A Display of Arminianism, Argument · Chapter 3

A Display of Arminianism · Argument · Chapter 3

p. 14CHAP. III.

Of the praeſcience, or foreknowledge of God, and how it is queſtioned and overthrowne by the Arminians.

THE praeſcience, or foreknowledge of God, hath not hitherto in expreſſe termes beene denied by the Arminians, but onelyonly queſtioned, and overthrowne by conſequence: in as much as they denie the certaintie and unchangeableneſſe of his decrees, on which it is founded: it is not a foreknowledge of all, or any thing, which they oppoſe, but onelyonly, of things free and contingent: and that onelyonly to comply with their formerly exploded error, that the purpoſes of God concerning ſuch things, are temporall and mutable; which obſtacle being once removed, the way is open how to aſcribe the preſidentſhip of all humane actions, to omnipotent contingencie, and her Sire Free-will: p. 15Now, we call that contingent, which in regard of its next and immediate cauſe, before it come to paſſe, may be done, or may be, not done: as, that a man ſhall doe ſuch a thing to morrow, or any time hereafter: which he may chuſe whether ever he will doe, or no. Such things as theſe are free and chanceable, in reſpect of men their immediate, and ſecond cauſes, but if we (asaaJames chap. 4. ver. 13, 14, 15.Jas 4:13Jas 4:14Jas 4:15 we ought to doe) looke up unto him who fore-ſeeth, and hath ordained the event of them, or their omiſſion, they may be ſaid neceſſarily to come to paſſe, or to be omitted: it could not be, but as it was: Chriſtians hitherto, (yea andbbforeign. Hom. Gods will was done. Heathens) in all things of this nature, have uſually upon their event, reflected on God, as one, whoſe determination was paſſed on them from eternitie, and who knew them long before: as the killing of men by the fall of a houſe, who might in reſpect of the freedome of their owne wils, have not beene there: or if a man fall into the hands of theeves, we preſently conclude, it was the will of God: it muſt be ſo, he knew it before.

DivinesccQuaecunque poſſunt per creaturam fieri, vel cogitari, vel dici, et etiam quaecumque ipſe facere poteſt, omnia cognoſcit Deus, etiamſi neque ſunt neque erunt, neque fuerunt, ſcientia ſimplicis intelligentiae: Aquin. p. q 14. a. 9. c. ex verbis Apoſtoli, Rom. 4. qui vocat ea quae non ſunt tanquā ea quae ſunt: ſic ſcholaſti…i omnes: Per. Scholaſt. orthod. ſpeci. cap. 3. alii paſſim. Vid. Hieron. Zanch. de ſcientia Dei, lib. de atrib. 31. cap▪ 2. q 5.Rom 4 for diſtinction ſake, aſcribe unto God a two fold knowledge; one, intuitive, or intellective whereby, he foreknoweth and ſeeth all things that are poſſible: that is, all things that can be done by his Almightie power: without any reſpect to their future exiſtence, whether they ſhall come to paſſe, or no: yea, infinite things whoſe actuall being, eternitie ſhall never behold, are thus open and naked unto him: for, was there not ſtrength and power in his hand to have created another world? was there not counſell, in the ſtorehouſe of his wiſdome, to have created this otherwiſe? or not to have created it at all? ſhall we ſay, that his providence extends it ſelfe every way, to the utmoſt of its activitie? or can he not produce innumerable things in the world, which now he doth not? now all theſe, and every thing elſe, that is feazable to his infinite power, he fore-ſees and knowes, Scientia (as they ſpeake) ſimplicis intelligentiae, by his eſſentiall knowledge.

