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THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD.
Sect. 9.—THIS, therefore, is also
essentially necessary and wholesome for Christians to know: That God
foreknows nothing by contingency, but that He foresees, purposes, and does all
things according to His immutable, eternal, and infallible will. By this
thunderbolt, "Free-will" is thrown prostrate, and utterly dashed to pieces.
Those, therefore, who would assert "Free-will," must either deny this
thunderbolt, or pretend not to see it, or push it from them. But, however,
before I establish this point by any arguments of my own, and by the authority
of Scripture, I will first set it forth in your words.
Are you not then the person, friend Erasmus, who just
now asserted, that God is by nature just, and by nature most merciful? If this
be true, does it not follow that He is immutably just and merciful? That,
as His nature is not changed to all eternity, so neither His justice nor His
mercy? And what is said concerning His justice and His mercy, must be said also
concerning His knowledge, His wisdom, His goodness, His will, and His other
Attributes. If therefore these things are asserted religiously, piously, and
wholesomely concerning God, as you say yourself, what has come to you, that,
contrary to your own self, you now assert, that it is irreligious, curious, and
vain, to say, that God foreknows of necessity? You openly declare that the
immutable will of God is to be known, but you forbid the knowledge of His
immutable prescience. Do you believe that He foreknows against His will,
or that He wills in ignorance? If then, He foreknows, willing, His will is
eternal and immovable, because His nature is so: and, if He wills, foreknowing,
His knowledge is eternal and immovable, because His nature is so.
From which it follows unalterably, that all things
which we do, although they may appear to us to be done mutably and contingently,
and even may be done thus contingently by us, are yet, in reality, done
necessarily and immutably, with respect to the will of God. For the will of God
is effective and cannot be hindered; because the very power of God is natural to
Him, and His wisdom is such that He cannot be deceived. And as His will cannot
be hindered, the work itself cannot be hindered from being done in the place, at
the time, in the measure, and by whom He foresees and wills. If the will of God
were such, that, when the work was done, the work remained but the
will ceased, (as is the case with the will of men, which, when the
house is built which they wished to build, ceases to will, as though it
ended by death) then, indeed, it might be said, that things are done by
contingency and mutability. But here, the case is the contrary; the work
ceases, and the will remains. So far is it from possibility, that the
doing of the work or its remaining, can be said to be from contingency or
mutability. But, (that we may not be deceived in terms) being done by
contingency, does not, in the Latin language, signify that the work itself
which is done is contingent, but that it is done according to a contingent and
mutable will—such a will as is not to be found in God! Moreover, a work cannot
be called contingent, unless it be done by us unawares, by contingency, and, as
it were, by chance; that is, by our will or hand catching at it, as presented by
chance, we thinking nothing of it, nor willing any thing about it before.
Sect. 10.—I COULD wish, indeed,
that we were furnished with some better term for this discussion, than this
commonly used term, necessity, which cannot rightly be used, either with
reference to the human will, or the divine. It is of a signification too harsh
and ill-suited for this subject, forcing upon the mind an idea of compulsion,
and that which is altogether contrary to will; whereas, the subject which
we are discussing, does not require such an idea: for Will, whether divine or
human, does what it does, be it good or evil, not by any compulsion but by mere
willingness or desire, as it were, totally free. The will of God, nevertheless,
which rules over our mutable will, is immutable and infallible; as Boëtius
sings, "Immovable Thyself, Thou movement giv'st to all." And our own will,
especially our corrupt will, cannot of itself do good; therefore, where the term
fails to express the idea required, the understanding of the reader must make up
the deficiency, knowing what is wished to be expressed—the immutable will of
God, and the impotency of our depraved will; or, as some have expressed it, the
necessity of immutability, though neither is that sufficiently
grammatical, or sufficiently theological.
Upon this point, the Sophists have now laboured hard
for many years, and being at last conquered, have been compelled to retreat. All
things take place from the necessity of the consequence, (say they) but
not from the necessity of the thing consequent. What nothingness this
amounts to, I will not take the trouble to show. By the necessity of the
consequence, (to give a general idea of it) they mean this—If God wills any
thing, that same thing must, of necessity be done; but it is not necessary that
the thing done should be necessary: for God alone is necessary; all other things
cannot be so, if it is God that wills. Therefore, (say they) the action of God
is necessary, where He wills, but the act itself is not necessary; that is,
(they mean) it has not essential necessity. But what do they effect by
this playing upon words? Only this, that the act itself is not necessary, that
is, it has not essential necessity. This is no more than saying, the act is not
God Himself. This, nevertheless, remains certain, that if the action of God is
necessary, or if there is a necessity of the consequence, every thing takes
place of necessity, how much soever the act be not necessary; that is, be not
God Himself, or have not essential necessity. For, if I be not made of
necessity, it is of little moment with me, whether my existence and being be
mutable or not, if, nevertheless, I, that contingent and mutable being, who am
not the necessary God, am made.
Wherefore, their ridiculous play upon words, that all
things take place from the necessity of the consequence, but not from
the necessity of the thing consequent, amounts to nothing more than this—all
things take place of necessity, but all the things that do take place are not
God Himself. But what need was there to tell us this? As though there were any
fear of our asserting, that the things done were God Himself, or possessed
divine or necessary nature. This asserted truth, therefore, stands and remains
invincible—that all things take place according to the immutable will of God!
which they call the necessity of the consequence. Nor is there here any
obscurity or ambiguity. In Isaiah he saith, "My counsel shall stand, and My will
shall be done." (Isa. xlvi. 10.) And what schoolboy does not under-stand the
meaning of these expressions, "Counsel," "will," "shall be done," "shall stand?"
Sect. 11.—BUT why should these
things be abstruse to us Christians, so that it should be considered
irreligious, curious, and vain, to discuss and know them, when heathen poets,
and the very commonalty, have them in their mouths in the most frequent use? How
often does Virgil alone make mention of Fate? "All things stand fixed by law
immutable." Again, "Fixed is the day of every man." Again, "If the Fates summon
you." And again, "If thou shalt break the binding chain of Fate." All this poet
aims at, is to show, that in the destruction of Troy, and in
raising the Roman empire, Fate did more than all the devoted efforts of men. In
a word, he makes even their immortal gods subject to Fate. To this, even Jupiter
and Juno must, of necessity, yield. Hence they made the three Parcae immutable,
implacable, and irrevocable in decree.
Those men of wisdom knew that which the event itself,
with experience, proves; that no man's own counsels ever succeeded but that the
event happened to all contrary to what they thought. Virgil's Hector says,
"Could Troy have stood by human arm, it should have stood by mine." Hence that
common saying was on every one's tongue, "God's will be done." Again, "If God
will, we will do it." Again, "Such was the will of God." "Such was the will of
those above." "Such was your will," says Virgil. Whence we may see, that the
knowledge of predestination and of the prescience of God, was no less left in
the world than the notion of the divinity itself. And those who wished to appear
wise, went in their disputatious so far, that, their hearts being darkened, they
became fools," (Rom. i. 21-22,) and denied, or pretended not to know, those
things which their poets, and the commonalty, and even their own consciences,
held to be universally known, most certain, and most true.
