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THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2007 with funding from
Microsoft Corporation
http://www.archive.org/details/doctrineofabsoluOOzanciala
THE
DOCTRINE
OF
ABSOLUTE PREDESTINATION
TRANSLATED IN GREAT MEASURE FROS£ THE LATIN OF
JEROM ZANCHIUS:
WITH
SOME ACCOUNT OF HIS LIFE PREFIXED*.
AND
AN APPENDIX
CONCERNING THE FATE OF THE ANCIENTS* ALSO,
A CAVEAT AGAINST UNSOUND DOCTRINES.
TO WHICH IS ADDED.
A LETTER TO THE
REV. JOHN WESLEY. m
BY AUGUSTUS TOPLADY, A. B.
VICAR OF BROAD-HEMBURY, DEVOX.
NEW-YORK >
PUBLISHED BY GEO .GE LINDSAY. Taul & Thomas, PrintCTi,
1811.
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CONTENTS.
Recommendatory Preface, containing a short history of the Rise and Progress of Arminianism *- • • • 5
A Short Sketch of the Life of Augustus
Toplady » 15
Toplady's Preface. — General observations, concerning Predestination, Providence,
and Fate 23
Life of Zanchy 47
Introductory View of the Divine Attributes 69
CHAP. I. Explanation of Terms .... 107
II. Of Predestination at large ... 117
III. Of Election in particular . . 129
IV. Of Reprobation 140
V. On the Preaching of these Doc- trines 162
Short Dissertation concerning Fate .... 200
Caveat against Unsound Doctrines .... 209
A Letter to the Rev. John Wesley .... 267
■j
RECOMMENDATORY PREFACE,
— *>*«-
■OF all the devices formed by Satan, and em- ployed to sully the glory of divine truth, that which is now commonly called Arminianism, is the most ancient, the most dangerous, and the most successful. Since the fall of man, it has existed in the world, in every age and in every country. It may be called the religion cf our fallen nature ; and will never want friends and advocates on earth, so long as the spirit of error and the corrupt heart are permitted to exert their wicked influence. It is a system of principles, stated in direct opposition to the sovereignty of God, displayed in the distribution of his favours among men ; and is utterly eversiye of the whole plan of grace revealed in the gospel. It proclaims open war against the essential prerogative of Deity — his absolute right of determining the final state 1
6 RECOMMENDATORY PREFACE.
of rational beings, considered as guilty and fallen ; and makes the divine purpose entirely dependent on the creature's will. The great God is impi- ously dethroned, that the vile idol of free will may be exalted in his room. The proud usurper, being seated on the throne, dares to arraign at his bar, every thing human and divine ; and pre- sumes to judge, approve, or condemn every arti- cle of the divine testimony, and every piece of divine conduct, as they appear right or wrong to the corrupt heart — the depraved will.
This is a system founded in ignorance, sup- ported by pride, fraught with atheism, and will end in delusion. But it is well calculated to gain general consent among all who were never tho- roughly convinced of the evil of sin, nor felt the burden of guilt pressing their consciences ; nor have seen the purity of the divine law, their own lost and helpless state, and the absolute necessity of Christ's righteousness for justification and eternal life. The carnal heart is naturally proud, and regards, with fond attention, whatever tends to flatter its vanity and self-importance. Such is the palpable tendency of the Arminianism scheme. It gently whispers us in the ear, that, even in a fallen state, we retain both the will and the power of doing what is good and acceptable to God : — that Christ's death is accepted by God as an universal atonement for the sins of all men ; in order that every one may, if he will, save himself by his own free will, and good works : — that, in
RECOMMENDATORY PREFACE. 7
the exercise of our natural powers, we may arrive at perfection even in the present life, &c. These, and the like unscriptural tenets, are so much adapted to the legal bias of the corrupt heart, that we need no t wonder at the favourable reception they have met with in every period of the church.
If we consult the history of past ages, it will be found, that this set of corrupt principles has al- ways occupied a chief place in the faith and pro- fession of corrupt churches. In the latter times of the Jewish church, the body of that people were so strongly attached to this legal scheme, that they utterly rejected Christ and his righte- ousness, and went about to establish a righteous- ness of their own. The gospel church was no sooner planted, than the spirit of error began to work. The Arminian leaven in the heart was set a working by the Arminian or Judaizing teachers of those days, which produced such a strong fermentation in some churches, that they seem to have almost entirely departed from the faith. Of this melancholy change the church of Galatia presents an affecting instance. The apos- tles and other ministers of Christ, by their ser- mons, their disputations, and writings, laboured
ird to stem the torrent, and prevent the infection from spreading through the church : But alas, this mystery of iniquity continued to work, through the fostering care of the father of lies, and by the craft and assiduity of his numerous emissaries. During the three first centuries of the
8 RECOMMENDATORY PREFACE*
Christian church, it was continually on the in- crease ; and, about the beginning of the fourth, it broke out with open violence under the name of the Arian heresy.
This was little else but a new name clapt upon an old mass of error, which had been lying in de- tached fragments, up and down in the Christian world from the beginning. By Arius they were all gathered up and artfully formed into one com- plete system of falsehood and blasphemy. His opposition was chiefly directed against the doc- trines of Christ's Eternal Sonship — of his co-es- sentiality and co-equality with the Father : but his system included in its bosom the very essence of the Socinian and Arminian errors.
In the year of our Lord 325, the pastors of the church assembled in a general council at Nice, in Bythinia, to concert measures for check- ing the spreading infection. They drew up that admirable form of sound words, called the Ni- cene Creed, or Confession of Faith. It was subscribed by all present; and even by Arius himself, that temporizing arch-heretic ; merely to serve a present turn, and with a fixed design of throwing off the mask as soon as a favourable opportunity should offer. In a few years he openly retracted ; and, gaining the ear of the Roman emperor, he filled the church with tumult and blood, and attempted to banish truth, and exterminate its professors from the earth.
The spirit of error and delusion seemed to be let loose from all restraint. Multitudes of new
RECOMMENDATORY PREFACE. 9
heresies suddenly sprung up in almost every corner of the church. Pelagius, a British monk, in the beginning of the 5th century, appeared on the stage to plead the cause of error and decry the doctrines of grace. The Scripture doctrine of absolute and unconditional Predestination he boldly denied— asserting that God was directed in determining the final state of sinful men by his foreknowledge of human actions — Original Sin, both imputed and inherent, he counted a mere figment— He maintained the modern Armi- nian tenet of Free Will in its utmost extent j af- firming that a man retains full power to chuse what is good, and to do what is well-pleasing to God, without any supernatural aid— That men I in the present state may attain sinless perfection, if they only suitably improve their natural powers and the common means of grace — That Justification before God is by works, and not by faith in the righteousness of Christ.
This many-headed monster was hatched long before the days of Pelagius ; but never till then did it assume an aspect so alarming and formida- ble. Its venom soon overspread the whole con- tinent of Europe, and reached the British Isle. As every poison has its antidote, so the cause of truth did not then want many noble champions, who stood up in its defence. Among others the Lord raised up the justly celebrated Austin, who, with a bold asid well directed stroke, cut off this
Hvdra's head. But the deadly infection had al~ 1 *
10 RECOMMENDATORY PREFACE.
ready spread too wide to be easily cured. It lurked in the bowels of a corrupt and apostati- zing church, until it made its way to the papal chair gained the consent of general councils, and became the avowed creed of the antichristian church.
At the commencement of the protestant re- formation, the standard was again lifted up in de- fence of the doctrines of grace. The scriptures, which for many ages had lain concealed in the musty cabinet of dead languages, were now trans- lated into the vulgar tongue of • every country where the reformation got footing. The inven- tion of printing greatly accelerated the diffusion of knowledge ; and the writings of the ancient fathers, particularly of Austin, were eagerly sought after, carefully read, and publicly taught by the most illustrious reformers, such as, Cal- vin, Luther, Zulinglius, Bucer, Melancthori, Zan- chius, and others. Men were filled with astonish- ment of their former ignorance and infatuation. Satan fell, as lightning from heaven, before the preaching of the everlasting gospel. His king- dom was full of darkness ; but his heart burned with rage, and he set ever^f engine to work to prevent the total ruin of his^iterest and empire. He moved earth and hell a^Kist the witnesses of Christ, and the earth was soaked with the blood of the saints. But truth prevailed over all the fury of persecution.
The old and more successful method of oppo- sing the cause of God was then tried. Floods
RECOMMENDATORY PREFACE. 11
of error broke in upon the church. Socinus, a man of great cunning and considerable learning, sent abroad a new edition of the old Avian here- sy, with additional strokes of bold blasphemy. After him arose Arminiusy in Holland, who re- vived in a new dress the old Pelagian heresy. It caused great convulsions in the seven United Provinces ; and occasioned the meeting of the famous Synod of Dort, at which the errors of Arminius and his party were solemnly tried, and condemned. But the old leaven continued still to ferment in the bowels of the church. It stole into Britain about the beginning of the last cen- tury ; but dared not openly to shew its blotched . face, until Archbishop Laud introduced it to J court, and made it the Shibboleth of his party. ' The execution of that haughty and arbitrary prelate, with the dispersion of his powerful fac- tion, had nearly cleared the island of the Armi- nian plague : when lo, a second inundation broke in upon the land, at the restoration of king Charles II. By his debauched court, every thing serious was treated with buffoonery and scorn ; but, because the Arminian clergy were found more pliant tools for the ruling party; divines of this stamp were generally preferred to the more considerable ecclesiastical benefices. Lug- land was soon overrun with Arminianism, and the old-fashioned doctrines of grace were every where run down as gross fanaticism, and their abettors stigmatized with the name of enthusi- asts.
12 RECOMMENDATORY PREFACE*
The noxious weed was openly transplanted into our Scotch soil after the restoration ; when our Presbyterian pulpits were invaded and forci- bly seized by an army of curates of the corrupt communion of the Church of England. The prejatical form of church government was in- deed pulled down in North Britain, at the revo- lution : but not a few of the episcopal incum- bents were continued in their charges, and em- bodied into our national church, upon very gene- ral and equivocal terms. From this impure source has sprung much of that corruption of doctrine which now overspreads the whole land.
Deism, or absolute Scepticism seem, in the present day, to be the prevailing and fashionable creed among many who move in the higher spheres of life. Socinianism has of late years made very rapid progress among professors of different descriptions. But Arminianism of all others, is the most prevalent ; and may be styled the vulgar error. It comes soliciting our ac- ceptance with all the false charms of a harlot, decked out in such captivating colours, as too well suit the vitiated and depraved taste of cor- rupt nature. It finds an advocate in every man's bosom. Its cause is pleaded by all the strength and subtlety of carnal reason.
As a seasonable antidote against this growing evil, the following short treatise and sermon are sent abroad, warmly recommended to the atten- tion of the public. Many volumes have been
RECOMMENDATORY PREFACE. 13
wrote, on the Arminian controversy : but I have met with nothing that more completely, and in so concise a manner, cuts it up by the roots. This valuable translation of Zanchy on predes- tination, came into my hands about two years ago, with some other pieces of Mr. Tcpladifs own works. The manly boldness of the learned translator and author, his fervent zeal for purity of gospel doctrine, and his masterly way of dis- secting and exposing error very much struck and pleased me.* I felt much regret that his wri- tings should be so little known in Scotland, whefe they are so much needed. To have re- published all his works would have required se- veral volumes, and, consequently put it out of the reach of the poor to become acquainted with them. Besides, they are not all equally adapted to general edification. Some of them are pro- fessedly composed for the meridian of England ; and directly pointed against the reigning errors of the English clergy. The two pieces selected are no less suited to the state of matters on this, than on the other side of the Tweed. This edition is chiefly intended for the accommodation of such as are in narrow worldly circumstances,
* The greatest men have their peculiarities, their favour- ite modes of expression, and are liable to be mistaken in some things. The admirable Augustus Toplady, with all his excellencies, is not an unexceptionable author, either as to matter or m inner. But where shall we find such among uninspired men ? Jlumanum est errare.
14 RECOMMENDATORY PREFACE,
and can spare very little for the purchase of books. It is put into circulation at one fourth of the original cost of the London edition. May the Divine Spirit make it extensively useful for convincing and reclaiming the erroneous, and for comforting and confirming all the true friends of the, precious doctrines of grace, through the churches of Christ.
ALEXANDER PRINGLE.
PERTH, Nov. 9, 1793-
A
SHORT SKETCH
OF THE LIFE AA'D CHARACTER
AUGUSTUS MONTAGUE TOPLADY,
RECTOR OF BROAD-HEMBURY, DEVON.
31 R. Toplady* was second son to Richard Toplady, Esq. a major in the army. He was born at Farnham, in Surrey, on Tuesday, the 4th of November, 1 740. The first rudiments of his education he received at Westminster School. He very early discovered an uncommon vigour of mind, and made proficiency in the languages much beyond most of his contemporaries. He used to employ his by-hours, while at the gram- mar-school, in writing exercises for such idle or dissipated young nobility as either could not, or would not write them themselves. By this means he sometimes gained three or four shillings a day.
* The substance of this short account of Mr. Toplady's life is taken from the Christian's Magazine, for January, 1791, with some additions and alterations.
16 LIFE AND CHARACTER OF
After his father's death, his mother (having some claims upon an Irish estate) took him with her into that kingdom ; and entered him a stu- dent in Trinity College, Dublin, where he soon took his degree of Bachelor of Arts. He was an indefatigable student in every branch of literature and science ; but, as he very early devoted him- self to the service of Christ in the church, he chiefly cultivated those studies which were best calculated to make him (through the divine bles- sing) an able minister of the New Testament. He took much pains to render himself a profici- ent in the Hebrew and Greek languages, that he might be qualified to read and study the scrip- tures of truth in their sacred originals. His writings abundantly shew that he was, in a high degree, master of them both.
About the 15th year of his age, it pleased God to bring him under awakenings of conscience, on account of the guilt and miseiy of his natural state ; and to shew him his absolute need of Christ. He was a considerable time in great perplexity and doubt between the Armrnian and Cahinistic schemes. He read with avidity many books on each side. At last a kind of Providence brought in his way Dr. Manton on the 17th of John: which was made the happy mean of giving his strong Arminian prejudices the first effectual blow. By the time he arrived at his 1 8th year, he had (through the Spirit's supernatural teach- ing) attained a clear and settled belief of the doc- trines of grace ; and continued to the day of his
AUGUSTUS MONTAGUE TOPLADY. 17
death a bold and determined enemy to the Armi- nian heresy. He used often to say among his in- timates, "that he should, when in heaven, re- member the year 1758, (the 18th of his age) with gratitude and joy.
He entered into orders on Trinity Sunday, the 6th of June, 1762. He was soon after inducted into the living of Blagdon, in Somersetshire, and afterwards into that of Broad-Hembury, in De- vonshire. In both charges he shewed himself an able, faithful, and zealous servant of Christ ; " a labourer that needeth not to be ashamed ; rightly dividing the word of truth." It was during his residence at Broad-Hembury that he composed the greater part of those valuable works, which will perpetuate and endear his memory to all the friends of truth through succeeding ages. He occasionally visited London, and soon contracted an intimacy with an extensive circle of friends there. The lustre of his pulpit talents could not be hid. He was much followed, and much ad- mired. Three years before his death his health began to be much impaired by close study and excessive application. He began to apprehend that the air of Devon was too moist for one of his delicate constitution. By the advice of friends he removed to London in the year 1775. But he had not well arrived, when he was earnestly solicited by his numerous friends, to engage to preach in the chapel belonging to the French Re- formed, in Leicester Fields. Their pressing im- portunities, and an ardent desire of being useful 2
18 LIFE AND CHARACTER OF
to immortal souls, prevailed over every other con- sideration. For a short time he statedly supplied that charge. But intense application to study, and late sitting, soon wasted his remaining strength, and accelerated the premature end of his minis- try and labours. He fell into a consumption, and entered into his Master's joy on the 11th of August, 17T8, the 38th year of his life, and the 16th of his ministry.
His bodily frame seems to have been rather tall and slender ; and his natural temper extreme- ly keen and boisterous. Impatient of contradic- tion, he was in the heat of disputation, apt to be hurried on by the mere impetuosity of his pas- sions, to a degree of warmth bordering on dic- tatorial insolence.
His mind was endowed with vast powers of conception. His understanding was clear and capacious, his judgment solid and correct, his imagination lively, and his invention uncommon- ly prompt and fertile. His great natural powers were much improved by a liberal education and close study. His early acquaintance with the power of religion induced him to delight much in the stu- dy of the scriptures. He soon acquired, under divine influence, a very accurate and extensive knowledge of the word of God. In his public labours he eminently deserved the noble charac- ter of Apollos, " A man mighty in the scrip- tures." His writings clearly show his intimate acquaintance with the ancient fathers and sys- tematic writers. He seems to have inherited a
AUGUSTUS MONTAGUE .TOPLADY. 19
large portion of the zeal and spirit of Austin and Broadwardin : and, like them too, to have bent the whole force of his genius against the Pelagian and Arminian heresies. The narrow escape which, through the grace of God, he made, from being entangled in the fascinating toils of Arminianism might, perhaps, determine him the more to embrace every opportunity of exposing the danger to others. Being born and educated in the bosom of a church wrhich was overrun with this error, he boldly stood forth as a resolute defender of the doctrines of grace, from both pulpit and press. Arminians of every denomination smarted under his lash. This error seems to have been his favourite game; and, whenever it started, he followed the chace until he run it down. So fully was he versed in this controversy, that he never seems more mas- ter of his subject than when dissecting and con- futing Arminianism. Many a sore drubbing poor Mr. Wesley, and his adherents, received from his able pen. Upon the whole, he was a burning and shining light — a skilful champion in the cause of God— and a lively and zealous Christian. He died as he lived — glorying only in the cross of Christ, and triumphing in the freedom and riches of adorable grace.
A little before his death, a report was in circu- lation, raised and industriously propagated by the Arminian faction, .that he had recanted those Calvinistic doctrines which he had all along pub- licly maintained with such strength of argument and warmth of zeal. When the false rumour
20 THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF
came to his ears, he was filled with much indig- nation at this weak and wicked effort of his ene- mies against him. And, although he was very much weakened through long and severe distress, yet he determined openly to contradict this lying invention from the pulpit, and close his minis- try by exhibiting, an open testimony in vindica- tion of the doctrines of grace. With the greatest fortitude of soul he executed his resolution ; al- though his voice was now become so weak that he could not be distinctly heard.
