Abridgment of Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII. A refutation of the ſlaunders wherewith this doctrine hath alwayes bene wrongfully burdened.
Obiect. 1 THere is indeed in God election, but not reprobation.
An. Election it ſelf ſhould not ſtand vnleſſe it were ſet againſt reprobation.Whom God reiecteth. Therfore whom God paſſeth ouer he reiecteth adopting the reſt vntounto ſaluation: Whence cometh that ſaying of Chriſt Euerie tree which my father hath not planted,Mat. 15.13. ſhall be pluckt vp by the rootes.*
Obiect. God doeth not altogether reiect thoſe whom in lenitie he ſuffereth: but he waiteth to ſee whether they will repent or no.
An. As if Paule doth attribute patience to God, whereby he waiteth for their conuerſion, who he ſaith are made fit for deſtruction*.Rom. 9.20.
Obiect. The veſſels of wrath are ſayd to be prepared to deſtruction, & that God hath prepared the veſſels of merciemercy, becauſe by this meanes Paule aſcribeth to God the praiſe of ſaluation, & layeth the blame of perdition vppon thoſe who of their owne accord do bring it vponupon them ſelues*.Rom. 9.21
An. God hardeneth whom he will. Whereupon it followeth that the hidden counſell of God is the cauſe of hardening.
The cauſe of hardning.2 Queſt. By what right is God angrie with his creatures, which hauehave not offended him before, in anie thing? For to adiudge to deſtruction whom he will, is more agreable to the luſt of a tyrant, then to the lawfull ſentence of a iudge.
The will of God is the rule of iuſtice.An. It is a point of bold wickednes euen ſo much as to enquire the cauſes of Gods will: ſeing it is the cauſe of all things which are, and ought worthely to be. Yea it is the only and ſole rule of iuſtice.
3 Queſt. Why hath God from the beginning predeſtinate ſome vntounto death, who ſeing they were not as yet, could not deſerue as yet the iudgement of death?
Men are naturallie ſubiect to death.An. If all thoſe be ſubiect to the iudgement of death by naturall condition, whom the Lord doeth predeſtinate vntounto death, of what iniquitie of his toward them, ſhall they complaine? ſeing man is the cauſe of his owne damnation?
4 Queſt. Were they not predeſtinate before by the ordinance of God vntounto that corruption, which is now pretended for the cauſe of damnation?
An. I confeſſe indeed that all the children of Adam are fallen into this miſerie of condition,A ſimilitude by the will of God. But O man who art thou that diſputeſt with God? Hath not the potter power to make of the ſame lump one veſſell to honor, and an other to diſhonor?Rom. 9 20
Obiect. The iuſtice of God is not ſo defended. For it ſeemeth that there is nothing elſe ſayde in this place, but that God hath ſuch power as can not be hindered, but that he may do whatſoeuer he will.
An. God is righteous and hateth iniquitie. But and if we cannot comprehend his iudgements,Epiſt. 106. will we therefore be ſo bold as to diſalow them?
5 I ſay with Auguſtine, that they are created of God who without doubt he knewe before ſhould go into deſtructiō,Faithfull ignorance is better then raſh knowledge. Aug. de. verit. Apoſt Ser. 20 & that was ſo done becauſe he wold hauehave it ſo. But why he wold, it is not for vsus to require Becauſe faithful ignorāce is better then raſh knowledge*. Paule reſted, becauſe he found wondering*. We learne to ſpeake wel, whē we ſpeake with God*Rom. 11.32.
6 Queſt. Why ſhould God impute thoſe things for ſinne vntounto men, the neceſſitie whereof he hath layd vponupon them by his predeſtination?
An. God, ſaith Salomon*,Pro. 16.4 hath made all thinges for him ſelfe, euen the wicked man for the euill day. Therfore euen from their mothers wombe they are borne the children of death, who by their deſtruction glorifie his name.
Obiect. There is no neceſſitie layd vponupon them by the prouidence of God, but they are rather created of God in that eſtate, becauſe he foreſawe their wickedneſſe which was to come.
