Arminianism: The Road to Rome!
by Augustus Toplady
Whose Voice Do You Hear?
"My sheep, saith Christ, hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow
me; and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. O,
most worthy Scriptures! which ought to compel us to have a faithful remembrance,
and to note the tenor thereof; which is, the sheep of Christ shall never
perish.
"Doth Christ mean part of his elect, or all, think you? I do hold, and
affirm, and also faithfully believe, that he meant all his elect, and not
part, as some do full ungodly affirm. I confess and believe assuredly,
that there shall never any of them perish: for I have good authority so
to say; be- cause Christ is my author, and saith, if it were possible,
the very elect should be deceived. Ergo, it is not possible that they can
be so deceived, that they shall ever finally perish, or be damned: wherefore,
whosoever doth affirm that there may be any (i.e. any of the elect) lost,
doth affirm that Christ hath a torn body."1
The above valuable letter of recantation is thus inscribed: "A Letter
to the Congregation of Free-willers, by One that had been of that Persuasion,
but come off, and now a Prisoner for Religion:" which superscription will
hereafter, in its due place, supply us with a remark of more than slight
importance.
John Wesley, A Friend of Rome?
To occupy the place of argument, it has been alleged that "Mr. Wesley is
an old man;" and the Church of Rome is still older than he. Is that any
reason why the enormities, either of the mother or the son, should pass
unchastised?
It has also been suggested, that "Mr. Wesley is a very laborious man:"
not more laborious, I presume, than a certain active being, who is said
to go to and fro in the earth, and walk up and down in it:2 nor yet more
laborious, I should imagine, than certain ancient Sectarians, concerning
whom it was long ago said, "Woe unto you Scribes, hypocrites; for ye compass
sea and land to make one proselyte:"3 nor, by any means, so usefully laborious,
as a certain diligent member of the community, respecting whose variety
of occupations the public have lately received the following intelligence:
"The truth of the following instance of industry may be depended on: a
poor man with a large family, now cries milk, every morning, in Lothbury,
and the neighbourhood of the Royal Exchange; at eleven, he wheels about
a barrow of potatoes; at one, he cleans shoes at the Change; after dinner,
cries milk again; in the evening, sells sprats; and at night, finishes
the measure of his labour as a watchman."4
The Quarrel is With the Wolf
Mr. Sellon, moreover, reminds me (p. 128.) that, "while the shepherds are
quarrelling, the wolf gets into the sheep fold;" not impossible: but it
so happens, that the present quarrel is not among "the shepherds," but
with the "wolf" himself; which "quarrel" is warranted by every maxim of
pastoral meekness and fidelity.
I am further told, that, while I am "berating the Arminians, Rome and
the devil laugh in their sleeves." Admitting that Mr. Sellon might derive
this anecdote from the fountain head, the parties themselves, yet, as neither
they nor he are very conspicuous for veracity, I construe the intelligence
by the rule of reverse, though authenticated by the deposition of their
right trusty and well-beloved cousin and counsellor.
Once more: I am charged with "excessive superciliousness, and majesty
of pride:" and why not charged with having seven heads and ten horns, and
a tail as long as a bell-rope? After all, what has my pride, or my humility,
to do with the argument in hand? Whether I am haughty, or meek, is of no
more consequence either to that, or to the public, than whether I am tall
or short: however, I am, at this very time, giving one proof, that my "majesty
of pride" can stoop; that even to ventilate the impertinences of Mr. Sellon.
Arminianism at Home in Rome
But, however frivolous his cavils, the principles for which he contends
are of the most pernicious nature and tendency. I must repeat, what already
seems to have given him so much offence, that Arminianism "came from Rome,
and leads thither again." Julian, bishop of Eclana a contemporary and disciple
of Pelagius, was one of those who endeavoured, with much art, to gild the
doctrines of that heresiarch, in order to render them more sightly and
palatable. The Pelagian system, thus varnished and paliated, soon began
to acquire the softer name of Semipelagianism. Let us take a view of it,
as drawn to our hands by the celebrated Mr. Bower, who himself, in the
main, a professed Pelagian, and therefore less likely to present us with
an unfavourable portrait of the system he generally approved. Among the
principles of that sect, this learned writer enumerates the following:
"The notion of election and reprobation, independent on our merits or
demerits, is maintaining a fatal necessity, is the bane of all virtue,
and serves only to render good men remiss in working out their salvation,
and to drive sinners to despair.
"The decrees of election and reprobation are posterior to, and in consequence
of, our good or evil works, as foreseen by God from all eternity."5
Is not this too the very language of modern Arminianism? Do not the
partizans of that scheme argue on the same identical terms? Should it be
said, "True, this proves that Arminianism is Pelagianism revived; but it
does not prove, that the doctrines of Arminianism are originally Popish:"
a moment's cool attention will make it plain that they are. Let us again
hear Mr. Bower, who, after the passage just quoted, immediately adds, "on
these two last propositions, the Jesuits found their whole system of grace
and free-will; agreeing therein with the Semipelagians, against the Jansenists
and St. Augustine."6 The Jesuits were moulded into a regular body, towards
the middle of the sixteenth century: toward the close of the same century,
Arminius began to infest the Protestant churches. It needs therefore no
great penetration, to discern from what source he drew his poison. His
journey to Rome (though Monsicur Bayle affects to make light of the inferences
which were at that very time deduced from it) was not for nothing. If,
however, any are disposed to believe, that Arminius imbibed his doctrines
from the Socinians in Poland, with whom, it is certain, he was on terms
of intimate friendship, I have no objection to splitting the difference:
he might import some of his tenets from the Racovian brethren, and yet
be indebted, for others, to the disciples of Loyola.