Speaking to a friend about this matter, he said, " My dear friend, these great and glorious truths which the Lord, in rich mercy, has given me to believe, and which he has enabled me, though very feebly, to stand forth in the defence of, are not (as those who believe not, or oppose them say) dry doctrines, or mere speculative points — No : but, being brought into practical and heart expe- rience, they are the very joy and support of my soul : and the consolations flowing from them, carry me far above the things of time and sense." In his last moments, he was favoured with much comfortable experience of the divine presence ; and finished his course under a strong gale of sensible assurance. " Oh, what a day of sunshine this has been to me !" (would he sometimes say) *'I want words to express it — it is unutterable. Oh my friends, how good is God! — almost with- out interruption, his presence has been with me ! — What a great thing it is to rejoice in death ! — Christ's love is unutterable !" Some passages of
AUGUSTUS MONTAGUE TOPLADY. 21
scripture he frequently repeated ; and descanted with peculiar emotions of joy and rapture upon the latter part of Rom. viii. When very near the end of his conflict, on his awaking from a slum- ber, he cried out, " Oh what delights ! who can fathom the joys of the third heavens ! — I cannot find words to express the comforts I feel in my soul ! — they are past expression. The consola- tions of God to such an unworthy wretch are so abundant, that he leaves me nothing to pray for but a continuance of them. I enjoy a heaven al- ready in my soul. My prayers are all con- verted into praise. — Nevertheless, I do not for- get, that I am still in the body, and liable to all those distressing fears which are incident to human nature, when under temptation, and without any sensible divine support : but so long as the pre- sence of God continues with me, in the degree in which I now enjoy it, I cannot but think that such a desponding frame is impossible."
Within an hour of his death he called his friends and servant, and asked them, If they could give him up ? they replied in the affirmative, since it pleased God to be so gracious to him : then said he, " I bless the Lord you are brought so cheer- fully to part with me, and give me up into the hands of my dear Redeemer ! it will not be long when God will take me ; for no mortal man can live, (bursting into tears of joy) after the glories which God has manifested to my soul." Soon after this, he closed his eyes, and slept in Jesus. 2 *
22 THE LIFE AND CHARACTER, ETC.
Thus died this great and good man. May- such striking displays of divine love and sove- reign grace encourage all who truly believe in the Lord Jesus, to trust him more confidently, to love him more ardently, to follow him more sub- missively, and to serve him more zealously; in the well-grounded hope, that they too, in the end, shall find death prove their unspeakable gain.
PREFACE.
—^j»i73». —
WHEN I consider the absolute independency of God, and the necessary, total dependence of all created things on him their first cause ; I cannot help standing astonished at the pride of impotent, degenerate man, who is so prone to consider himself as a being possessed of sovereign freedom, and invested with a power of self-salvation ; able, he imagines, to counteract the designs even of In- finite Wisdom, and to defeat the agency of Omni- potence itself. Ye shall be as gods, said the tempter, to Eve, in Paradise : and ye are as gods, says the same tempter now, to her apostate sons. — One would be apt to think, that a sugges- tion so demonstrably false and flattering, a sug- gestion the very* reverse of what we feel to be our state ; a suggestion, alike contrary to scrip- ture and reason, to fact and experience ; could never meet with the smallest degree of credit. And yet, because it so exactly coincides with the natural haughtiness of the human heart; men not only admit, but even relish the deception, and fondly incline to believe that the father of lies does, in this instance at least, speak truth.
24 PREFACE.
The scripture-doctrine of predetermination, lays the axe to the very root of this potent delusion. It assures us, that all things are of God. That all our times, and all events, are in his hand. Consequently, that man's business below is to fill up the departments, and to discharge the several offices, assigned him in God's purpose, from ever- lasting : and that, having lived his appointed time, and finished his allotted course of action and suf- fering, he that moment quits the stage of terres- trial life, and removes to the invisible state.
The late deservedly celebrated Dr. Young> though he affected great opposition to some of the doctrines called Calvinistic ; was yet compel- led, by the force of truth, to acknowledge, that " There is not a fly but has had infinite wisdom concerned, not only in its structure, but in its destination."* Nor did the late learned and ex- cellent Bishop Hopkins go a jot too far, in assert- ing as follows : " A sparrow, whose price is but mean, two of them valued at a farthing (which some make to be the 10th part of a Roman penny, and was certainly one of their least coins,) and whose life, therefore, is but contemptible, and whose flight seems giddy and at random ; yet it falls not to the ground, neither lights any where, without your Father. His all-wise Providence hath before appointed what bough it shall pitch on ; what grains it shall pick up : where it shall
Centaur not Fabulous, Letter II
PREFACE. 2$
lodge, and where it shall build ; on what it shall live, and when it shall die. — Our Saviour adds, The very hairs of your head are all numbered. God keeps an account, even of that stringy ex- crescence.— Do you see a thousand little motes and atoms wandering up and down in a sun- beam ? It is God that so peoples it ; and he guides their innumerable and irregular strayings. Not a dust rises in a beaten road ; but God raiseth it, conducts its uncertain motion, and, by his particular care, conveys it to the certain place he had before appointed for it : nor shall the most fierce and tempestuous wind hurry it any farther.— Nothing comes to pass but God hath his ends in it, and will certainly make his own ends out of it. Though the world seem to run at random, and affairs to be huddled together in blind confusion and rude disorder ; yet God sees and kn^ws the concatenation of all causes and effects, a I so governs them, that he makes a perfect harmc y out of all those seeming jarrings and discords. — It is most necessary, that we should have our hearts well established in the firm and unwavering belief of this truth ; That whatsoever comes to pass, be it good or evil, we may look up to the hand and disposal of all, to God — In respect of God, there is nothing casual, nor contingent, in the world. If a master should send a servant to a certain place, and command him to stay there till such a time ; and, presently after, should send another servant to the same [place ;] the meeting of these two is wholly cast*
26 PREFACE.
al in respect of themselves, but ordained and fore* seen by the master who sent them. So it is in all fortuitous events here below. They fall out unexpectedly as to us ; but not so as to God. He foresees, and he appoints all the vicissi- tudes of things."*
To illustrate this momentous doctrine, especial- ly so far as God's sovereign distribution of grace and glory is concerned, was the chief motive that determined me to the present publication. In perusing the works of that most learned and evangelical divine, one of whose performances now appears in an English dress ; I was particu- larly taken with that part of his Confession of Faith (presented A. D. 1562, to the Senate of Strasburgh,) which relates to Predestination. It is, from beginning to end, a regular chain of solid argument, deduced from the unerring word of divine revelation, and confirmed by the co-inci- dent testimonies of some of the greatest lights that ever shone in the Christian church. Such were Austin, Luther, Bucer. Names that will be precious and venerable as long as true reli- gion has a friend remaining upon earth.
Excellent as Zanchifs original piece is, I yet have occasionally ventured both to retrench and to erllarge it, in the translation. To this liberty I was induced, by a desire of rendering it as com- plete a treatise on the subject as the allotted com-
* Sermon upon Providence ; from Matth. x. 29, 3C1
PREFACE. 27
pass would allow. I have endeavoured rather to enter into the spirit of the admirable author; than with a scrupulous exactness to retail his very words. By which means the performance will prove, I humbly trust, the more satisfactory to the English reader ; and, for the learned one, he can at any time, if he pleases, by comparing the following version with the original Latin, both perceive wherein I have presumed to vary from it ; and judge for himself whether my omissions, variations, and enlargements, are useful and just.
The Arminiaus (I know not, whether through ignorance, or to serve a turn) affect at present to give out, That Luther and Calvin were not agreed in the article of Predestination. A more palpa- ble mistake was never advanced. So far is it from being true, that Luther (as I can easily prove, if called to it) went as heartily into that doctrine as Calvin himself. He even asserted it with much more warmth, and proceeded to much harsher lengths in defending it, than Calvin ever did, or any other writer I have met with of that age. In the following performance, I have for the most part, carefully retained Zanchy's quota- tions from Luther ; that the reader, from the sample there given, might form a just idea of Luther's real sentiments concerning the points in question.
Never was a publication of this kind more sea- sonable than at present. Arminianism is the grand religious evil of this age and country. It has more or less infected every protestant denp-
28 PREPACK.
minatioa amongst us, and bids fair for leaving us, in a short time, not so much as the very profes- sion of godliness. The power of Christianity has, for the most part, taken its flight long ago ; and even the form of it seems to be on the point of bidding us farewell. Time has been when the Calvinistic doctrines were considered and defend- ed as the palladium of our established church, by her bishops and clergy ; by the universities, and the whole body of the laity. It was (during the reigns of Edward VI. Queen Elizabeth, James I. and the greater part of Charles I. as difficult to meet with a clergyman, who did not preach the doctrines of the church of England, as it is now to find one wTho does. — We have generally forsa- ken the principles of the reformation ; and Icha- bod, or Thy glory is departed, has been written on most of our pulpits and church-doors ever since.
u Thou, O God, hast brought a Vine out of E gvpt ; thou hast cast out the heathen, and plant- ed it.
" Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root ; and it filled the land.
" The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly ce- dars.
" She sent out her boughs to the sea, and her branches unto the river.
" Why hastthou then broken down her hedges, so that all they, who pass by the way, do pluck her ?
rREFACE. 29
" The boar, out of the wood, doth waste it ; and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.
" Return, we beseech thee, O God of Hosts ! Look down from heaven, and behold and visit this vine ;
** And the vineyard, which thy right hand hath planted ; and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself !
"So will we not go back from thee : quicken us, and we shall call upon thy name.
" Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts ! cause thy face to shine, and we shall yet be saved." Psalm lxxx.
Never was description more strikingly expres- sive of the state our national church is at present in ! Never was supplication more pertinently adapted to the lips of her genuine sons !
In vain do we lament the progress of Popery ; in vain do we shut up a few private mass-houses ; while our presses teem, and our pulpits ring, with the Romish doctrines of merit and free xvill : doctrines, whose native and inevitable tendency is, to smooth the passage for our fuller coalition with Antichrist. If we are really desirous to shun committing spiritual adultery with the mo- ther of harlots and abominations, we must with- draw our feet from the way that leadeth to her house.
Blessed be God, the doctrines of grace are
again beginning to lift up their heads amongst us :
a sign, it is to be hoped, that the Holy Spirit hath
not quite forsaken us ; and that cur redemption,
3
30
PREFACE.
from the the prevailing errors of the day, draw- eth near. Now, if ever, is the time for all who love our church and nation in sincerity, to lend an helping hand to the ark ; and contribute, though ever so little, to its return.
The grand objection usually made to that im- portant truth, which is the main subject of the ensuing sheets, proceeds on a supposition of par- tiality in God, should the Calvinistic doctrine be admitted — If this consequence did really follow, I see not how it would authorize man to arraign the conduct of Deity. Should an earthly friend make me a present often thousand pounds, would it not be unreasonable, ungrateful, and presump- tuous in me, to refuse the gift, and revile the giver, only because it might not be his pleasure to confer the same favour on my next door neigh- bour ? — In other cases, the value of a privilege or of a profession is enhanced by its scarceness. A virtuoso sets but a little esteem on a medal, a statue, or a vase, so common that every man who pleases may have one of the same kind : he prizes that alone as a rarity, which really is such ; and which is not only intrinsically valu- able, but which lies in few hands. — Were all men here upon earth, qualified and enabled to appear as kings, the crown, the sceptre, the robe of state, and other ensigns of majesty, would presently sink into things hardly noticeable. The distin- guishing grandeurs of royalty, by ceasing to be uncommon would quickly cease to be august and striking. Upon this principle it was, that Heray
PREFACE. 31
IV. of France, said on his birth-day, " I was born as on this day ; and, no doubt, taking the world through, thousands were born on the same day with me : yet, out of all those thousands, I am, perhaps, the only one whom God hath made a king. How signally am I indebted to the pe- culiar bounty of his Providence !" — Similar are the reflections and the acknowledgments of such persons as are favoured with the sense of their election in Christ to holiness and heaven.
" But what becomes of the non-elect ?" You have nothing to do with such a question, if you find yourself embarrassed and distressed by the consideration of it. Bless God for his electing love, and leave him to act as he pleases by them that are without. Simply acquiesce in the plain scripture account,* and wish to see no farther than revelation holds the lamp. 'Tis enough for you to know, that the Judge of the whole earth will do right. — Yet will you reap much improve- ment from the view of predestination, in its full extent, if your eyes are able steadfastly to look at all which God hath made known concerning it. But if your spiritual sight is weak, forego the inquiry, so far as reprobation is concerned • and be con- tent to know but in part, till death transmits you to that perfect state, where you shall knorv even as you are known. Say not, therefore, as the op- posers of these doctrines did in St. Paul's davs : " Why doth God find fault with the wicked ? Fof who hath resisted his will ? If he who only can convert them, refrains from doing it, what room
32 PREFACE,
is there for blaming them that perish, seeing it & impossible to resist the will of the Almighty ?" Be satisfied with St. Paul's answer : " Nay, but who art thou, O man, that repliest against God ?" The apostle hinges the matter entirely on God's absolute sovereignty. There he rests it; and there we ought to leave it.*
Were the whole of mankind equally loved of God, and promiscuously redeemed by Christ, the song which believers are directed to sing would hardly run in these admiring strains : To him that hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings
* Some of the more considerate Heathens treated God's hidden will with an adoring reverence, which many of our modern Arminians would do well to imitate. Thus Bicm (KXeofr. xKt Mvgtr. 10)
'Tis not for man to sit in judgment on the actions of God. So Theognis (yv«^- 141, 142.)
©£«« JV x«7« vq>{]n>oi -act^Tct, TeXxri voov. We men are foolish in our imagnations, and know nothing: But the gods accomplish all things according to their own mind.
And again, (Lin. 687, 683.)
Qvk eft B-vtfloin W£«s ci6«y«7y? i4,ct%evctG-S-cci,
ah ^;xjjv er&etv. yfovi ralo B-e/Mt. 'Tis not lawful for mortals to enter the lists with the gods.,
nor to bring in an accusation against them.
PREFACE. 33
and priests unto God, ckc. Rev. i. 5, 6. An hymn of praise like this, seems evidently to pro- ceed on the hypothesis of peculiar election on the part of God, and of a limited redemption on the part of Christ ; which we find still more explicitly declared, Rev. v. 9. where we have a transcript of that song, which the spirits of just men made perfect are now singing before the throne, and be- fore the Lamb : Thou wast slain and hast re- deemed us unto God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. Whence the elect are said to have been redeem- ed from among men. Rev. xiv. 4.
In short, there is no such thing, as casualty, or accident, even in things of temporal concern ; much less in matters spiritual and everlasting. If the universe had a Maker, it must have a Gover- nor, and if it has a Governor, his will and Provi- dence must extend to all things, without exception. For my own part, I can discern no medium between absolute predestination and blank Atheism.
Mr. Rollin,* if I mistake not, has, somewhere, a fine observation to this effect : That " It is
* Since the above was written, I have met with the fine passage to which it refers. " Providence delights to conceal its wonders under the vail of human operations." Rollin's Arts and Sciences of the Ancients, vol. 3 p- 480.
Mr. Hervey has likewise a most beautiful and judicious paragraph to the same effect ; where, speaking of what is commonly termed accidental death, this admirable writer asks : " Was it then a random stroke ? doubtless, the blow came from an aiming, though invisible hand. God presidetb. over the armies of heaven. G o o ruleth among the iahahi- 3 *
34' TREFACE.
usual with God, so carefully to conceal himself, and to hide the agency of his Providence behind second causes ; as to render that very often un- discernable and undistinguishable from these." Which wisdom of conduct, and gentleness of operation, (not less efficacious, because gentle and invisible,) instead of exciting the admiration they deserve ; have, on the contrary, given occasion to the setting up of that unreal idol of the brain, called chance. Whereas, to use the lovely lines of our great moral poet,
All Nature is but Art unknown to thee ;
All Chance, Direction which thou canst not see.
tants of the earth. And God conducteth what men call chance. Nothing, nothing comes to pass through a blind and undiscerning fatality. If accidents happen, they happen according to the exact foreknowledge, and conformably to the determinate counsels of eternal wisdom. The Lord, with whom are the issues of death, signs the warrant, and gives the high commission. The seemingly fortuitous disas- ter, is only the agent, or instrument, appointed to execute the supreme decree. When the king of Israel was mortally wounded, it seemed to be a casual shot.— A certain man drew a bow at a venture, (1 Kings xxii. 34.) At a venture, as he thought. But his hand was strengthened by an omnipotent aid j and the shaft levelled by an unerring eye. So that what vie term casualty, is really providence ; accomplishing deliberate designs, but concealing its own interposition.— How comforting this reflection ! Admirably adapted to sooth the throbbing anguish of the mourners, and compose their spirits into a quiet submission ! Excellently suited to dissi- pate the fears of godly survivors ; and create a calm intre- pidity, even amidst innumerable perils !"— Hervey's Medita- tions, vol. 1. p. 27, 28.
PREFACE. 35
Words are only so far valuable, as they are the vehicles of meaning. And meaning, or ideas, derive their whole value from their having some foundation in reason, reality, and fact. Was I, therefore, to be concerned in drawing up an Ex- purgatory Index to language, I would, without mercy, cashier and proscribe such words as chance, fortune, luck, casualty, contingency, and mishap. Nor unjustly — For they are Voces, and praeterea nihil. Mere terms without ideas. Absolute expletives, which import nothing. Unmeaning cyphers, either proudly invented to hide man's ignorance of real causes, or sacrilegiously de- signed to rob the Deity of the honours due to his wisdom, providence, and power.
Reason and Revelation are perfect unisons, in assuring us, that God is the supreme, indepen- dent first cause ; of whom, all secondary and in- ferior causes are no more than the effects. Else, proper originality and absolute wisdom, unlimited supremacy and almighty power,, cease to be at- tributes of Deity. — I remember to have heard an interesting anecdote of King William and Bishop Burnet. The Arminian prelate affected to won- der ** how a person, of his Majesty's piety and good sense, could so rootedly believe the doctrine of absolute predestination." The Royal Calvin- ist replied — Did I not believe absolute predes- tination, I could not believe a providence. For, it would be most absurd to suppose that a Being of infinite wisdom would act without apian : for which plan, predestination is only another name.
36 PREFACE.
What, indeed, is predestination, but God's de- terminate plan of action ? and what is providence, but the evolution of that plan ? In his decree, God resolved within himself what he would do, and what he would permit to be done : By his providence, this effective and permissive will passes into external act, and has its positive ac- complishment. So that the purpose of God, as it were, draws the out-lines, and providence lays on the colours. What that designed, this com- pletes : what that ordained, this evecutes. Pre- destination is analogous to the mind and inten- tion ; providence, to the hand and agency of the artificer. Hence, we are told, that God worketh {there's his providence'] all things, after the coun- sel of his own will [there's his decree,] Eph. i. 11. And again, he doth according to his will, in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth : and none can stay his hand [i. e. his will, and the execution of it, are irresistible,] nor say unto him, what dost thou ? i. e. his purpose and providence are sovereign, and for which he will not be accountable to his creatures. Dan. iv. 35.
