THE ARMINIAN HERESIE NIPT IN THE BUD:

A Discussion of Arminianism
In the General Assembly of the
Church of Scotland, 1638.
By Alexander Henderson, David Dickson, & Andrew Ramsay.
[Excerpted from Alexander Peterkin's Records of the Kirk of Scotland, 156:A to 159:B.]

Moderator [Alexander Henderson]You remember, right reverend and wellbeloved, there was something spoken here by occasion of a particular
complaint given in against Mr. David Mitchell, for maintaining points of
Arminianism; and we desired one of our reverend brethren to speak somewhat
for refutation of that errour.

Arminianism Discussed
Then Mr. David [Dickson] raised and spake as follows:The task is large, the
time is short; therefore I will set myself to as little time as I can; only I would
have this preface in the beginning, that we would all labour to have errours in
as great detestation as any corporal vice; and doubtless, if our eyes were open
to see the beauty of truth and the good fruits of it, and to see the vileness of
errours, and the fearful consequences of it, we would need no exhortation of
this sort. For the preaching of errour is like the selling of poisoned {156:B}
pestied bread, that slays the eater of it, and infects with the breath every man
that comes near hand; and albeit the Lord hath brought in wholesome food in
his house, and has held his table long covered, yet the malice of Satan, and the
business of the Pope to recover his Kingdom, and the dalliance of worldly
men, has set instruments on foot to trouble our Church again; and God, in his
deep wisdom and justice, has suffered the matter to go that far on, that we
might see what a fearful sin it was to put the keys of the house of God in
wrong hands, and what evil freicks, errours in discipline would bring forth,
and also that he might punish the unsanctified and proud wits of men that
would take upon them to govern his Kirk, as also he would have these
ministers in this land corrected for their negligence who are like the rest of the
country, who thinks of arms whilest they are in peace. So have we done. In
time of peace, we were all secure, and dreamed not of straits, and studied for
no more but to get one sermon in the week; yet blessed be our God who has
also many painful and faithful servants as will be sufficient to clear his truth
of his Kirk against all that will say the contrary.
By the power of Jesus, I will take up my speech in these heads. First, I will lay
out their errors in 4 heads; Secondly, I will lay out our doctrine in other 4;

then, Thirdly, I will lay out before you the colours they use instead of
probation; Fourthly, then I will lay before you some main reasons which are
the cause and ground of all the errours, and the grounds whereupon the
dispute runs wrong on their side; then I will show you the bulwark wherein
our strength stands; Lastly, I will answer some objections, and so close. For
the truth of our doctrine, I will content myself with a place or two, and is in
the hinder end of the 52 [of] Isaiah, and 6 of John, 29th verse, which is
sufficient for a confirmation of our all doctrine against all Arminians.
(1) For the first, The Arminians they grant an election; but such a one as
makes man to be a chooser of God, and not God to be chooser of man, that by
their course God shall choose a man 20 times, and refuse him or reprobate
him 21 times, and the man to go to hell in the hinder end.
(2) For the death of Christ they make a great business for it, as if they were the
only men that knew to extend the worth of it; but it comes home to this:
Christ lays down his blood, and buys no wares but a possibility of some man's
salvationthat is to say, they extend his death in drawing on of a bargain
betwixt God and man, to put man in the terms that Adam fell into, that man
may take a new assay of himself, by the force of universal grace, to hold his
feet where Adam fell.
(3) There is concerning man's conversion, wherein they would seem to plead
for themselves, that they are seeking no more but to make man to be no stock
nor block, and if they had no further, we should easily grant that he were not a
stock in his conversion; but he is a quick devil, and when it comes to the
upwith [end result], here do they shoot to put all the matters in man's own
hand, that God shall be the giver of ability to convert by giving the man a
power of free will, but the man shall have the glory to turn himself to God or
receive grace.
(4) For the last and fourth point; they sever poor simple man, and set him
alone with the staff of his free will tottering in his hand, and the Devil, the
world, and sin tempting him; and then they dispute with him, saying, that
there is no assurance of perseverance, and that the saints may fall away and all
the rest of it, while, as they should join all {157:A} his helps with all his
hindrances, and should put him in the hand of a cautioner and guide to teach
him and correct him, and raise him up when he is fallen.
These being their four errors, I oppose to them the doctrine of the Kirk of
Scotland, whereof we may all think good the day, and thank God most
heartily for it; and seeing I have gotten leave to speak, I bless God in Jesus
Christ our Lord, that ever looked upon the Kirk of Scotland, to give us a
doctrine that will not suffer itself to be disgraced by errors or false doctrine,
but will take the place of it in the hands of weak Ministers who will not boast

