A Display of Arminianism, Argument · Chapter 5

A Display of Arminianism · Argument · Chapter 5

p. 39CHAP. V.

Whether the will and purpoſe of God may be reſiſted and he be fruſtrate of his intentions.

BY the former ſteps, is the Altar of Ahaz, ſet on the right hand of the Altar of God: the Arminian Idol, in a direct oppoſition exalted to an equall pitch, with the power, and will of the moſt high: I ſhall now preſent unto you, the ſpirit of God once more contending, with the towring imaginations of poore mortals, about a tranſcendent priviledge of greatneſſe, glory and power: for having made his decrees mutable, his preſcience fallible, and almoſt quite deveſted him of his providence; as the ſumme and iſſue of all their endeavours, they affirme that his will may be reſiſted, he may faile of his intentions, be fruſtrate of his ends, he may, and doth propoſe, ſuch things, as he neither doth, nor can at any time accompliſh: and that, becauſe the execution of ſuch acts of his will, might haply claſh againſt the freedome of the wills of men: which if it be not an expreſſion of ſpirituall pride, above all that ever the devill attempted in heaven, divines doe not well explicate that ſinne of his: now becauſe there may ſeeme ſome difficultie in this matter, by reaſon of the ſeverall acceptations of the will of God: eſpecially in regard of that whereby it is affirmed that his law and precepts, are his will, which alas we all of us too often reſiſt or tranſgreſſe, I will unfold one diſtinction of the will of God, which will leave it cleare, what it is, that the Arminians oppoſe, for which we count them worthy of ſo heavy a charge.

Divinum velle eſt eius eſſe, Aquin. p. q. 19. ar. ad …um.ſay the Schoolemen, The will of God is nothing but God willing, not differing from his eſſence, ſecundum rem, in the thing it ſelfe, but only ſecundum rationem, in that it importeth a relation to the thing willed: the eſſence of God then, being a moſt abſolute pure ſimple act or ſubſtance: his will conſequently can be but ſimply one, whereof we ought to make neither diviſion, nor diſtinction: if that whereby it is ſignified, p. 40were taken alwayes properly and ſtrictly for the eternall will of God: the differences hereof, that are uſually given, are rather diſtinctions of the ſignification of the word, then of the thing.

In which regard, they are not onelyonly tolerably, but ſimply neceſſary; becauſe without him, it is utterly impoſſible to reconcile ſome places of Scripture, ſeemingly repugnant: in the 22. Chapter of Geneſis v. 2. God commandeth Abraham, to take his onelyonly ſonne Iſaac; and offer him for a burnt offering in the land of Moriah. Here the words of God are declarative of ſome will of God unto Abraham: who knew it ought to be, and little thought, but that it ſhould be performed: but yet, when he actually addreſſed himſelf, to his dutie in obedience to the will of God: he receiveth a countermand, verſ. 12. that he ſhould not lay his hand upon the childe, to ſacrifice him: the event plainly manifeſteth, that it was the will of God that Iſaac ſhould not be ſacrificed: and yet notwithſtanding, by reaſon of his command; Abraham ſeemes before bound to beleeve, that it was well-pleaſing unto God, that he ſhould accompliſh what he was enjoyned: if the will of God in the Scripture be uſed but in one acceptation, here is a plaine contradiction: Thus God commands Pharaoh to let his people goe: could Pharaoh thinke otherwiſe, nay was he not bound to beleeve, that it was the will of God, that he ſhould diſmiſſe the Iſraelites at the firſt hearing of the meſſage: yet God affirmes, that he would harden his heart, that he ſhould not ſuffer them to depart, untill he had ſhewed his ſignes and wonders in the land of Egypt: to reconcile theſe, and the like places of Scripture, both the ancient Fathers, and Schoolemen, with moderne Divines, doe affirme that the one will of God, may be ſaid to be divers or manifold, in regard of the ſundry manners, whereby he willeth thoſe things to be done, which he willeth, as alſo in other reſpects: and yet taken in its proper ſignification, is ſimply one and the ſame: the vulgar diſtinction of Gods ſecret and revealed will, is ſuch, as to which all the other may be reduced: and therefore I have choſen it to inſiſt upon.