OutddVid. Sam. Rhaetorfort: exercit. de grat: ex. 1. cap. 4. of this large and boundleſſe territory of things poſſible, God by his decree freely determineth what ſhall come to paſſe; and makes them future, which before were but poſſible. After this decree (as they commonly ſpeake) followeth, or together with it, (aseeRes ipſae nullo naturae momento poſſibiles eſſe dicendae ſunt priusquam à Deo intelliguntur, ſcientia quae dicitur ſimplicis intelligentiae, ita etiam ſcientia quae diciter viſionis, et fertur in res futras, nullo naturae momento, poſterior ſtatuenda videtur, iſta futuritione, rerum; cum ſcientia, &c. D. Tw…ſ…. ad errat vind▪ grat. others more exactly) taketh place, that praeſcience p. 16of God, which they callffScientia viſionis dicitur, quia ea quae videntur, apud nos habent eſſe diſtinctum extra videntem. Aq. p. q. 14. a 9 c. viſionis of viſion, whereby he infallibly ſeeth all things in their proper cauſes; and how and when they ſhall come to paſſe: Now theſe two ſorts of knowledgeggIn eo d…ffert praeſcientia intuitionis, ab ea, quae approbationis eſt, quod illa praeſciat, quod eveni…e poſſible eſt: haec vero quod impoſſibile eſt non evenire: Ferrius. Orthod. Scholaſt. ſpeci. cap. 23. caeterum poſterior iſta ſcientia non proprie dicitur à Ferrio ſcientia approbationis, illa enim eſt, qua Deus dicitur noſſe quae amat & approbat: ab utraque altera diſtincta: Mat. 7. 23. Rom. 11. 2. 2 Tim. 2. 9. Quamvis infinitorum numerorum, nullus ſit numerus, non tamen eſt incomprehenſibilis e…, cujus ſcientiae non eſt numerus: Aug. de civit. Dei lib. 12. cap. 18.Matt 7:23Rom 11:22 Tim 2:9 differ, in as much as by the one, God knoweth what it is poſſible may come to paſſe; by the other, onelyonly what it is impoſſible, ſhould not come to paſſe: things are poſſible, in regard of Gods power, future, in regard of his decree. So, (that if I may ſo ſay) the meaſure of the firſt kinde of Science, is Gods omnipotencie what he can doe: of the other, his purpoſe what certainly he will doe, or permit to be done. With this praeſcience then, God foreſeeth all, and nothing but what he hath decreed ſhall come to paſſe.

ForhhQuibuſdam effectibus praeparavit cauſas neneſſarias, ut neceſſario evenirēt, quib…ſdam vero cauſas contingentes ut evenirent contingenter, ſecundum conditionem proximarum cauſarum: Aquin. p. q. 23. a. 4. in cor. Zanch. de natu. Dei lib. 5. qu. 4. theſi. every thing to be produced next and under him, God hath prepared divers and ſeverall kindes of cauſes: diverſly operative in producing their effects: ſome whereof, are ſaid to worke neceſſarily: the inſtitution of their nature, being to doe as they doe, and not otherwiſe: ſo the Sunne giveth light, and the fire heat. And yet in ſome regard, their effects and products may be ſaid to be contingent, and free: in as much, as the concurrence of God the firſt cauſe is required to their operation, who doth all things moſt freely, according to the counſell of his will; thus the Sunne ſtood ſtill in the time of Ioſhua: and the fire burned not the three Children: but ordinarily ſuch agents working neceſſitate naturae, their effects are ſaid to be neceſſarie.

Secondly, to ſome things God hath fitted free and contingent cauſes: which either apply themſelves to operation in particular, according to election: chuſing to doe this thing, rather then that: as Angels, and men, in their free and deliberate actions, which they ſo performe, as that they could, have not done them: or elſe, they produce effects foreign, meerely by accident: and the operation of ſuch things, we ſay to be caſuall: as if a hatchet falling out of the hand of a man, cutting downe a tree, ſhould kill another, whom he never ſaw: now nothing in either of theſe waies comes to paſſe, but God hath determined it, both for matter, and the manner:iiRes et medos rerum Aquin. even ſo, as is agreeable to p. 17their cauſes; ſome neceſſarily, ſome freely, ſome caſually, or contingently, yet all ſo, as having a certaine futurition from his decree; he infallibly foreſeeth that they ſhall ſo come to paſſe: but yet, that he doth ſo, in reſpect of things free, and contingent is much queſtioned by the Arminians in expreſſe termes, and denied by conſequence, notwithſtandingkkCui praeſcientiam tollis aufers divinitatem. Hieron. ad. Pelag. lib. 5. Saint Hierome affirmeth, that ſo to doe, is deſtructive to the very Eſſence of the Deitie.