According, therefore, to the Scripture repre- sentation, Providence neither acts vaguely and at random, like a blind archer, who shoots uncer- tainly in the dark, as well as he can ; nor yet pro re nata, or as the unforeseen exigence of affairs may require : like some blundering states- man, who plunges (it may be) his country and liimself into difficulties, and then is forced to un-
PREFACE. 37
ravel his cobweb, and reverse his plan of opera- tions, as the best remedy for those disasters, which the court-spider had not the wisdom to foresee. But shall we say this of God ? It were blasphemy. He that dwelleth in heaven, laugheth all these miserable after- thoughts to scorn. God, who can neither be over-reached, nor overpower- ed, has all these wretched post-expedients in derision. He is incapable of mistake. He knows no levity of will. He cannot be surprised with any unforeseen inconveniences. His throne is in heaven, and his kingdom ruleth over all. What- ever, therefore, comes to pass, comes to pass as a part of the original plan : and is the offspring of that prolific series of causes and effects, which owes its birth to the ordaining and permissive will of him, in whom we all live, and are moved,* and have our being. Providence, in time, is the hand that delivers God's purpose, of those beings and events, with which that purpose was preg- nant from everlasting. The doctrine of equivo- cal generation is not more absurd in philosophy, than the doctrine of unpredestinated events is in theology.
Thus, the long train of things is, though
A mighty maze, yet not without a plan.
God^s sovereign will is the first link ; his unalter- able decree is the second; and his all active pro- vidence the third, in the great chain of causes.
* JCfyy^s&e. Acts xvii. 2S,
4':'
3$ PREFACE.
What his will determined, that his decree esta- blished, and his providence either mediately or immediately effects. His will was the adorable spring of all, his decree marked out the chan- nel, and his providence directs the stream.
" If so," it may be objected, " It will follow, that whatever is, is right." Consequences can- not be helped. No doubt, God, who does no- thing in vain ; who cannot do any thing to no purpose, and still less • to a bad one ; who both acts and permits with design ; and who weighs the paths of men, has, in the unfathomable abyss of his counsel, very important (though to us se- cret) reasons, for permitting the entrance of moral evil, and for suffering both* moral and natural evil still to reign over so great a part of the cre- ation. Unsearchable are his judgments {y^i^alx, decrees] and his ways [the methods and dispensa- tions of his providence] past finding out. Who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counsellor ? For, of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. Rom. ii. 33, 34, 36. As to myself, I can, through grace, most heartily adopt the maxim of Rengelius, Non plus sum ere, non minus accipere :f I neither wish to know more
* Grotius himself is forced to own, " Quae vero permittun- tur Scelera, non carent interim suo Fructu," i. c. even the crimes which God permits ihe perpetration of, are not with* out their good consequences. (De Veritat. Kel. I 1. sect. 19.) A bold saying this ! But the sayer was an Arminian : and therefore we hear no outcry on the occasion.
t Ordo Temporum, cap. viii. p. 302-
PREFACE. • 33
than God has revealed, nor to remain ignorant of what he has revealed. I desire to advance, and to halt, just when where the pillar of God's word stays, or goes forward. I am content that the impenetrable veil, divinely interposed between his purposes and my comprehension, be not drawn aside, till faith is lost in sight, and my spirit re- turn to him who gave it. But of this I am as- sured, that echo does not reverberate sound so punctually, as the actual disposal of things answers to God's predetermination concerning them. — This cannot be denied, without dethroning pro- vidence, as far as in us lies, and setting up for- tune in its room. There is no alternative. I defy all the sophistry of man, to strike out a middle way. He that made all things, either di- rects all things he has made, or has consigned them over to chance. But what is chance ? a name for * nothing. Arminianzsm^ therefore, is Atheism*
* The late learned and indefatigable Mr. Chambers has, in his valuable Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, under the word chance, two or three observations so pertinent and full to this remark, (viz. of chance being a name for nothing) that I cannot help transcribing them. " Our ignorance and pre- cipitancy lead us to attribute effects to chance, whicli have a necessary and determinate cause.
" When we say a thing happens by chance ; we really mean no more than that its cause is unknown to us : and not, as some vainly imagine, that chance itself can be the cause of any thing. From this consideration, Dr. Bentley takes occa- sion to expose the folly of that old tenet, the world was :nade by chance.
40 PREFACE.
I grant that the twin doctrines of Predestina- tion and Providence are not without their diffi- culties. But the denial of them is attended with ten thousand times more and greater. The diffi- culties on one side, are but as dust upon the ba- lance : those in the other, as mountains in the scale. To imagine that a Being of boundless wisdom, power, and goodness, would create the universe, and not sit at the helm afterwards, but turn us adrift to shift for ourselves, like an huge vessel without a pilot, is a supposition that sub- verts every notion of Deity, gives the lie to eve- ry page in the Bible, contradicts our daily experi- ence, and insults the common reason of mankind.
Sav'st thou, the course of nature governs all ? The course of nature is the art of God.
The whole creation, from the seraph down to the invisible atom, ministers to the supreme will, and is under the special observation, government, and
" The case of the painter, who, unable to express the foam at the mouth of an horse he had painted, threw his sponge in despair at the piece, and by chance did that which he could not before do by design, is an eminent instance of the force of chance. Yet, it is obvious, all we here mean by chance is, that the painter was not aware of the effect : or, that he did not throw the sponge with such a view. Not hut that he actually did every thing necessary to produce the effect. Insomuch that, considering the direction wherein lie threw the sponge, together with lis, form, and specific gravity ; the colours wherewith it was smeered, and the distance of the hand from the piece ; it was impossible, on the present sys- tem of things, that the effect should not follow."
PREFACE. 41
direction of the Omnipotent mind : who sees all, himself unseen j who upholds all, himself unsus- tained ; who guides all, himself guided by none; and who changes all, himself unchanged.
u But does not this doctrine tend to the estab- lishment of fatality V* Supposing it even did, were it not better to be a Christian fatalist, than to avow a set of loose Arminian principles, which if pushed to their natural extent, inevitably ter- minate in the rankest Atheism ? For, without predestination, there can be no Providence ; and, without Providence, no God.
After all, What do you mean by fate ? If you mean a regular succession of determined events, from the beginning to the end of time ; an unin- terrupted chain, without a single chasm ; all de- pending on the eternal will and continued influen- ence of the great First Cause : this is fate, it must be owned, That it and the scripture predes- tination are, at most, very thinly divided ; or, ra- ther, entirely coalesce. — But if by fate is meant, either a constitution of things antecedent to the will of God ; by which he himself was bound, ab origine ; and which goes on of itself, to multiply causes and effects, to the exclusion of the all-per- vading power and unintermitting agency of an in- telligent, perpetual, and particular Providence : neither reason nor Christianity allows of any such fate as this. Fate, thus considered, is just such an extreme, on one hand, as chance is on the other. Both are alike, unexistable. 4
PREFACE.
It having been not unusual with the Arminian writers to tax us with adopting the fate of the ancient Stoics ; I thought it might not be unac- ceptable to the English reader, to subjoin a brief view of what those philosophers generally held, (for they were not all exactly of a mind J as to this particular. It will appear to every compe- tent reader, from what is there given, how far the doctrine of fate as believed and taught by the Stoics, may be admitted upon Christian princi- ples. Having large materials by me for such a work, it would have been very easy forme to have annexed a dissertation of my own upon the sub- ject : but I chose to confine myself to a small ex- tract from the citations and remarks of the learn- ed Lifisiusy who seems in his Physiologic Stoi- corum, to have almost exhausted the substance of the argument, with a penetration and precision which leave little room either for addition or amendment. In a cause, therefore, where the interest of truth is so eminently concerned I would rather retain the ablest counsel when it can be had, than to venture to be myself her sole ad- vocate.
For my own particular part, I frankly confess that, as far as the coincidence of the Stoical fate, with the Bible predestination* holds good; I
* " Now I am in some measure enlightened," (says the Rev. Mr. Newton, of Olney,) « I can easily perceive, that it is in the adjustment and concurrence of seemingly fortuitous circumstances, that the ruling power and wisdom of God are
PREFACE. 43
see no reason why we should be ashamed to acknowledge it. St. Austin, and many other great and excellent men, have not scrupled to ad- mit both the word [viz. the word fate\ and the thing properly understood.* I am quite of Lip-
rnost evidently displayed in human affairs. How many such casual events may we remark in the history of Joseph, which had each a necessary influence in his ensuing' promotion!—^" the Midianites had passed by a day sooner, or a day later ;— jythey had sold him to any person but Potiphar ; — If his mis- tress had been a better woman ; — If Pharaoh's officers had not displeased their Lord; or, if any, or all these things had fallen out in any other manner or time than they did, all that followed had been prevented : the promises and pur- poses of God concerning Israel, their bondage, deliverances, polity, and settlement, must have failed: and as all these things tended to and centred in Christ, the promised Saviour ; the desire of all nations would not have appeared. Mankind had been still in their sins, without hope ; and the counsels of God's eternal love, in favour of sinners, defeated. Thus we may see a connexion between Joseph's first dream and the death of our Lord Christ, with all its glorious consequences. So strong, though secret, is the concatenation between the
greatest and the smallest events ! What a comfortable
thought is this to a believer, to know, that amidst all the va- rious, interfering designs of men, the Lord has one constant design, which he cannot, will not miss : namely, his own glo- ry, in the complete salvation of his people I And that he is wise, and strong, and faithful, to make even those things, which seem contrary to this design, subservient to promote it !" See p. 96. and seq. of a most entertaining and instruc- tive piece, entitled An authentic Narrative of some remark- able and interesting Particulars, in the Life of **•***, in a Sei-ies of Letters, 1765.
* For a sample, the learned reader may peruse the judi- cious chapter, De Fato, in Abp. Bradwardin't immortal book De Causa Dei, lib. i. cap. 29
44 PREFACE.
sius's mind : " Et vcro non aversabor Stoici no- men; sed Stoici Christiani : I have no objection to being called a Stoic so you pi'efix the word Christian to it."*
Here ended the first lesson : i. e. here ended the preface to the former edition of this tract. A tract, whose publication has raised the indig- nant quills of more than one Arminian porcu- pine.
Among those enraged porcupines, none has hitherto bristled up so fiercely as the high and mighty Mr. John Wesley. He even dipt his quills in the ink of forgery on the occasion ; as Indians tinge the points of their arrows with poi- son, in hope of their doing more effectual execu- tion. The quills, however, have reverberated, and with ample interest, on poor Mr. John's own pate. He felt the unexpected pain, and he has squeaked accordingly. I will not here add to the well deserved chastisement he has received : which, from more than one quarter, has been such, as will probably keep him sore, while his sur- name begins with W. Let him, for his own sake, learn, as becomes a very sore man, to lie still. Rest may do him good : motion will but add to his fever, by irritating his humours already too peccant. Predestination is a stone, by rashly falling on which, he has more than once been la- mentably broken. I wish him to take heed, in
* Oper. tom.i. Def Posthum- cap. ii. p. 118.
PREFACE. 45
due season, lest that stone at length fall on him. For, notwithstanding all his delinquencies, I would still have him avoid, if possible, the catas- trophe of being ground to powder.
-
4 *•
SOME ACCOUNT OF
THE LIFE
OF
JEROM ZANCHIUS.
IT has been asserted,* that this great divine was born at Alzano, a town of Italy, situate in the valley of Seri, or Serio. But the learned John Sturmius, who was not only Zanchy's contempo- rary, but one of his most intimate friends, ex- pressly affirms in a *speech delivered on a pub- lic and important occasion, That he was nobili natus familia Bet garni; born of an illustrious family at Bergamo, the capital of a little pro- vince in the north-west of Italy, anciently a part of Gallia Cispadana ; but A. D. 1428, made a parcel of the Venetian territory, as it still con- tinues.^ I look upon Sturmius's testimony as
* Melch. Adam Vit. Theolog. Exterior, p. 148. and Bayle's Hist. Diet under the article Zanchius.
f Addressed by Sturmius, to the senate of Stratsburgv, March 20, 1562- and inserted afterwards into the works of Zanchy, Tom. vii. part % col. 408.
% Complete Syst. of Geog. vol, 1. p. 843.
48 THE LIFE OF
decisive : it being hardly credible, that he could mistake the native place of a colleague, whom he so highly valued, who was living at the very time, and with whom he had opportunity of con- versing daily. Sturmius adds, That there was then remaining at Bergamo, a fortress (built pro- bably by some of Zanchy's ancestors) known by the name of The Zanchian Tower.
In this city was our author born, Feb. 2, 1516. At the time of his birth, part of the public ser- vice, then performing, was, a light to lighten the Gentiles, &c. And by God's good providence the reformation broke forth the very next year in Germany, under the auspices of Luther ; and began to spread far and wide.
At the age of twelve years, Zanehy lost his fa- ther,* who died of the plague, A. D. 1528. His motherf survived her husband but three years. Deprived thus of both his parents, Zan- ehy resolved on a monastic life ; and accord- ingly, joined himself to a society of Canons Re- gular.:{: He did this partly to improve himself in literature, and partly for the sake of being with some of his relations, who had before entered themselves of that house. Here he continued
* Francis Zanchius ; who seems to have been a native of Venice, and was by profession a counsellor.
f Barbara ; sister to Marc Antony Mutius, a nobleman of great worth and distinction.
* At Lucca. See the Biogr. Diet- vol- viii. p. 267, under the article Peter Martyr.
JEROM ZANCHIUS. 49
nineteen years; chiefly devoting his studies to Aristotle, the languages, and school-divinity.
It was his happiness to become acquainted very early in life with Celsus Maximian, count of Martinengo ; who, from being like Zanchy, a bi- goted papist by education, became afterwards a burning and shining light in the reformed church. Of our author's intimacy with this excellent no- bleman, and its blessed effects, himself gives us the following account:* " I left Italy for the gos- pel's sake ; to which I was not a little animated by the example of count Maximian, a learned and pious personage, and my most dear brother in the Lord. We had lived together under one roof, and in a state of the strictest religious friendship for the greater part of sixteen years ; being both of us Canons Regular, of nearly the same age and standing, unisons in temper and disposition, pursuing the same course of studies, and which was better still, joint hearers of Peter Martyr, when that apostolic man publicly ex- pounded St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, and gave private lectures on the Psalms to us his monks." From this memorable period we are evidently to date the sera of Zanchy's awakening to a trae sight and experimental sense of divine things. His friend, the count, and the learned Tremellius, were also converted about the same time, under the ministry of Martyr.
* Zanchii Epist ad Lantgrav. Operutn. Toro vii, part. 1. col 4.
50 THE LIFE OF
This happy change being effected, our authors studies began to run in a new channel. " The count," says he, " and myself betook ourselves to a diligent reading of the Holy Scriptures ; to which we joined a perusal of the best of the fa- thers, and particularly St. Austin. For some years we went on thus in private, and in public we preached the gospel as far as we were able in its purity. The count, whose gifts and graces were abundantly superior to mine, preached with much greater enlargement of spirit, and freedom of utterance than I could ever pretend to : it was therefore, no wonder that he found himself con- strained to fly his country before I was. The territory of the Grisons was his immediate place of retreat ; from whence removing soon after, he settled at Geneva, where he commenced the first pastor of the protestant Italian church in that city. Having faithfully executed this sacred office for some years, he at length comfortably fell asleep in Christ*," A« D« 1558, after having, on his death-bed, commended the oversight of his flock to the great Calvin.
It was in the year 1550, that Peter Martyr himself was obliged to quit Italy ; where he could no longer preach, nor even stay with safety. To- ward the latter end of the same year, eighteen of his disciples were forced to follow their master from their native land ; of which number Zanchy
* Zanch. tit supra
JEROM 2.ANCHIUS. 51
was one. Being thus a refugee, or, as himself used to express it, u delivered from his Babylon- ish captivity ," he went into Grisony, where he continued upwards of eight months ; and then to Geneva, where after a stay of near a twelve- month, he received an invitation to England, (upon the recommendation of Peter Martyr, then in this kingdom,) to fill a divinity professorship here ; I suppose at Oxford, where Martyr had been for some time settled. Zanchy embraced the offer and began his journey, but was detained on his way by a counter inyitation to Strasburgh, where the divinity chair hall been lately vacated by the death of the excellent Caspar Hedio.
Zanchy was fixed at Strasburgh, A. D. 155S, and taught there almost eleven years ; but not without some uneasiness to himself, occasioned by the malicious opposition of several, who per- secuted him for much the same reason that Cain hated righteous Abel, 1 John iii. 12. Matters however went on tolerably during the life-time of Sturmius, who was then at the head of the uni- versity, and Zanchius's fast friend. At Stras- burgh it was, that he presented the famous de- claration of his faith concerning Predestination, Final Perseverance and the Lord's Supper. He gave it in to the Senate, October 22, 1562. Of this admirable performance, (i. e. of that part of it which respects the first of these points) the reader may form some judgment by the following translation.
52 THE LIFE OF
In proportion as the old senators and divines died off, one by one, Zanchy's situation at Stras- burgh, grew more and more uncomfortable. Matters at length came to that height, that he was required to subscribe to the Augsburgh confes- sion, on pain of losing his professorship. After mature deliberation, he did indeed subscribe ; but with this declared restriction, modo orthodoxe intelligatur. Notwithstanding the express limi- tation with which he fettered his subscription, still this great and good man seems, for peace sake, to have granted. to° much concerning the manner of Christ's presence in the Lord's sup- per ; as appears by the first of the three theses, maintained by him at this time : 1. Verum Chris- ti corpus, pro nobis traditum ; &? verum ejus sanguinem, in peccatorum nostrorum remissionem effusum ; in Ccena vere manducari £s? bibi. Though the other two positions do effectually explain his meaning : 2. Verum id, non ore, &? dentibus corporis, sed vera Jide. 3. Ideoque, a solis jidelibus. I shall here beg leave to inter- pose one question naturally arising from the sub- ject. What good purpose do the imposition and the multiplication of unnecessary subscriptions, to forms of human composition tend to promote ? It is a fence far too low to keep out men of little or no principle ; and too high, sometimes, for men of real integrity to surmount. It often opens a door of ready admission to the abandoned ; who, ostrich like, care not what they swallow, so they can but make subscription a bridge to secular
JEROM ZANCrtlUS. 53
interest : and, for the truly honest, it frequently cither quite excludes them from a sphere of ac- tion, wherein they might be eminently useful, or obliges them to testify their assent in such terms, and with such open professed restrictions, as ren- der subscription a mere nothing.
Not content with Zanchy's concessions, several of the Strasburgh bigots* persisted in raising a controversial dust. They tendered accusations against him, of errors in point of doctrine ; par- ticularly for his supposed heterodoxy concerning the nature of the Lord's supper; his denial of the ubiquity of Christ's natural body, and his pro- testing against the lawfulness of images, &c. Nay, they even went so far, as to charge him with, unsound opinions concerning predestination and the perseverance of the truly regenerate ; so early did some of Luther's pretended disciples, after the death of that glorious reformer (and he had. not been dead at this time above fifteen years,) begin to fall off from the doctrines he taught, though they still had the effrontery to call them- selves by his name !