The ſecret will of God, in his eternall, unchangeable purpoſe, p. 41concerning all things which he hath made, to be brought by certaine means to their appointed ends: of this himſelfe affirmeth, that his counſell ſhall ſtand and he will doe all his pleaſure, Iſaiah. 46. 10. this ſome call the abſolute efficacious will of God, the will of his good pleaſure alwayes fulfilled: and indeed this is the only proper, eternall, conſtant, immutable will of God, whoſe order can neither be broken, nor its law tranſgreſſed, ſo long as with him there is neither change, nor ſhadow of turning.

The revealed will of God, containeth not his purpoſe and decree, but our dutie, not what he will doe according to his good pleaſure, but what we ſhould doe if we will pleaſe him: and this, conſiſting in his word, his precepts and promiſes, belongeth to us and our children, that we may doe the will of God: now this indeed is rather foreign, then foreign, that which God willeth, then his will, but tearmed ſo, as we call that the will of a man which he hath determined, ſhall be done: This is the will of him that ſent me, that every one which ſeeth the ſonne and beleeveth on him, may have everlaſting life, ſaith our Saviour: Ioh. 6. 40. that is, this is that which his will hath appointed: hence it is called voluntas ſigni, or the ſigne of his will, Metaphorically only called his will, ſaithaaAquin. q. g. 19. a 11. c. Aquinas: for in as much, as our commands are the ſignes of our wils, the ſame is ſaid of the precepts of God: This is the rule of our obedience, and whoſe tranſgreſſion makes an action ſinfull, for foreign, ſinne is the tranſgreſſion of a law, and that ſuch a law, as is given to the tranſgreſſor to be obſerved: now God hath not impoſed on us the obſervation of his eternall decree and intention, which as it is utterly impoſſible for us to tranſgreſſe or fruſtrate: ſo were we unblameable if we ſhould: a Maſter requires of his ſervant, to doe what he commands, not to accompliſh what he intends: which perhaps he never diſcovered unto him: nay, the commands of ſuperiours, are not alwayes ſignes that the commander will have the things commanded actually performed, as in all precepts for triall: but only that they who are ſubjects to this command, ſhall be obligd to obedience, as farre as the ſenſe of it doth extend, & hoc clarum eſt in praeceptis divinis, ſaithbbDurand. diſt c. 48. q. 3. Durand. &c. and this is cleere in the commands of God: by which we are obliged to p. 42doe, what he commandeth, and it is not alwayes his pleaſure, that the thing it ſelfe, in regard of the event, ſhall yet be accompliſhed: as we ſaw before in the examples of Pharaoh, and Abraham.

Now the will of God in the firſt acceptation, is ſaid to be hid or ſecret, not becauſe it is ſo alwayes, for it is in ſome particulars revealed and made knowne unto us, two wayes.

Firſt, by his word, as where God affirmeth that the dead ſhall riſe, we neither doubt not, but that they ſhall riſe, and that it is the abſolute will of God that they ſhall doe ſo. Secondly, by the effects, for when any thing cometh to paſſe, we may caſt the event on the will of God as its cauſe, and looke upon it as a revelation of his purpoſe. Iacobs ſonnes little imagined, that it was the will of God, by them to ſend their brother into Egypt: yet afterward, Ioſeph tels them plainly, it was not they, but God that ſent him thither, Gen. 45. but it is ſaid to be ſecret for two cauſes: Firſt, becauſe for the moſt part it is ſo, there is nothing in divers iſſues declarative of Gods determination but only the event: which while it is future is hidden to them who have faculties to judge of things paſt and preſent, but not to diſcerne things for to come. Hence Saint Iames bids us not be too peremptory in our determinations, if we will doe this, or that, not knowing how God will cloſe with us, for its performance. Secondly, it is ſaid to be ſecret, in reference to its cauſe, which for the moſt part is paſt our finding out: his paths are in the deeps and his footſteps are not known.