Sect. 12.—I OBSERVE further, not
only how true these things are (concerning which I shall speak more at large
hereafter out of the Scriptures) but also how religious, pious, and necessary it
is to know them; for if these things be not known there can be neither faith,
nor any worship of God: nay, not to know them, is to be in reality ignorant of
God, with which ignorance salvation, it is well known, cannot consist. For if
you doubt, or disdain to know that God foreknows and wills all things, not
contingently, but necessarily and immutably, how can you believe confidently,
trust to, and depend upon His promises? For when He promises, it is necessary
that you should be certain that He knows, is able, and willing to perform what
He promises; otherwise, you will neither hold Him true nor faithful; which is
unbelief, the greatest of wickedness, and a denying of the Most High God!
And how can you be certain and secure, unless you are
persuaded that He knows and wills certainly, infallibly, immutably, and
necessarily, and will perform what He promises? Nor ought we to be certain only
that God wills necessarily and immutably, and will perform, but also to glory in
the same; as Paul, (Rom. iii. 4,) "Let God be true, but every man a liar." And
again, "For the word of God is not without effect." (Rom. ix. 6.) And in another
place, "The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth
them that are His." (2 Tim. ii. 19.) And, "Which God, that cannot lie, promised
before the world began." (Titus i. 2.) And, "He that cometh, must believe that
God is, and that He is a rewarder of them that hope in Him." (Heb. xi. 6.)
If, therefore, we are taught, and if we believe, that
we ought not to know the necessary prescience of God, and the necessity of the
things that are to take place, Christian faith is utterly destroyed, and the
promises of God and the whole Gospel entirely fall to the ground; for the
greatest and only consolation of Christians in their adversities, is the knowing
that God lies not, but does all things immutably, and that His will cannot be
resisted, changed, or hindered.
Sect. 13.—Do you now, then, only
observe, friend Erasmus, to what that most moderate, and most peace-loving
theology of yours would lead us. You call us off, and forbid our endeavouring to
know the prescience of God, and the necessity that lies on men and things, and
counsel us to leave such things, and to avoid and disregard them; and in so
doing, you at the same time teach us your rash sentiments; that we should seek
after an ignorance of God, (which comes upon us of its own accord, and is
engendered in us), disregard faith, leave the promises of God, and account the
consolations of the Spirit and the assurances of conscience, nothing at all!
Such counsel scarcely any Epicure himself would give!
Moreover, not content with this, you call him who
should desire to know such things, irreligious, curious, and vain; but him who
should disregard them, religious, pious, and sober. What else do these words
imply, than that Christians are irreligious, curious, and vain? And that
Christianity is a thing of nought, vain, foolish, and plainly impious? Here
again, therefore, while you wish by all means to deter us from temerity,
running, as fools always do, directly into the contrary, you teach nothing but
the greatest temerity, impiety, and perdition. Do you not see, then, that in
this part, your book is so impious, blasphemous, and sacrilegious, that its like
is not any where to be found.
I do not, as I have observed before, speak of your
heart; nor can I think that you are so lost, that from your heart, you wish
these things to be taught and practiced. But I would shew you what enormities
that man must be compelled unknowingly to broach, who undertakes to support a
bad cause. And moreover, what it is to run against divine things and truths,
when, in mere compliance with others and against our own conscience, we assume a
strange character and act upon a strange stage. It is neither a game nor a jest,
to undertake to teach the sacred truths and godliness: for it is very easy here
to meet with that fall which James speaks of, "he that offendeth in one point is
guilty of all." (James ii. 10.) For when we begin to be, in the least degree,
disposed to trifle, and not to hold the sacred truths in due reverence, we are
soon involved in impieties, and overwhelmed with blasphemies: as it has happened
to you here, Erasmus—May the Lord pardon, and have mercy upon you!
That the Sophists have given birth to such numbers of
reasoning questions upon these subjects, and have intermingled with them many
unprofitable things, many of which you mention, I know and confess, as well as
you: and I have inveighed against them much more than you have. But you act with
imprudence and rashness, when you liken the purity of the sacred truths unto the
profane and foolish questions of the impious, and mingle and confound it with
them. "They have defiled the gold with dung, and changed the good colour," (Lam.
iv. 1., as Jeremiah saith.) But the gold is not to be compared unto, and cast
away with the dung; as you do it. The gold must be wrested from them, and the
pure Scripture separated from their dregs and filth; which it has ever been my
aim to do, that the divine truths may be looked upon in one light, and the
trifles of these men in another. But it ought not to be considered of any
service to us, that nothing has been effected by these questions, but their
causing us to favour them less with the whole current of our approbation, if,
nevertheless, we still desire to be wiser than we ought. The question with us is
not how much the Sophists have effected by their reasonings, but how we may
become good men, and Christians. Nor ought you to impute it to the Christian
doctrine that the impious do evil. That is nothing to the purpose: you may speak
of that somewhere else, and spare your paper here.
Sect. 14.—UNDER your third head,
you attempt to make us some of those very modest and quiet Epicureans. With a
different kind of advice indeed, but no better than that, with which the two
forementioned particulars are brought forward:—"Some things (you say) are of
that nature, that, although they are true in themselves, and might be known, yet
it would not be prudent to prostitute them to the ears of every one."—
Here again, according to your custom, you mingle and
confound every thing, to bring the sacred things down to a level with the
profane, without making any distinction whatever: again falling into the
contempt of, and doing an injury to God. As I have said before, those things
which are either found in the sacred Writings, or may be proved by them, are not
only plain, but wholesome; and therefore may be, nay, ought to be, spread
abroad, learnt, and known. So that your saying, that they ought not to be
prostituted to the ears of every one, is false: if, that is, you speak of those
things which are in the Scripture: but if you speak of any other things, they
are nothing to me, and nothing to the purpose: you lose time and paper in saying
any thing about them.
Moreover, you know that I agree not with the Sophists
in any thing: you may therefore spare me, and not bring me in at all as
connected with their abuse of the truth. You had, in this book of yours, to
speak against me. I know where the Sophists are wrong, nor do I want you for my
instructor, and they have been sufficiently inveighed against by me: this,
therefore, I wish to be observed once for all, whenever you shall bring me in
with the Sophists, and disparage my side of the subject by their madness. For
you do me an injury; and that you know very well.
Sect. 15.—NOW let us see your
reasons for giving this advice—'you think, that, although it may be true, that
God, from His nature, is in a beetle's hole, or even in a sink, (which you have
too much holy reverence to say yourself, and blame the Sophists for talking in
such a way) no less than in Heaven, yet it would be unreasonable to discuss such
a subject before the multitude.'—
First of all, let them talk thus, who can talk thus. We
do not here argue concerning what are facts in men, but concerning justice and
law: not that we may live, but that we may live as we ought. Who among us lives
and acts rightly? But justice and the doctrine of law are not therefore
condemned: but rather they condemn us. You fetch from afar these irrelevant
things, and scrape together many such from all quarters, because you cannot get
over this one point, the prescience of God: and since you cannot overthrow it in
any way, you want, in the mean time, to tire out the reader with a multiplicity
of empty observation. But of this, no more. Let us return to the point.