* Particularly John Marbach, a native of Schawben, or Swabia; a turbulent, unsteady theologist ; pedantic and abu- sive ; a weak but fiery disputer, who delighted to live in the smoke of contention and virulent debate. He was, among the rest of his good qualities, excessively loquacious ; which made Luther say of him, on a very public occasion, Oil hujus Suevi nunquam aranecE poierunt tei'as texere ; " This talkative Swa- bian need not be afraid of spiders ; for he keeps his lips in such constant motion, that no spider will ever be able to weave a cobweb on his mouth"
5
54 THE LIFE OF
A grand occasion of this dissentioii was a book concerning the Eucharist, and in defence of Con- substantiation, written by one Heshusins; a fierce, invidious preacher, who lavished the opprobrious names of heretic and atheist on all without dis- tinction, whose religious system went an hair's breadth above or below his own standard. In his preface, he grossly reflected* on the Elector Pal- atine, (Frederic III.) Peter Martyr, Bullinger, Calvin, Zuinglius, CEcolampadius, and other great divines of that age. Zanchy, in mere respect to these venerable names, did, in concert with the learned Sturmius, prevail with the magistrates of Strasburgh to prohibit the impression. Mr. Bayle is so candid as to acknowledge, That " Zanchy caused this book to be suppressed, not on account of its doctrine, which he left to the judgment of the church, but for the calumnies of the pre^ face." Zanchy was a zealous friend to religious liberty. He had too great a share of good sense and real religion, to pursue any measures which simply tended either to restrain men from declar- ing their principles with safety, or to shackle the human mind in its inquiries after truth. But he ardently wished to see the contending parties of every denomination carry on their debates with christian meekness, modesty, and benevolence ; and, where these amiable ingredients were want- ing, he looked upon disputation as a malignant
* Vide Zanc. Op. Tom. vii. pu-t 2. col. 250, 25!
JEKOtt ZANCHIU?. 55
fever, endangering the health, peace, and safety of the church. When candour is lost, truth is rarely found. Zanchy's own observations,* sub- joined below, exhibit a striking picture of that moderation, detachment from bigotry, and libe- rality of sentiment, which strongly characterize the Christian and the Protestant*
Notwithstanding the precautions taken by the magistrates, Heshusius's incendiary piece stole through the press : and Zanchy's efforts to stifle its publication, were looked upon by the author's party, as an injury never to be forgiven. They left no methods unassayed, to remove him from his professorship. Many compromising expedients were proposed by the moderate of both parties. The chapter of St. Thomas (of which Zanchy himself was a canon) met to consider what course should be pursued. By them it was referred to a select committee of thirteen. Zanchy offered to debate the agitated points in a friendly and peaceable manner with his opponents : which of-
* Si liber iste non fuisset refortus tot calumniis Si convitiis, turn in ipsum principem Palatinum, turn in tot prxclaras ec- clesias St earum doctores ; ego non curassem in ejus impres- sionem impediri. Licet enim unicuique suam sententiam scrL here et explicate. Sed cum audirem tot ecclesias in libro ista damnari hxreseos h. atheismi ; idque non propter unum aut altemm articulum fidei, qui impugnaretur, sed solummodo propter interpretationem aliquam verborum, in qua neque tcr- ta religio consistit, neque salus periclitatur:— adductus fui,Ut libri istius impressionem, &c.
Zanch. ubi s-tfpr-
56 THE LIFE OF
fer not being accepted, he made several journies to other churches and universities in different parts of Germany ; and requested their opinions, which he brought with him in writing. Things, however, could not be settled till the senate of Strasburgh convened an assembly from other districts, consisting partly of divines, and partly of persons learned in the laws. These re- ferees, after hearing both sides, recurred to the eld fruitless expedient of agreeing On certain ar- ticles to which they advised each party to sub- scribe. Zanchy, desirous of laying these unchris- tian heats, and, at the same time, no less deter- mined to preserve integrity and a good con- science, subscribed in these cautious terms : JHanc doctrines formulam ut piam agnosco, ita etiam recipio : " I acknowledge this summary of doctrine to be pious, and so I admit it." This condescension on Zanchy's part was not follow- ed by those peaceful effects which were expect- ed. The peace was too loosely patched up to be of any long duration. His adversaries began to worry him afresh ; and just as measures were bringing on the carpet, for a new and more last- ing compromise, our divine received an invitation to the church of Chiavenna ; situate on the bor- ders of Italy, and in the territory of the Grisons. Augustin Mainard, pastor of that place, was lately dead ; and a messenger arrived to let Zan- chy know that he was chosen to succeed him. Having a very slender prospect of peace at Stras- burgh, he obtained the consent of the senate to
JEROM ZANCHIDS. 57"
tesign his canonry of St. Thomas, and professors- ship of divinity. Whilst the above debates were pending-, he had received separate invitations to Zurich, Geneva, Leyden, Heidelberg, Mar- purg and Lausanne ; but, till he had seen the re- sult of things at Strasburgh, he did not judge any of these calls sufficiently providential to deter- mine his removal.
He left Strasburgh,* in November, 1563, and entered on his pastoral charge at Chiavenna, the beginning of January following. But he had not long been there, before the town was visited by a dismal pestilence, which, within the space of seven months, carried off twelve hundred of the inhabitants. Zanchy, however, continued to ex- ercise his ministry as long as there was an as- sembly to preach to. At length, the far greater part of the townsmen being swept away, he re> treated for a while with his family to an adjoin- ing mountain. His own account is this (Tom.
* Attended by his servant, Frideric Syllaspurg, a native of Hesse : concerning whom Zanchy thus writes ; Disccs&i Argentina, una cum jido, non tarn j'amulo, quant amico & fratrv, Friderico Syllnepurgio, Iletso ; juvene honor urn literarum, studioso, & sante doctrinx amanti : " A learned youth, and a lover of the gospel ; whom I look upon, not so much in the light of a domestic, as of a faithfid friend, and a Christian brother."
Opcr. T. vil. part 1. col. 36. I hardly know which was most extraordinary : the good qualities of the servant, or the gratitude and humility of tSre master
58 THE LIFE OF
vii. part. 1. col. 36, 37.) " Mainard, my pioua predecessor, had often foretold the calamity with which the town of Chiavenna has been since vi- sited. All the inhabitants have been too well convinced, that that holy man of God did not pro- phesy at random. — When the plague actually be- gan to make havoc, I enforced repentance and faith while I had a place to preach in, or any*con- gregation to hear. — Many being dead, and others havingfled the town, (like ship-wrecked mariners, who, to avoid instant destruction, make toward what coast they can ;) but very few remained : and, of these remaining few, some were almost terrified to death, others were solely employed in taking care of the sick, and others in guarding the walls. — They concurred in advising me to con- sult my own safety, by withdrawing for a time, till the indignation should be overpast. I betook myself, therefore, with all my family, to an high mountain, not a vast way from the town, yet re- mote from human converse, and peculiarly form- ed for contemplation and unmolested retirement. Here we led a solitary life for three months and an half. I devoted my time chiefly to medita- tion and writing, to prayer, and reading the scrip- tures. I never was happier in my own soul, nor enjoyed a better share of health." Afterwards, the plague beginning to abate, he quitted his re- treat and resumed the public exercise of his func- tion.
After four years continuance at Chiavenna, Frederic III. Elector Palatine, prevailed with
JEROM ZAKCHIUS. 59
him to accept a divinity professorship in the uni- versity of Heidelberg, upon the decease of the fa- mous Zachary Ursin. In the beginning of the year 1568, Zanchy entered on his new situation ; and shortly after opened the chair with an admi- rable oration, De conservando in ecclesia puroputo verbo Dei. In the same year he received his doctor's degree ; the Elector Palatine, and his son prince Casimir, honouring the ceremony with their presence.
He had not been long settled in the palatinate, when the Elector (one of the most amiable and religious princes of that age) strongly solicited him to confirm and elucidate the doctrine of the Trinity, by writing a professed treatise on that most important subject : desiring him, moreover, to be very particular and explicit in canvassing the arguments made use of by the Socinians, who had then fixed their head quarters in Poland and Transylvania, and were exhausting every ar- tifice of sophistry and subterfuge, to degrade the Son and Spirit of God to the level of mere creatures. Zanchy accordingly employed his leisure hours in obeying this pious command. His masterly and elaborate treatise, De Dei na- iura ; and that De tribus Elohim una eodemque Jehova; were written on this occasion: treatises fraught with the most solid learning and argu- ment, breathing at the same time, the amiable spirit of genuine candour and transparent piety. Among a variety of interesting particulars, he does not omit to inform his readers, that Leslius
60 THfi LIFE OF
Socinus, and other favourers of the Servetian hy- pothesis, had spared rreither pains nor art to per- vert his judgment, and win him over to their party ; but that, finding him inflexible, they had broke off all intercourse with him, and from art- ful adulators, commenced his determined ene- mies. An event this, which he even looked upon as a blessing, and for which he conceived himself bound to render his best thanks to the supreme head of the church, Christ Jesus. He retained his professorship at Heidelberg ten years ; when, the elector Frederic being dead, he removed to Newstadt, the residence of prince John Casimir, count Palatine. Here he chose to fix his station for the present, in preference to two invitations he had just received ; one from the university of Leyden, then lately opened ; the other from the Protestant church at Antwerp. The conduct of Divine Providence respecting Zanchy's frequent removals is very observable. He was a lover of peace, and passionately fond of retirement. But he was too bright a luminary to be always continued in one place. The salt of the earth must be sprink- led here and there, in order to be extensively use- ful, and to season the church throughout. Hence, God's faithful ministers, like the officers in a mo- narch's army, are quartered in various places ; stationed and remanded hither and thither, as may most conduce to their master's service.
The church of Newstadt enjoyed our author upwards of seven years. Being by that time far advanced in life, and the infirmities of age coming
JEROM ZANCHIUS. 61
on him very fast, he found himself obliged to cease from that constant series of labour and in- tenseness of application, which he had so long and 30 indefatigably undergone. He was, at his owh request, dismissed from public service at New- stadt, by the elector Casimir ; receiving at the same time, very substantial marks of respect and favour from that religious and generous prince.
From Newstadt, he repaired once more td Heidelberg; chiefly with a view to see some of his old friends. This proved his last removal on earth ; for shortly after, his soul now ripe for glory, dropped the body, and ascended to heaven about six in the morning of November 19, 1590, iEt. 75. His remains were interred at Heidel- berg, in the college chapel of St. Peter ; where a small monumental stone was set up to his memo- ry, with this inscription :
Hieronymi hie sunt condita ossa Zanchii, Itali ; exulantis, Christi amore, a patria : Qui theologus quantus fuerit et philosophus, Testantur hoc, libri editi ab eo plurimi ; Testantur hoc, quos voce docuit in scholis ; Quique audiere eum docentem ecclesias. Nunc ergo, quamvis hinc migrant spiritu, Claro tamen nobis remansit nomine.*
Decessit A. mdxc. Die 19 No vera.
* Here Zancky rests, whom love of truth constraint To quit his own and seek a foreign land. How good and great he was, how form'd to shine, How fraught with science human and divine ;
62 THE LIFE OF
I cannot help lamenting, that no more is to bd collected concerning this incomparable man, than a few outlines of his life ; comprizing little else but a dry detail of dates and removals.
As to his person, I can find no description of it, except from some very old and scarce prints, most of which were struck from engravings on ■wood. These represent him as extremely corpu- lent, even to unwieldiness : and yet, from the as- tonishing extent, profoundness and exquisite ac- tivity of his learning, judgment and genius, one might well nigh be induced to imagine, that he consisted entirely of soul, without any dead weight of body at all : for, of his mind, his wri- tings present us with the loveliest image. He seems to have been possessed, and in a very su- perior degree, of those graces, virtues and abili- ties, which ennoble and exalt human nature to the highest elevation it is capable of below. His clear insight into the truths of the gospel is won- derful ! especially, considering that the church of God was but just emerging from the long and dismal night of Popish darkness ; and himself, previous to his conversion, as deeply plunged in the shades as any. It is a blessing which but few are favoured with, to step, almost at once, out of midnight into meridian day. He was tho-
Sufficient proof his num'rous writings give, And those who heard him teach and saw him live Earth still enjoys him, tho' his soul is fled : lite name is deathless tho' his dust is de^.
JEROM 2ANCHIFS. 63
roughly experienced in the divine life of the soul; and an happy subject of that internal kingdom of God. which lies in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. This enabled him to sus- tain that impetus of opposition, which he almost constantly met with. Few persons have ordina- rily borne a larger share of the cross, and perhaps none ever sustained it better. In him were hap- pily centred, all the meek benevolence of charity, and all the adamantine firmness of intrepidity : qualities, alas, not constantly united in men of orthodoxy and learning.
He was intimately conversant with the writings of the fathers, and of the philosophers of that and the preceding times. His modesty and humility were singular. No man was ever more studious to preserve peace in the church of Christ, nor more highly relished the pleasures of learned and religious friendship. For some time before his decease, it pleased God to deprive him of his eye- sight : for this I take to be the meaning of the excellent Melchior Adamus j* to whom I am in- debted for much of the preceding account. His works, which, with his letters, and some other small pieces included, are divided into nine tomes, were collected and published by his exe- cutors some years after his death, and are usually bound together in three volumes, folio. He was twice married, and had several children ; none of
• His words concerning- Zanchy are ir, eentcta qM<e nvnqaam etla vcnit, fato Isaaci oknteciw.
■64 THE LIFE OF
which, so far as I can find, appear to have sur vived him.
He is said by Mr. Leigh,* to have been one u of the most scholastical among the Protest- ants :" which, however, may be questioned ; his style and manner of treating an argument be- ing rather plain and solid, than subtil and meta- physical. If scholism be an excellence in a wri- ter, it is certain that the elder Spanhemius, and the great Francis Turretin, have since much ex- ceeded Zanchy in that respect. Our learned countryman, Mr. Matthew Poole, terms himf Theologus non e multis ; cujus commentar'ia sin- gulari eruditione atque lacumine composita, anc- torem suum doctissimum referunt : u A divine of the first class ; whose expositions, written with extraordinary learning and ability, prove him to have been a most accomplished scholar." Even Mr. Bayle, who never seems to have been better pleased, than when he could pick an hole in the gown of an ecclesiastic, though himself was the son of one ; yet allows our author to have been ** one of the most celebrated Protestant divines, and that few ministers have been so moderate as he."
Nor must I omit the honour put upon him by our university of Cambridge, within five yeare after his death. One William Barre«4 fellow
• Account of Rel. and Learn. Men, p. 370.
f Svnops. Criticor. vol. iv. part 2- in Przelocni. ad Lect
t See Fuller's Hist of Cambridge, p. 150.
JEROM ZANCIIIUS 65
t>f Gonville and Caius college, ventured, April 29, 1595, to preach an Arminian sermon, in the face of the university, at St. Mary's. I say, ven- tured ; for it was a bold and dangerous attempt, at that time, when the church of England was in her purity, for any man to propagate Arminianism :* and indeed, Barret himself paid dear for his inno- vating rashness ; which ended in his ruin. The university were so highly offended, both at his presumption in daring to avow his novel, hetero- dox opinions, and for mentioning some great di- vines, among whom Zanchy -was one, in terms of the highest rancour and disrespect, that he was en- joined to make a public recantation in that very pulpit from whence he had so lately vented his
* As every reader may not have a clear determinate idea of what Arminianism precisely is, it may to such be satifac- torv to know, that it consists chiefly of five particulars. (1.) The Arminians will not allow election to be an eternal, pe- -culiar, unconditional and irreversible act of God. (2) They assert, that Christ died equally and indiscriminately for every individual of mankind ; for them that perish, no less than for them that are saved, (3.) That saving grace is tendered to tiie acceptance of every man ; which he may, or may not re- ceive, just as he pleases. Consequently, (4.) That the rege- nerating- power of the Holy Spirit is not invincible, but is suspended for its efficacy on the will of man. (5.) That saving grace is not an abiding principle ; but that those who are loved of God, ransomed by Christ, and born again of the Spirit, may (let God wish and strive ever so much to the contrary) throw all away, and perish eternally at last.
To these, many Arminians tack avart y of errors hes:de. But tie above may be considered as a general skeleton vf the leading mistakes winch characterize the sect. 6
66 THE LIFE OF
errors. This he did the 5th of May following, Part of his recantation ran* thus : " Lastly, I
* Postremo, temere hxc verba efludi adversis Johannem Calvinum, virum de ecclesia Christi optime meritum j Eum -nimirum ansum fuisse sese attollere supra altissimi & omni- potentis Dei vere altissimum et omnipotent Filium. Quibus verbis me viro doctissimo, vereque pio, magnam injuriam fe- cisse fateor : temeritatemque banc meam ut omnes condone- tis, humillime precor. Turn etiam quod nonnulla adversus P. Martyrem, Theodorum Bezam, Hieronymum Zanchi- vm, Franciscum Junium, ct cateros ejusdem religionis, Ec- clesite nostrx lumina & omamenta, acerbissime effuderim ; eos odioso nomine appellans Calvinistas, & aliis verbis igno- miniae gravissimam infamiae notam inurens. Quos quia Ec- clesia nostra merito reveretur, non erat aequum, et ego eorum famam violarem, aut existimationem aliqua ratione imminue- rem ; aut aliquos e nostris dehortarer, ne eorum doctissima
scripta legerent.
Strype's Life of W bit gift. Appendix, p. 186. I cannot help observing one more particular respecting this •famous recantation, wherein the recanter thus expressed him- self: Secundo, Petri fidem deficere non potuisse, asserui ; at aliorum posse, 8cc. i. e. " I asserted, that Peter's faitli indeed could not fail, but that the faith of other believers might ; whereas, now being by Christ's own word brought to a better and sounder mind, I acknowledge that Christ prays for the faith of each believer in particular ; and, that by the efficacy of Christ's prayer, all true believers are so supported, that their faith cannot fail." Barret asserted, rank Arminian as he was, that Peter's faith did not actually fail. But we have had a recent instance of an Arminian preacher, who avers without ceremony, that Peter's faith did fail. The passage, Verbatim, without adding a jot, or diminishing atitile, stands thus: " Peter's faith failed, though Christ himself prayed it might not." See a sermon on 1 Cor. ix. 27. preached before the university of Oxford, Feb. 19, 1769, by John Allen, M. A* .rice-principal of Magdalen Hail, p. 17,
JEROM 2ANCHIUS. 67
rashly uttered these words against John Calvin, (a person, than whom none has deserved better of the church,) namely, that he had presumed to ex- alt himself above the Son of God j in saying which, I acknowledge that I greatly injured that most learned and truly pious man ; and I do most humbly entreat, that ye will all forgive this my rashness. I also threw out, in a most rancorous manner, some reflections against Peter Martyr, Theodore Beza, Jerom Zanchy, Francis Junius, and others of the same religion, who were the lights and ornaments o/our church : calling them by the malicious name of Calvinists, and brand- ing them with other reproachful terms. I did wrong in assailing the reputation of these persons, and in endeavouring to lessen the estimation in which they are held, and in dissuading any from reading their most learned works ; seeing our church holds these divines in deserved reverence" I would hope, as our articles of religion have not been changed but stand just as they did at that very time, that the church of England, in the year 1769, still considers the above great men (and Zanchy among the rest) as some of her an- cient lights and ornaments : and that she
This is Arminianism double-distilled. The common sim- ple Arminianism, that served Barret, and Laud, and Heylin, will not do now for our more enlightened divines. Whether Peter's faith failed or not, that Mr. Allen's modesty has fail- ed him, is, I believe, what nobody ean deny.
