decree of God by which he determines to justify believers ;* and which, since it excludes unbelievers from righteousness and

To understand the whole of our author's reasoning, it is necessary to give particular attention to the terms in which this article was expressed by his enemies. The topics which he briefly discusses in this Answer, will be found in an enlarged form in his Friendly Conference with Junius. To those persons who are not intimately acquainted with the peculiarities of our author's scheme of Predestination, as it is deduced from the scriptures of truth, it may be requisite to state in this place,-that it does not differ from that of Calvin's so widely as many people have supposed. Arminius objected against some of the most glaring, bold and desecrating errors which the Genevan Reformer had endeavoured to append to the gospel; but every particle about it that was scriptural, holy and elevating, he cherished and defended as warmly as any of Calvin's admirers. Not a few appearances of this description will be traced in the subjoined extract from a letter, which was addressed to Uitenbogardt, in 1603, by Arminius, prior to his removal to Leyden :

"The question respecting the origin of this faith in man, does not require a more ample explanation, [than it finds in the Friendly Conference with Junius,] it belongs entirely to another business. For, in Justification, we are not taught from whence faith arises; let it suffice, that it is there proved, Believers, and they alone, are justified without the works of the law. I have endeavoured to distinguish, or rather to disjoin, this decree by which God resolves to justify and adopt believers, from that by which He determines to bestow faith on these or those [particular individuals]: This distinction I have attempted to make, from the nature and necessity of the things themselves; expressly with this design-that people may learn that our controversy does not relate to every kind of Predestination, but to that only which is included in the last-named decree. Or, if any person wish to have both of them regarded as constituting one entire system, (in proving which he will experience some difficulty,) I wish to teach, that the controversy does not extend to the whole of Predestination, but to one part alone. I consider this method to contribute greatly towards diminishing controversies and disputes. For I never can approve of such general and indefinite accusations as this, 'He indulges himself in false opinions concerning Predestination!' The state of the controversy ought to be specially explained, and so contracted as to be readily grasped; after which it will probably appear, that the difference is not of such great importance, as, on account of it, to set a black mark of heresy on the person whose opinions vary from the doctrine which is generally received. It is certain, that the decree by which God resolves to justify the believers who work not, (Rom. iv. 5,) is of very great importance, and occupies the second part of the Apostolic doctrine, that is, of that doctrine which was peculiar to the Apostles as the administrators of the gospel of Christ.

"But such a number of considerations are required for explaining the other question, [respecting the origin of faith,] that I can scarcely attribute to myself the ability of performing the task. But I am decidedly inclined to the PART OF GRACE; and I wish to make no assertion that may either be injurious to it, or that may carry with it any probable appearance of such a burtful tendency. I will refrain from this explanation at present, as one of two great prolixity. But let it even be granted, that the matter stands thus: "That Faith is communicated to men, solely by the omnipotent act of God, which man has neither the power nor the will to resist; and that faith is not com'municated to those who have it not, for this reason-because God is unwilling 'to act in man by such an irresistible action: In this case, and for the reason here stated, will it still be useless to teach, That God justifies none except those who believe? A consideration of the only order which God has established, will require us thus to teach,-though in that action He perform the condition required by himself, which condition could not have been performed except through that [irresistible] action. Add to this, that, beside his own omnipo

salvation, is appropriately called "the decree according to election" or "with election," as being that which does not include

tent and internal action, God is both able and willing to employ the following argument: God justifies no persons except such as believe: Believe therefore, that thou mayest be justified.' With respect, then, to this argument, FAITH will arise from suasion; but with respect to the omnipotent and internal act of God, FAITH will arise from an irresistible efficacy.-Should any one object, That it is impossible for faith thus to spring at the same time from a SUASION which may be resisted, and from AN EFFICACY which is irresistible;' I have nothing to offer that will be any great contradiction to this remark. But I have another observation to make, that is somewhat different; it is this, In his omnipotent act God employs [or uses] this argument; and by this 'argument, when rightly understood, He efficaciously produces [operates] 'faith.' If it were otherwise, the operation would be expended on a stone or a lifeless body, and not upon the INTELLECT of a MAN.”