What then is your intention, in observing that there
are some things which ought not to be spoken of openly? Do you mean to enumerate
the subject of "Free-will" among those things? If you do, the whole that I have
just said concerning the necessity of knowing what "Free-will" is, will turn
round upon you. Moreover, if so, why do you not keep to your own principles, and
have nothing to do with your Diatribe? But, if you do well in discussing
"Free-will," why do you speak against such discussion? and if it is a bad
subject, why do you make it worse? But if you do not enumerate it among those
things, then, you leave your subject-point; and like an orator of words only,
talk about those irrelevant things that have nothing to do with the subject.
Sect. 16.—NOR are you right in
the use of this example; nor in condemning the discussion of this subject before
the multitude, as useless—that God is in a beetle's hole and even in a sink! For
your thoughts concerning God are too human. I confess indeed, that there are
certain fantastical preachers, who, not from any religion, or fear of God, but
from a desire of vain-glory, or from a thirst after some novelty, or from
impatience of silence, prate and trifle in the lightest manner. But such please
neither God nor men, although they assert that God is in the Heaven of Heavens.
But when there are grave and pious preachers, who teach in modest, pure, and
sound words; they, without any danger, nay, unto much profit, speak on such a
subject before the multitude.
Is it not the duty of us all to teach, that the Son of
God was in the womb of the Virgin, and proceeded forth from her belly? And in
what does the human belly differ from any other unclean place? Who, moreover,
may not describe it in filthy and shameless terms? But such persons we justly
condemn; because, there are numberless pure words, in which we speak of that
necessary subject, even with decency and grace. The body also of Christ Himself
was human, like ours. Than which body, what is more filthy? But shall we,
therefore, not say what Paul saith, that God dwelt in it bodily? (Col. ii. 9.)
What is more unclean than death? What more horrible than hell? Yet the prophet
glorieth that God was with him in death, and left him not, in hell. (Ps. xvi 10,
Ps. cxxxix. 8.)
The pious mind, therefore, is not shocked at hearing
that God was in death and in hell: each of which is more horrible, and more
loathsome, than either a hole or a sink. Nay, since the Scripture testifies that
God is every where, and fills all things, such a mind, not only says that He is
in those places, but will, of necessity learn and know that He is there. Unless
we are to suppose that if I should at any time be taken and cast into a prison
or a sink, (which has happened to many saints,) I could not there call upon God,
or believe that He was present with me, until I should come into some ornamented
church. If you teach us that we are thus to trifle concerning God, and if you
are thus offended at the places of His essential presence, by and by you will
not even allow that He dwells with us in Heaven. Whereas, "the Heaven of Heavens
cannot contain Him," (1 Kings viii. 27.); or, they are not worthy. But, as
I said before, you, according to your custom, thus maliciously point your sting
at our cause, that you may disparage and render if hateful, because you find it
stands against you insuperable, and invincible.
Sect. 17.—IN the example
concerning confession and satisfaction, it is wonderful to observe with what
dexterous prudence you proceed. Throughout the whole, according to your custom,
you move along on the tiptoe of caution, lest you should seem, neither plainly
to condemn my sentiments nor to oppose the tyranny of the Popes: a path which
you found to be by no means safe. Therefore, throwing off, in this matter, both
God and conscience, (for what are these things to Erasmus? What has he to do
with them? What profit are they to him?) you rush upon the external bugbear, and
attack the commonalty.
—'That they, from their depravity, abuse the preaching
of a free confession and of satisfaction, to an occasion of the flesh. But,
nevertheless, (you say) by the necessity of confessing, they are, in a measure,
restrained.'—
O memorable and excellent speech! Is this teaching
theology? To bind souls by laws, and, (as Ezekiel saith, xiii. 18,) to hunt them
to death, which are not bound by God! Why, by this speech you bring upon us the
universal tyranny of the laws of the Popes, as useful and wholesome; because,
that by them also the depravity of the commonalty is restrained.
But I will not inveigh against this place as it
deserves. I will descant upon it thus briefly—A good theologian teaches, that
the commonalty are to be restrained by the external power of the sword, where
they do evil: as Paul teaches. (Rom. xiii. 1-4.) But their consciences are not
to be fettered by false laws, that they might be tormented with sins where God
wills there should be no sins at all. For consciences are bound by the law of
God only. So that, that intermediate tyranny of Popes, which falsely terrifies
and murders the souls within, and vainly wearies the bodies without is to be
taken entirely out of the way. Because, although it binds to confession and
other things, outwardly, yet the mind is not, by these things restrained, but
exasperated the more into the hatred both of God and men. And in vain does it
butcher the body by external things, making nothing but hypocrites.—So that
tyrants, with laws of this kind, are nothing else but ravening wolves, robbers,
and plunderers of souls. And yet you, an excellent counselor of souls, recommend
these to us again: that is, you are an advocate for these most barbarous
soul-murderers, who fill the world with hypocrites, and with such as blaspheme
God and hate Him in their hearts, in order that they may restrain them a little
from outward sin. As though there were no other way of restraining, which makes
no hypocrites, and is wrought without any destroying of consciences.
Sect. 18.—HERE you produce
similitudes (in which you aim at appearing to abound, and to use very
appropriately); that is,—'that there are diseases, which may be borne with less
evil than they can be cured: as the leprosy, &c.' You add, moreover, the example
of Paul, who makes a distinction between those things that are lawful, and those
that are not expedient. "It is lawful (you say) to speak the truth; but, before
every one, at all times, and in every way, it is not expedient."—
How copious an orator! And yet you understand nothing
of what you are saying. In a word, you treat this discussion, as though it were
some matter between you and me only, about the recovering of some money that was
at stake, or some other trivial thing, the loss of which, as being of much less
consideration than the general peace of the community, ought not so to concern
any one, but that he may yield, act and suffer upon the occasion, in any way
that may prevent the necessity of the whole world being thrown into a tumult.
Wherein, you plainly evince, that this peace and tranquility of the flesh, are,
with you, a matter of far greater consideration than faith, than conscience,
than salvation, than the Word of God, than the glory of Christ, than God
Himself! Wherefore, let me tell you this; and I entreat you to let it sink deep
into your mind—I am, in this discussion, seeking an object solemn and essential;
nay, such, and so great, that it ought to be maintained and defended through
death itself; and that, although the whole world should not only be thrown into
tumult and set in arms thereby, but even if it should be hurled into chaos and
reduced to nothing.—If you cannot receive this, or if you are not affected by
it, do you mind your own business, and allow us to receive it and to be affected
by it, to whom it is given of God.