Papists and Predestination
Certain it is, that Arminius himself was sensible, how greatly the doctrine
of predestination widens the distance between Protestantism and Popery.
"There is no point of doctrines (says he) which the Papists, the Anabaptists,
and the (new) Lutherans more fiercely oppose, nor by means of which they
heap more discredit on the reformed churches, and bring the reformed system
itself into more odium; for they (i.e. the Papists, & etc.) assert,
that no fouler blasphemy against God can be thought or expressed, than
is contained in the doctrine of predestination."7 For which reason, he
advises the reformed world to discard predestination from their creed,
in order that they may live on more brotherly terms with the Papists, the
Anabaptists, and such like.
The Arminian writers make no scruple to seize and retail each other's
arguments, as common property. Hence, Samuel Hoord copies from Van Harmin
the self same observation which I have now cited. "Predestination (says
Samuel) is an opinion odious to the Papists, opening their foul mouths,
against our Church and religion:"8 consequently, our adopting the opposite
doctrines of universal grace and freewill, would, by bringing us so many
degrees nearer to the Papists, conduce to shut their mouths, and make them
regard us, so far at least, as their own orthodox and dearly beloved brethren:
whence it follows, that, as Arminianism came from Rome, so "it leads thither
again."
The Jesuits and Predestination
If the joint verdict of Arminius himself, and of his English proselyte
Hoord, will not turn the scale, let us add the testimony of a professed
Jesuit, by way of making up full weight. When archbishop Laud's papers
were exam- ined, a letter was found among them, thus endorsed with that
prelate's own hand: "March, 1628. A Jesuit's Letter, sent to the Rector
at Bruxels, about the ensuing Parliament." The design of this letter was
to give the Superior of the Jesuits, then resident at Brussels, an account
of the posture of civil and ecclesiastical affairs in England; an extract
from it I shall here subjoin: "Father Rector, let not the damp of astonishment
seize upon your ardent and zealous soul, in apprehending the sodaine and
unexpected calling of a Parliament. We have now many strings to our bow.
We have planted that soveraigne drugge Arminianisme, which we hope will
purge the Protestants from their heresie; and it flourisheth and beares
fruit in due season. For the better prevention of the Puritanes, the Arminians
have already locked up the Duke's (of Buckingham) eares; and we have those
of our owne religion, which stand continually at the Duke's chamber, to
see who goes in and out: we cannot be too circumspect and carefull in this
regard. I am, at this time, transported with joy, to see how happily all
instruments and means, as well great as lesser, co-operate unto our purposes.
But, to return unto the maine fabricke:--OUR FOUNDATION IS ARMINIANISME.
The Arminians and projectors, as it appeares in the premises, affect mutation.
This we second and enforce by probable arguments."9
The Sovereign Drug Arminianism
The "Sovereign drug, Arminianism," which said the Jesuit, "we (i.e. we
Papists) have planted" in England, did indeed bid fair "to purge our Protestant
Church effectually. How merrily Popery and Arminianism, at that time, danced
hand in hand, may be learned from Tindal: "The churches were adorned with
paintings, images, altar-pieces, & etc. and, instead of communion tables,
alters were set up, and bowings to them and the sacramental elements enjoined.
The predestinarian doctrines were forbid, not only to be preached, but
to be printed; and the Arminian sense of the Articles was encouraged and
propagated."10 The Jesuit, therefore, did not exult without cause. The
"sovereign drug," so lately "planted," did indeed take deep root downward,
and bring forth fruit upward, under the cherishing auspices of Charles
and Laud. Heylyn, too, acknowledges, that the state of things was truly
described by another Jesuit of that age, who wrote: "Protestantism waxeth
weary of itself. The doctrine (by the Arminians, who then sat at the helm)
is altered in many things, for which their progenitors forsook the Church
of Rome: as limbus patrum; prayer for the dead, and possibility of keeping
God's com- mandments; and the accounting of Calvinism to be heresy at least,
if not treason."11
Arminianism From the Pit
The maintaining of these positions, by the Court divines, was an "alteration"
indeed; which the abandoned Heylyn ascribes to "the ingenuity and moderation
found in some professors of our religion." If we sum up the evidence that
has been given, we shall find its amount to be, that Arminianism came from
the Church of Rome, and leads back again to the pit whence it was digged.
For further study: Christopher Ness, An Antidote Against Arminianism;
J. Warne, Arminianism: The Back Door to Popery; John Knox, On Predestination
in Works vol. 5; John Owen, A Display of Arminianism; Pink, The Sovereignty
of God; Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will; C. Van Til, The Defense
of the Faith; Gary North, 75 Bible Questions Your Instructors Pray You
Won't Ask; W. MacLean, Arminianism Another Gospel; and Spurgeon's Sovereign
Grace Sermons. This newsletter is an ex- cerpt from The Complete Works
of Augustus Toplady (Sprinkle Publ., [1794] 1987, pp. 54-55).
Subtitles in the body of this newsletter and all emphases have been
added by the editor, Reg Barrow.
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