It appeareth then, that the ſecret and revealed will of God are divers, in ſundry reſpects, but chiefly, in regard of their acts, and their objects. Firſt, in regard of their acts, the ſecret will of God is his eternall decree, and determination, concerning any thing to be done, in its appointed time: his revealed will is an act, whereby he declareth himſelf to love, or approve any thing, whither ever it be done, or no.

Secondly, they are divers in regard of their objects, the object of Gods purpoſe and decree, is that which is good in any kinde, p. 43with reference to its actuall exiſtence, for it muſt infallibly be performed: but the object of his revealed will, is that only which is morally good, (I ſpeake of it inaſmuch as it approveth or commandeth,) agreeing to the Law, and the Goſpell: and that conſidered, only inaſmuch as it is good: for whither it be ever actually performed, or no, is accidentall to the object of Gods revealed will.

Now of theſe two differences, the firſt is perpetuall, in regard of their ſeverall acts, but not ſo the latter, they are ſometimes coincident in regard of their objects: for inſtance, God commandeth us to beleeve, here his revealed will, is that we ſhould ſo do: withall he intendeth we ſhall doe ſo, and therefore ingenerateth faith in our hearts that we may beleeve: here his ſecret and revealed will, are coincident, the former being his precept, that we ſhould beleeve, the latter his purpoſe that we ſhall beleeve: in this caſe, I ſay, the object of the one, and the other, is the ſame, even what we ought to doe, and what he will doe.

And this inaſmuch, as he hath wrought all our works in us: Iſaiah 26. 12. they are our own works, which he works in us: his act in us, and by us, is ofttimes our dutie towards him: he commands us by his revealed will to walke in his Statutes, and keep his Laws, upon this, he alſo promiſeth that he will ſo effect all things, that of ſome this ſhall be performed: Ezek. 36. 26, 27. A new heart alſo will I give you, and a new ſpirit will I put within you, and I will take away the ſtony heart out of your fleſh, and I will give you an heart of fleſh: And I will put my ſpirit within you, and cauſe you to walke in my ſtatutes, and you ſhall keepe my iudgements and doe them: ſo that the ſelfe ſame obedience of the people of God, is here the object of his will, taken in either acceptation: and yet the precept of God, is not here as ſome learned men ſuppoſe, declarative of Gods intention, for then, it muſt be ſo to all, to whom it is given, which evidently it is not, for many are commanded to beleeve, on whom God never beſtoweth faith: it is ſtill to be looked upon, as a meere declaration of our dutie, its cloſing with Gods intention, being accidentall unto it: there is a wide difference betwixt, doe ſuch a thing, and you ſhall p. 44doe it: if Gods command to Iudas to beleeve, imported as much as it is my purpoſe, and intention that Iudas ſhall beleeve, it muſt needs contradict that will of God, whereby he determined that Iudas for his infidelitie ſhould goe to his own place: his precepts are in all obedience of us to be performed, but doe not ſignifie his will, that we ſhall actually fulfill his commands. Abraham was not bound to beleeve, that it was Gods intention that Iſaac ſhould be ſacrificed, but, that it was his duty; there was no obligation on Pharaoh to thinke, it was Gods purpoſe the people ſhould depart, at the firſt ſummons, he had nothing to doe with that: but there was one, to beleeve that if he would pleaſe God, he muſt let them goe. Hence divers things of good uſe in theſe controverſies may be collected.

Firſt, That God may command many things by his word, which he never decreed that they ſhould actually be performed: becauſe, in ſuch things, his words are not a revelation of his eternall decree and purpoſe: but only a declaration of ſome thing where with he is well pleaſed, be it by us performed or no in the forecited caſe, he commanded Pharaoh, to let his people goe, and plagued him for refuſing to obey his command: hence we may not collect, that God intended the obedience and converſion of Pharaoh by this his precept, but was fruſtrated of his intention, for the Scripture is evident and cleere, that God purpoſed by his diſobedience, to accompliſh an end farre different, even a manifeſtation of his glory by his puniſhment: but only that obedience unto his commands is pleaſing unto him: as 1 Sam. 15. 22.