For, by the grace of God, I am not so great a fool or
madman, as to have desired to sustain and defend this cause so long, with so
much fortitude and so much firmness, (which you call obstinacy) in the face of
so many dangers of my life, so much hatred, so many traps laid for me; in a
word, in the face of the fury of men and devils—I have not done this for money,
for that I neither have nor desire; nor for vain-glory, for that, if I wished, I
could not obtain in a world so enraged against me, nor for the life for my body,
for that cannot be made sure of for an hour.—Do you think, then, that you only
have a heart that is moved by these tumults? Yet, I am not made of stone, nor
was I born from the Marpesian rocks. But since it cannot be otherwise, I choose
rather to be battered in temporal tumult, happy in the grace of God, for God's
word's sake, which is to be maintained with a mind incorrupt and invincible,
than to be ground to powder in eternal tumult, under the wrath of God and
torments intolerable! May Christ grant, what I desire and hope, that your heart
may not be such—but certainly your words imply, that, with Epicurus, you
consider the Word of God and a future life, to be mere fables. For, in your
instructions, you would have us, for the sake of the Popes, the heads, and the
peace of the community, to put off, upon an occasion, and depart from the
all-certain word of God: whereas, if we put off that, we put off God, faith,
salvation and all Christianity together. How far different from this is the
instruction of Christ: that, we should rather despise the whole world!
Sect. 19.—BUT you say these
things, because you either do not read or do not observe, that such is most
constantly the case with the word of God, that because of it, the world is
thrown into tumult. And that Christ openly declares: "I came not (says He) to
send peace but a sword." (Matt. x. 34.) And in Luke, "I came to send fire upon
the earth." (Luke xii. 49.) And Paul, (2 Cor. vi. 5,) "In tumults," &c. And the
Prophet, in the Second Psalm, abundantly testifies the same: declaring, that the
nations are in tumult, the people roaring, the kings rising up, and the princes
conspiring against the Lord and against His Christ. As though He had said,
multitude, height, wealth, power, wisdom, righteousness, and whatever is great
in the world, sets itself against the word of God.
Look into the Acts of the Apostles, and see what
happened in the world on account of the word of Paul only (to say nothing of the
other apostles): how he alone throws both the Gentiles and Jews into commotion:
or, as the enemies themselves express it, "turns the world upside down." (Acts
xvii. 6.) Under Elijah, the kingdom of Israel was thrown into commotion: as king
Ahab complains. (1 Kings xviii. 17.) What tumult was there under the other
prophets, while they are all either killed at once or stoned to death; while
Israel is taken captive into Assyria, and Judah also to Babylon! Was all this
peace? The world and its god (2 Cor. iv. 4,) cannot and will not bear the Word
of the true God: and the true God cannot and will not keep silence. While,
therefore, these two Gods are at war with each other, what can there be else in
the whole world, but tumult?
Therefore, to wish to silence these tumults, is nothing
else, than to wish to hinder the Word of God, and to take it out of the way. For
the Word of God, wherever it comes, comes to change and to renew the world. And
even heathen writers testify, that changes of things cannot take place, without
commotion and tumult, nor even without blood. It therefore belongs to
Christians, to expect and endure these things, with a stayed mind: as Christ
says, "When ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be not dismayed, for
these things must first come to pass, but the end is not yet." (Matt. xxiv. 6.)
And as to myself, if I did not see these tumults, I should say the Word of God
was not in the world. But now, when I do see them, I rejoice from my heart, and
fear them not: being surely persuaded, that the kingdom of the Pope, with all
his followers, will fall to the ground: for it is especially against this, that
the word of God, which now runs, is directed.
I see indeed, my friend Erasmus, that you complain in
many books of these tumults, and of the loss of peace and concord; and you
attempt many means whereby to afford a remedy, and (as I am inclined to believe)
with a good intention. But this gouty foot laughs at your doctoring hands. For
here, in truth, as you say, you sail against the tide; nay, you put out fire
with straw. Cease from complaining, cease from doctoring; this tumult proceeds,
and is carried on, from above, and will not cease until it shall make all the
adversaries of the word as the dirt of the streets. Though I am sorry that I
find it necessary to teach you, so great a theologian, these things, like a
disciple, when you ought to be a teacher of others.
Your excellent sentiment, then, that some diseases may
be borne with less evil than they can be cured applies here: which sentiment you
do not appositely use. Rather call these tumults, commotions, perturbations,
seditions, discords, wars, and all other things of the same kind with which the
world is shaken and tossed to and fro on account of the Word of God,—the
diseases. These things, I say, as they are temporal, are borne with less evil
than inveterate and evil habits; by which all souls must be destroyed if they be
not changed by the word of God: which being taken away, eternal good, God,
Christ, and the Spirit, must be taken away with it.
But how much better is it to lose the whole world, than
to lose God the Creator of the world, who can create innumerable worlds again,
and is better than infinite worlds? For what are temporal things when compared
with eternal? This leprosy of temporal things, therefore, is rather to be borne,
than that every soul should be destroyed and eternally damned, and the world
kept in peace, and preserved from these tumults, by their blood and perdition:
whereas, one soul cannot be redeemed with the price of the whole world!
You certainly have command of elegant and excellent
similitudes, and sentiments: but, when you are engaged in sacred discussions,
you apply them childishly, nay, pervertedly: for you crawl upon the ground, and
enter in thought into nothing above what is human. Whereas, those things which
God works, are neither puerile, civil, nor human, but divine; and they exceed
human capacity. Thus, you do not see, that these tumults and divisions increase
throughout the world, according to the counsel, and by the operation of God; and
therefore, you fear lest heaven should tumble about our ears. But I, by the
grace of God, see these things clearly; because, I see other tumults greater
than these that will arise in the age to come in comparison of which, these
appear but as the whispering of a breath of air, or the murmuring of a gentle
brook.
Sect. 20.—BUT, the doctrine
concerning the liberty of confession and satisfaction, you either deny, or know
not that there is the Word of God.—And here arises another inquiry. But we know,
and are persuaded, that there is a Word of God, in which the Christian liberty
is asserted, that we might not suffer ourselves to be ensnared into bondage by
human traditions and laws. This I have abundantly shewn elsewhere. But if you
wish to enter the lists, I am prepared to discuss the point with you, and to
fight it out. Though upon these subjects I have books extant not a few.
But,—"the laws of the Popes (you say,) may at the same
time be borne with and observed, in charity; if perchance thus, eternal
salvation by the word of God, and the peace of the world, may together consist,
without tumult."—
I have said before, that cannot be. The prince of this
world will not allow the Pope and his high priests, and their laws to be
observed in liberty, but his design is, to entangle and bind consciences. This
the true God will not bear. Therefore, the Word of God, and the traditions of
men, are opposed to each other with implacable discord; no less so, than God
Himself and Satan; who each destroy the works and overthrow the doctrines of the
other, as regal kings each destroying the kingdom of the other. "He that is not
with Me (saith Christ) is against Me." (Luke xi. 23.)
And as to—"a fear that many who are depravedly
inclined, will abuse this liberty"—
This must be considered among those tumults, as a part
of that temporal leprosy which is to be borne, and of that evil which is to be
endured. But these are not to be considered of so much consequence, as that, for
the sake of restraining their abuse, the word of God should be taken out of the
way. For if all cannot be saved, yet some are saved; for whose sake the word of
God is sent; and these, on that account, love it the more fervently, and assent
to it the more solemnly. For, what evils did not impious men commit before, when
there was no word? Nay, what good did they do? Was not the world always drowned
in war, fraud, violence, discord, and every kind of iniquity? For if Micah (vii.
4) compares the best among them to a thorn hedge, what do you suppose he would
call the rest?