In another part of the letter, he says: "I do not deny, that faith is communicated to us through the Spirit of Christ, whom he has obtained from the Father, and of whom He is constituted the Donor and Dispenser by the Father. But we must observe, that the Spirit, considered absolutely as the Author of faith, precedes even the union of Christ with us: This conclusion may easily be drawn from the circumstance that our union with Christ is perfected by the Spirit and faith...........There is nothing in that reasoning by Calvin of which I cannot heartily approve, if all things in it be rightly understood. For I confess, that the grace by which the Holy Spirit is bestowed, is not common to all men. I also acknowledge, that God's gratuitous [free] election may be said to be the fountain of faith;' but it is an election to bestow faith, and not to communicate salvation. For a believer is elected to a participation of SALVATION, but a sinner is elected to FAITH. But we must see which of the two elections is so frequently inculcated in scripture: He has elected [chosen] us to the adoption of sons: The purpose of God which is according 'to election: The election has obtained it: A remnant according to the 'election of grace are saved.'-Let this passage also be taken into consideration, (2 Thess. ii, 13,) Because God hath ELECTED you to salvation through 'sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth,' &c.; and this two-fold election will be apparent, Or at least, it will seem impossible to say, that 'election to salvation is an election to faith;' because the former is produced through faith [or belief] and sanctification of the Spirit.'

"I do not reject the doctrine of our Divines, but I wish to see them employ a more accurate distinction: And this is the sole cause why I am traduced. If it were lawful for me to devote myself entirely to these exercises, those persons who now indulge suspicions against me on account of my studies, would soon understand the great advantage which the doctrine of our Churches would derive from the mode of treating it which I practise.-The object at which I aim, is the same as theirs; but we probably do not proceed towards it with equal speed and along the same path. I wish a trial could be made, in some important article, whether I, or certain other persons, can point out in the plainest way the truth of our doctrine. Were such an experiment instituted on the doctrine of Predestination, (concerning which point, chiefly, 1 am suspected by some people,) it would be my desire to have you as an umpire; or I would permit the very men with whom I might hold the contest, to decide concerning the success of the experiment."

This letter, written to his dearest friend, requires no comment. From the whole of its contents it is evident, that he was "decidedly inclined to the PART OF GRACE," and that his chief concern was to secure and maintain the Divine Parity and Glory, which he saw to be dreadfully impugned by several of the Calvinistic appendages to the Gospel. In this sketch of his scheme of Predestination, he preserves that admirable union which may be perceived in the scriptures, which is discernible in the experience of all pious people, and

all men within its embrace. This decree I consider as the foundation of Christianity, of man's salvation, and of his assurance of salvation; and it is this of which the Apostle treats in the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh chapters of his Epistle to the Romans, and in the First chapter to the Ephesians.

But I have not yet declared what my sentiments in general are about that decree by which God is said to have determined absolutely to save certain particular persons, and to bestow faith upon them in order to their salvation, while others are reprobated from salvation and faith;" although I have confessed, that there is a certain decree of God, according to which he determines to administer the means to faith and salvation, as he knows them to be suitable and proper to his righteousness, mercy and severity. From these premises it is deduced as a most manifest consequence, that faith is not an effect of that election by which God determines to justify those who believe.

2. With regard to the SECOND assertion,-from the particulars thus explained it is concluded, that "faith is a necessary requisite in those who shall be partakers of salvation according to the election of God;" or, that "it is a condition prescribed and required by God, to be performed by those who shall obtain his salvation." This is the will of God, that whosoever believeth in the Son hath eternal life; he that believeth not, shall be condemned:" The propositions contained in this passage cannot be resolved into any other than this brief one, which is likewise used in the Scripture, "Believe, and thou shalt be saved:" In which the word "believe" has the force of a demand or requirement; and the phrase "thou shalt be saved" has that of a suasion, by means of a good that is promised. This truth is so clear and perspicuous, that the denial of it would be a proof of great perversity or of extreme unskilfulness. If any one say, 'It is a condition, but yet an evangelical 'one, which God may himself perform in us, or, (as it is better 'expressed,) which He may by his grace cause us to perform ;' -the man who speaks thus, does not contradict this truth, but confirms it when he adds this explanation, of what description 'soever that condition may be.'

which really exists between the MORAL SUASION which God is pleased to employ in the communication of his gracious influences upon rational creatures, and the accompanying EFFICACIOUS WORKING of his Holy Spirit, both in Conversion and Sanctification.-See our Author's further explanation in the succeeding Eighth Article.