of their learning, but whose glory is simple truth; and in that we will glory
more nor [than] in all the learning in the world, finding ourselves guarded
against all the Scribes and disputers of the world, since [we] have the truth of
Christ in simplicity according to the word.
1. We give this for our doctrine out of the word of GodThat there is a
number severed out, in God's special purpose, from the race of mankind, and
advanced above the state of nature, to the estate of Grace and Glory, by a
special designation, and that for no foreseen good works in the man, but for
his free Grace and good purpose who helped to make the man, then to put the
soul in him, and then to put such and such graces in his soul, and restore what
was fallen in him, and so make him do good works. This ground is clear from
Scripture. Ye know he will have mercy on whom he will, and whom he will
he hardens; for he is a Sovereign Lord, and, of his own workmanship, he can
advance one part higher of it than another, and do no wrong to the rest.
2. For the matter of Christ's purchase by his death, we teach that our Lord
made no blind block, but wist [knew] well what he bought, as the Father wist
what he sold; and had his sheep before his eyes and was content to lay down
his life for them; all things that belong to life and Salvation he laid down such
a price to the Father, and declared, by a voice from Heaven, that he was
pleased with it"This is my beloved Son."
3. For conversion we say, that how quick, how reasonable soever a man is in
the hour of his conversion, considering him as he is, a natural man and so
wicked in himself, that there is so much power in the Gospel of Grace, the
Spirit of God concurring therewith, that he is able, not only morally to
persuade and convince the man, but effectually to induce the mind of him
keeping himself still in a freedom of will, that most willingly and freely makes
the man turn unto God, and to take his Mediator and God in his arms, who
before was in the arms of Satan.
4. For the fourth we say, that, albeit it is true there is nothing vainer nor [than]
mannothing lighter than hehe being laid in the balance, and nothing
fickler nor [than] he, for at his best estate he is altogether vanityyet He that
has bought him dear will never leave him nor forsake him. That man that he
has begun to take by the heart, and to speak to as he uses to do to these whom
he sets his mind upon and calls according to his purpose, he so admonishes
him, reproves him, corrects him, and causes him to eat the fruit of his own
ways in case he deborred, that he causes him cast all consolations from
himselffrom menfrom the worldfrom sinand makes him fain to
creep in under his Lord's wings, and brings him through all doubts, and rubs
difficulties and temptations, and never leaves him till he set him before his
Master and Lord.

Now, their colours are chiefly threefirst, from {157:B} Scriptures, rend one
of them from another, as if there were no Scripture but that text which they
would seem to prove their errours by, which text of theirs being compared
with others, is our doctrine; and by so doing they deal like sophists rather than
telling the mind of the Spirit of God, who tells not all his mind in one
sentence, but must be waited on till he tell his last word; and reason it be so
as, for example, when the matter of man's salvation and conversion is spoken
of, to say the Lord swears he loves not the death of a sinner, and we oppose to
them another Scripture, that he laughed at the destruction of the wicked;
where they take the one place and not the other, and takes not that which
agrees withbut he rejoices at their destructionnot as it is a destruction of
the creature: but when man wilfully rejects grace and mercy and scorns God,
it is righteous with God to rejoice in his destruction when the man will not
rejoice in his mercy.
Another of their colours is a number of calumnies of our doctrine, where
before the ignorant and unlearned, that understand not what we teach, they
seem to speak to them with some face, as if our doctrine did open a door to
sin; whereas howsoever as in other professions there are too many profane
among them, if all of them be not so, yet amongst us, the doctrine is not such
that if any man be profane or abuse the truth that is spoken, he bears the blame
himself and not the Lord.
Their third colour is plausible human reasons and discourse, drawn from the
corrupt judgment of unsanctified menas if men were to sit down and lay the
platform of his own Salvation, and not to leave it to the Word and to the Lord;
but human reason shall prove a fool when it comes to the contrary of these
two.
The grounds of their mistaking are these:1. That they confound the decree
of God concerning the last end of man with the manner of the execution of the
decree of the means: as, for example, they draw all their objections from the
matter of God's treating with the Visible Church, wherein God takes up the
ridle and seif and fyne [instruments for separating grain] of his promise and
commandments, threatenings, and conditional offices, and sifts out the man
that is his own, and leaves the rest inexcusable. They draw out a decree of
this, as if God had been unresolved when he began to speak conditionally to
manas if there had been no more determined concerning the man he had a
purpose unto, nor [than] the preacher that must speak to every one of his
auditors; and this error draws very deep, for they make God's decree, reduced
according to his free will, lays God's decree by, while [until] man falls in his
lap, and so makes God resign his Sovereignty, while [until] the end of the
world they make man go and God to stand by: for man will guide the matter
of his salvation by his free will, and so they make God a spectator or a
furnisher of directions only as he is called by the man's free will. God comes