Firſt, their Doctrine, of the immutabilitie of Gods decrees, on whoſe firmeneſſe is founded the infallibilitie of this praeſcience, doth quite overthrow it; God thus foreknowing onelyonly what he hath ſo decreed ſhall come to paſſe; if that be no firmer ſettled, but that it may, and is often altered, according to the divers inclinations of mens wils, (which I ſhewed before they affirme,) he can have at beſt but a conjecturall fore-knowledge, of what is yet for to come: not founded on his own unchangable purpoſe; but upon a gueſſe, at the free inclination of mens wils. For inſtance:llDeus ita omnium ſalutem ex aequo vult, ut illam ex aequo optet et deſideret: Cor. ad moli. cap. 31. ſect. 1. God willeth that all men ſhould be ſaved: this act of his will, according to the Arminian doctrine, is his conditionate decree to ſave all men if they will beleeve; well, among theſe is Judas, asmmTalis gratia omnibus datur quae ſufficiat ad fidem generandam. idem: ibid. ſect. 15. equall a ſharer in the benefit of this decree as Peter? God then will have him to be ſaved, and to this end, allows him all thoſe meanes, which are neceſſarie to beget faith in him, and are every way ſufficient to that purpoſe, and doe produce that effect in others: what can God foreſee then but that Iudas, as well as Peter, will beleeve? he intendeth he ſhould, he hath determined nothing to the contrarie: let him come then, and act his owne part, why, he proves ſonnPertinaci quorundam malitia compulſus: Armin. ubi ſup. obſtinately malicious, that God with all his omnipotencie as they ſpeake, by any way, that becomes him, which muſt not be by any irreſiſtible efficacie, cannot change his obdurate heart: well then, he determineth according to the exigence of his juſtice, that he ſhall be damned for his impenitencie; and foreſeeth that accordingly: but now, ſuppoſe this wretch even at his laſt moment, ſhould bethinke himſelfe and returne to the Lord, which in their conceit he may, not withſtanding his former reprobation: (which ooReprobatio populi Judaici f…it actio temporaria et quae bono ipſorum Judaeorum ſi nodo ſanabiles adhuc eſſent, animumque advertere vellent ſervire poterat, utque eo fini ſerviret à Deo facta erat: Rem. apol. cap. 20. fol. 221.as they ſtate it, ſeemes a great act of mercy):ppInjuſtum eſt apud Deum vel non credentem eligere vel credentem non eligere▪ Rem. Apel. God muſt keepe p. 18to the rules of his juſtice and elect or determine to ſave him: by which the varlet hath twice, or thrice, deceived his expectation.

Secondly,qq… cap. 5. ſect. 9. they affirme, that God is ſaid properly to expect, and deſire, divers things, which yet never come to paſſe: we grant ſaith Corvinus, that there are deſires in God, that never are fulfilled: now ſurely to deſire what one is ſure, will never come to paſſe is not an act regulated by wiſdome, or counſell: and therefore they muſt grant, that before, he did not know, but perhaps ſo it might be:rrBona quaedam Deus optet et deſiderat: Rem. Confeſ ca ſect. 9. God wiſheth and deſireth ſome good things, which yet come not to paſſe, ſay they, in their confeſſion: whence one, of theſe two things, muſt needs follow: either firſt, that there is a great deale of imperfection in his nature, to deſire, and expect, what he knowes ſhall never come to paſſe: or elſe, he did not know but it might; which overthrowes his praeſcience: yea, and ſay they expreſſely,ſſDei ſpes et expectio eſt ab hominibus eluſa: Rem. ſcrip. ſyn. in cap. 5. Iſa. v. 1. In co vis argumenti eſt, quod Deus ab If aele obedientiam et ſperarit. et expectarit. idem. ibid. Quod Deus de eluſaſpe ſua conqueratur. idem ubi ſupra.Isa 5:1 That the hope, and expectation of God, is deceived by man: and confeſſe, that the ſtrength, of their ſtrongeſt argument; lies in this, that God hoped, and expected, obedience from Iſrael. Secondly, that he complaineth that his hope is deluded: which being taken properly, and as they urge it, cannot conſiſt with his eternall praeſcience. For they diſ-eſteeme the uſuall anſwer of Divines, that hope, expectation, and ſuch like paſſions, which include in them any imperfection, are aſcribed unto God per foreign, in regard of that analogie, his actions hold with ſuch of ours, as we performe having thoſe paſſions.

