Divinity Knots Unloosed, Chapter 3 – Chapter 5
CHAP. III. Of Gods Decree, and creation.
7. Doubt. TO what purpoſe ſhould I ſeek the good of my ſoule? If I he elected I ſhall be ſaved, if not I cannot.
Reſol. It is not for you to ſearch the Cabinet of Gods counſellaDeut. 29.29., but to beleevebJohn 3.18.36., and repentcLuke 13.3, 5. ; which if you doe, you are not to queſtion your ſalvationdEph. 2.8 2 Tim. 1.9 2 Cor. 7.10. Saving Faith (though it be not a cauſe) is a fruit of electioneActs 13.48., for God hath reſpect to the meanes, as well as the end, and conjoyneth them in his decreefEph. 1.4.5. & 2.10. : and therefore we may conclude, that beleeving we are juſtifiedgRom. 3.28., which is an aſſured argument we were predeſtinatedhRom. 8.29, 30., and ſhall be ſavediTit. 3.7.. But on the other hand, they that are hardened by ſinkPſa. 95.8. Heb. 3.13., are rejected of GodlRom. 9.18., and ſhall be damnedm1 Cor. 6.9, 10. Gal. 5.19, 20, 21..
8. Doubt. If God predeſtinate the meanes as well as the end, ſeeing ſin is the meanes tending to damnation, whom he predeſtinates to damnation, doth not he predeſtinate them to ſin? And if ſo, how can he be free from it?
Reſol. In Predeſtination two things are to be conſidered:
1. Gods preterition, paſſing by, or non…electing of a perſon.
2. Predamnation, or fore-condemning a perſon to perdition.
The former is of the meere pleaſure of God, for there can be no other reaſon given, why this man is choſen, and that refuſed. Now thoſe whom God thus paſſeth by, through want of that aſſiſtance which he is not bound to give, fall finally from God, and ſo conſidered, are pre-damned, or fore-ordained to deſtruction. God doth not force, or cauſe men to ſinne, but leave them to it: For ſin being no poſitive thing, but a privation of what ſhould be: Viz. of obedience, ariſeth from the inſufficiency of the Creature, left to it ſelfe: If a King by his wiſedome could foreſee, that diverſe of his Subjects would prove Traytors, and be hanged, unleſſe he prefer them, and doth forbeare to gratifie them ſo far, onelyonly becauſe it is not his pleaſure ſo to doe, can he be juſtly accuſed of the Treaſon which after they commit? I beleeve no polititian wil affirma it: Muſt we then be ſo bold as to charge him who is of purer eyes, then to behold iniquity, to be in any ſort the cauſe thereof, becauſe he doth not uphold us againſt it?
9. Doubt. If God doe not onelyonly paſſe by men, but predamne them to Hell alſo by this his decree (as you ſhewed in the reſolution of the laſt Doubt) how can his juſtice be cleared, ſeeing man had then not actually ſinned?
Reſol. Men ſin in …, not from eternity: yet are their ſins from eternity, and to eternity with God. For with him things are not paſt, preſent, and to come, as with us, but alwayes preſent, in one infinite moment. And therefore the Lord who ſeath all the ſins of a reprobate by one pure, individuall act, from, and to all eternity, may as well piſſe an act of damnation againſt them, … they were actually committed.
10. Doubt. Might not God as well damne men in a capacity of holineſſe, as thus to leave them to ſin, and then condemne them for it?
Reſol. It is a curious and unprofitable queſtion, to diſpute whether he might not without wrong to the Creature, have done ſo: Perhaps Rom. 9, 20, 21, 22. will prove he might, but ſuch a caſe never did, not will fall out: However to our capacity, the juſtneſſe of God ſhould not ſhine ſo perſpicuouſly, if he ſhould damne a Creature that never ſinned; for then ſhould he inflict undeſerved puniſhment, whereas in the courſe he now takes, he onelyonly denyeth undeſerved ſavours, and layeth on them deſerved penalties.
11. Doubt. But if Gods decree binde not men to a neceſſity of ſinning, how came ſin into the World, ſeeing Men and Angels were made holy, and the whole Creation is by GOD himſelfe pronounced good nGen. 1.31?
Reſol. GODS decree doth no otherwiſe bind man to a neceſſity of ſinning, then the withdrawing of the upholding hand from a ſtaffe reared up, binds it to a neceſſity of falling; Viz, in a privative way. I ſhewed before, that ſin is only privative; that is, a defect of ſome thing required, as darkneſſe is nothing elſe but a defect of light: and theſe privations doe not neceſſarily require cauſes, or creation; light was indeed createdoGen. 2.3., but darkneſſe was before on the face of the deepepVerſ. 2.. Now though God made Angels and Men holy, he made them not Gods, that they ſhould ſtand of themſelves without his help, which when he withheld from man, and ſome of the Angels, they faltered in their obedience, and ſo became ſinfull.
CHAP. IV. Of Providence.
12. Doubt. HOw can God by his providence diſpoſe of ſecond cauſes that things can come to paſſe contingently, freely, or miraculouſly, when he hath fore-ordained how they ſhall be in his immutable will?
Reſol. There is a twofold neceſſity. 1. In Gods decree, ſo all things that are, fall out neceſſarily and cannot be otherwiſe, 2. In Naturall cauſes, ſo fire neceſſarily burnes, water neceſſarily wets &c. Now to us things are ſaid to fall out neceſſarily, when we apprehend a ſufficient next cauſe. But this ſometimes is not, ſometimes appeares not before the effect, from whence the notions [Contingent free, miraculous] have their riſe.
As for example.