in at free-will's back and furnishes directions, and free-will determines; and so

they give a Godhead to free-will, and make God resign his Sovereignty while
[until] doomsday, and only now coming in at the back of free-will, following
the designations of man.
Another reason of theirs is thisthat they extend the death of Christ only to a
possibility of the salvation of all men, and to the possibility of the salvation of
no manmaking Christ's death to have the one operation sufficiently, if
Christ facilitate the way betwixt God and man; howbeit, Christ never got a
man saved nor ever eat the fruit of his labours, whereas our Lord was never so
evil a {158:A} Merchant as to lay down his life, and never will therefore, nor
such a fool as to make a bargain which might be suspended by man's fickle
free-will, who has that much prudence that he foresee a loss or danger he will
govern it.
A third errour is thisThat they think God's effectual working in the
conversion of man cannot subsist with the reservation of the nature of his own
free-will, even as if the saints in Heaven, and the spirits that are perfected, and
Jesus Christ our Lord, in his manhead, had never done, nor could never do, a
turn but of necessity, and nothing of free-will; for, except they got this
sovereignty to man's free-will, if the will of God overrule him, and determine
him to do good, presently they cry out, he's destroyed the man's free-will; as
when a man preaches morally to an auditor, leaving nothing undone to
persuade them by his word, he has left their freedom never a straw the less.
According to the Popish and Arminian grounds, the man being left standing
his alone, he must fall away from Grace; for sure Christ has done all that can
be done by a Mediator, and then only stand beside as a spectator (as they say.)
I wonder nothing that they speak of perseverance as they do; for if the world
were left to us our alone, we would fall in the mire; whereas, in the
perseverance of the Saints, the man and the master goes togetherthe debtor
and the cautioner goes togetherthe captain and the soldier goes together
Christ and the man never sheds [part]; and howsoever we grant that without
Christ we can do nothing, and that if there were no more nor [than] our
strength, all would go wrong; yet, with Christ, we are able to do all things, and
bring any thing about that he is to employ us in.
Their main errour is this, (let me speak it with reverence towards your
learning)not knowing the Scriptures, and the power of God in the matter of
the Covenant of redemption betwixt God and Christ; yet there is enough of it
in the Scripture. They pointed at it themselves, which, if they should have
followed, they might sein all their matter in the midst; for the Covenant of
Salvation betwixt God and man is one thing, and the Covenant of Redemption
betwixt God and Christ is another thing. The Covenant betwixt God and
Christ was done and ended before ever there was a word of it in the world; but