C8 THE LIFE OF JEHOM ZANCHIUfcV
holds them and their writings, in the same di> served reverence, as did the church of Eng- land in the vear 1595,
OBSERVATIONS
DIVINE ATTRIBUTES;
KECESSARY TO BE PREMISED, IN ORDER TO OTJR BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE DOCTRINE OF
PREDESTINATION.
ALTHOUGH the great and ever-blessed God is a being absolutely simple, and infinitely remote from all shadow of composition ; he is, neverthe- less, in condescension to our weak and contract- ed faculties, represented in scripture, as possess- ed of divers properties, or attributes, which, though seemingly different from his essence, are in reality essential to him, and constitutive to his very nature..
Of these attributes, those on which we shall now particularly descant (as being more immedi- ately concerned in the ensuing subject,) are the following ones; 1. His eternal wisdom and fore- knowledge. 2. The absolute freedom and liberty of his will. 3. The perpetuity and unchangeable- ness both of himself and his decrees. 4. His om- nipotence. 5. His justice. 6. Hi& mercy.
. Without an explication of these the doctrine
of predestination cannot be so well understood :
we shall, therefore, briefly consider them, by wav
of preliminarv to the main subject.
6 *
7a
I. With respect to the divine wisdom and fore- knowledge, 1 shall lay down the following posi- tions.
Pos. 1. God is, and always was, so perfectly wise, hat nothing ever did, or does, or can, elude his knowledge. He knew from all eternity, not only what he himself intended to do, but also what he would incline and permit others to do. Acts xv. 1 8. * Known unto God are all his works, **' *i&»i(&, from eternity."
Pos. 2. Consequently, God knows nothing now, nor will know any thing hereafter, which he did not know and foresee from everlasting : his fore- knowledge being co-eternal with himself, and ex- tending to every thing that is or shall be done. Heb. iv. 13. All things, which comprises past, present and future, are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Pos. 3. This foreknowledge of God is not conjectural and uncertain, (for then it would not be foreknowledge) but most sure and infallible : so that whatever he foreknows to be future, shall ne- cessarily and undoubtedly come to pass. For his knowledge can no more be frustrated, or his wisdom be deceived, than he can cease to be God. Nay, ceuld either of these be the case, he actually %vould cease to be God ; all mistake and disap- pointment being absolutely incompatible with the divine nature.
Pos. 4. The influence which the divine fore- knowledge has on the certain futurition of the things foreknown, does not render the interven- tion of second causes needless, nor destroy the nature of the things themselves.
My meaning is, that the prescience of God does not lay any coercive necessity on the wills of beings na:urally free. For inst-mce, man, even in his fallen state, is endued with a natural
71
freedom of will ; yet he acts, from the first to the last moment of his life, in absolute subserviency (though, perhaps he does not know it, nor design it) to the purposes and decrees of God concern- ing him : notwithstanding which, he is sensible of no compulsion, but acts as freely and volunta- rily, as if he was sui juris, subject to no control, and absolutely lord of himself. This made Lu- ther*, after he had shown how all things necessa- rily and inevitably come to pass, in consequence of the sovereign will and infallible foreknowledge of God, say, that " We should carefully distin- guish between a necessity of infallibility, and a necessity of coaction ; since both good and evil men, though by their actions they fulfil the de- cree and appointment of God, yet are not forci- bly constrained to do any thing but act willingly."
Pos. 5. God's foreknowledge, taken abstract- edly, is not the sole cause of beings and events ; but his will and foreknowledge together. Hence we find, Acts ii. 23. that his determinate counsel and foreknowledge act in concert ; the latter re- sulting from, and being founded on, the former. We pass on,
II. To consider the will of God : with regard to which we assert as follows.
Pos. 1. The Deity is possessed not only of infinite knowledge, but likewise of absolute li- berty of will : so that whatever he does, or per- mits to be done, he does and permits freely, and of his own good pleasure.
Consequently, it is his free pleasure to permit sin : since, without his permission, neither men nor devils can do any thing. Now, to permit,
* De Scry- Arb. cap. 44",
72
is, at least, the same as not to hinder, though it be in our power to hinder if we please : and this permission, or non-hindrance, is certainly an act of the divine will. Hence Austin* says, " Those things which seemingly thwart the divine will, are nevertheless agreeable to it ; for if God did not permit them, they could not be done : and whatever God permits, he permits freely and willingly. He does nothing, neither suffers any thing to be done, against his own will." And Luther\ observes, that " God permitted Adam to fall into sin, because he willed that he should
so fall." , ' .
Pos. 2. Although the will of God, considered in itself, is simply one and the same; yet, m condescension to the present capacities of men, the divine Will is very properly distinguished into secret and revealed. Thus it was his re- vealed will, that Pharaoh should let the Israel- ites go ; that Abraham should sacrifice his son ; and that Peter should not deny Christ, but as was proved by the event, it was his secret will that Pharaoh should not let Israel go, Exod. iv. 21. that Abraham should not sacrifice Isaac, Gen. xxii. 12. and that Peter should deny his Lord, Matt. xxvi. 34.
Pos, 3. The will of God respecting the sal- vation and condemnation of men, is never con- trary to itself; he immutably wills the salvation of the elect, and vice versa : nor can he ever vary or deviate from his own will in any instance whatever, so as that that should be done, which he willeth not ; or that not be brought to pass, which he willeth. Isai. xliv. 10. My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. Psalm
* Enchir cap. 100. t De Serv. Art. c. 15?
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xxxiii. 11. The counsel of the Lord standetfo for ever, and the thoughts of his heart to all ge- nerations. Job xxiii. 13, 14. He is in one mindr who can turn him ? and what his soul desireth, even that he doth; for he performeth the thing that is appointed for me ; and many such things are with him. Eph. i. 11. Being predestinated, according to the purpose of him, who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.
Thus, for instance, Hophni and Phineas heark- ened not to the voice of their father, who repro- ved them for their wickedness, because the Lord would slay them, 1 Sam. ii. 25. and Sihon, king of Heshbon, would not receive the peaceable message sent him by Moses, because the Lord God hardened his spirit, and made his heart ob- stinate, that he might deliver him into the hand of Israel, Deut. ii. 26, 30. Thus also, to add no more, we find that there have been, and ever will be, some whose eyes God blindeth, and whose hearts he hardeneth, i. e. whom God permits to continue blind and hardened, on purpose to pre- vent their seeing with their eyes, and understand- ing with their hearts, and to hinder their conver- sion to God, and spiritual healing by him, isai, vl. 9. John xii. 39, 40.
Pes. 4. Becv.use God's xvill of precept may in some instances appear to thwart his xvill of determination ; it does not follow, either, 1. that he mocks his creatures, or, 2. that they are ex- cusable for neglecting to observe his will of command.
(1.) He does not hereby mock his creatures ; for, if men do not believe his word, nor observe his precepts, the fault is not in him, but in them- selves ; their unbelief and disobedience are not owing to any ill mlused into them by God, but to the vitiosity of their depraved nature, and the
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the perverseness of their own wills. ' Now, if God invited all men to come to him, and then shut the door of mercy against any who were de- sirous of entering ; his invitation would be a mockery, and unworthy of himself: but we insist on it, that he does not invite all men to come to him in a saving way : and that every individual person, who is, through his gracious influence on his heart, made willing to come to him, shall, sooner or later surely be saved by him, and that with an everlasting salvation. (2.) Man is not excusable for neglecting God's will of command. Pharaoh was faulty, and therefore justlv punish- able for not obeying God's revealed will, though God's secret will rendered that obedience impos- sible. Abraham would have committed sin, had he refused to sacrifice Isaac ; and in looking to God's secret will, would have acted counter to his revealed one. So Herod, Pontius Pilate, and the reprobate Jews, were justly condemned for putting Christ to death, inasmuch as it was a most notorious breach of God's revealed will. " Thou shalt do no murder ;" yet, in slaying the Messiah, they did no more than God's hand and his counsel, i. e. his secret, ordaining will, de- termined before should be done, Acts iv. 27, 28. and Judas is justly punished for perfidiously and wickedly betraying Christ, though his perfidy and wickedness were (but not with iiis design) sub- servient to the accomplishment of the decree and word of God.
The brief of the matter is this ; secret things belong to God, and those that are revealed belong to us : therefore, when we meet with a plain pre- cept, we should simply endeavour to obey it, with- out tarrying to inquire into God's hidden pur- pose. Venerable Bucer, after taking notice how God hardened Pharaoh's heart, and making some
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observations on the Apostle's simile of a potter' and his clay ; adds,* that '* Though God has at least the same right over his creatures, and is at liberty to make them what he will, and direct them to the end that pleaseth himself, according to his sovereign and secret determination ; yet it by no means follows, that they do not act freely and spontaneously, or that the evil they commit is to be charged on God."
Pos. 5. God's hidden will is peremptory and absolute : and therefore cannot be hindered from taking effect.
God's will is nothing else than God himself willing : consequently, it is omnipotent and un- frustrabfe. Hence we find it termed by Austia and the schoolmen, voluntas omnipotentissima, be- cause, whatever God wills, cannot fail of being effected. This made Austin say,f " Evil men do many things contrary to God's revealed will ; but so. great is his wisdom, and so inviolable his truth, that he directs all things into those chan- nels which he foreknew." And again,:}: " No free will of the creature can resist the will of God; for man cannot so will, or nill, as to obstruct the divine determination, or overcome the divine power." Once more§ " It cannot be questioned, but God does all things, and ever did according to his own purpose : the human will cannot resist him, so as to make him do more or less than it is his pleasure to do, quandoquidem etiam de ipsh Jionibium voluntatibus quod vult facity since he does what he pleases even with the wills ol men. Pos. 6. Whatever comes to pass, comes to pass by virtue of this absolute, omnipotent will of
* Bucer ad R-.jn. ix. f De Civ. Dei. 1 22, c. JL-
* Ee (Joir. &. Grat. c. 1* $ Ibid.
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■God, which is the primary and supreme cause of all things. Rev. ix. 11. " Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created." Psalm cxv. 3 " Our God is in the heavens ; he hath done whatsoever he pleased." Dan. iv. 35. " He doth according to his will, ia th? army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth ; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What dost thou ?" Psalm cxxxv. 6. ■" Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and deep places." Mat. x. 29. " Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing ? and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father. To all which Austin subscribes when he says,?* " No- thing is done but what the Almighty wills should be done, either efficiently or permissively." As does LutfteY', whose words are these,f "This therefore must stand ; to wit the unsearchable will of God, without which nothing exists or acts." And again, c. 160. " God would not be such, if he was not almighty, and if any thing could be done without him." And elsewhere, c. 158. he quotes these words of Erasmus : " Supposing there was an earthly prince, who could do what- ever he would, and none were able to resist him ; we might safely say of such an one, that he would certainly fulfil his own desire : in like manner, the will of God, which is the first cause of all things, should seem to lay a kind of necessity up- on our wills." This Luther approves of, and sub- joins, ** Thanks be to God for this orthodox pas- sage in Erasmus's discourse ! but, if this be true, what becomes of his doctrine of free will, which he at other times so strenuously contends for r"
* Tom. 3. in Encbi. f De Serv. Arb. c. 14o-
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Pos. 7. The will of God is so the cause of all things, as to be itself without cause ; for nothing can be the cause of that, which is the cause of every thing.
So that the divine will is the ne plus ultra of all our inquiries : when we ascend to that we can go no farther. Hence, we find every matter re- solved ultimately into the mere sovereign plea- sure of God, as the spring and occasion of what- soever is done in heaven and earth. Mat. xi. 25. " Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes : even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight." Luke xii. 32. "It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Mat. viii. 3. " I will, be thou clean." Mark iii. 13. " He went up into a mountain, and called unto him whom he would." Jam. i. 18. " Of his own will begat he us, with the word of truth." John i. 13. " Which were born not of blood, nor of the wiH of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Rom. ix. 15, 18. "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. Therefore he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." And no wonder that the will of God should be the main spring that sets all inferior wheels in motion, and should like- wise be the rule by which he goes in all his deal- ings with his creatures ; since nothing out of God, i. e. exterior to himself, can possibly induce him to will or nill one thing rather than another. Deny this, and you at one stroke destroy his im- mutability and independency : since he can never be independent, who acts pro re nata, as emergen- cy requires, and whose will is suspended on that of others : not unchangeable, whose purposes vary arid take all shapes, according as the persons or •7
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things vary, who are the objects of those purpo- ses. The only reason, then, that can be assign- ed, why the Deity does this, or omits that, is, because it is his own free pleasure. Luther^ in answer to that question, " Whence it was, that Adam was permitted to fall, and corrupt his whole posterity, when God could have prevent- ed his falling," &c. says, " God is a Being, whose will acknowledges no cause : neither is it for us to prescribe rules to his sovereign pleasure, or call him to account for what he does. He has neither supei'ior nor equal ; and his will is the rule of all things. He did not therefore will such and such things, because they were in themselves right, and he was bound to will them ; but they are therefore equitable and right, because he wills them. The will of man indeed may be influ- enced and moved ; but God's will never can. To assert the contrary is to undeify him." Bucer likewise observes,! " God has no other motive for what he does, than ipsa voluntas, his own mere will ; which will is so far from being un- righteous, that it is justice itself."
Pos. 8. Since, as was lately observed, the de- termining will of God being omnipotent, cannot be obstructed or made void ; it follows, that he never did, nor does he now, will that every indi- vidual of mankind should be saved.
If this was his will, not one single soul could ever be lost : (for who hath resisted his will r) and he would surely afford all men those effectual means of salvation, without which it cannot be had. Now God could afford these means as ea- sily to all mankind as to some only : but experi- ence proves that he does not ; and the reason is
* De Serv. Arb. c 153. | Ad Rem. ix.
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equally plain, namely, that he will not : for what- soever the Lord pleaseth, that does he in heaven and on earth. It is said, indeed, by the apostle, that God would have all men saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth ? i. e. as Austin,* consonantly with other scriptures, explains the passage, " God will save some out of the whole race of mankind," that is, persons of all nations, kindreds and tongues. Nay, he will save all men ; i. e. as the same father observes, M every kind of men, or men of every kind," namely, the election of grace, be they bond or free, noble or ignoble, rich or poor, male or female. Add to this, that it evidently militates against the majes- ty, omnipotence, and supremacy of God, to sup- pose that he can either will any thing in vain, or that any thing can take effect against his will : therefore Bucer observes very rightly, ad Ro7n. ix. " God doth not will the salvation of repro- bates, seeing he hath not chosen them, neither created them to that end." Consonant to which are those words of Luther,] " This mightily of- fends our rational nature, that God should, of his own mere unbiassed will, leave some men to themselves, harden them, and then condemn them : but he has given abundant demonstration, and does continually, that this is really the case; namely, that the sole cause why some are saved, and others perish, proceeds from his willing the salvation of the former, and the perdition of the latter, according to that of Paul, ' He hath mere)* on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.' "
* Enchir. c. 103. 8; de Gprr. 8; Gr. c 14. j Be Serv. Arb. c 161.
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Pos. 9. As God doth not will that each indivi- dual of mankind should be saved ; so neither did he will that Christ should properly and immedi- ately die for each individual of mankind ; whence it follows, that though the blood of Christ, from its own intrinsic dignity, was sufficient for the redemption of all men, yet, in consequence of his Father's appointment, he shed it intentionally, and therefore effectually and immediately, for the 'elect only.
This is self-evident. God, as we have before proved, wills not the salvation of every man : but he gave his Son to die for them whose salvation he willed ; therefore his Son did not die for every man. All those, for whom Christ died, are sa- ved; and the divine justice indispensably requires that to them the benefits of his death should be imparted; but only the elect are saved; they only partake of those benefits ; consequently, for them only he died and intercedes. The aposde, Rom. viii. asks, " Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? it is God that justi- ces," i. e. his elect, exclusively of others : " who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ that died" for them, exclusively of others. The plain mean- ing of the passage is, that those whom God jus- tifies, and for whom Christ died, (justification and redemption being of exactly the same extent,) cannot be condemned. These privileges are ex- pressly restricted to the elect : therefore God justifies and Christ died for them alone. t In the same chapter, Paul asks ; " He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, (i. e. for all us elect persons) how shall he not, with him, also freely give us all things ?" i. e. salvation, and all things necessary to it. Now, it is certain that these are not given to
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every individual ; and yet, if Paul says true, they are given to all those for whom Christ was delivered to death ; consequently, he was not de- livered to death for every individual. To the same purpose St, Austin argues, in Johan. tract. 45. col. 335. Hence that saying of Ambrose,* " si non credis, non tibi passus est" i. e. if you are an unbeliever, Christ did not die for you. Meaning, that whoever is left under the power of final unbelief, is thereby evidenced to be one of those for whom Christ did not die : but that all for whom he suffered, shall be, in this life, sooner or later, endued with faith. The church of Smyrna, in their letter to the diocese of Pon- tus, insist every where on the doctrine of special redemption.! Bucer, in all parts of his works, observes, that " Christ died restrictively for the elect only ; but for them universally."
Pos. 10. From what has been laid down, it follows, that Austin, Luther, Bucer, the scholas- tic divines, and other learned writers, are not to be blamed for asserting that u God may, in some sense, be said to will the being and commission of sin." For, was this contrary to his deter- mining will of permission, either he would not be omnipotent, or sin could have no place in the world : but he is omnipotent, and sin has place in the world ; which it could not have, if God willed otherwise ; for " who hath resisted his will ?" Rom. ix. No one can deny that God permits sin : but he neither permits it ignorantly, nor unwillingly ; therefore, knowingly and wil- lingly. Vid Aust. Enchir. c. 96- Luther stead- fastly maintains this in his book de Scrv. Arbitr. and Bucer in Rom. 1. However, it should be
* Ambros. Tom. 2. de fid. ad. Grat. 1. 4. a, I | Vid. Euseb. Hist. 1. 4. c 10.
7 *
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carefully noticed, (1.) That God's permission of sin does not arise from his taking delight in it : on the contrary, sin, as sin, is the abominable thing that his soul hateth : and his efficacious permission of it is for wise and good purposes. Whence that observation of Austin,* M God, who is no less omnipotent than he is supremely and perfectly holy, would never have permitted evil to enter among his works, but in order that he might do good even with that evil," i. e. over- rule it for good in the end. (2.) That God's free and voluntary permission of sin lays no man under any forcible or compulsive necessity of committing it : consequently, the Deity can by no means be termed the author of moral evil ,* to which he is not, in the proper sense of the word, accessary, but only remotely or negatively so, in- asmuch as he could, if he pleased, absolutely prevent it.
We should, therefore, be careful not to give up the omnipotence of God, under a pretence of exalting his holiness : he is infinite in both, and therefore neither should be set aside or obscured. To say that God absolutely nills the being and commission of sin, while experience convinces us that sin is acted every day, is to represent the Deity as a weak, impotent being, who would fain have things go otherwise than they do, but cannot accomplish his desire. On the other hand, to say that he willeth sin, doth not in the least detract from the holiness and rectitude of his nature ; because, whatever God wills, as well as whatever he does, cannot be eventually evil : materially evil it may be j but, as was just said, it must, ultimately, be directed to some
* Enciur. c 11.