Secondly, That the will of God to which our obedience is required, is the revealed will of God, contained in his word, whoſe compliance with his decree is ſuch, that hence we learne three things tending to the execution of it. Firſt, that it is the condition of the word of God, and the diſpenſation thereof, inſtantly to perſwade to faith and obedience: Secondly, that it is our duty, by all means to aſpire to the performance of all things by it enjoyned, and our fault if we doe not. Thirdly, that God by theſe means, will accompliſh his eternall decree of ſaving his elect, and that he willeth the ſalvation of others, inaſmuch as he calleth p. 45them unto the performance of the condition thereof: now our obedience is ſo to be regulated by this revealed will of God, that we may ſin, either by omiſſion, againſt its precepts: or commiſſion againſt its prohibitions: although by our ſo omitting, or committing of any thing, the ſecret will or purpoſe of God be fulfilled. Had Abraham diſobeyed Gods precept, when he was commanded to ſacrifice his ſonne Iſaac: though Gods will had been accompliſhed thereby, who never intended it: yet Abraham had grievouſly ſinned againſt the revealed will of God, the rule of his duty: the holineſſe of our actions, conſiſteth in a conformity unto his precepts, and not unto his purpoſes: on this ground (ccMulti voluntatem Dei faciunt cum illam nituntur vitare, et reſiſtendo imprudenter obſequuntur divino conſilio: Greg. Moral. lib. 6. cap. 11. Gregory affirmeth) that many fulfill the will of God (that is his intentions) when they thinke to change it, (by tranſgreſſing his precepts) and by reſiſting, imprudently obey Gods purpoſe: and to ſhew how meerely we in our actions are tied to this rule of our duty.ddAuguſt. Enchirid: ad Lauren: cap: 101. Saint Auſtine ſhews how a man may do good in a thing croſſe to Gods ſecret will: and evill in that which complyeth with it: which he illuſtrates by the example of a ſicke parent having two children, the one wicked, who deſires his fathers death, the other godly, and he prayes for his life: but the will of God is he ſhall die, agreeably to the deſire of the wicked childe: and yet it is the other, who hath performed his duty, and done what is pleaſing unto God.