Thirdly,ttDeum futura contingentia, decreto ſuo determinaſſe ad alter utram partem, (intellige quae à libera creaturae voluniate patrantur) falſum, abſurdum, et multiplicis blaſphemiae praevium abomino… et exſecror: Armin declarat. …enten. they teach, that God hath determined nothing, concerning ſuch things, as theſe in queſtion: That God hath determined future contingent things unto either part, (I meane ſuch as iſſue from the free-will of the creature) I abominate, hate, and curſe, as falſe, abſurd, and leading us on unto blaſphemy, ſaith Arminius: to determine of them to either part, is, to determine, and ordain, whether they ſhall be, or whether they ſhall not be: as that David ſhall, or ſhall not goe up to morrow, againſt the Philiſtines and prevaile. Now the infallibilite of Gods foreknowing of ſuch things, depending on the certaintie of his decree, and determination: if there be no ſuch thing as this; that alſo, muſt needs fall to the ground,

p. 19Fourthly,uuDiſquiri permittimus: …. Operoſam illam quaeſtionem, de ſcientia futurorum contingentium abſoluta et conditionata: 2. Etſi non negemus Deo illam ſcientiam attribui poſſe. 3. Tamen an neceſſariū ſaluti ſit ad hoc ut Deus recte colatur examinari permittimus: 4. Tum merito faceſſere de beat à ſcholis et eccleſiis, intricatae et ſpinoſae iſtae quaeſtiones quae de ea agitari ſolent, —quomodo illa cum libertate arbitrii, cum ſeriis Dei comminationibus,—aliiſque actionibus, conſiſtere poſſit: quae omnia crucem potius miſeris mortalibus fixerunt quam ad religionem cultumque divinum, momenti aliquid inquiſitoribus ſuis attulerunt …piſcopius. diſput. 4. ſect. 10. Rem. Apol. p. 43. 44. ſee what poſitively they write, concerning this everlaſting fore-knowledge of God. Firſt, they call it a troubleſome queſtion: Secondly, they make it a thing diſputable, whether there be any ſuch thing, or no? and though happily it may be aſcribed unto God: yet, Thirdly, they thinke it no motive to the worſhip of him: Fourthly, they ſay, better it were quite exploded, becauſe the difficulties that attend it, can ſcarcely be reconciled, with mans libertie, Gods threatnings and promiſes: yea, Fifthly, it ſeemes rather to be invented, to crucifie poore mortals: then to be of any moment in religion; ſo Epiſcopius: it may be excepted, that this is but one Doctors opinion: it is true; they are one mans words; but the thing it ſelfe, is countenanced by the whole ſect. As firſt, in the Large prolix Declaration of their opinions, they ſpeake not one word of it, and being taxed for this omiſſion, by the Profeſſors of Leyden: they vidicate themſelves ſo coldly in their Apologie, that ſomewwAmeſ: Antiſynod p. 10. learned men doe from hence conclude; that certainly in their moſt ſecret judgements, all the Arminians, doe conſent with Socinus, in aſcribing unto God, onelyonly a conjecturall fore-knowledge. AndxxDeus ſuo modo aliquando metuit, hoc eſt merito ſuſpicatur et. prudenter coniicit,hoc vel illud malum oriturum: Vorſti: de Deo: pag. 451. one great Prophet of their owne affirmes roundly, That God after his manner oftentimes feareth, that is, ſuſpecteth and that not without cauſe, and prudently coniectureth, that this or that evill may ariſe; Vorſt: and their chiefeſt Patriarchs,yyDeus non ſemper ex praeſcientia finem intend…t: Armini▪ Antip. pag. 667. Corvin. ad Mol. cap. 5. ſect. 5. That God doth often intend, what he doth not foreſee will come to paſſe, Armin. Corvin. Now whether this kinde of Atheiſme be tolerable among Chriſtians or no, let all men judge who have their ſenſes exerciſed in the word of God, which I am ſure teacheth us another leſſon. For:

