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John Bunyan & Arminianism
There was a time when theology was everyone's business, and hymn-writers, poets, and artists of all sorts even got in on the debates. John Newton, who wrote "Amazing Grace," is one such example, along with Isaac Watts ("Joy to the World," "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," "Our God, Our Help in Ages Past"), Augustus Toplady ("Rock of Ages"), and William Cowper. ; John Bunyan (1628-88) was a selfeducated Baptist minister who engaged in theological debates, but ususally with a gentleness and humility uncharacteristic of the age. Nevertheless, Bunyan is best known for his classic of English literature, The Pilgrim's Progress, which was more popular than the works Shakespeare in its day. In fact, for decades after its frrst printing, the fictional account of a seeker on his way to the Celestial City was second in popularity only to the Bible itself.
But what many people today do not seem to realize is that Bunyan wrote the work, at least in part, as a tract against Anninianism. Mr. Worldly Wiseman "savourethonlythedoctrineofthisworld," and it is for this reason that "he always goes to the Town of Morality to church; and partly because he loveth that doctrine best, for it saveth him from the Cross." The gentleman to whom Mr. Worldly Wiseman refers Pilgrim in this Town of Morality is Mr. Legalism and his son Mr. Civility. Hypocrisy lent his distractions to Pilgrim's journey, as did Pliable, who lis tened to everybody's teaching. But Bunyan's chief foil is Ignorance, who as one source puts it, "was cheerfully consigned to hell by Bunyan for not being a Calvinist." Ignorance replies to Christian's explanation of the gospel with the familiar refrain, "What! Would you have us trust to what Christ in his own
person has done without us? This conceit would loosen the reins of our lust, and tolerate us to live as we list. For what matter how we live, if we may be Justified by Christ's personal righteousness from all, when we believe it?" Christian re sponds, "Ignorance is thy name, and as thy name is, so art thou; even this thy answer demonstrateth what I say. Ignorant thou art of what Justifying Righteousness is, and as ignorant how to secure thy Soul through the Faith of it from the heavy wrath of God."
Continued from Arminius on page 7
work of God or it is partially the work of man. There is no way to "transcend" this reality. On close examination those efforts to transcend Calvinism are at best other forms of Anninianism. Some try to split the difference be tween Anninianism and Calvinism. They say something like, "I want to be 75% Calvinist and 25% Anninian." If they mean that literally, then they are 100% Anninian since giving any determinative place to human will is Anninian. Usually they mean that they want to stress the grace of God and human responsibility. If that is what they mean, then they can be 100% Calvinist for Calvinism does teach both that God's grace is entirely the cause of salvation and that man is responsible be fore God to hear and heed the call to repentance and faith. Today some Calvinists are hesitant to stress their distinctives because they feel that they are such a small minority within Christendom. They must remember that in the providence ofGod, Calvinism has gone through varying periods. In some it has flourished and in some it has declined. God does not call His people to be success
ful; He calls ·them to be faithful. Calvinists should still confidently teach the sovereign grace of God as it was summarized in the Canons of Dolt. They should do so because, according to this author and the witness of Reformed Chris tians in church history, Calvinism is both biblical and helpful. It is helpful because in a world that is often foolis hly optimistic and man-centered, Calvinism teaches the seriousness of sin and the glories of the redemptive work of Christ for sinners. In the face of so much religious shallowness, the profundity of Calvinism is needed. Shallow religion produces shallow Chris tian living. The depths of God's grace should lead Christians to live gratefully, humbly ,joyfully and carefully before God. Today the church of Jesus Christ does not need less Calvinism. Rather it needs to recover a forceful and faithful commit ment to the God-centered biblical mes sage. (Originally printed in Christian Renewal, 1988--used by permission). -,
between Calvinists and Anninians are im portant precisely for the work that all want to do for Christ What is the work that needs to be done and how will it be done? The answers to those questions depend very much on whether man has a free will or not. Does one seek to entertain and move the emotions and will of men whose salvation is ultimately in their own hands? Or does one present the claims of God as clearly as possible while recognizing that ultimately fruit comes only from the Holy Spirit? Those kinds of concerns will affect the ways in which Christians worship and .witness and serve and live. Some argue that the differences be tween Calvinism and Anninianism are unimportant because the theological terms of the controversy were wrong or are now outmoded. They argue that just as progress has been made in so many fields, so theo logical progress has transcended the old controversies. This claim may be an attrac tive one until it is examined closely. On close examination such a claim proves to be false. Either salvation is entirely the 24 .
MAY/JUNE 1992
-selections takenfromThe Harvard C/as sics edition (NY: P.F. Collier & Son Corporation).