But now the Gospel is come, men begin to impute unto
it, that the world is evil. Whereas, the truth is, that by the good Gospel, it
is more manifest how evil it was, while, without the Gospel, it did all its
works in darkness. Thus also the illiterate attribute it to learning, that, by
its flourishing, their ignorance becomes known. This is the return we make for
the word of life and salvation!—And what fear must we suppose there was among
the Jews, when the Gospel freed all from the law of Moses? What occasion did not
this great liberty seem to give to evil men? But yet, the Gospel was not, on
that account, taken away; but the impious were left, and it was preached to the
pious, that they might not use their liberty to an occasion of the flesh. (Gal.
v. 13.)
Sect. 21.—NOR is this part of
your advice, or your remedy, to any purpose, where you say—"It is lawful to
speak the truth but it is not expedient, either before every one, or at all
times, or in every manner." And ridiculously enough, you adduce Paul, where he
says, "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient."—(1 Cor.
vi. 12.)
But Paul does not there speak of teaching doctrine or
the truth; as you would confound his words, and twist them which way you please.
On the contrary, he will have the truth spoken every where, at all times, and in
every manner. So that he even rejoices that Christ is preached even through envy
and strife. Nay, he declares in plain words, that he rejoices, let Christ be
preached in any way. (Phil. i. 15-18.)
Paul is speaking of facts, and the use of doctrine:
that is, of those, who, seeking their own, had no consideration of the hurt and
offence given to the weak. Truth and doctrine, are to be preached always,
openly, and firmly, and are never to be dissembled or concealed; for there is no
offence in them; they are the staff of uprightness.—And who gave you the power,
or committed to you, the right, of confining the Christian doctrine to persons,
places, times, and causes, when Christ wills it to be proclaimed, and to reign
freely, throughout the world? For Paul saith, "the Word of God is not bound," (2
Tim. ii. 9,) but Erasmus bounds the word. Nor did God give us the word that it
should be had with respect of places, persons, or times: for Christ saith, "Go
ye out into the whole world,": He does not say, as Erasmus does,—go to this
place and not to that. Again, "Preach the Gospel to every creature." (Mark xvi.
15.) He does not say—preach it to some and not to others. In a word, you enjoin,
in the administration of the word of God, a respect of persons, a respect of
places, a respect of customs, and a respect of times: whereas, the one and
especial part of the glory of the word consists in this,—that, as Paul saith,
there is, with it, no respect of persons; and that God is no respecter of
persons. You see therefore, again, how rashly you run against the Word of God,
as though you preferred far before it, your own counsel and cogitations.
Hence, if we should demand of you that you would
determine for us, the times in which, the persons to whom, and the manner in
which, the truth is to be spoken, when would you come to an end? The world would
sooner compute the termination of time and its own end, than you would settle
upon any one certain rule. In the meantime, where would remain the duty of
teaching? Where that of teaching the soul? And how could you, who know nothing
of the nature of persons, times, and manner, determine upon any rule at all? And
even if you should know them perfectly, yet you could not know the hearts of
men. Unless, with you, the manner, the time, and the person be this:—teaching
the truth so, that the Pope be not indignant, Caesar be not enraged, and that
many be not offended and made worse! But what kind of counsel this is, you have
seen above.—I have thus rhetorically figured away in these vain words, lest you
should appear to have said nothing at all.
How much better is it for us wretched men to ascribe
unto God, who knoweth the hearts of all men, the glory of determining the manner
in which, the persons to whom, and the times in which the truth is to be spoken.
For He knows what is to be spoken to each, and when, and how it is to be spoken.
He then, determines that His Gospel which is necessary unto all, should be
confined to no place, no time; but that it should be preached unto all, at all
times and in all places. And I have already proved, that those things which are
handed down to us in the Scriptures, are such, that they are quite plain and
wholesome, and of necessity to be proclaimed abroad; even as you yourself
determined in your Paraclesis was right to be done; and that, with much more
wisdom than you advise now. But let those who would not that souls should be
redeemed, such as the Pope and his adherents—let it be left to them to bind the
Word of God, and hinder men from life and the kingdom of heaven, that they might
neither enter in themselves nor suffer others to enter:—to whose fury you,
Erasmus, by this advice of yours, are perniciously subservient.
Sect. 22.—OF the same stamp with
this, is that prudence of yours also, with which you next give it as your
advice—'that, if any thing were settled upon, in the councils, that was wrong,
it ought not to be openly confessed: lest, a handle should be thereby afforded,
for contemning the authority of the fathers.'—
This, indeed, is just what the Pope wished you to say!
And he hears it with greater pleasure than the Gospel itself, and will be a most
ungrateful wretch, if he do not honour you in return, with a cardinal's cap
together with all the revenues belonging to it. But in the mean time, friend
Erasmus, what will the souls do that shall be bound and murdered by that
iniquitous statute? Is that nothing to you? But however, you always think, or
pretend to think, that human statutes can be observed together with the Word of
God, without peril. If they could, I would at once go over to this your
sentiment.
But if you are yet in ignorance, I tell you again, that
human statutes cannot be observed together with the Word of God: because, the
former bind consciences, the latter looses them. They are directly opposed to
each other, as water to fire. Unless, indeed, they could be observed in liberty;
that is, not to bind the conscience. But this the Pope wills not, nor can he
will it, unless he wishes his kingdom to be destroyed and brought to an end: for
that stands only in ensnaring and binding those consciences, which the Gospel
pronounces free. The authority of the fathers, therefore, is to be accounted
nought: and those statutes which have been wrongly enacted, (as all have been
that are not according to the Word of God) are to be rent in sunder and cast
away: for Christ is better than the authority of the fathers. In a word, if it
be concerning the Word of God that you think thus, you think impiously; if it be
concerning other things, your verbose disputing about your sentiment is nothing
to me: I am disputing concerning the Word of God!
Sect. 23.—IN the last part of
your Preface, where you deter us from this kind of doctrine, you think your
victory is almost gained.
"What (you say) can be more useless than that this
paradox should be proclaimed openly to the world—that whatever is done by us, is
not done by Free-will, but from mere necessity. And that of Augustine also—that
God works in us both good and evil: that He rewards His good works in us, and
punishes His evil works in us." (You are mightily copious here in giving, or
rather, in expostulating concerning a reason.) "What a flood-gate of iniquity
(you say) would these things, publicly proclaimed, open unto men! What bad man
would amend his life! Who would believe that he was loved of God! Who would war
against his flesh!"
I wonder, that in so great vehemency, and contending
zeal, you did not remember our main subject, and say—where then would be found
"Free-will."
My friend, Erasmus! here, again, I also say, if you
consider that these paradoxes are the inventions of men, why do you contend
against them? Why are you so enraged? Against whom do you rail? Is there any man
in the world, at this day, who has inveighed more vehemently against the
doctrines of men, than Luther! This admonition of yours, therefore, is nothing
to me! But if you believe that those paradoxes are the words of God, where is
your countenance, where is your shame, where is, I will not say your modesty,
but that fear of, and that reverence which is due to the true God, when you say,
that nothing is more useless to be proclaimed than that Word of God! What! shall
your Creator, come to learn of you His creature, what is useful, and what not
useful to be preached? What! did that foolish and unwise God, know not what is
necessary to be taught, until you His instructor prescribed to Him the measure,
according to which He should be wise, and according to which He should command?