3. With regard to the THIRD, I say, that we must distinguish between the condition by which it is required, that by which it is performed, and that by which it is seen or foreseen as performed. This third member therefore is proposed in a manner much too confused. Yet when this confusion is corrected by the distinction which we leave stated, nothing of absurdity will be apparent even in that member. Because foreseeing or seeing, in the very nature and order of things, follows the performance itself; the performance has its own causes into which it is to be resolved; and the efficiency of those causes is not necessary, unless faith be prescribed and required by the law of faith and the gospel. Since therefore faith is said to be foreseen by God in those who are to be saved," those causes, without the intervention of which there could be no faith, are not removed but are rather appointed. Among those causes I consider the preventing, accompanying and succeeding [subsequent] grace of God, as the principal : And I say, with Fulgentius, "Those persons will be saved, or "they have been predestinated and elected, who, God foreknew, "would believe by the assistance of his preventing grace, (I add, "and of his accompanying grace,) and would persevere by the "aid of his subsequent grace."-In this First member, then, there is nothing except truth of the greatest purity.

II. The SECOND member is, "The decree concerning the gift of faith, precedes the decree of election;" in the explanation of which I employ the same distinction as in the former, and say, The decree of election, by which God determines to 'justify and save believers, precedes the decree concerning the bestowment of faith.' For faith is unnecessary, nay it is useless, without this previous decree: And the decree of election, by which God resolves to justify and save this or that particular person, is subsequent to that decree according to which He determines to administer the means necessary and efficacious to faith, that is, the decree concerning the gift of faith.

6

If any one says, • God wills first absolutely to save some particular person; and, since he wills that, he also wills to bestow 'faith on him,—because without faith it is not possible for him to be saved:' I tell him, that he lays down contradictory propositions,―that God wills absolutely to save some one without regard to faith;—and yet that, according to the will of "God, he cannot be saved without faith. Through the will of God it has been revealed to us, Without faith it is impossible for any man to please God, or to be saved: There is therefore in God no other will, by which he wills any one to be absolutely

saved without consideration of faith. For contradictory wills cannot be attributed to God.

If any person replies, God wills the end, before he wills the means leading to the end; but salvation is the end, and faith 'the means leading to the end :'-I answer, First, Salvation is not the end of God; but salvation and faith are the gifts of God, bound and connected together in this order between themselves through the will of God,—that faith should precede salvation, both with regard to God the Donor of it; and in reality. Secondly. Faith is A CONDITION required by God to be performed by him who shall be saved, before it is A MEANS of obtaining that salvation. Since God will not bestow salvation on any one, except on him who believes, man is on this account incited to be willing to believe, because he knows that his chief good is placed in salvation. Man therefore tries, by faith as the means, to attain to salvation as the end; because he knows, that he cannot possibly obtain salvation except through that means: And this knowledge he does not acquire, except through the declaration of the Divine Will, by which God requires faith from those who wish to be saved, that is, by which he places faith as a CONDITION in the object, that is, in the person to be saved.

ARTICLE V.

Nought among things contingent can be said to be NECESSARILY done in respect to the Divine decree.

ANSWER.

My opinion concerning Necessity and Contingency is, that 'they can never be applicable at once to one and the same 'event' But I speak of the necessity and contingency that are both of the same kind, not those which are different in their genus. The schoolmen state, that there is one necessitas conscquentis [an absolute necessity,] and another necessitas consequentie [a hypothetical necessity]. The former is, when the necessity arises from a cause antecedent to the thing itself: But necessitas consequentie [a hypothetical necessity] arises from certain premises or principles] antecedent to the conclusion.*

As the English reader would not understand the metaphysical distinctions of a consequent necessity and the necessity of a consequence, I have adopted, instead of them, those of "an absolute" and "a hypothetical necessity.” For such a substitution I have the authority of that clever Lutheran Professor, Lonest Christopher Scheibler; who, in his excellent Treatise on METAPHYSICS, (Lib. i, c. 18.) says: "This distinction is nearly allied to that which has