Certain Questions and Answers Concerning the Knowledge of God, Part 39 – Part 41
God doth not properly will sinne.
Q. You saide that in eueryevery sinne is an action or deede, which is either inward or outward, whether doeth God wil that, or no?
A. So farre foorth as it is an action onelyonly, God doeth will it,Actes 17.28 but not the corruption and deformitie of the action: for in him we liue, moue, and hauehave our being.
Q. But whether doeth God will sinne properly as it is a transgression of the law, and a corruption in the action, or no?
A. No, he doeth not, neither can he, for it is against his nature: and to this effect serue these places of Scripture following, Psal. 5.5. Hab. 1.13. 1. Iohn 1.4. And reason doeth confirme it many wayes:Zach. 8.17 for looke what God doeth will properlie, he loueth, and alloweth it: but God hateth and damneth sinne, as the Scriptures witnes: & therefore he doeth not will it properlie,
Againe, he hath sent his sonne to take away the sinnes of the world, and to destroy the works of the deuill: therefore hee doeth not will them.
Lastly, if God should properly will sinne, then he must be the author of sinne:Rom. 9.14 but he is not the author of sinne, for the Scriptures doe neuer attribute sinne vntounto God,1. Ioh. 2.16 but vntounto the deuill, and vntounto men.
Q. But although God doeth not properly will sinne, yet he doeth willingly permitte it, doeth he not?
A. Yes. But for the better vnderstanding how God doeth permitte sinne, we must consider how many waies, or in how many sences one is said to permitte a thing: and that is three waies.
1 To permit, is sometime of two good things to graunt that which is lesse good, as it were against our will: as for example, a man woulde bring vp his sonne in learning, rather then in warfare, or any occupation: but because his sonne hath more minde to an occupation then to learning, and doeth craue of his father to go to some occupation, or to be a souldier rather then a Doctor: his father doeth graunt him his desire, but hee had rather hauehave him to be a scholer: and this is a kinde of permission or suffering.
But this permission ought rather to be called a will in deede: for that which is lesse good (yet because it is good) he doeth will it truely, and approoue it, and it is the true obiect of his will, and it may be called a permission, in respecte of that wil, which had rather hauehave had the greater good.
Q. And is God said to permit sinne in this sence?
A. No, by no meanes: for sinne (as it is sinne) hath no shewe of good in it, which can be compared with a greater good.
Q. Which is your second way of permitting?
A. 2 Sometimes to permitte, is to graunt one euill to goe vnpunished, that many, and more grieuous euils may be preuented: as many times Princes and magistrates are woont to doe. And so some doe thinke that God hath graunted some sinne to bee done without daunger or threatening of punishment, least more and more haynous mischiefes should els ensue.
Q. And are not you of that minde?
A. No, God forbid I shoulde, for the Apostles rule is both generall,Rom. 3.8. and true: We must not doe euill, that good may come therof, lest we be damned iustly: therefore no man may by the lawe of God, admitte one sinne (vnpunishable) to auoyde another.
Q. What is your third way of permitting?
A. 3 To permitte, doeth sometime signifie not to hinder and stoppe euill when one may: and so God is said to permitte sinne, because he coulde by his grace hinder & preuent sinnes, that none should be committed, and yet he doeth willingly permitte vsus in our nature to sinne. That God doeth thus permitte sinne, it is euident by these places, Psal. 81.11.12. Acts 14.16. That hee doeth permitte them willingly, and not constrayned thereunto, these places doe shewe, Rom. 9.19. Esa. 46.10.
Q. For what cause doeth not God hinder sinne, but permitte it?
A. Not without cause, but that hee may vse our sinnes (which is his infinite goodnes & wisdome) to his owne glorie,Rom. 9.22.23 for hereby his iustice, in punishing of sinne, and his merciemercy in pardoning of sinne, is made manifest and knowen, to the great glory and praise of his name.
Whether Gods will be mutable, or no.
Q. Whether doeth God alter his will as any time, or no?
A. For the better vnderstanding of this question, we must consider of two things. 1 How many waies our will is changeable. 2 The causes that moue vsus to change our willes.
Q. Very well, declare the first, how many waies our wils be changeable?
A. The wil of any man is changeable, two waies.
First, when we begin to will a thing which wee did not will before.
Secondly, when we leaue to will that, which we willed before.
Q. Now shew what be the causes hereof, and first why a man doth will that, which he willed not before?
A. The causes of this be two. First our ignorance, because wee do know that to be good afterward, which we knew not to be good before: and then we will that which we could not before, for, ignoti nulla Cupido; that is, of that which is vnknowne, there is no desire.
The second cause ariseth from the alteration of nature, as if that which was hurtfull to vsus at one time, becommeth profitable to vsus at another time: then wee will hauehave that at one time, which wee would not at another. As for example, In sommer our will is inclined to colde places, but in winter our will is altered, and doth affect or desire the warme.
Q. Whether is there anie such cause in God to make him change his will, or no?
A. No, neither of these causes can bee in God. Not the first: for that hee doeth most perfectly know al things from all eternitie. Not the second, for there is nothing in God, for the which anie thing may bee founde to bee profitable or hurtfull, hee is alwaies the same, hauyng neede of nothing: and therefore hee cannot will anie thing that is new to him, and consequently his will is vnchangeable.
Q. But what saye you to the 2. waie of changing our willes (that is) of leauing to will that which before wee had determined? whereof commeth that?
A For this there may be yelded two reasons.
First, we do change our willes of our owne accord, because the latter thing doth seeme to bee better vntounto vsus, then the former.
Secondly, beeing constrained, or against our mindes we do oftentimes change our willes, because our first counsaile was hindered by some crosse euent, that it could not hauehave his due effect.
Gods Will is immutable.
Q. Whether are any of these two causes in God, that for those he should change his will?
A. No, God doth neither of his owne accorde nor yet by constraint, change his will; but his decrees are and alwaies hauehave bene, and alwaies shal be fulfilled, & none shall hinder the will of God: for it doth alwaies remaine one and the same, and this doctrine is most strongly garded and fenced with these places of scripture. Numb. 23.19. 1. Sam. 15.19. Mal. 3.6. Isa. 46.10. Rom. 11.29.
Obiection.
Paul saith, that God will that all men shalbe saued, and come to the knowledge of the truth: Tim. 2.4.and yet all are not saued, &c. Therefore Gods will is mutable.
Answere.
If this place be of Gods reuealed will, then the sence is this, that God doth call all men by the preaching of his word, to the knowledge of his truth, and to eternall saluation, if they wil beleeue in Christ.
But if it be vnderstood of the secret wil of God, the sence is three fold.
First, All men, that is of all sortes and degrees, he will saue some.
Secondly, so many as are saued, are all saued by the will of God.
Thirdly,Rom. 5.18. 1.Cor. 15.22. God will that all shalbe saued, that is al the elect: for in the scriptures this word All, is put sometimes for the elect, without the reprobate.