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wise and just end, otherwise he could not will it : for his will is righteous and good, and the sole rule of right and wrong, as is often observed by Austin, Luther, and others.
Pos. 11. In consequence of God's immutable will and infallible foreknowledge, whatever things come to pass, come to pass necessarily ; though, with respect to second causes, and us men, many things are contingent : i. e» unexpected, and seemingly accidental.
That this was the doctrine of Luther, none can deny, who are in any measure acquainted with his works : particularly with his treatise De servo Arbitrio, or free will a slave : the main drift of which book is, to prove, that the will of man is by nature enslaved to evil only, and, be- cause it is fond of that slavery, is therefore said to be free. Among other matters, he proves there, that, " whatever man does, he does neces- sarily, though not with anv sensible compulsion : and that we can only do what God from eternity willed and foreknew he should ; which will of God must be effectual, and his foresight must be certain." Hence we find him saying,* " It is most necessary and salutary for a Christian to be assured, that God foreknows nothing uncer- tainly ; but that he determines, and foresees, and acts, in all things, according to his own eternal, immutable, and infallible will;" adding u Hereby, as with a thunderbolt, is man's free will thrown down and destroyed." A little after, he shews in what sense he took the word necessity ; " By it," says he, " I do not mean that the will suf- fers any forcible constraint, or coaction ; but the infallible accomplishment of those things, which
* Cap. 17, in Resp. ad. prxf-
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the immutable God decreed and foreknew con- cerning us." He goes on : « Neither the divine nor human will does any thing by constraint ; but, whatever man does, be it good or bad, he does with as much appetite and willingness, as if his wil was really free. But, after all, the will of Cxod is certain and unalterable, and is the go- verness of ours." Exactly consonant to all which are those words of Luther's friend and tellow-labourer, Melancthon :{ » All things turn out according to divine predestination; not only the works we do outwardly, but even the thoughts we think inwardly :" adding, in the same place, 1 here is no such thing as chance, or fortune ; nor is there a readier way to gain the fear of Ooci, and to put our whole trust in him, than to be thoroughly versed in the doctrine of predes- tination." I could cite, to the same purpose Austin Aquines, and many other learned men • but, for brevity sake, forbear. That this is the doctrine of scripture, every adept in those sacred books cannot but acknowledge. See particular- ly, Psalm cxxxv. 6. Mat. x. 29. Prov. xvi. 1. Mat. xxvi. 54. Luke xxii. 22. Acts iv. 28. Eph. t, 11. Isa. xlvi. 10.
Pos. 12. As God knows nothing now which he did not know from all eternity, so he wills nothing now which he did not will from everlasting.
I his position needs no explanation nor enforce- ment; it being self-evident, that if anv thins can accede to God de novo, i. e. if he can at anv time be wiser than he always was, or will that at one time, which he did not will from all eternity; ^ese dreadful consequences must ensue, (lA Inat the knowledge of God is not perfect, since
i In Eph. 1.
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what is absolutely perfect non rccipit mag-is & ■minus, cannot admit either of addition or detrac- tion. If I add to any thing, it is from a supposal that that thing was not complete before ; if I de- tract from it, it is supposed that that detraction renders it less perfect than it was. But the know- ledge of God being infinitely perfect, cannot con- sistently with that perfection be either increased or lessened. (2.) That the will of God is fluctu- ating, mutable., and unsteady ; consequently, that God himself is so, his will coinciding with his essence, contrary to the avowed assurances of scripture, and the strongest dictates of reason, as we shall presently show when we come to treat of the divine immutability.
Pos. 13. The absolute will of God is the ori- ginal spring and efficient cause of his people's sal- vation.
I say the original and efficient j For sensu com- plexo, there are other intermediate causes of their salvation, which however all result from, and are subservient to, this primary one, the will of God. Such are his everlasting choice of them to eternal life, the eternal covenant of grace entered into by the Trinity in behalf of the elect, the incarnation, obedience, death and intercession of Christ for them all, which are so many links in the great chain of causes ; and not one of these can be ta- ken away without marring and subverting the whole gospel plan of salvation by Jesus Christ. We see then, that the free, unbiassed, sovereign will of God is the root of this tree of life, which bears so many glorious branches, and yields such salutary fruits : He therefore loved the elect, and ordained them to life, because he would, according to that of the apostle, " having predestinated us — according to the good pleasure of his will." Eph. i. 3. Then, next after God's covenant for
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his people, and promises to them, comes in the infinite merit of Christ's righteousness and atone- ment; for we were chosen to salvation in him as members of his mystic body, and through him as our surety and substitute, by whose vicarious obe- dience to the moral law, and submission to its curse and penalty, all we whose names are in the book of life should never incur the divine hatred, or be punished for our sins, but continue to eter- nity, as we were from eternity heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. But still divine grace and favour (and God extends these to whom he will) must be considered as what gave birth to the glorious scheme of redemption, according to what our Lord himself teaches us, John iii. 16. il God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son," &c. and that of the apostle, 1 John iv. 9. " In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that he sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him."
Pos. 14. Since this absolute will of God is both immutable and omnipotent, we infer that the salvation of every one of the elect is most infalli- bly certain, and can by no means be prevented. This necessarily follows from what we have al- ready asserted and proved concerning the divine will, which as it cannot be disappointed or made void, must undoubtedly secure the salvation of all whom God wills should be saved.
From the whole of what has been delivered under this second head, I would observe, That the genuine tendency of these truths is, not to make men indolent and careless, or lull them to sleep on the lap of presumption and carnal secu- rity; but, (1.) To fortify the people of Christ against the attacks of unbelief, and the insults of their spiritual enemies : and what is so fit to
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guard them against these, as the comfortable per- suasion of God's unalterable will to save them, and of their unalienable interest in the sure mer- cies of David ? (2.) To withdraw them entirely from all dependence, whether on themselves or any creature whatever ; to make them renounce their own righteousness, no less than their sins in point of reliance, and to acquiesce sweetly and safely in the certain perpetuity of his rich favour. (3.) To excite them from a trust of his good will to- ward them, to love that God, who hath given such great and numberless proofs of his love to men ; and in all their thoughts, words and works, to aim as much as possible at his honour and glory.
We were to consider, III. The unchangeableness which is essential to himself and his decrees.
Pos. 1. God is essentially unchangeable in him- self: were he otherwise he would be confessedly imperfect, since whoever changes, must change either for the better or for the worse ; whatever alteration any being undergoes, that being must ipso facto, either become more excellent than it was, or lose some of the excellency which it had. But neither of these can be the case with the Deity : He cannot change for the better, for that would necessarily imply that he was not perfectly good before ; he cannot change for the worse, for then he could not be perfectly good after that change. Ergo, God is unchangeable. And this is the uniform voice of scripture. Mai. iii. 6. u I am the Lord, I change not." James i. 17". u With him is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Psalm cii. 27. u Thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end."
Pos. 2. God is likewise absolutely unchange- able with regard to his purposes and promises-
Numb, xxiii. 19. k God is not a man, that he should lie ; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it.? or, hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good ?"
1 Sam. xv. 29 " The Strength of Israel will not lie, nor repent ; for he is not a man, that he should repent." Job xsiii. 13. " He is in one mind, and who can turn him ?" Ezek. xxiv. 14. " I, the Lord, have spoken it, it shall come to pass, and I will do it j I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent." Rom. xi. 29. " The gilts and calling of God are without repentance."
2 Tim. ii. 1.3. " He abideth faithful, and cannot deny himself."
By the purpose or decree of God, we mean his determinate counsel, whereby he did from all eternity preordain whatever he should do, or would permit to be done in time. In particular, it signifies his everlasting appointment of some men to life, and of others to death ,- which ap- pointment flows entirely from his own free and sovereign will. Rom. ix. " The children not yet being born, neither having done any good or evil, (that the purpose of God according to election, might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth) it was said, the elder shall serve the younger : as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."
The apostle then, in the very next words, anti- cipates an objection which he foresaw men of corrupt minds would make to this : " What shall we say then ? is there unrighteousness with God?" which he answers with, God forbid ! and resolves the whole of God's procedure with his creatures into his own sovereign and independent will : For he said to Moses, " I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have com- passion on whom I will have compassion.''
s&
We assert, that the decrees of God are not only immutable as to himself, it being inconsistent with his nature to alter in his purposes, or change his mind ; but that they are immutable likewise with respect to the objects of those decrees ; so that whatsoever od hath determined concerning every individual person or thing, shall surely and in- fallibly be accomplished in and upon them. Hence we find, that he actually sheweth mercy on whom he decreed to shew mercy, and harden- eth whom he resolved to harden, Rom. ix. 18. " For his counsel shall stand, and he will do all his pleasure," Isa. xlvi. 10. Consequently, his eternal predestination of men and things must be immutable as himself, and, so far from being reversible, can never admit of the least variation.
Pos. 3. '* Although," to use the words of Gre- gorv, u God never swerves from his decree, yet he often varies in his declarations :" That is al- ways sure and immoveable ; these are sometimes seemingly discordant. So, when he gave sentence against the Ninevites by Jonah, saying, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown, the meaning of the words is not that God absolutely intended, at the end of that space, to destroy the city ; but that, should God deal with those people according to their deserts, they would be totally extirpated from the earth : and should be so ex- tirpated, unless they rep nted speedily.
Likewise, when he told King Hezekiah, by the prophet Isaiah, Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die, and not live ; the meaning was, that with respect to second causes, and consider- ing the king's bad state of health and emaciated constitution, he could not, humanly speaking, live much longer. But still, the event shewed that God had immutably determined that he should live fifteen years more ; and, in order to that, had
8
yo
put it into his heart to pray for the blessing de- creed : just as in the case of Nineveh, lately men- tioned, God had resolved not to overthrow that city then ; and in order to the accomplishment of his own purpose in a way worthy of himself, made the ministry of Jonah the means of leading that people to repentance. All which, as it shews that God's absolute predestination does not set aside the use of means ; so does it likewise prove, that however various the declarations of God may appear, (to wit, when they proceed on a re- gard had to natural causes) his counsels and de- signs stand firm and immoveable, and can neither admit of alteration in themselves, nor of hin- drance in their execution. See this farther explain- ed by Bucer, in Rom. ix. where you will find the certainty of the divine appointments solidly as- serted and unanswerably vindicated. We now
come,
IV. To consider the Omnipotence of God.
Pos. 1. God is, in the most unlimited and ab- solute sense of the word, Almighty. Jer. x xii. 17. Behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched-out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee. Mat. xix. 26. With God all things are possible. The schoolmen very properly distinguish the omni- potence of God into absolute and actual ; by the former, God might do many things which he does not ; by the latter, he actually does whatever he will* For instance ; God might by virtue of his absolute power, have made more worlds than he has. He might have eternally saved every individual of mankind, without reprobating any : on the other hand, he might, and that with the strictest justice, have condemned all men, and saved none. He could, had it been his pleasure, have prevented the fall of angels and men, and
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thereby have hindered sin from having footing in and among his creatures. By virtue of his actual power, he made the universe ; executes the whole counsel of his will, both in heaven and earth ; governs and influences both men and things, ac- cording to his own pleasure ; fixes the bounds which they shall not pass ; and, in a word, work- eth all in all, Isa. xlv. 7. Amos iii. 6. John v. 17. Acts xvii. 26. 1 Cor xii. 6.
Pos. 2. Hence it follows that, since all things are subject to the divine control, God not only works efficaciously on his elect, in order that they may will and do that which is pleasing in his sight ; but does likewise frequently and power- fully suffer the wicked to fill up the measure of their iniquities, by committing fresh sins. Nay, he sometimes, but for wise and gracious ends, permits his own people to transgress : for he has the hearts and wills of men in his own hand, and inclines them to good, or delivers them up to evil, as he sees fit, yet without being the author of sin ; as Luther, Bucer, Austin and others, have piously and scripturally taught.
This position consists of two parts ; (1.) That God efficaciously operates on the hearts of his elect, and is thereby the sole author of all the good they do. See Eph. iii. 20. Phil. ii. 13. 1 Thess. ii. 13. Heb. xiii. 21. St. Austin* takes no few- er than nineteen chapters, in proving that what- ever good is in men, and whatever good they are enabled to do, is solely and entirely of God ; who, says he, " works in holy persons all their good desires, their pious thoughts, and their righteous actions ; and yet these holy persons, though thus wrought upon by God, will and do all these things freely : for it is he who rectifies their wills,
* De Grat. &. lib. Arb, a c 1. usque ad c. 20.
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which^ being originally evil, are made good by him ; and which wills, after he hath set them right and made them good, he directs to good actions and to eternal life ; wherein he does not force their wills, but makes them willing." (2.) That God often lets the wicked go on to more ungodliness : which he does, 1. Negatively, by withholding that grace, which alone can restrain them from evil. 2. Remotely, by the providential concourse and medi ation of second causes ; which second causes, meeting and acting in concert with the corruption of the re- probate's unregenerate nature, produce sinful effects. 3. Judicially, or in a way of judgment. Prov. xxi. 1. " The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of waters ; he turneth it whithersoever he will :" And if the king's heart, why not the hearts of all men ? Lam. iii. 38. a Out of the mouth of the Most High proceedeth not evil and good ?" Hence we find, that the Lord bid Shimei curse David, 2 Sam. xvi. 10. That he moved David himself to number the people, com- pare 1 Chron. xxi. 1. with 2 Sam. xxiv. 1. Stirred up Joseph's brethren to sell him into Egypt, Gen. 1. 20. Positively and immediately har- dened the heart of Pharaoh, Ex. iv. 21. Deli- vered up David's wives to be defiled by Absa- lom, 2 Sam. xii. 11. and xvi. 22. Sent a lying spirit to deceive Ahab, 1 Kings xxii. 20 — 23. And mingled a perverse spirit in the midst of Egypt, i. e. made that nation perverse, obdurate and stiffnecked, Isai. xix. 14. To cite other in- stances would be almost endless, and, after these, quite unnecessary; all being summed up in that express passage, Isai. xlv. 7. I make peace and create evil; I the Lord do all these things." See farther, 1 Sam. xvi. 14. Psalm cv. 25. Jer. xiii. 12, 13. Acts ii. 23. and iv. 28. Rom. xi. 8.
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2 Thess. ii. 11. Every one of which implies more* than a bare permission of sin. Bucer asserts this, not only in the place referred to below, but con- tinually throughout his works; particularly on Mat. vi. s. 2. where this is the sense of his com- ments on that petition, lead us not into tempta- tion j " It is abundantly evident, from most ex- press testimonies of scripture, that God, occa- sionally in the course of his providence, puts both elect and reprobate persons into circumstances of temptation : by which temptation are meant, not only those trials that are of an outward, afflictive nature, but those also that are inward and spiri- tual ; even such as shall cause the persons so tempted actually to turn aside from the path of duty to commit sin, and involve both themselves and others in evil. Hence we find the elect com- plaining. Isa. lxiii. 17. " O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and harden- ed our hearts from thy fear ?" But there is also a kind of temptation, which is peculiar to the non- elect ; whereby God, in a way of just judgment, makes them totally blind and obdurate : inasmuch as they are vessels of wrath fitted to destruction." See also his exposition of Rom. ix.
Luther] reasons to the very same effect : some of his words are these ; " It may seem absurd to human wisdom, that God should harden, blind and deliver up some men to a reprobate sense ; that he should first deliver them over to evil, and then condemn them for that evil ; but the believ- ing, spiritual man sees no absurdity at all in
* Vid Augustin, de Grat. & lib. Arbitr. c. 20. & 21. & Bute* in. Rom. i. sect 7.
t De Serv. Arb. c. 8- & 146. & 147. usq- ad. c- 165> 8 *
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this ; knowing that God would be never a whit less good, even though he should destroy all men." And again ; " God worketh all things in men ; even wickedness in the wicked : for this is one branch of his own omnipotence." He very properly explains, how God may be said to hard- en men, &c. and yet not be the author of their sin ; " It is not to be understood (says he) as if God found men good, wise and tractable, and then made them wicked, foolish and obdurate ; but God finding them depraved, judicially and pow- erfully excites them just as they are, (unless it is his will to regenerate any of them ;) and, by thus exciting them, they become more blind and ob- stinate than they were before." See this whole subject debated at large in the places last refer- red to.
Pos. 3. God, as the primary and efficient cause of all things, is not only the author of those ac- tions done by his elect, as actions, but also as they are good actions ; whereas, on the other hand, though he may be said to be the author of all the actions done by the wicked, yet he is not the author of them in a moral and compound sense, as they are sinful ; but physically, simply, and sensu divisoy as they are mere actions, ab- stractedly from all consideration of the goodness or badness of them.
Although there is no action whatever, which is not in some sense, either good or bad ; yet we easily conceive of an action, purely as such, with- out adverting to the quality of it : so that the distinction between an action itself and its deno- mination of good or evil, is very obvious and natural.
In and by the elect, therefore, God not only
produces works and actions through his almighty
-powers but likewise through the salutary infl.ii*
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ences of his Spirit, first makes their persons good, and then their actions so too : but, in and by the reprobate, he produces actions by his power alone; which actions, as neither issuing from faith, nor being wrought with a view to the divine glory, nor done in the manner prescribed by the divine word, are on these accounts properly denomi- nated evil. Hence we see that God does not im- mediately and per se infuse iniquity into the wicked ; but, as Luther expresses it, powerfully excites them to action, and withholds those gra- cious influences of his Spirit, without which every action is necessarily evil. That God, ei- ther directly or remotely, excites bad men as well as good ones, to action, cannot be denied by any but Atheists, or by those who carry their notions of free will and human independency so high as to exclude the Deity from all actual operation in and among his creatures J which is little short of Atheism. Every work performed, whether good or evil, is done in the strength and by the power derived immediately from God himself, in whom all men live, move, and have their being, Acts xvii. 28. As, at first, without him was not any thing made which was made ; so now, without him is not any thing done which is done. We have no power or faculty, whether corporeal or intellectual, but what we received from God, sub- sists by him, and is exercised in subserviency to his will and appointment. It is he who created, preserves, actuates, and directs all things. But it by no means follows from these premises, that God is therefore the cause of sin ; for sin is no- thing but *ye/A«*, illegality, want of conformity to the divine law, 1 John iii. 4. a mere privation of rectitude ; consequently, being itself a thing pure- ly negative, it can have no positive or efficient cause, but only a negative and deficient one ; a& several learned men have observed*
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Every action, as such, is undoubtedly good ; it being an actual exertion of those operative pow- ers given us by God for that very end : God therefore may be the author of all actions, (as he undoubtedly is) and yet not be the author of evil. An' action is constituted evil three ways ; by pro- ceeding from a wrong principle, by being direct- ed to a wrong end, and by being done in a wrong manner. Now, though God, as we have said, is the efficient cause of our actions, as actions ; yet, if these actions commence sinful, that sinfulness arises from ourselves. Suppose a boy, who knows not how to write, has his hand guided by his master, and nevertheless makes false letters, quite unlike the copy set him j though his pre- ceptor, who guides his hand, is the cause of his writing at all, yet his own ignorance and unskil- fulness are the cause of his writing so badly. Just so, God is the supreme author of our action, abstractedly taken ; but our own vitiosity is the cause of our acting amiss.