What! did He not know before you told Him, that that which you infer would be
the consequence of this His paradox? If, therefore, God willed that such things
should be spoken of and proclaimed abroad, without regarding what would
follow,—who art thou that forbiddest it?
The apostle Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans,
discourses on these same things, not "in a corner," but in public and before the
whole world, and that with a freely open mouth, nay in the harshest terms,
saying, "whom He will He hardeneth." (Rom. ix. 18.) And again, "God, willing to
shew forth His wrath," &c. (Rom ix. 22.) What is more severe, that is to the
flesh, than that word of Christ "Many are called but few chosen?" (Matt. xxii.
14.) And again, "I know whom I have chosen?" (John xiii. 18.) According to your
judgment then, all these things are such, that nothing can be more uselessly
spoken; because that by these things, impious men may fall into desperation,
hatred, and blasphemy.
Here then, I see, you suppose that the truth and the
utility of the Scripture are to be weighed and judged of according to the
opinion of men, nay, of men the most impious; so that, what pleases them or
seems bearable, should be deemed true, divine, and wholesome: and what has the
contrary effect upon them, should at once be deemed useless, false, and
pernicious. What else do you mean by all this, than that the words of God should
depend on, stand on, and fall by, the will and authority of men? Whereas the
Scripture, on the contrary saith, that all things stand and fall by the will and
authority of God: and in a word, that "all the earth keeps silence before the
face of the Lord." (Hab. ii. 20.) He who could talk as you do, must imagine that
the living God is nothing but a kind of trifling and inconsiderate pettifogger
declaiming on a certain rostrum, whose words you may if you be disposed,
interpret, understand, and refute as you please, because He merely spoke as He
saw a set of impious men to be moved and affected.
Here you plainly discover how much your advice
above,—'that the majesty of the judgments of God should be reverenced,'—was from
your heart! There, when we were speaking of the doctrines of the Scripture only,
where there was no need of reverencing things abstruse and hidden, because there
were no such doctrines, you awed us, in the most religious terms, with the
darkness of the Corycian cavern, lest we should rush forward with too much
curiosity; so that, by the awe, you well nigh frightened us from reading the
Scriptures altogether; (to the reading of which Christ and His apostles urge and
persuade us, as well as you do yourself elsewhere.) But here, where we are come
not to the doctrines of the Scripture, nor to the Corycian cavern only, but to
the very, and greatly to be reverenced secrets of the divine Majesty, viz., why
He works thus?—here, as they say, you burst open all bars and rush in; all but,
openly blaspheming! What indignation against God do you not discover, because
you cannot see His reason why, and His design in this His counsel! Why do you
not here frame, as an excuse, obscurity and ambiguity? Why do you not restrain
yourself, and deter others from prying into these things which God wills should
be hidden from us, and which He has not delivered to us in the Scriptures? It is
here the hand is to be laid upon the mouth, it is here we are to reverence what
lies hidden, to adore the secret counsels of the divine Majesty, and to exclaim
with Paul, "Who art thou, O man, that contendest with God?" (Rom. ix. 20.)
Sect. 24.—"WHO (you say) will
endeavour to amend his life?"—I answer, No man! no man can! For your
self-amenders without the Spirit, God regardeth not, for they are hypocrites.
But the Elect, and those that fear God, will be amended by the Holy Spirit; the
rest will perish unamended. Nor does Augustine say, that the works of none,
nor that the works of all are crowned, but the works of some.
Therefore, there will be some, who shall amend their lives.
"Who will believe (you say) that he is loved of God?"—I
answer, no man will believe it! No man can! But the Elect shall believe it; the
rest shall perish without believing it, filled with indignation and blaspheming,
as you here describe them. Therefore, there will be some who shall
believe it.
And as to your saying that—"by these doctrines the
flood-gate of iniquity is thrown open unto men"—be it so. They pertain to that
leprosy of evil to be borne, spoken of before. Nevertheless, by the same
doctrines, there is thrown open to the Elect and to them that fear God, a gate
unto righteousness,—an entrance into heaven—a way unto God! But if, according to
your advice, we should refrain from these doctrines, and should hide from men
this Word of God, so that each, deluded by a false persuasion of salvation,
should never learn to fear God, and should never be humbled, in order that
through this fear he might come to grace and love; then, indeed, we should shut
up your flood-gate to purpose! For in the room of it, we should throw open to
ourselves and to all, wide gates, nay, yawning chasms and sweeping tides, not
only unto iniquity, but unto the depths of hell! Thus, we should not enter into
Heaven ourselves, and them that were entering in we should hinder.
—"What utility therefore (you say) is there in, or
necessity for proclaiming such things openly, when so many evils seem likely to
proceed therefrom?"—
I answer. It were enough to say—God has willed that
they should be proclaimed openly: but the reason of the divine will is not to be
inquired into, but simply to be adored, and the glory to be given unto God: who,
since He alone is just and wise, doth evil to no one, and can do nothing rashly
or inconsiderately, although it may appear far otherwise unto us. With this
answer those that fear God are content. But that, from the abundance of
answering matter which I have, I may say a little more than this, which might
suffice;—there are two causes which require such things to be preached. The
first is, the humbling of our pride, and the knowledge of the grace of God. The
second is, Christian faith itself.
First, God has promised certainly His grace to the
humbled: that is, to the self-deploring and despairing. But a man cannot be
thoroughly humbled, until he comes to know that his salvation is utterly beyond
his own powers, counsel, endeavours, will, and works, and absolutely depending
on the will, counsel, pleasure, and work of another, that is, of God only. For
if, as long as he has any persuasion that he can do even the least thing himself
towards his own salvation, he retain a confidence in himself and do not utterly
despair in himself, so long he is not humbled before God; but he proposes to
himself some place, some time, or some work, whereby he may at length attain
unto salvation. But he who hesitates not to depend wholly upon the good-will of
God, he totally despairs in himself, chooses nothing for himself, but waits for
God to work in him; and such an one, is the nearest unto grace, that he might be
saved.
These things, therefore, are openly proclaimed for the
sake of the Elect: that, being by these means humbled and brought down to
nothing, they might be saved. The rest resist this humiliation; nay, they
condemn the teaching of self-desperation; they wish to have left a little
something that they may do themselves. These secretly remain proud, and
adversaries to the grace of God. This, I say, is one reason—that those who fear
God, being humbled, might know, call upon, and receive the grace of God.
The other reason is—that faith is, in things not
seen. Therefore, that there might be room for faith, it is necessary that
all those things which are believed should be hidden. But they are not
hidden more deeply, than under the contrary of sight, sense, and experience.
Thus, when God makes alive, He does it by killing; when He justifies, He does it
by bringing in guilty: when He exalts to Heaven, He does it by bringing down to
hell: as the Scripture saith, "The Lord killeth and maketh alive, He bringeth
down to the grave and raiseth up, " (I Sam. ii. 6.); concerning which, there is
no need that I should here speak more at large, for those who read my writings,
are well acquainted with these things. Thus He conceals His eternal mercy and
loving-kindness behind His eternal wrath: His righteousness, behind apparent
iniquity.