An. Life & death are rather actions of Gods wil, then of his foreknowledge, therefore it is in vaine to moue anie queſtion about his foreknowledge,All thinges come to paſſe by ordinance. where it is certaine that all things come to paſſe rather by ordinance and commandement.
7 Obiect. This is not extant in plaine wordes that it was decreed by God, that Adam ſhold periſh by his fall.
An. As if the ſelfe ſame God, who, as the Scripture doth declare doth whatſoeuer he will,An abſurditie. created the nobleſt of all his creatures to an vncertaine ende.
The free will of Adam.Obiect. He had free will, to ſhape his owne fortune: and God appointed nothing, but to handle him as he deſerued.
An. Where ſhall that omnipotencie of God be then, whereby he gouerneth all things according to his ſecret counſell, which doth not depend vponupon anie other?
The diſtinction of ſufferance & will.8 Obiect. The wicked periſh, God ſuffering, & not willing their deſtruction.
An But why ſhould he ſuffer it ſaue only becauſe he will hauehave it ſo? I ſay with Auguſtine*, that the wil of God is the neceſſitie of things: & that that muſt needs come to paſſe which he ſhall will: like as thoſe things ſhall truly come to paſſe which he hath foreſeene. The cauſe of euill is in man, becauſe thoſe things which God made were verie good*Lib. 6. de gen ad litteram. cap 15..
9 For though man was created by the eternall prouidence of God, to that calamitie whereto he is ſubiect,Gen. 1 31. The matter of euill is of man yet he tooke the matter thereof of himſelfe, and not of God, becauſe he is ſo loſt by none other meanes ſaue onelyonly becauſe he is degenerate from the pure creation of God, vntounto corrupt wickednes.
Acceptinge of perſons10 Obiect. There ſhould be then accepting of perſons with God, which the Scripture doth eueryevery where denie: therefore either the Scripture is contrarie to it ſelfe, or elſe there is reſpect of merites in the election of God.
An. In that God chuſeth one man & refuſeth an other, that doth not come frō the reſpect of mā, but frō his mercy alone, for which it ought to be free to vtter & ſhew it ſelfe when and ſo often as he will.
11 Obiect. If God find all men guiltie let him puniſh all alike: if guiltleſſe, let him withold the rigor of his iudgement from all.
An. All are guiltie: but the merciemercy of God releeueth and ſuccoureth certaine.
Obiect. Let it ſuccour all.
An. It is meet that by puniſhing he likewiſe ſhew him ſelfe to be a iuſt iudge.Note. Grace geueth without merit. In giuing to ſome that which they do not deſerue, he declareth his free grace: in not giuing it to all, he declareth what all deſerue.
12 Obiect. By this meanes all deſire of well doing falleth flat to the ground.Predeſtination doth not take away the deſire of well doinge. For if God hauehave decreed ſaluation, he will bring vsus vntounto it in his time: if he hauehave appointed death, we ſhold in vaine ſtriue againſt it.
An. But Paule ſaith, that we are choſen to this end, that we may leade an holy & vnblameable life*.Eph. 1.4. If holineſſe of life be the end of election, it ought rather to awake vsus to thinke thereupon ioyfully, then to ſerue to be a cloake for ſluggiſhneſſe.
13 Obiect. Such doctrine ouerthroweth all exhortations to liue godlily.
An. Paule was an open and loude proclaimer of election*:1 Th. 4.7. Eph. 2.10. was be therefore cold in admoniſhing & exhorting? Chriſt commandeth to beleeue in him: and yet he ſaith, No man can come vntounto me, but he to whom it ſhall be geuen of my Father*.Ioh. 6.61. Therfore we muſt preach godlineſſe, that God may be wor-aright, aright, and likewiſe predeſtination, that he which hath eares to heare of the grace of God may glorie in God and not in himſelfe.
A Caution14 Notwithſtāding let offence be auoyded wiſely, ſo much as may be. For it is neceſſarie that thoſe things which are ſpoken truely, be alſo ſpoken appertinentlie.