I shall conclude this article with two or three observations. And, (1.) I would infer, that if we would maintain the doctrine of God's omni- potence, we must insist upon that of his univer- sal agency : the latter cannot be denied, without giving up the former. Disprove that he is al- mighty, and then we will grant that his influence and operations are limited and circumscribed. Luther says,* " God would not be a respectable being if he were not almighty, and the doer of all things that are done ; or if any thing could come to pass in which he had no hand." God has, at least a physical influence on whatsoever is done by his creatures, whether trivial or important, good or evil. Judas as truly lived, moved, and .»*...,, . , ->
* De Serv. Arb- c* 168.'
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had his being from God, as Peter ; and Satan himself, as much as Gabriel : for, to say that sin exempts the sinner from the divine government and jurisdiction, is abridging the power of God with a witness ; nay, is razing it from its very foundations.
(2.) This doctrine of God's omnipotence has a native tendency to awaken in our hearts that re- verence for, and fear of the divine Majesty, which none can either receive or retain, but those who believe him to be infinitely powerful, and to work all things after the counsel of his own will. This godly fear is a sovereign antidote against sin ; for if I really believe that God, by his unintermit- ted operation upon my soul, produces actions in me, which, being simply good, receive their malig- nancy from the corruption of my nature (and even those works that stand opposed to sins, are, more or less, infected with this moral leprosy ;) and if I consider that, should I yield myself a slave to actual iniquity, God can, and justly might, as he has frequently done by others, give me up to a reprobate mind, and punish one sin, by leaving me to the commission of another ; surely, such reflections as these must fill me with awful apprehensions of the divine purity, power and greatness, and make me watch continually, as well against the inward risings, as the outward appearance of evil.
(3.) This doctrine is also useful, as it tends to inspire us with true humility of soul, and to lay us, as impotent dust and ashes, at the feet of sovereign omnipotence. It teaches us, what too many are fatally ignorant of, the blessed lesson of self- despair ; i. e. that, in a state of unregenera- cy, our wisdom is follv, our strength weakness, and our righteousness nothing worth : that, there- fore, we can do nothing either to the glory »f
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God, or the spiritual benefit of ourselves, ancl others, but through the ability which he giveth ; that in him our strength lieth, and from him all our help must come. Supposing we believe, that, whatsoever is done below or above, God doeth it himself; that all things depend, both as to their being and operation, upon his omnipotent arm and mighty support; that we cannot even sin, much less do any good thing, if he withdraw his aid ; and that all men are in his hand, as clay in the hand of the potter ; I say, did we really be- lieve all these points, and see them in the light of the divine Spirit, how can it be reasonably supposed that we could wax insolent against this great God, behave contemptuously and supercili- ously in the world, or boast of any thing we have or do ? Luther informs us,* that he " used frequently to be much offended at this doctrine, because it drove him to self-despair ; but that he afterwards found, that this sort of despair was salutary and profitable, and near akin to divine grace."
(4.) We are hereby taught not only humility before God, but likewise dependence on him, and resignation to him. For, if we are thoroughly persuaded that, of ourselves, and in our own strength, we cannot either do good or evil ; but that, being originally created by God, we are in- cessantly supported, moved, influenced, and di- rected by him, this way or that, as he pleases ; the natural inference from hence will be, that, with simple faith, we cast ourselves, entirely, as on the bosom of his Providence ; commit all our care and solicitude to his hand ; praying, with- out hesitation or reserve, that his will may be
* De Serv. Arb. c 161.
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done in us, on us, and by us ; and that, in all his dealings with us, he may consult his own glory alone. This holy passiveness is the very apex of Christianity. All the desires of our great Re- deemer himself were reducible to these two ; that the will of God might be done, and that the glory of God might be displayed. These were the highest and supreme marks at which he aimed, throughout the whole course of his spotless life, and inconceivably tremendous sufferings. Hap- py, thrice happy that man, who hath thus far at- tained the mind that was in Christ !
(5.) The comfortable belief of this doctrine has a tendency to excite and keep alive within us that fortitude, which is so ornamental to, and ne- cessary for us, while we abide in this wilderness. For, if i believe with the Apostle, that all things are of God, 2. Cor. v. 18. I shall be less liable to perturbation when afflicted, and learn more easily to possess my soul in patience. This was Job's support : he was not overcome with rage and despair, when he received news that the Sa- beans had carried off his cattle, and slain his ser- vants, and that the remainder of both were con- sumed with lire ; that the Chaldeans had robbed him of his camels ; and that his seven sons were crushed to death, by the falling of the house where they were sitting : he resolved all these misfortunes into the agency of God, his power and sovereignty, and even thanked him for doing what he would with his own, Job i. 21. If ano- ther should slander me in word, or injure me in deed, I shall not be prone to anger, when, with David, I consider that the Lord hath bidden him, 2 Sam. xvi. 10.
(6.) This should stir us up to fervent and in- cessant prayer. For, does God work powerfully and benignly in the hearts of his elect ? and is
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he the sole cause of every action they do, which is truly and spiritually good ? Then it should be our prayer, that he would work in us likewise both to will and to do, of his good pleasure : and if, on self-examination, we find reason to trust, that some good thing is wrought in us; it should put us upon thankfulness unfeigned, and cause us to glory, not in ourselves but in him. On the other hand, does God manifest his displea- sure against the wicked, by blinding, hardening, and giving them up to perpetrate iniquity with greediness ? which judicial acts of God, are both a punishment for their sin : and also eventual ad- ditions to it : we should be the more incited to deprecate these tremendous evils, and to beseech the King of heaven, that he would not thus lead us into temptation. So much concerning the omnipotence of God. I shall now,
V. Take notice of his Justice.
Pos. 1. God is infinitely, absolutely, and un- changeably just.
The justice of God may be considered either immanently, as it is in himself, which is, proper- ly speaking, the same with his holiness ; or tran- siently and relatively, as it respects his right con- duct towards his creatures, which is properly justice. By the former he is all that is holy, just, and good ; by the latter, he is manifested to be so, in all his dealings with angels and men. For the first, see Deut. xxxii. 4. Ps. xcii. 15. for the second, Job viii. 3. Ps. cxlv. 17. Hence it follows, that whatever God either wills or does, however it may, at first sight, seem to clash with our ideas of right and wrong, cannot really be unjust. It is certain, that, for a season, he sore- ly afflicted his righteous servant Job ; and, on the other hand enriched the Sabeans, an infidel and, lawless nation, with a profusion of wealth
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and a series of success ; before Jacob and Esau were born, or had none either good or evil, he loved and chose the former, and reprobated the latter : He gave repentance to Peter, and left Ju- das to perish in his sin : and, as in all ages, so, to this day, he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth. In all which, he acts most justly and righteously, and there is no iniquity with him.
Pos. 2. The Deity may be considered in a threefold view : as <->od of all, as Lord of all, and as Judge of all.
1. As God of all, he created, sustains, and exhilerates the whole universe : causes his sun to shine, and his rain to fall upon the evil and the good, Mat. v. and is 2*/t^ *-«v7#> a^MTrut, the pre* server of all men, 1 Tim. iv. 10. For, as he is infinitely and supremely good, so also is he com- municative of his goodness ; as appears not only from his creation of all things, but especially from his providential benignity. Every thing has its being from him, as Creator ; and its well- being from him, as a bountiful Preserver. 2. As Lord, or sovereign of all, he does as he will (and has a most unquestionable right to do so^ with his own ; and, in particular, fixes and deter- mines the everlasting state of every individual person, as he sees fit. It is essential to absolute sovereignty; that the sovereign have it in his power to dispose of those, over whom his juris- diction extends, just as he pleases, without being1 accountable to any : And God, whose authority is unbounded, none being exempt from it ; may, with the strictest holiness and justice, love or hate, elect or reprobate, save or destroy any of his creatures, whether human or angelic, accord- ing to his own free pleasure and sovereign pur- pose. 3. As Judge of all, he ratifies what he- 9
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does as Lord, by rendering to all according to their works ; by punishing the wicked, and re- warding those whom it was his will to esteem righteous and to make holy.
Pos. 3. Whatever things God wills or does, are not willed and done by him because they were, in their own nature, and previously to his willing them, just and right : or because, from their in- trinsic fitness, he ought to will and to do them : but they are therefore just, right and proper, be- cause he, who is holiness itself wills and. does them.
Hence Abraham looked upon it as a righteous action to slay his innocent son. Why did he so esteem it, because the law of God authorized murder ? No ; for, on the contrary, both the law of od and the law of nature peremptorily for- bad it : but the holy patriarch well knew, that the will of God is the only rule of justice , and that what he pleases to command is, on that very ac- count just and righteous.* It follows,
Pos. 4. That although our works are to be ex- amined by the revealed will of God, and be de- nominated materially good or evil, as they agree or disagree with it ; yet, the works of God him- self cannot be brought to any test whatever : for, his will being the grand, universal law, he him- self cannot be, properly speaking, subject to, or obliged by, any law superior to that. Many things are done by him, such as chusing and re- probating men, without any respect had to their works; suffering people to fall into sin, when, if it so pleased him he might prevent it; leaving many backsliding professors to go on and perish in their apostacy, when it is in his divine power to sanctify and set them right ; drawing some by
* Compare also Exod. iii. 22. with Exod. xx. 15-
I
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his grace, and permitting many others to continue in sin and unregeneracy ; condemning those to future misery, whom, if he pleased, he could un- doubtedly save ; with innumerable instances of the like nature, (which might be mentioned) and which, if done by us, would be apparently unjust, inasmuch as they would not square with the re- vealed will of God, which is the great and only safe rule of our practice. But, when he does these and such like things, they cannot but be holy,* equitable, and worthy of himself: for, since his will is essentially and unchangeably just, whatever he does, in consequence of that will, must be just and good likewise. From what has been delivered under this fifth head, I would in- fer, That they, who deny the power God has of doing as he will with his creatures, and exclaim against unconditional decrees as cruel, tyranni- cal, and unjust; either know not what they say, nor whereof they affirm ; or are wilful blasphe- mers of his name, and perverse rebels against his sovereignty : to which at last, however un- willingly, then will be forced to submit.
I shall conclude this introduction with briefly considering in the
Sixth and last place, the Mercy of God.
Pos. 1. The Deity is, throughout the scriptures, represented as infinitely gracious and merciful, Exod. xxxiv. 6. Nehem. ix. 17* Psalm ciii. 8. 1 Pet. i. 3.
When we call the divine mercy infinite, we do not mean tha* it is, in a way of grace, extended to all men,without exception ; (and supposing it was, even then it would be very improperly denomina- ted infinite on that account, since the objects of it, though all men taken together, would not amount to a multitude strictly and properly infinite) but, that his mercy towards his own elect, as it knew
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no beginning, so is it infinite in duration, and shall know neither period nor intermission.
Pos. 2. Mercy is not in the Deity, as it is in us, a passion, or affection ; every thing of that kind being incompatible with the purity, perfec- tion', independency and unchangeableness of his nature : but, when this attribute is predicated of him, it only notes his free and eternal will, or purpose, of making some of the fallen race happy, by delivering them from the guilt and dominion of sin, and communicating himself to them in a way consistent with his own inviolable justice, truth, and holiness. This seems to be the proper definition of mercy, as it relates to the spiritual and eternal good of those who are its objects. But it should be observed,
Pos. 3. That the mercy of God, taken in its Biore large and indefinite sense, may be consider- ed, 1. as general, 2. as special.
His general mercy is no other than what we commonly call his bounty ; by which he is, more or less, providentially good to all mankind, both elect and non-elect : Mat. v. 45. Luke vi. 35. Acts xiv. 17. and xvii. 25 — 28. By his special mercy, he as Lord of all, hath in a spiritual sense, compassion on as many of the fallen race as are the objects of his free and eternal favour : the effects of which special mercy are, the re?- demption and justification of their persons through the satisfaction of Christ ; the effectual vocation, regeneration, and sanctification of them, by his Spirit ; the infallible and final preservation of them in a state of grace on earth ; and their everlasting glorification in heaven.
Pos. 4. There is no contradiction, whether real or seeming, between these two assertions, 1. That the blessings of grace and glory are pe- culiar to those whom God hath in his decree of
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predestination, set apart for himself; and 2. That the gospel declaration runs, that whosoever willeth, may take of the water of life freely, Rev. xxii. 17". "Since, in the first place, none can will, or unfeignedly and spiritually desire a part in these privileges, but those whom God previ- ously makes willing and desirous ; and, secondly, that he gives this will to, and excites this desire in, none but his own elect.
Pos. 5. Since ungodly men, who are totally and finally destitute of divine grace, cannot know what this mercy is, nor form any proper appre- hensions of it, much less by faith embrace and rely upon it for themselves ; and since daily expe- rience, as well as the scriptures of truth, teach us that God doth not open the eyes of the repro- bate, as he doth the eyes of his elect, nor savingly enlighten their understandings ; it evidently fol- lows that his mercy was never, from the very first, designed for them, neither will it be applied to them : but, both in designation and applica- tion, is proper and peculiar to those only, who are predestinated to life ; as it is written, the election hath obtained, and the rest were blinded, Rom. xi. 7.
Pos. 6. The whole work of salvation, together with every thing that is in order to it, or stands in connexion with it, is sometimes in scripture comprised under the single term mercy ; to shew that mere love and absolute grace were the grand causes why the elect are saved, and that all merit, worthiness, and good qualifications of theirs were entirely excluded from having any influence on the divine will, whv they should be chosen, re- deemed, and glorified, above others. When it is said, Rom. ix. " He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy," it is as much as if the Apostle had said, " God elected, ransomed, justified., re?- 9 *
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generates, sanctifies and glorifies whom he plea- ses i every one of these great privileges being briefly summed up, and virtually included, in that comprehensive phrase, " He hath mercy."
Pos. 7. It follows, that whatever favour is bestowed on us, or wrought by us, whether in will, word, or deed; and whatever blessings else we receive from God, from election quite home to glorification; all proceed merely and entirely from the good pleasure of his will, and his mercy towards us in Christ Jesus. To him, therefore, the praise is due, who putteth the dif- ference between man and man, by having compas- sion on some, and not on others.
THE DOCTRINE
or
ABSOLUTE PREDESTINATION
STATED AND ASSERTED.
CHAPTER I.
WHEREIN THE TERMS COMMONLY MADE VSE OF IN TREATING OF THIS SUBJECT, ARE DEFINED AND EXPLAINED.
HAVING considered the attributes of God, as laid down in scripture ; and, so far, cleared our way to the doctrine of predestination ; I shallr before I enter further on the subject, explain the principal terms generally made use of when treat- ing of it, and settle their true meaning. In discour- sing on the divine decrees, mention is frequently made of God's love and hatred ; of election and reprobation ; of the divine purpose, foreknow- ledge, and predestination ; each of which we shall distinctly and briefly consider.
I. When love is predicated of God, we do not mean that he is possessed of it as a passion, or affection. In us it is such ; but if, considered in that sense, it should be ascribed to the Deity, it would be utterly subversive of the simplicity per- fection, and independency of his being. Love,
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therefore, when attributed to him, signifies, 1. his eternal benevolence, i. e. his everlasting will, purpose, and determination to deliver, bless, and save his people. Of this, no good works wrought by them are in any sense the cause. Neither are even the merits of Christ himself to be consider- ed as any way moving or exciting this good will of God to his elect ; since the gift of Christ to be their mediator and redeemer, is itself an ef- fect of this free and eternal favour, borne to them by God the Father, John iii. 16. " His love to- wards them arises merely from the good pleasure of his own good will, without the least regard to any thing ad extra, or, out of himself." The term implies, 2. complacency, delight, and ap- probation. With this love, God cannot love even his elect, as considered in themselves ; because in that view, they are guilty, polluted sinners; but they were from all eternity objects of it, as they stood united to Christ, and partakers of his righteousness. Love implies, 3. actual benefi- cence ; which, properly speaking, is nothing else than the effect or accomplishment of the other two : those are the cause of this. This actual beneficence respects all blessings, whether of % temporal, spiritual, or eternal nature. Temporal good things are indeed indiscriminately bestow- ed in a greater or less degree, on all, whether elect or reprobate ; but they are given in a cove- nant way, and as blessings to the elect only ; to whom also the other benefits, respecting grace and glory, are peculiar. And this love of bene- ficence no less than that of benevolence and complacency, is absolutely free, and irrespective of any worthiness in man.
II. When hatred is ascribed to God, it im- plies, 1. a negation of benevolence ; or, a reso- lution not to have mercy on such and such men,,
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nor to endue them with any of those graces which stand connected with eternal life. So, Rom. ix. " Esau have I hated, i. e. I did from all eternity, determine within myself, not ta have mercy on him.*' The sole cause of which awful negation is not merely the unworthiness of the persons hated, but the sovereignty and free- dom of the divine will. 2. It denotes displea- sure and dislike : for sinners who are not interest- ed in Christ, cannot but be infinitely displeasing to, and loathsome in the sight of eternal purity. 3. It signifies a positive will to punish and destroy the reprobate for their sins ; of which will the infliction of misery upon them hereaf- ter, is but the necessary effect, and actual execu- tion.
III. The term election^ that so very frequent- ly occurs in scripture, is there taken in a fourfold sense; 1. and most commonly signifies, "That eternal, sovereign, unconditional, particular, and immutable act of God, where he selected some from among all mankind, and of every nation un- der heaven, to be redeemed and everlastingly saved by Christ." 2. It sometimes and more rarely signifies, " That gracious and almighty act of the divine Spirit, whereby God actually and visibly separates his elect from the world, by ef- fectual calling." This is nothing but the mani- festation and partial fulfilment of the former elec- tion ; and by it, the objects of predestinating grace are sensibly led unto the communion of saints, and visibly added to the number of Cod's declared, professing people. Of this our Lord makes mention, John xv. 19. " Because I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." Where, it should seem, the choice spoken of, does not refer so much to God's eternal immanent act of election, as hi?
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open, manifest one ; whereby he powerfully and efficaciously called the disciples forth from the world of the unconverted, and quickened them from above, in conversion. 3. By election is sometimes meant, " God's taking a whole nation, community, or body of men, into external cove- nant with himself, by giving them the advantage of revelation, or his written word, as the rule of their belief and practice, when other nations are without it." In this sense, the whole body of the Jewish nation was indiscriminately called elect, Deut. vii. 6. " because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. Now, all that are thus elected are not therefore necessarily saved ; but many of them may be, and are, reprobates : as those of whom our Lord says, Mat. x-iii. 20. " that they hear the word and anon with joy receive it, &c." And the apostle John, 1 Epist. chap. ii. " They went out from us, i. e. being fa- voured with the same gospel revelation we were, they professed themselves true believers no less than we ; but they were not of us, i. e. they were not with us chosen of God unto everlasting life, nor did they ever in reality, possess that faith of his operation, which he gave to us ; for, if they had in this sense, been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us j they would have mani- fested the sincerity of their professions, and the truth of their conversion by enduring to the end, and being saved." And even this external revelation, though it is not necessarily connected with eternal happiness, is nevertheless productive of very many and great advantages to the people and places where it is vouchsafed ; and is made known to some nations, and kept back* from
See Psalm cxlvii. 19, 20.