This is the highest degree of faith—to believe that He
is merciful, who saves so few and damns so many; to believe Him just, who
according to His own will, makes us necessarily damnable, that He may seem, as
Erasmus says, 'to delight in the torments of the miserable, and to be an object
of hatred rather than of love.' If, therefore, I could by any means comprehend
how that same God can be merciful and just, who carries the appearance of so
much wrath and iniquity, there would be no need of faith. But now, since that
cannot be comprehended, there is room for exercising faith, while such things
are preached and openly proclaimed: in the same manner as, while God kills, the
faith of life is exercised in death. Suffice it to have said thus much upon your
PREFACE.
In this way, we shall more rightly consult for the
benefit of those who dispute upon these paradoxes, than according to your way:
whereby, you wish to indulge their impiety by silence, and a refraining from
saying any thing: which is to no profit whatever. For if you believe, or even
suppose these things to be true, (seeing they are paradoxes of no small moment,)
such is the insatiable desire of mortals to search into secret things, and the
more so the more we desire to keep them secret, that, by this admonition of
yours, you will absolutely make them public; for all will now much more desire
to know whether these paradoxes be true or not: thus they will, by your
contending zeal, be so roused to inquiry, that not one of us ever afforded such
a handle for making them known, as you yourself have done by this over-religious
and zealous admonition. You would have acted much more prudently, had you said
nothing at all about being cautious in mentioning these paradoxes, if you wished
to see your desire accomplished. But, since you do not directly deny that they
are true, your aim is frustrated: they cannot be concealed: for, by their
appearance of truth, they will draw all men to search into them. Therefore,
either deny that they are true altogether, or else hold your own tongue first,
if you wish others to hold theirs.
Sect. 25.—AS to the other paradox
you mention,—that, 'whatever is done by us, is not done by Free-will, but from
mere necessity'—
Let us briefly consider this, lest we should suffer any
thing most perniciously spoken, to pass by unnoticed. Here then, I observe, that
if it be proved that our salvation is apart from our own strength and counsel,
and depends on the working of God alone, (which I hope I shall clearly prove
hereafter, in the course of this discussion,) does it not evidently follow, that
when God is not present with us to work in us, every thing that we do is evil,
and that we of necessity do those things which are of no avail unto salvation?
For if it is not we ourselves, but God only, that works salvation in us, it must
follow, whether or no, that we do nothing unto salvation before the
working of God in us.
But, by necessity, I do not mean compulsion;
but (as they term it) the necessity of immutability, not of
compulsion; that is, a man void of the Spirit of God, does not evil against
his will as by violence, or as if he were taken by the neck and forced to it, in
the same way as a thief or cut-throat is dragged to punishment against his will;
but he does it spontaneously, and with a desirous willingness. And this
willingness and desire of doing evil he cannot, by his own power, leave off,
restrain, or change; but it goes on still desiring and craving. And even if he
should be compelled by force to do any thing outwardly to the contrary,
yet the craving will within remains averse to, and rises in indignation
against that which forces or resists it. But it would not rise in indignation,
if it were changed, and made willing to yield to a constraining power. This is
what we mean by the necessity of immutability:—that the will cannot change
itself, nor give itself another bent; but rather the more it is resisted, the
more it is irritated to crave; as is manifest from its indignation. This would
not be the case if it were free, or had a "Free-will." Ask experience, how
hardened against all persuasion they are, whose inclinations are fixed upon any
one thing. For if they yield at all, they yield through force, or through
something attended with greater advantage; they never yield willingly. And if
their inclinations be not thus fixed, they let all things pass and go on just as
they will.
But again, on the other hand, when God works in us, the
will, being changed and sweetly breathed on by the Spirit of God, desires
and acts, not from compulsion, but responsively, from pure
willingness, inclination, and accord; so that it cannot be turned another way by
any thing contrary, nor be compelled or overcome even by the gates of hell; but
it still goes on to desire, crave after, and love that which is good; even as
before, it desired, craved after, and loved that which was evil. This, again,
experience proves. How invincible and unshaken are holy men, when, by violence
and other oppressions, they are only compelled and irritated the more to crave
after good! Even as fire, is rather fanned into flames than extinguished, by the
wind. So that neither is there here any willingness, or "Free-will," to turn
itself into another direction, or to desire any thing else, while the influence
of the Spirit and grace of God remain in the man.
In a word, if we be under the god of this world,
without the operation and Spirit of God, we are led captives by him at his will,
as Paul saith. (2 Tim. ii. 26.) So that, we cannot will any thing but that which
he wills. For he is that "strong man armed," who so keepeth his palace, that
those whom he holds captive are kept in peace, that they might not cause any
motion or feeling against him; otherwise, the kingdom of Satan, being divided
against itself, could not stand; whereas, Christ affirms it does stand. And all
this we do willingly and desiringly, according to the nature of will: for
if it were forced, it would be no longer will. For compulsion is (so to
speak) unwillingness. But if the "stronger than he" come and overcome
him, and take us as His spoils, then, through the Spirit, we are His servants
and captives (which is the royal liberty) that we may desire and do, willingly,
what He wills.
Thus the human will is, as it were, a beast between the
two. If God sit thereon, it wills and goes where God will: as the Psalm saith,
"I am become as it were a beast before thee, and I am continually with thee."
(Ps. lxxiii. 22-23.) If Satan sit thereon, it wills and goes as Satan will. Nor
is it in the power of its own will to choose, to which rider it will run, nor
which it will seek; but the riders themselves contend, which shall have and hold
it.
Sect. 26.—AND now, what if I
prove from your own words, on which you assert the freedom of the will, that
there is no such thing as "Free-will" at all! What if I should make it manifest
that you unknowingly deny that, which, with so much policy, you labour to
affirm. And if I do not this, actually, I vow that I will consider all that I
advance in this book against you, revoked; and all that your Diatribe advances
against me, and aims at establishing, confirmed.
You make the power of "Free-will" to be—'that certain
small degree of power, which, without the grace of God, is utterly ineffective.'
Do you not acknowledge this?—Now then, I ask and demand
of you, if the grace of God be wanting, or, if it be taken away from that
certain small degree of power, what can it do of itself? 'It is ineffective (you
say) and can do nothing of good.' Therefore, it cannot do what God or His grace
wills. And why? because we have now separated the grace of God from it; and what
the grace of God does not, is not good. And hence it follows, that "Free-will,"
without the grace of God is, absolutely, not FREE; but, immutably, the servant
and bond-slave of evil; because, it cannot turn itself unto good. This being
determined, I will allow you to make the power of "Free-will," not only a
certain small degree of power, but to make it evangelical if you will, or, if
you can, to make it divine: provided that, you add to it this doleful
appendage—that, without the grace of God, it is ineffective. Because, then you
will at once take from it all power: for, what is ineffective power, but
plainly, no power at all?