Firſt: it is laid downe, as a firme foundation: that knowne unto God, are all his workes, from the beginning of the world, Acts 15. 18. Every thing then, that in any reſpect may be called his worke, is knowne unto him from all eternitie: now, what in the world, if we may ſpeake as he hath taught us, can be exempted from this denomination? even actions in themſelves ſinfull; are not; though not as ſinfull, yet in ſome other regard, as puniſhments of others; Behold, ſaith Nathan, to David, (in p. 20the name of God) I will take thy wives before thine eies, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he ſhall lie with thy wives, in the ſight of this ſunne: for thou diddeſt it ſecretly, but I will doe this thing before all Iſrael: 2 Sam. 12, v. 11, 12. So alſo, when wicked robbers had nefariouſly ſpoyled Job of all his ſubſtance; the holy man concludeth, The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: Job 1. 1. Now, if the working of Gods providence be ſo mighty, and effectuall, even in, and over thoſe actions, wherein the devil, and men, doe moſt maliciouſly offend, as did Abſolom, and the Sabean, with the Caldean theeves, that it may be ſaid to be his worke, and he may be ſaid to doe it, (I crave libertie to uſe the Scripture phraſe) then certainly nothing in the world, in ſome reſpect or other, is independent of his all-diſpoſing hand: yea, Judas himſelfe betraying our Saviour,Cum et pater tradiderit filium ſuum, et ipſe Ch: corpus ſuum: et Judas dominum ſuum: cur in hac traditione Deus eſt pins, et homo reus, niſi quia in …e una quam fecerunt, cauſa non fuit una propter quam fece…unt: Aug. Epiſt. 48. did nothing, but what his hand and counſell before determined ſhould be done, Acts. 4. 28. in reſpect of the event of the thing it ſelfe: and if theſe actions, notwithſtanding theſe two hinderances, Firſt, that they were contingent, wrought by free agents, working according to election and choyce: Secondly, that they were ſinfull and wicked in the agents, had yet their dependance on his purpoſe and determinate counſell; ſurely, he hath an intereſt of operation in the acts of every creature; but his workes, as it appeares before, are all knowne unto him from the beginning: for he worketh nothing by chance, or accidentally, but all things determinately, according to his owne decree, or the counſell of his owne will: Epheſ. 1. v. 11.

Secondly: the manner of Gods knowing of things, doth evidently ſhew, that nothing that is, or may be, can be hid from him:zzDeus non particulatim, vel ſingillatim omnia videt, velut alternanter concepta, hinc ill…c inde huc, ſed omnia videt ſimul: Auguſt. lib. 15. de trinit▪ cap 14. In ſcientia divina nullus eſt diſcurſus, ſed omnia perfecte intelligit: Tho. p. q. 14 a. 7. c. which is not by diſcourſe and collection of one thing out of another, concluſions out of principles: but altogether and at once, evidently, cleerely, and diſtinctly, both in reſpect foreign, by one moſt pure act of his owne eſſence he diſcerneth all things: For there is no creature that is not manifeſt in his ſight, but all are naked and opened unto his eyes, Heb. 4. 13. SoaaTilen. Syntag. de attrib. Dei. Theſ. 22. Zanch, de nat Dei. that thoſe things, concerning which we treat, he knoweth three waies: Firſt, in himſelfe and his owne decree, as the firſt cauſe, in which reſpect they may be ſaid to be neceſſary, in reſpect of the certaintie p. 21of their event: Secondly, in their immediate cauſes, wherein their contingencie doth properly conſiſt:Vnum quodque quod eſt, dum eſt, neceſſe eſt ut ſit. Thirdly, in their owne nature as future, but to his infinite knowledge even preſent.