Thirdly, to returne from this unneceſſarie digreſſion: that which we have now in agitation, is the ſecret will of God, which we have before unfolded, and this it is that we charge the Arminians for affirming, that it may be reſiſted: that is, That God may faile in his purpoſes, come ſhort of what he earneſtly intendeth; or be fruſtrated of his aime and end: as if he ſhould determinately reſolve the faith and ſalvation of any man: it is in the power of that man, to make void his determination, and not beleeve, and not be ſaved: now it is onelyonly in caſes of this nature, wherein our owne Free-wils have an intereſt, that they thus limit and circumſcribe the power of the moſt high: in other things, they grant his omnipotencie to be of no leſſe extent then others doe: but in this caſe, they are peremptory and reſolute, without any colouring or tergiverſation, for whereas there is a queſtion propoſed by p. 46the Apoſtle, Rom. 9. 19. Who hath reſiſted his will? which that none hath or can, he grants in the following verſes:eeEa ſententia non continet Apoſtoli verba, ſed Jud …orum objectionem ab Apoſtolo rejectam: Crovin. ad M…l. cap▪ 3. pe…. 19. Corvinus affirmes, it is onelyonly an obiection of the Jewes reiected by the Apoſtle: which is much like an anſwer young ſchollers uſually give to ſome difficult place in Ariſtotle, when they cannot thinke of a better, loquitur ex aliorum ſententia: for there is no ſigne of any ſuch rejection of it by the Apoſtle, in the whole following diſcourſe: Yea, and it is not the Iewes, that Saint Paul diſputeth withall here, but weaker brethren concerning the Iewes; which is manifeſt from the firſt verſe, of the next Chapter, where he diſtinguiſheth betweene brethren to whom, and Iſrael of whom he ſpake. Secondly, he ſpeakes of the Iewes in the whole Treatiſe in the third perſon, but of the diſputer in the ſecond. Thirdly, it is taken for a confeſſed principle, betweene Saint Paul, and the diſputer as he cals him; that the Iewes were rejected, which ſurely themſelves would not readily acknowledge: So that Corvinus rejects as an objection of the Iewes, a granted principle of Saint Paul, and the otherffMulta non …ieri quae Deus fieri vel non dubitamus: Corvin. ibid. cap. 5. p. 5. Chriſtians of his time: with the like confidence, the ſame Authour affirmeth, That they nothing doubt but that many things are not done which God would have to be done: ggMulta fiunt quae Deus fieri non vult: nec ſemper fiunt quae iſpe fieri vult: Vorſt. de Deo: pag. 64.Vorſtius goes further, teaching That not onelyonly many things are done, which he would have done, but alſo that many things are done, which he would not have done: He meanes not our tranſgreſſing of his Law, but Gods failing in his purpoſe; as Corvinus cleares it, acknowledging, that the execution of Gods will, is ſuſpended or hindered by man: to whomhhAb homine eſſe agnoſcimus, quod voluntatis (divinae) executio ſaepe ſuſpendatur: Corvin: ubi ſup: paraq. 12. Epiſcop. diſput. pri. de volun. Dei coral. 5. Epiſcopius ſubſcribes; as for example: God purpoſeth and intendeth the converſion of a ſinner, ſuppoſe it were Mary Magdalen: Can this intention of his be croſſed and his will reſiſted? yea, ſay the Arminians; for God converts ſinners by his grace; but we can reſiſt God when he would convert us by his grace; ſay iiPoſſumus Deo reſiſtere cum nos vult per gratiam ſuam convertere: Rem. coll. Hag. p. 193. Objiciet quis ergo illum ſuum finem Deus non eſt aſſecutus, Reſpondemus, nos hoc concedere: Rem. defenſ: ſent in Synod. fol. 256.ſixe of them ioyntly in their meeting at the Hague: But ſome one may here object, ſay they, that thus God faileth of his intention, doth not attaine the end, at which he aimes: we anſwer, this we grant: or be it the ſalvation of men, they ſay They are certain kkNobis certum eſt, Deum multorum ſalutem intendere, in quibus eam non aſſequitur, Grevin. ad. Ameſ. fol. 271.that God intendeth that for many, which never obtaine it; that end he cannot compaſſe.

And here me thinkes they place God in a moſt unhappy condition, p. 47by affirming that they are often damned, whom he would have to be ſaved, though he deſires their ſalvation with a moſt llVeheme… eſt in Deo affectus ad homini benefaciendum: Cor. ad Molin. cap. 5. ſect. 8.vehement deſire and naturall affection, ſuch I thinke, as Crowes have to the good of their young ones, for that there are in him mmEſſe in Deo deſideria quae non implentur concedimus: idem. ſect. 9. Non decet ut Deus infinita ſua potentia utatur ad id efficiendum quo deſideria ſuo naturali fertur Armi. Antiper. p. 584.ſuch deſires as are never fulfilled, becauſe not regulated by wiſedome and iuſtice; they plainly affirme: For although by his infinite power perhaps, he might accompliſh them, yet it would not become him ſo to doe.

Now let any good natured man, who hath beene a little troubled for poore Jupiter in Homer, mourning for the death of his ſonne Sarpedon, which he could not prevent: or hath beene grieved for the ſorrow of a diſtreſſed father, not able to remove the wickedneſſe and inevitable ruine, of an onelyonly ſonne; droppe one teare for the reſtrained condition of the God of heaven: who, when he would have all and every man in the world to come to heaven to eſcape the torments of hell, and that with a ſerious purpoſe and intention, that it ſhall be ſo: a vehement affection and fervent naturall deſire, that it ſhould be ſo, yet being not in himſelfe alone able to ſave one, muſt be forced to looſe his deſire, lay downe his affection, change his purpoſe, and ſee the greateſt part of them to periſh everlaſtingly:nnDeus …o fine et intentione remedium praeparavit, ut omnes ejus actu fierent participes, quamvis id non actu evenit: Rem. Apol. cap. 7. fol. 86. yea notwithſtanding that he had provided a ſufficient meanes for them all to eſcape, with a purpoſe and intention that they ſhould ſo doe.

