This was little else but a new name clapt upon an old mass of error, which had been lying in detached fragments, up and down in the Christian world from the beginning. By Arius they were all gathered up and artfully formed into one complete system of falsehood and blasphemy. His opposition was chiefly directed against the doctrines of Christ’s Eternal Sonship—of his co-essentiality and co-equality with the Father: but his system included in its bosom the very essence of the Socinian and Arminian errors.
In the year of our Lord 325, the pastors of the church assembled in a general council at Nice, in Bythinia, to concert measures for checking the spreading infection. They drew up that admirable form of sound words, called the Nicene Creed, or Confession of Faith. It was subscribed by all present; and even by Arius himself, that temporizing arch-heretic; merely to serve a present turn, and with a fixed design of throwing off the mask as soon as a favourable opportunity should offer. In a few years he openly retracted; and, gaining the ear of the Roman emperor, he filled the church with tumult and blood, and attempted to banish truth, and exterminate its professors from the earth.
The spirit of error and delusion seemed to be let loose from all restraint. Multitudes of new heresies suddenly sprung up in almost every corner of the church. Pelagius, a British monk, in the beginning of the 5th century, appeared on the stage to plead the cause of error and decry the doctrines of grace. The Scripture doctrine of absolute and unconditional Predestination he boldly denied—asserting that God was directed in determining the final state of sinful men by his foreknowledge of human actions—Original Sin, both imputed and inherent, he counted a mere figment—He maintained the modern Arminian tenet of Free Will in its utmost extent; affirming that a man retains full power to chuse what is good, and to do what is well-pleasing to God, without any supernatural aid—That men in the present state may attain sinless perfection, if they only suitably improve their natural powers and the common means of grace—That Justification before God is by works, and not by faith in the righteousness of Christ.
This many-headed monster was hatched long before the days of Pelagius; but never till then did it assume an aspect so alarming and formidable. Its venom soon overspread the whole continent of Europe, and reached the British Isle. As every poison has, its antidote, so the cause of truth did not then want many noble champions, who stood up in its defence. Among others the Lord raised up the justly celebrated Austin, who, with a bold and well directed stroke, cut off this Hydra’s head. But the deadly infection had already spread too wide to be easily cured. It lurked in the bowels of a corrupt and apostatizing church, until it made its way to the papal chair gained the consent of general councils, and became the avowed creed of the antichristian church.
At the commencement of the protestant reformation, the standard was again lifted up in defence of the doctrines of grace. The scriptures, which for many ages had lain concealed in the musty cabinet of dead languages, were now translated into the vulgar tongue of every country where the reformation got footing. The invention of printing greatly accelerated the diffusion of knowledge; and the writings of the ancient fathers, particularly of Austin, were eagerly sought after, carefully read, and publicly taught by the most illustrious reformers, such as, Calvin, Luther, Zulinglius, Bucer, Melancthon, Zanehius, and others. Men were filled with astonishment of their former ignorance and infatuation. Satan fell, as lightning from heaven, before the preaching of the everlasting gospel. His kingdom was full of darkness; but his heart burned with rage, and he set every engine to work to prevent the total ruin of his interest and empire. He moved earth and hell against the witnesses of Christ, and the earth was soaked with the blood of the saints. But truth prevailed over all the fury of persecution.*"15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mt 16:15–19).
Soli Deo Gloria!
For His Glory,
Fernando
*Zanchius, J., & Toplady, A. (1811). The doctrine of absolute predestination stated and asserted (8–10). New York: George Lindsay.
No comments:
Post a Comment