When an Infant is formed in the wombe, though in reſpect of Gods decree, it is neceſſarily a male, or neceſſarily a female, and ſo in time will prove: Yet to us from whom the next cauſe of this diſtinction in the womb is hid, it is contingent whether it be Male or Female.
13. Doubt. How can God ſtrengthen and governe all Creatures in their actings, and be free from ſinne, ſeeing many actions are ſinfull?
Reſol. You muſt diſtinguiſh betwixt the action, and the evill in it; ſome ſins are actuall, but none actions. Therefore as a skilfull Minſtrell playing on a jarring Inſtrument cauſeth it to ſound, but its owne badneſſe cauſeth it to ſound jarringly: So God cauſeth us to act, but that we act ſinfully, the cauſe is in our ſelves. To kill a man is not ſimply evill, ſometimes it is not onelyonly lawfull, but a dutyaJer. 48.10. ; but killing a man upon ſuch tearmes, without a juſt cauſe or call. Sin lyeth in the morall circumſtances, not the phyſicall ſubſtance of the action.
14. Doubt. If God be perfectly glorious, how can he glorifie himſelfe in the workes of his providence, ſeeing nothing can be added to that which is perfect?
Reſol. We may conſider the glory of God theſe two wayes.
1. As it is eſſentiall to him, and ſo it is ineffably perfect.
2. As it is revealed to us, and this becauſe of our weakneſſe, is onelyonly in part, and by degrees. A Moſes can but view the back partsbExod. 33 23. ; a Paul but ſee in partc1 Cor. 13 9, 10., and darkly as in a glaſſedIbid. ver. 12. : And GOD is ſayd to glorifie himſelfe, when by the great works of his providence, he lets us ſee further into his glorious attributes.
15. Doubt. If the providence of God offer to men occaſions to ſin, how is God free from the iniquity committed by reaſon thereof?
Reſol. As a King that executeth juſtice, though he know ſome wicked fellowes will thereat, take occaſion to be Traytours to him, is not to be blamed: So GODS workes being holy, though wicked men abuſe them through their owne perverſneſſe, and make them occaſions to ſin, he is not unrighteous, but puniſheth them in juſt judgement, ſuffering them to fall by their owne folly.
16. Doubt. When GOD by his providence makes wicked men ſcourges to his people, how can they be blamed for doing what GOD would have done?
Reſol. Though wicked men can doe nothing to the people of GOD, but what he gives way toePſal. 124.6. Pſal. 129.1, 2.3. Acts 4, 27, 28. : Yet foraimuch as they indeavour to exceed their CommiſſionfPſal. 83.4 Iſa. 37.27, 28, 29, 33., and aime not at Gods glory, but their owne endsgIſa. 10.6, 7, &c., ſhewing hoſtility and not pitty to Gods peoplehPſ, 137.7. Lam. 2.17. ; they ſhall anſwer for their ambitious maliceiIſa. 10.12 ; though God by his wiſedome will cauſe the wrath of man to praiſe him, and the remainder of wrath he will reſtrainekPſ. 76.10..
CHAP. V. Concerning the fall of Man.
17. Doubt. HOw could taſting the forbidden fruit bee ſo great an offence, as to deſerve damnation?
Reſol. Some give this reaſon, that this act of our Parents, was a breach of each of Gods Commandements in particular, and indeavour to make it appeare by an induction, though for mine owne part, I think it holds in ſome, not in all, but this I deſire to ſpeak with modeſty and ſubmiſſion: However it cannot be denyed, but the breach of the leaſt of Gods Commandements maketh us guilt of allaJames 2 10. : And the violation of his Law, who is infinite, deſerveth infinite puniſhment, which becauſe it cannot be in extent (we being finite) muſt be in duration. Nor doth the ſmall value of the fruit abate any thing, but rather aggravate it, for (as Maſter Byfield ſayth well) their ſin was greater, that upon ſo ſmall an advantage would adventure eternall happineſſe.
18. Doubt. But how comes it to paſſe, that Adams fault and puniſhment is derived to his whole poſterity?
Reſol. Adam ſtood in Covenant with God as Man, not as a Man; that is, as a publique, not a private perſon: and therefore as he received the Covenant of works, and for a time ſtood by it for himſelfe and all mankind, ſo for himſelfe and all mankinde he fell from itbRom. 5.12. to 20. 1 Cor. 15.22..
19. Doubt. Would it not have made more for GODS glory to have kept men from ſin, to ſerve him in holineſſe?
Reſol. No: For by this meanes man is a fit object for the rich mercy or juſt judgement of God, which by occaſion hereof GOD manifeſteth to his owne glory.
20. Doubt. Some affirme that ſin diſhonoureth God, other ſay he cannot be diſhonoured; whether of theſe is true Doctrine?
Reſol. They may both be true in a different ſenſe; for the word (diſhonour) may be taken two wayes:
1. To degrade or make one unhonourable, that before was honourable; but in this ſenſe it is rarely (if at all) found in Scripture.
2. To diſreſpect ot ſl…ight one that is honourable, and ſtill remaines worthy to be honoured: In the former ſenſe God cannot be diſhonoured, but in the latter hee maycMal. 1.… Rom. 2.2 ; even as Children by their diſobedience doe not render their Parents diſhonourabledMat. 1 4, 5, 6,, but diſhonouredeMic. 7..
21. Doubt. How can men in juſtice become lyable to eternall puniſhment for ſin committed in time, and it may bee in a ſhort time?
Reſol. 1. They are committed againſt an eternall God, and therefore are alwayes (as it were) in committing before, and againſt him.
2. If men might live eternally, they would ſin eternally; and God puniſheth according to the rebellion of their wils.
3. Though puniſhed in Hell, thay ſtill retaine their enmity againſt God, and therefore juſtly is their penalty continued.