In briefe, their whole doctrine in this point is laid downe by Corvinus, Chap. 3. againſt Moulin, and the third Section: where firſt, he alloweth of the diſtinction of the will of God, into that whereby he will have us doe ſomething, and that whereby he will doe any thing himſelfe: the firſt is nothing but his Law and Precepts, which we with him affirme may be ſaid to be reſiſted, in as much as it is tranſgreſſed: the latter he ſaith, If it reſpect any act of mans, may be conſidered as praeceding that act, or following it: If praeceding it, then it may be reſiſted, if man will not co-operate: Now this is the will of God whereby himſelfe intendeth to doe any thing: The ſumme of which diſtinction is this, the will of God concerning the future being of any thing, may be conſidered as it goeth before the actuall exiſtence of the thing it ſelfe, and in this p. 48regard it may be hindered or reſiſted; but as it is conſidered to follow any act of man, it is alwaies fulfilled: by which latter member, ſtriving to mollifie the harſhneſſe of the former, he runs himſelfe into inexplicable non-ſenſe, affirming, that, that act of the will of God, whereby he intendeth men ſhall doe any thing, cannot be hindered after they have done it, that is, God hath irreſiſtibly purpoſed they ſhall doe it, provided they doe it: in his following Diſcourſe alſo, he plainly grants, that there is no act of Gods will about the ſalvation of men, that may not be made voide and of none effect, but onelyonly that generall decree, whereby he hath eſtabliſhed an inſeparable connexion betweene faith and ſalvation, or whereby he hath appointed faith in Chriſt, to be the meanes of attaining bleſſedneſſe: which is onelyonly an immanent act of Gods will, producing no outward effect: ſo that every act thereof, that hath an externall iſſue by humane co-operation, is fruſtrable and may fall to the ground: which in what direct oppoſition it ſtands to the word of God, let theſe following inſtances declare.

Firſt, Our God is in heaven, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, he hath done whatſoever he pleaſed, Pſal. 115. 5. not onelyonly part, but all, whatſoever he pleaſed ſhould come to paſſe by any meanes: He ruleth in the kingdome of men, and giveth it to whom he will, Dan. 4. 23. The tranſpoſition of kingdomes, is not without the mixture of divers free and voluntary actions of men, and yet in that great worke, God doth all that he pleaſeth; yea, before him, all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing, and he doth according to his will, in the Armie of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can ſtay his hand, or ſay unto him, What doſt thou? verſ. 35. My counſell, ſaith he, ſhall ſtand, and I will doe all my pleaſure, Iſa. 46. 10. I have purpoſed I will alſo doe it, verſ. 11. Nay, ſo certaine is he of accompliſhing all his purpoſes; that he confirmes it with an Oath, the Lord of Hoaſts hath ſworne, ſurely as I have thought, ſo it ſhall come to paſſe, and as I have purpoſed ſo it ſhall ſtand: Iſa. 14. 24. and indeed it were a very ſtrange thing, that God ſhould intend what he fore-ſeeth will never come to paſſe: but I confeſſe this Argument will not be preſſing againſt the Arminians who queſtion that praeſcience: but yet, p. 49would they alſo would obſerve from the Scripture, that the faylings of wicked mens counſels and intentions is a thing that God is ſaid to deride in heaven, as Pſal. 2. 4. He threatens them with it, Take counſell, ſaith he, together and it ſhall come to nought, Iſa. 8. 10. ſpeake the word and it ſhall not ſtand: ſee alſo Chap. 29. 7, 8. and ſhall they be enabled to recriminate, and caſt the like aſperſion on the God of heaven? no ſurely, ſaith SaintooNe credere cogamur aliquid omnipotentem D…um voluiſſe factumque non eſſe, Auguſt. En. cap. 103. Auſtine: Let us take heed we be not compelled to beleeve that Almightie God would have any thing done which doth not come to paſſe: to which truth alſo that the Schoole-men have univerſally conſented is ſhewed by Alvarez diſput. 32. pro. 3. and theſe few inſtances will manifeſt the Arminian oppoſition to the word of God in this particular.