the Covenant betwixt God and man is by the means of the Mediator, which
makes all sufficient, and he is our strength and bulwark; and when all their
objections are made, we step to our Magna Charta, and where we can get any
gripping we hold it fast, to witthe Articles of a Superior Covenant made by
Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Advocate, in which there are articles
contradictory to all Arminians, that so there shall be no more possibility of the
breaking of these Articles, nor of garring [causing] God and Christ fail. When
an end of a bridge falls, the other must fall with it; so when our free-will is the
one end, and Christ the other, then must it stand; and heir [here], I say, is our
bulwark.
Their general objections are three. The first is, that our doctrine is not good,
for we terrify them, telling them that God has a special election and special
reprobation; and our doctrine, say they, is not good for tender consciences that
are converted. We desire no better answer for the time, nor [than to] retort
their objections back again upon them; and we say that their doctrine is not
good for conversion, because they keep the man unhumbled and impenitent.
They never gar [make] a man say, "I have no strength nor ability to do any
{158:B} good to myselfLord amend me!" But they keep a man from
denying himself, and how shall [he] follow Christ? But our doctrine lays man
in the dust, and gars [makes] him peep of it: and so our doctrine for
conversion is very fit; and if our doctrine prevail that far with any man as to
gar [make] him grant that he has nothing, then presently our Lord keeps him,
and gives Grace to that unworthy body [person]. Every man that takes with
his sinfulness, our doctrine pulls that man in the arms of it. I say more: our
doctrine draws any man from that"I will not be saved albeit God bid me,"
but gars [makes] him either come to a note, or profess himself to be hypocrite;
and for these that are tender and weak, he carries the matter so, that he will not
break the bruised reed, if he grant he has inlaiked [been deficient] and would
be helped of yow, but if (a [he] would be helped) he keeps him, and props him
up on all hands. Upon the other hand, our doctrine will not let a man lay his
platt [plan, plot] upon Heaven: that is, not in the way to it. It will not let him
say he is a believer, except he be labouring to work by love, and express his
faith by his obedience; and we retort this upon them, for they say it is in the
man's power, when, how, and in what measure he will determine what he
pleases; and so a man may say, "I am young, and I may delay till death comes,
for it will come not so soon but I will get half an hours advertisement;" and so
their doctrine opens a door to sinning rather than ours.
Now for the grounds. Look what the Scripture says for us, and that will settle
the business. The last part of the 52 Chapter of Isaiah"Behold my servant
shall deal prudently; he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high." There
Christ is called the Father's servant, because he was designed to take on our
nature, and to bring in the Elect Children. It is said of him, that he shall deal
prudentlyhe shall keep up the doctrine of election and reprobation, so that

never man shall get the door dung [struck] in his schafts that would be in, but
does good to all, to the kind and to the unkind, and lays no stumbling block
before them that perishes. No man shall ken [know] the reprobation of any;
but election shall have many marks, whereby the man may climb up to the
Palace, and bytime read his name in the Book of Life. How will this matter be
brought about, his visage was so marred more nor [than] any man? They say
that indeed Christ will get a blecked [slapped] face by the gate; and he get this
done, he must waide the glarre myre of our sins and the punishment thereof.
Our Lord got his visage marred; but what will be uncertain of recompence?
This it was told him 5000 years ago, that he should be exalted, extolled, and
be very high, and that kings should speir [ask] for him. Take ye all good heart.
The cause that we are about the day [today], Kings shall speir [ask] for it, and
shall be forced to hear it in due time, by Christ's wise bringing about the
matter; and because men would think this universal, he tells in the beginning
of the next chapter that it was for none but these to whom the Lord's arm is
revealed. The reasons wherefore the reprobates would not believe:he tells
us there are some wicked persons, who, tho all the miseries were before them,
and were dealt with by never so many arguments to turn from their former
wickedness, yet they will not leave their own ways, but wilfully choose the
ways of death of their own accord. And (John 6) our Master tells"All that
the Father has given to me shall come to me; and they that comes to me I will
not cast out, but will raise them up at the last day." He must keep not only
your souls but your bodies, yea, and your very dust, and shall {159:A} never
be taken off the hand of the Son of God till he render up the Kingdom to the
Father.
Now I will close my Speech. By all means let Christ's part in the Scripture,
and the things that concerns his kingdom and person be better studied by us;
let this Covenant, made betwixt God and Christ, and betwixt God and us
through Christ, be better studied; for since the whole Bible takes the
denomination from this Covenant, it is recommended to us to study it better,
where ye see our Lord has taken course to make all things fast, and has so
wisely expressed in the scripture, that no man shall have leave to presume to
despair, to be profane or abuse the doctrine of Grace upon any just ground.
Now for the theses. They shall be given in write reply at a convenient time.
1. There is a Covenant of redemption betwixt God and the Mediatour Christ,
preceding the Covenant of Grace and Salvation made betwixt God and the
faithful Man through Christ, which is the ground of all this treating that God
has with Man in the preaching of the Gospel.
2. In this Covenant of redemption betwixt God and the second person,
designed Mediatour betwixt God and Man, the elect were designed and
condescended particularly upon their number and names, with their gifts and

