the assumption of the impracticability of the law, the Arminians, having once embraced the true doctrine of free-will, were necessarily compelled to assail the favourite opinion of the Reformers, as to the saving nature of Faith without works. He, who believeth in a way acceptable to God, is, in their opinion, one, who, converted to the precepts of the Gospel, is filled with contrition for the sins he hath committed, and is inwardly renewed. They observe, as Paul teacheth, that faith is imputed to man for righteousness; and James, that "by works a man is justified, and not by faith only;" as the Epistle to Timothy promises to godly behaviour, rewards in this and in the next life; and as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews moreover declares, that without being sanctified, no one shall see God; it follows that the saving faith, required by the Gospel, is certainly no other, than that which, from its very essence, includes in itself obedience; is the fruitful parent of all good works, and the source and the root of all Christian piety and sanctification. Hence they sum up their belief in these words, the true saving or salutary faith, is that "which worketh by charity.'

The following five acts of God, according to the Remonstrants, denote the history of the sinner, who hath already obeyed the Divine call, been converted to faith, and, under the assistance of grace, fulfilleth the Divine precepts. The first is election, whereby the true believers are separated from the profane multitude of those who perish, and are marked off as the property

* Loc. cit. c. x. xi. pp. 33-38. “Fides salvifica." The expression “fides justificans”(according to the Examen Censur. p. 107, b), they do not make use of.

of God. Election is followed by adoption, whereby the regenerated are received into the family of God, and fully admitted to the rights of the celestial heritage, which in its due time will be awarded. Justification is then described, as the gracious absolution from all sin, by means of a faith, faith, "working by charity" in Jesus Christ, and in his merits; and Sanctification is distinguished from Justification as the fourth act of God. Sanctification the Remonstrants conceive to be a perfect, inward separation of the sons of God from the children of this world. Lastly, the Sealing through the Holy Spirit, as the fifth Act of God, they represent as the firmer and more solid confirmation in true confidence, in the hope of heavenly glory, and in the assurance of Divine grace.* Of the last periods in the internal history of the regenerated man, the Arminians formed so high a conception, that they say of him, he can no longer sin; for the words in the first Epistle of John, iii. 4, and v. 18, they apply to him. Nevertheless, they protest against the notion, that the believer, who is exalted to this high degree of perfection, is no longer guilty of any, even the slightest, fault, that may be bottomed in error, frailty, and infirmity, especially under grievous temptations.†

It was natural to suppose, that the Gomarists would charge this doctrine of conversion, with declaring war against the whole Protestant Church, and with being Catholic, or even Socinian; but it can scarcely be conceived, that the Remonstrants would deny the charge. For so soon as we overlook unessential points, and a diversity of expression, the unprejudiced observer must

* Loc. cit. c. xviii. p. 59

VOL. II.

† Loc. cit. c. ii. p. 37. Examen Censuræ, loc. cit. p. 107, et seq.

23

perceive the most striking concurrence with the Catholic doctrine. Against their agreement with Catholics, the Remonstrants appeal principally to the circumstance of their declaring justification to be a judicial act, whereby God releases the sinner from the merited punishments; whereas Catholics regard it, as an inward newness of life, wrought by the Deity. But under one act, which they call Justification, Catholics comprehend the Divine forgiveness of sins; whereas the Remonstrants divide this one act into a series of acts, which cannot be defended on scriptural grounds. But their opposition to the Calvinists and Lutherans consists herein, that they assert a true and inward deliverance from sin, through regeneration, and do not recognize any imputation of Christ's righteousness, through faith only, in opposition to Christian works and to Christian charity. Next, they place their divergence from Catholics in the difference of ideas, which both attach to faith for they asserted of themselves, they regarded good works as only the fruits of faith, and this the Catholics were not wont to do. Were then the Arminians ignorant, that Catholics deduce charity from faith, and from both, good works, as their common fruits? In many particular definitions of the Arminians, moreover, the influence of Socinian principles is very manifest; and, on this account, they incurred the charge of Socinianism, which, however, was very unfounded. It was Hugo Grotius, a Remonstrant, who, against the assaults of the Socinians, had defended the doctrine of the vicarious satisfaction!

§ XCIV.-Doctrine of the Arminians on the Sacraments. The Remonstrants admit only two sacraments, and consider them as signs of covenant, by means whereof God symbolizes His promised blessings, and communicates and seals them in a certain way; and the faithful, on their part, publicly declare they will embrace them with a true, firm, and obedient faith, and bear the same in lasting and grateful remembrance.* As the expression, "communicate in a certain way," is evidently very obscure and indefinite, the Gomarists solicited a fuller explanation, which, after a long and dilatory parley, turned out to be this: that, touching the mode of efficacy in the sacraments, nothing was really known, and no internal communication of grace, connected with their reception, could be admitted. That, moreover, from Holy Writ the notion of a sealing of the Divine promises, through the sacraments, can be deduced, was even called in question.†

These definitions could not fail to incur strong censure; and they were even charged, as regarded baptism, with bearing perfect resemblance to the maxims of the Anabaptists. In fact, there was, according to these principles, no longer a rational ground for baptizing infants; nay, baptism administered to them must needs

*Confess. Remonstr. c. xxxiii. p. 70.

"Sacramenta cum dicimus,

externas ecclesiæ ceremonias, seu ritus illos sacros et solennes intelligimus, quibus fœderalibus signis ac sigillis visibilibus Deus gratiosa beneficia sua in fœdere præsertim evangelico promissa, non modo nobis representat et adumbrat, sed et certo modo exhibet et obsignat: nosque vicissim palam publiceque declaramus ac testamur, nos promissiones omnes divinas verâ, firmâ atque obsequiosâ fide amplecti et beneficia ipsius jugi et gratâ semper memoriâ celebrare velle."

+ Exam. Cens. p. 245, et seq.

be regarded as superstitious. Even Episcopius, in his Examination of the Censure, could give no other reply, than that infant baptism was not discontinued in his sect, as it was of high antiquity, and its abolition would certainly be attended with great scandal.* Yet a rite, which, in itself, was held to be senseless and meaningless, and was retained merely out of respect for custom, could not long endure. And, in fact, we find, that the Remonstrants, a portion of them at least, gradually adopted the practice of the Mennonites; as, in general, we discover an interchange of opinions and rites, between these two religious communities.

But, in respect to the Lord's Supper, Episcopius, in his Examination of the Censure, was forced plainly to admit, that the Remonstrants adhered to the views of Zuinglius, who, in the article of the Sacraments, was to be revered as the best teacher.†

From this point, a shallow conception of the whole system of Christianity, penetrated more and more into the sect; and, soon, even the dogma of the Saviour's divinity was disputed. Although, in the Confession of the Remonstrants, this dogma, as well as, in general, the orthodox doctrine on the Trinity, is expressed with the utmost clearness and correctness; yet Limborch, one of the most eminent Arminian writers, early asserted a

66

* Exam. Cens. p. 249. "Eadem ratio est de Pædobaptismo: Remonstrantes ritum baptizandi infantes, ut perantiquum et in ecclesiis Christi, præsertim in Africâ, permultis sæculis frequentatum, haud illubenter etiam in cœtibus suis admittunt, adeoque vix sine offensione et scandalo magno intermitti posse statuunt, tantum abest, ut eum seu illicitum aut nefastum improbent ac damnent."

† Loc. cit. p. 252. "Et hâc in re assentientes sibi habent non paucos Reformatos, inter quos Zwinglius optimus hujus ceremoniæ doctor, princeps est," etc.

Confessio sive Declar. c. iii. p. 14.