Thirdly: the ScripturebbPſal. 44. 21. Job 14. 11. Dan. 2. 47. Pſal. 7. 2. 126. 2. 147. 4. Luke 12. 27. Mat. 10. 29, 30. Pſal. 139. 2.Ps 44:21Job 14:11Dan 2:47Ps 7:2Ps 7:126Ps 7:147Ps 7:4Luke 12:27Matt 10:29Matt 10:30Ps 139:2 is full of expreſſions to this purpoſe, to wit; That God knoweth all ſecrets, and revealeth hidden things: he ſearcheth the reines, and the heart: he knoweth the number of the ſtarres: and the birds of the ayre: the lillies of the field the falling of ſparrowes, the number of the haires of our heads: ſome places are moſt remarkable, as that of the Pſalmiſt, He knoweth my thoughts long before: even before ever they come into our minds, before their firſt riſing; and yet many actions that are moſt contingent, depend upon thoſe thoughts known unto God from eternitie: nay, which breaketh the very neck of the goddeſſe contingencie, thoſe things wherein her greateſt power is imagined to conſiſt, are directly aſcribed unto God: as our words the anſwer of the tongue, Prov. 16. 1. the directing of an arrow, ſhot by chance, to a marke not aimed at, 1 King. 22. 34. Surely God muſt needs foreknow the event of that contingent action; he muſt needs know the man would ſo ſhoot who had determined his arrow ſhould be the death of a King: He makes men poore and rich: Prov. 22. 1. He lifteth up one, and pulleth downe another: Pſal. 75. How many contingencies did foreign, his piercing eye runne through, to foreſee the crowning of Heſter, for the deliverance of his people: In a word; knowne unto God are all his workes: now what can poſſibly be imagined to be more contingent, then the killing of a man by the fall of an axe from out of his hand, who intended no ſuch thing; yet this God aſſumeth as his owne work: Exod. 21. 13. Deut. 9. v. 4, 5. and ſo ſurely was by him foreknowne.

Fourthly: Do but conſider the propheſies in Scripture; eſpecially thoſe concerning our Saviour, how many free and contingent actions did concurre for the fulfilling of them: as Iſa. 7. v. 14. cap. 9. v. 5. & cap. 53. Gen. 3. 15, &c. The like may be ſaid of other predictions: as of the waſting of Ieruſalem by the Babylonians, which though in regard of Gods praeſcience, it was certainly p. 22to come to paſſe: yet they did it moſt freely, not onelyonly following the counſell of their owne wils; but alſo uſing divination, or chanceable lots for their direction: Ezek. 21. 21. yet he who made the eye ſeeth all theſe things: Pſal. 94. 9.

Divers other reaſons and teſtimonies might be produced to confirme our doctrine, of Gods everlaſting praeſcience; which notwithſtanding Epiſcopius blaſphemy, that it ſerves for nought but to cruciate poore mortals; we beleeve to be a good part of the foundation of all that conſolation which God is pleaſed to afford us in this vale of teares; amidſt all our afflictions, and temptations, under whoſe preſſure, we ſhould elſe faint and deſpaire; it is no ſmall comfort to be aſſured, that we doe, nor can ſuffer nothing, but what his hand and counſell guide unto us: what is open, and naked before his eies, and whoſe end and iſſue he knoweth long before: which is a ſtrong motive to patience, a ſure anchor of hope, a firme ground of conſolation; now to preſent in one view, how oppoſite the opinions of the worſhippers of the great goddeſſe contingencie, are to this ſacred truth: take this ſhort Antitheſis.