Therefore, to say, that the will is FREE, and that it
has indeed power, but that it is ineffective, is what the sophists call 'a
direct contrariety.' As if one should say, "Free-will" is that which is not
free. Or as if one should term fire cold, and earth hot. For if fire had the
power of heat, yea of the heat of hell, yet, if it did not burn or scorch, but
were cold and produced cold, I should not call it fire, much less should I term
it hot; unless, indeed, you were to mean an imaginary fire, or a fire
represented in a picture.—But if we call the power of "Free-will" that, by which
a man is fitted to be caught by the Spirit, or to be touched by the grace of
God, as one created unto eternal life or eternal death, may be said to be; this
power, that is, fitness, or, (as the Sophists term it) 'disposition-quality,'
and 'passive aptitude,' this I also confess. And who does not know, that this is
not in trees or beasts? For, (as they say) Heaven was not made for geese.
Therefore, it stands confirmed, even by your own
testimony, that we do all things from necessity, not from "Free-will:" seeing
that, the power of "Free-will" is nothing, and neither does, nor can do good,
without grace. Unless you wish efficacy to bear a new signification, and to be
understood as meaning perfection: that is, that "Free-will" can, indeed,
will and begin, but cannot perfect: which I do not believe: and upon this I
shall speak more at large hereafter.
It now then follows, that Free-will is plainly a divine
term, and can be applicable to none but the divine Majesty only: for He alone
"doth, (as the Psalm sings) what He will in Heaven and earth." (Ps. cxxxv. 6.)
Whereas, if it be ascribed unto men, it is not more properly ascribed, than the
divinity of God Himself would be ascribed unto them: which would be the greatest
of all sacrilege. Wherefore, it becomes Theologians to refrain from the use of
this term altogether, whenever they wish to speak of human ability, and to leave
it to be applied to God only. And moreover, to take this same term out of the
mouths and speech of men; and thus to assert, as it were, for their God, that
which belongs to His own sacred and holy Name.
But if they must, whether or no, give some power to
men, let them teach, that it is to be called by some other term than Free-will";
especially since we know and clearly see, that the people are miserably deceived
and seduced by that term, taking and understanding it to signify something far
different from that which Theologians mean and understand by it, in their
discussions. For the term, "Free-will," is by far too grand, copious, and full:
by which, the people imagine is signified (as the force and nature of the term
requires) that power, which can freely turn itself as it will, and such a power
as is under the influence of, and subject to no one. Whereas, if they knew that
it was quite otherwise, and that by that term scarcely the least spark or degree
of power was signified, and that, utterly ineffective of itself, being the
servant and bond-slave of the devil, it would not be at all surprising if they
should stone us as mockers and deceivers, who said one thing and meant something
quite different; nay, who left it uncertain and unintelligible what we meant.
For "he who speaks sophistically (the wise man saith) is hated," and especially
if he does so in things pertaining to godliness, where eternal salvation is at
stake.
Since, therefore, we have lost the signification of so
grand a term and the thing signified by it, or rather, never had them at all,
(which the Pelagians may heartily wish had been the case, being themselves
illuded by this term,) why do we so tenaciously hold an empty word, to the peril
and mockery of the believing people? There is no more wisdom in so doing, than
there is in kings and potentates retaining, or claiming and boasting of, empty
titles of kingdoms and countries, when they are at the same time mere beggars,
and any thing but the possessors of those kingdoms and countries. But however,
this is bearable, since they deceive and mock no one thereby, but only feed
themselves on vanity without any profit. But here, is a peril of salvation, and
the most destructive mockery.
Who would not laugh at, or rather hold up to hatred,
that most untimely innovator of terms, who, contrary to all established use,
should attempt to introduce such a mode of speaking, as by the term 'beggar,' to
have understood, 'wealthy;' not because such an one has any wealth himself, but
because some king may, perchance, give him his wealth? And what if such an one
should really do this, not by any figure of speech, as by periphrasis or irony,
but in plain serious meaning? In the same way, speaking of one 'sick unto
death,' he may wish to be understood as meaning, one in 'perfect health:' giving
this as his reason, because the one may give the other his health. So also, he
may, by 'illiterate idiot,' mean 'most learned;' because some other may
perchance give him his learning. Of precisely the same nature is this:—man has a
"Free-will:" for this reason, if perchance God should give him His. By this
abuse of the manner of speaking, any one may boast that he has any thing: that
He is the Lord of heaven and earth—if perchance God should give this unto him.
But this is not the way in which Theologians should proceed, this is the way of
stage-players and public informers. Our words ought to be proper words, pure and
sober; and, as Paul saith, "sound speech that cannot be condemned." (Titus ii.
7-8.)
But, if we do not like to leave out this term
altogether, (which would be most safe, and also most religious) we may,
nevertheless, with a good conscience teach, that it be used so far as to allow
man a "Free-will," not in respect of those which are above him, but in respect
only of those things which are below him: that is, he may be allowed to know,
that he has, as to his goods and possessions the right of using, acting, and
omitting, according to his "Free-will;" although, at the same time, that same
"Free-will" is overruled by the Free-will of God alone, just as He pleases: but
that, God-ward, or in things which pertain unto salvation or damnation, he has
no "Free-will," but is a captive, slave, and servant, either to the will of God,
or to the will of Satan.
Sect. 27.—THESE observations have
I made upon the heads of your PREFACE, which, indeed, themselves, may more
properly be said to embrace the whole subject, than the following body of the
book. But however, the whole of these observations in reply, might have been
summed up and made in this one short compendious answer to you.—Your Preface
complains, either of the Words of God, or of the word of men. If of the words of
men, the whole is written in vain; if of the Words of God, the whole is impious.
Wherefore, it would have saved much trouble, if it had been plainly mentioned,
whether we were disputing concerning the Words of God, or the words of men. But
this, perhaps, will be handled in the EXORDIUM which follows, or in the body of
the discussion itself.
But the hints which you have thrown together in the
conclusion of your Preface, have no weight whatever.
—Such as, your calling my doctrines 'fables, and
useless:' and saying, 'that Christ crucified should rather be preached, after
the example of Paul: that wisdom is to be taught among them that are perfect
that the language of Scripture is attempered to the various capacities of
hearers: and your therefore thinking, that it should be left to the prudence and
charity of the teacher, to teach that which may be profitable to his neighbour'—
All this you advance senselessly, and away from the
purpose. For rather do we teach anything but Christ crucified. But Christ
crucified, brings all these things along with Himself, and that 'wisdom also
among them that are perfect:' for there is no other wisdom to be taught among
Christians, than that which is 'hidden in a mystery:' and this belongs to the
'perfect,' and not to the sons of the Jewish and legal generation, who, without
faith, glory in their works, as Paul, 1 Cor. ii., seems to think! Unless by
preaching Christ crucified, you mean nothing else but calling out these
words—Christ is crucified!
And as to your observing—'that, God is represented as
being angry, in a fury, hating, grieving, pitying, repenting, neither of which,
nevertheless, ever takes place in Him'—
This is only purposely stumbling on plain ground. For
these things neither render the Scriptures obscure, nor necessary to be
attempered to the various capacities of hearers. Except that, many like to make
obscurities where there are none. For these things are no more than grammatical
particulars, and certain figures of speech, with which even school-boys are
acquainted. But we, in this disputation, are contending, not about grammatical
figures, but about doctrines of truth.
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