graces of grace and glory to be bestowed upon them, and the time and means
to bestow it, was all condescended and agreed upon.
3. The price of the redemption, what and how much should be paid by the
Redeemer for the purchase of all these gifts, how long he should be holden
captive of death, &c. all was determined.
4. The Mediatour was made sure of success before he put hand to the making
of the world; and all the elect were given to him and their salvation put in his
hand, with all power in heaven and earth given to him to bring it to pass; and
so he is sure to find out the man to persuade and convert, to lead him through
toutches and temptations, through fears and falls, till he bring him to peace;
and this refuge of the soul is a sufficient post against all Arminians doubts.
5. He manages this matter in the dispensation of the Gospel so wisely, as it
gives no man any reasonable ground either to presume of God's mercy or to
despair of God's grace; he tempers it so that the holiest man shall have no
matter of comfort except he walk in the way of holiness, and the wickedest
man shall not be put out of hopes but to be received whensoever he will turn
in to seek Grace, and life, and holiness in Jesus.
Then Mr. Andrew Ramsay was desired by the Moderator to speak somewhat
of that subject.
Mr. Andrew saidI have nothing premeditate; but this shortly, ex tempore.
The questions betwixt us and the Arminians are these1. Whether our
salvation runs upon the hinges of our own will or upon God's grace? Our
salvation is considered in five respects1. As it is ordained; 2. As it is
purchased; 3. As it is offered; 4. As it is applied; 5. As it is perfected.
First, as it is ordained, it depends on God, according as he foresaw man's
works, (as they say,) and swa [so] to depend on man's will. Some he saw their
works would be good, and he choosed them; some he saw their works to be
evil, and he rejected them; and so they make the first original charter to
depend on man's will, salvation being ordained.
2. Then it is considered as purchased, either {159:B} actually or potentially;
potentially, as Christ died for all; effectually, as it depends on our will;
actually he died for all. Who would receive his grace should be received, and
who rejected should be damned.
3. As it is offered by God or accepted by us, it depends on man's will.

4. As it perseveres, it depends on man's will; and so they make his whole

salvation to depend on his will. He elected us because he saw our will that we
would accept grace, and died effectually for these whom he saw would accept
grace, and that he would offer grace to such as he saw would persevere.
(1) We say it depends upon God's grace, and that he elected such and such to
salvation when he might have condemned all.
(2) We say that Christ's sacrifice was not offered for all, nor for one of the
reprobates.
(3) That the effectual calling of man, when the Lord offers grace, the man may
potentially reject, but not effectually; for he writes the law in his heart that he
can [not] reject it.
(4) It stands not by man's will, but by God's grace; so the Arminians question
our salvation in these points, and say it depends on man's will. We say it
depends on God's grace. Our reasons are these1. If it depend on man's will,
and not on God's grace, then Christ had not said, "I thank thee, O Father, that
hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to babes;
even so, Father, because it was thy pleasure." 2. If our salvation depended on
our will, then grace should depend upon nature, and should be a subservient
cause to nature. 3. God, who is a independent being, should become a
dependent being; for, if his will depended on man, then God's will, who is
independent, should become dependent. 4. Last, it is against that action in the
schools: for actus secundusshould be prestantior primo; and so they give all
the glory to man, and we give it to God; and we have the consent of all the
ancients, and the whole Roman Kirk, (till of new some Jesuits has risen up,)
that our election depends on God's grace.
Then the Moderator saidWe have reason to bless the Lord for his gracious
providence, that before this errour spread very far, it has pleased him to nip it
in the bud; and God be thanked, who has raised up some spirits in our time to
acquaint themselves with this errour, that they are able to refute it. I have
sometimes heard that there be two very small points, as would seem, wherein
this great errour does consist. They are like two grammarians: the one is,
whether the word Elect, or, in Latin, Electi, is nomen or participium. The
question is, whether we do believe, because we are chosen to faith? They say
God chooses men because they believe. We say thisThat we are elected
comes from God's free grace. There is one other word about the signification
of ante and pro. They take pro, that Christ has died, pro omnibus, for the
behove and benefit of all. We say that it has another signification, vice
omniumI mean as Scripture takes itthat is, for all sorts, and if it be
taken vice electorum, they must be saved in whose place Christ hath died.