon God. For howsoe∣uer God doth draw good out of the fall of Adam, yet he neuer doth doe euill, that good may come of it:

Neither must we think that God would force man to sinne, although his glory should manifest y appeare thereby. Gods glory must not be further. I with the damage of his iustice; but after a ma••ue••ous and vn∣vtterable manner, God doth so dispose and gouerne the euents of things, that vnauo••dably those things happen, which he doth condemne and disalow, and the diuine prouidence doth keepe a course betweene iniustice and negligence. They therefore doe inuert the nature of things, who say that God decreed that Adam should sinne, because hee had determined to send Christ, who should cure Adams sinne: when ra∣ther God decreed to send Christ, because Adam was to sinne. Man did not sinne that Christ should abolish sinne; but Christ came that he might abolish sinne.

Here is nothing said, that ought to trouble tender eares, or which should make God partaker of sinne: which yet if any one doth either not conceiue, or not digest, it is better to accuse his owne dulnesse, then accuse the iustice of God, and to abstaine from lawfull things, then attempt vnlawfull things.