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others, according to the good pleasure of him, who worketh all thing after the counsel of his own will. 4. And lastly, election sometimes signifies, " The temporary designation of some person or persons, to the filling up some particu- lar station in the visible church, or office in civil life." So Judas was chosen to the apostleship, John vi. 70. and Saul to be king of Israel, 1 Sam. x. 24. " This much for the use of the word election." On the contrary,
IV. Reprobation denotes either, 1. God's eternal pretention of some men, when he chose others to glory, and his predestination of them to fill up the measure of their iniquities, and then to receive the just punishment of their crimes, even destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. This is the prima- ry, most obvious, and most frequent sense, in which the word is used. It may likewi e signify, 3. C:od's forbearing to call by his grace, those whom he hath thus ordained to condemnation : but this is only a temporary pretention, and a consequence of that which was from eternity. 3. And lastly, the word may be taken in ano- ther sense, as denoting God's refusal to grant to some nations the light of the gospel revelation. This may be considered as a kind of national re- probation ; which yet does not imply that every individual person, who lives in such a country, must therefore unavoidably perish for ever; any more than that every individual, who lives in a land called Christian, is therefore in a state of sal- vation. There are no doubt, elect persons among the former ; as well as reprobate ones among the latter. By a very little attention to the context, any reader may easily discover in which of these several senses the words elect and reprobate are U6ed, whenever they occur in scripture.
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V. Mention is frequently made, in scripture, of the purpose* of God : which is no other than his gracious intention from eternity of making his elect everlastingly happy in Christ.
, VI. When foreknowledge is ascribed to God, the word imports, 1. that general prescience, whereby he knew from all eternity, both what he himself would do, and what his creatures, in con- sequence of his efficacious and permissive de- cree, should do likewise. The divine foreknow- ledge considered in this view, is absolutely uni- versal ; it extends to all beings that did, do, or ever shall exist ; and to all actions that ever have been, that are, or shall be done, whether good or
* The purpose of God does not seem to differ at all from predestination : that being as well as this, an eternal, free, and unchangeable act of his will. Besides, the word purpose, when predicated of God in the New Testament, always de- notes his design of saving- his elect, and that only, Rom. viii. 28. & ix. 11. Eph. i. 11. & iii. 11. 2 Tim. i. 9 As does the term predestination ; which, throughout the whole New Tes- tament, never signifies the appointment of the non-elect to Wrath; but singly and solely the fore-appointment of the elect to grace and glory : though, in common theological writings, predestination is spoken of as extending to whattver God does, both in a way of permission and efficiency ; as in the utmost sense of the term it does. It is worthy of the read- er's notice, that the original word 7rg>e#£5-<s, which we lender purpose, signifies not only an appointment, but a fore-appoint- ment, and such a fore-appointment as is efficacious, and cin- not be obstructed, but shall most assuredly issue in a full accomplishment: which gave occasion to the following judi- cious remark of a late learned writer; " vgofairis a Paulo sxpe usurpatur in elect ionisnegotio, addesignandum, consili- um hoc Dei non esse inanem quandam &. inefficacem vellei- tatem ; Bed constans, detenvinatum, et immutabile Dei pro- posh" um. Vox enim est efficacis summx, ut notant gi am- matici veteres ; et signate vocatur a Patdo. wgoitanti ttx roc jrxXjx eveg'ytjvl<&'y Consilium illius, qui effic.-.citer omnia operatur ex beneplacito suo." Turreti>:. Institut. Tom. 1. loc. 4. quaest. 7. s. 12.
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evil, natural, civil, or moral. 2. The word of- ten denotes that special prescience which has for its objects his own elect, and them alone ; whom he is in a peculiar sense said to know and fore- know, Psal. i. 6. John x. 27. 2 Tim. ii. 19. Rom. viii. 29. 1 Pet. i. 2. and this knowledge is con- nected with, or rather the same with love, favour, and approbation,
VII. We come now to consider the meaning of the word predestination, and how it is taken in scripture. The verb predestinate is of Latin original, and signifies in that tongue, to delibe- rate beforehand with one's self, how one shall act : and in consequence of such deliberation, to constitute, foreordain, and predetermine, where, when, how, and by whom, any thing shall be done, and when it shall be done. So the Greek verb ■jtpoo^i^m, which exactly answers to the Eng- lish word predestinate, and is rendered by it, sig- nifies, to resolve beforehand within one's self what to do, and before the thing resolved on is actually effected, to appoint it to some certain use, and direct it to some determinate end. The He- brew verb habhdeL, has likewise much the same signification.
Now, none but wise men are capable (especial- ly in matters of great importance) of rightly de- termining what to do, and how to accomplish a proper end, by just, suitable, and effectual means : and if this is confessedly a very material part of true wisdom, who so fit to dispose of men, and assign each individual his sphere of action in this world, and his place in the world to come, as the all-wise God ? and yet, alas ! how many are there who cavil at thfcse eternal decrees, which, were we capable of fully and clearly understanding them, would appear to be as just as they are so- vereigfij and as wise as they are incomprehensi- 10
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Lie ! Divine preordination has for its objects, all things that are created : no creature, whether ra- tional or irrational, animate or inanimate, is ex- empted from its influence. All beings whatever, frorn the highest angel to the meanest reptile, and from the meanest reptile to the minutest atom, are the objects of God's eternal decrees and par- ticular providence. However the ancient fathers only make use of the Avord predestination as it re- fers to angels or men, whether good or evil : and it is used by the apostle Paul in a more limited sense still ; so as by it to mean only that branch of it which respects God's election and designation of his people to eternal life, Rom. viii. 30. Eph. i. 11, But that we may more justly apprehend the import of this word, and the ideas intended to be conveyed by it, it may be proper to observe, that the term predestination, theologically taken, ad- mits of a fourfold definition : and may be consi- dered as, 1. "That eternal, most wise, and im- mutable decree of God, whereby he did, from before all time determine and ordain to create, dispose of, and direct to some particular end, every person and thing to which he has given, or is yet to give, being ; and to make the whole cre- ation subservient to, and declarative of, his own glory." Of this decree, actual providence is the execution. 2. Predestination may be consider- ed as relating generally to mankind, and them only : and, in this view, we define it to be, " The everlasting, sovereign, and invariable purpose of God, whereby he did determine within himself, to create Adam in his own image and likeness, and then to permit his fall ; and to suffer him, thereby to plunge himself, and his whole posteri- ty," (inasmuch as they all sinned in him, not on- ly virtually but also federally and representative- ly) " into the dreadful abyss of sin, misery and
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death." 3. Consider predestination as relating to- the elect only, and it is, " That eternal, uncondi- tional, particular, and irreversible act of the di- vine will, whereby, in matchless love, and adora- ble sovereignty, God determined within himself to deliver a certain number of Adam's degene- rate* offspring, out of that sinful and miserable estate, into which, by his primitive transgression, they were to fall :" and in which sad condition they were equally involved with tho.se who were not chosen : but, being pitched upon, and sin- gled out by God the Father, to be vessels of grace and salvation (not for any thing in them, that could recommend them to his favour, or enti- tle them to his notice, but merely because he would shew himself gracious to them,) they were in time actually redeemed by Christ : are effec- tually called by his spirit, justified, adopted, sanctified, and preserved safe to his heavenly kingdom. The supreme end of this decree is the manifestation of his own infinitely glorious and amiably tremendous perfections : the inferior, or subordinate end, is the happiness and salvation of them who are thus freely elected. 4. Predes- tination, as it regards the reprobate is, "That eter- nal, most holy, sovereign, and immutable act of
* When we say, that the decree of predestination to life and death respects man as fallen, we do not mean, that the fall was actually antecedent to that decree : for the decree- is truly and properly eternal, as all God's immanent acts un- doubtedly are ; whereas the fall took place in time. What we intend, then, is only this, viz. that God, (for reasons, without doubt, worthy of himself, and of which we are, by no means, in this life competent judges) having, from ever- lasting, preremptorily ordained to suffer the fall of Adam ; did likewise, from everlasting, consider the human race as i'allen : and, out of the whole mass of mankind, tints viewed
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God's will, whereby he hath determined to leave* some men to perish in their sins, and to be justly punished for them."
and foreknown as impure, and obnoxious to condemnation; vouchsafed to select some particular persons, (who, collec- tively, make up a very great, though precisely determinate, number) in and on whom he would make known the ineffa- ble riches of his merer.
CHAPTER II.
WHEREIN THE DOCTRINE OF PREDESTINATION IS EXPLAINED, AS IT RELATES IN GENERAL TO ALL MBN.
JL HUS much being premised, with relation to the scripture terms commonly made use of in this controversy, we shall now proceed to take a nearer view of this high and mysterious article, And, I. We, with the scriptures, assert, That there is a predestination of some particular persons to life, for the praise of the glory of divine grace ; and a predestination of other particular persons to death : which death of punishment they shall inevitably undergo, and that justly, on account of their sins. 1. There is a predestination of some particular persons to life. So, Mat. xx. 15. " Many are called but few chosen ;" i. e. the gos- pel revelation comes indiscriminately to great multitudes ; but few, comparatively speaking, are spiritually and eternally the better for it : and these few, to whom it is the savour of life unto life, are therefore savingly benefited by it, be- cause they are the chosen or elect of God. To the same effect are the following passages, among many others : Mat. xxiv. 22. " For the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened." Acts xiii. 48. " As many as were ordained to eternal life believed." Rom. viii. 30 " Whom he did pre-? 10 *
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destinate, them he also called." And verse 33. *' Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect ?" Eph. i. 4, 5. " According as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, &c. Having pre- destinated us to the adoption of children by Je- sus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." 2 Tim. i. 9. " Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ before the world began." 2. This elec- tion of certain individuals unto eternal life was for the praise of the glory of divine grace. This is expressly asserted in so many words, by the apostle, Eph. i. 5, 6. Grace, or mere favour, was the impulsive cause of all : It was the main spring, which set all the inferior wheels in motion. It was an act of grace in God, to choose any, when he might have passed by all : It was an act of sovereign grace, to choose this man rather than that, when both were equally undone in themselves, and alike obnoxious to his displeasure. In a word, since election is not of works, and does not pro- ceed on the least regard had to any worthiness in its objects ; it must be of free, unbiassed grace : but election is not of works, Rom. xi. 5, 6. therefore, it is solely of grace. 3. There is, on the other hand, a predestination of some particular persons to death. 2 Cor. iv. 3. ** If our gospe? be hid, it is hid to them that are lost." 1 Pet. ii. 8. " Who stumble at the word, being disobedient ; whereunto also they were appointed." 2 Pet. ii. 12. "These, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed." Jude ver. 4. " There are certain men crept in unawares, who were before ©f old ordained to this condemnation." Rev. xvii. 8. " Whose names were not written in the book
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of life from the foundation of the world." But of this we shall treat professedly, and more at large, in the fifth chapter. 4. This future death they shall inevitably undergo : for, as God will certainly save all whom he wills sho.ild be sav- ed ; so he will as surely condemn all whom he wills shall be condemned ; for he is the Judge of the whole earth, whose decree shall stand, and from whose sentence there is no appeal. " Hath he said, and shall he not make it good ? hath he spoken, and shall it not come to pass ?" And his decree is this ; that these, i. e. the non-elect, who are left under the guilt of final impenitence, unbelief, and sin, shall go away into everlasting punishment ; and the righteous, . i. e. those who, in consequence of their election in Christ, and union to him, are justly reputed, and really con- stituted such, shall enter into life eternal, Mat. xxv. 46. 5. The reprobate shall undergo this pun- ishment justly, and on account of their sins. Sin is the meritorious and immediate cause of any man's damnation. God condemns and punishes the non-elect, not merely as men, but as sinners : and, had it pleased the great Governor of the uni- verse, to have entirely prevented sin from having any entrance into the world, it should seem as if he could not, consistently with his known attri- butes, have condemned any man at all. But, as all sin is properly meritorious of eternal death ; and all men are sinners ; they, Avho are condemn- ed, are condemned most justly, and those who are saved, are saved in a way of sovereign mer- cy, through the vicarious obedience and death of Christ for them.
Now, this twofold predestination, of some to life, and of others to death, (if it may be called twofold, both being constituent parts of the same decree) cannot be denied, without likewise deny-
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ing, 1. most express and frequent declarations of scripture, and, 2. the very existence of God : for, since God is a being perfectly simple, free from all accident and composition ; and yet, a will to save some and punish others, is very often predicated of him in scripture ; and an immove- able decree to do this in consequeuce of his will, is likewise ascribed to him ; and a perfect fore- knowledge, of the sure and certain accomplish- ment of what he has thus willed and decreed, is also attributed to him ; it follows, that whoever denies this will, decree, and foreknowledge of God, does implicitly and virtually, deny God himself : since his will, decree, and foreknow- ledge are no other than God himself willing, and decreeing, and foreknowing.
II. We assert, that God did from eternity de- cree to make man in his own image ; and also decreed to suffer him to fall from that image in which he should be created, and, thereby to for- feit the happiness with which he was invested : which decree, and the consequences of it, were not limited to Adam only ; but included, and ex- tended to all his natural posterity.
Something of this was hinted already in the preceding chapter : we shall now proceed to the proof of it. And, 1. That God did make man in his own image, is evident from scripture, Gen. i. 27". 2. That he decreed from eternity so to make man, is as evident; since, for God to do any thing without having decreed it, or fixed a pre- vious plan in his own mind, would be a manifest imputation on his wisdom : and, if he decreed that now, or at any time, which he did not always decree, he could not be unchangeable. 3. That man actualy did fall from the divine im- age and his original happiness, is the undoubted voice of scripture, Gen. iii. And, 4. That he
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fell in consequence of the divine decree,* we prove thus : God was either willing that Adam should fall, or unwilling, or indifferent about it. If od was unwilling that Adam should trans- gress, how came it pass that he did? Is man stronger, and is Satan wiser, than he that made them ? Surely, no. Again ; could not God, had it so pleased him, have hindered the tempter's access to paradise ? or have created man, as he did the elect angels, with a will invariably deter- mined to good only, and incapable of being bias- ed to evil ? or, at least, have made the grace and strength, with which he indued Adam, actually effectual to the resisting of all solicitations 10 sin ? None but atheists would answer these questions in the negative. Surely, if God had not willed the fall, he could, and no doubt would, have pre- vented it : but he did not prevent it : Ergo, he willed it. And, if he willed it, he certainly de- creed it : for the decree of God is nothing else but the seal and ratification of his will. He does nothing but what he decreed ; and he decreed nothing which he did not will : and both will and decree are absolutely eternal, though the execu- tion of both be in time. The only way to evade the force of this reasoning, is to say, that " God was indifferent and unconcerned, whether man stood or fell." But in what a shameful, unwor- thy light does this represent the Deity ! Is it pos- sible for us to imagine, that God could be an idle, careless spectator, of one of the most important events that ever came to pass ? Are not " the very hairs of our head all numbered ?" or does " a sparrow fall to the ground, without our hea-
* See this article judiciously stated, and nervously assay- ed by Witsiu", in his E?on. 1. 1. cap- 8. s- 10 — 25.
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venly Father V If then things, the most trival and worthless, are subject to the appointment of his decree, and the control of his providence ; how much more is man, the master-piece of this low- er creation ? and above all, that man Adam, who, when recent from his Maker's hands, was the living image of God himfelf, and very little infe- rior to angels ! and on whose perseverance was suspended the welfare, not of himself only, but likewise that of the whole world. But, so far was God from being indifferent in this matter, that there is nothing whatever, about which he is so ; for he worketh all things without exception, after the counsel of his own will, Eph. i. 11. con- sequently, if he positively wills whatever is done, he cannot be indifferent with regard to any thing. On the whole, if God was not unwilling that Adam should fall, he must have been willing that he should ; since, between God's willing and nilling, there is no medium. And is it not highly rational, as well as scriptural j nay, is it not absolutely ne- cessary, to suppose, that the fall was not contrary to the will and determination of God ? since, if it was, his will (which the apostle represents as be- ing irresistible, Rom. ix. 19.) was apparently frustrated, and his determination rendered of worse than none effect. And how dishonourable to, how inconsistent with, and how notoriously sub- versive of, the dignity of God, such a blasphemous supposition would be, and how irreconcileable with every one of his allowed attributes, is very easy to observe. 5. That man, by his fall, forfeited the hap- piness with which he was invested, is evident, as well from scripture as from experience ; Gen. iii. 7, 10, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24. Rom. v. 12. Gal. iii. 10. He first sinned, (and the essence of sin lies in disobedience to the command of God) and then immediately became miserable ; misery be-
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ing, through the divine appointment, the natural and inseparable concomitant of sin. 6. That the fall, and its sad consequences, did not terminate solely in Adam, but affect his whole posterity, is the doctrine of the sacred oracles : Ps. li. 5. Rom. v. 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19. 1 Cor. xv. 22. Eph. ii. 3. Besides, not only spiritual and eter- nal, but likewise temporal death is the wages of sin, Rom. vi. 23. James i. 15. And yet we see that millions of infants, who never, in their own persons, either did or could commit sin, die con- tinually. It follows, that either God must be un- just in punishing the innocent; or that these in- fants are, some way or other, guilty creatures : if they are not so in themselves, (I mean actually so, by their own commission of sin) they must be so in some other person ; and who that person is, let scripture say, Rom. v. 12, 18. 1 Cor. xv. 22. And, I ask, how can these be, with equity, sharers in Adam's punishment, unless they are chargeable with his sin? and how can they be fairly chargeable with his sin, unless he was their federal head and representative, and acted in their name, and sustained their persons when he fell ? III. We assert, that as all men, universally, are not elected to salvation ; so neither are all men, universally, ordained to condemnation. This follows from what has been proved already : however, I shall subjoin some farther demonstra- tion of these two positions. 1 . All men universal- ly are not elected to salvation. And, first, this may be evinced a posteriori : it is undeniable, from scripture, that God will not in the last day, save every individual of mankind, Dan. xii. 2. IMat. xxv. 46. John v. 29. Therefore, say we, God never designed to save every individual ; since, if he had, every individual would and must be saved, for " his counsel shall stand, and he
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will do all his pleasure." See what we have al- ready advanced on this head, in the first chapter, under the second article, Position 8. Secondly, this may be evinced also from God's foreknow- ledge. The Deity, from all eternity, and conse- quently, at the very time he gives life and being to a reprobate, certainly foreknew, and knows, in consequence of his own decree, that such an one would fall short of salvation : now, if God fore- knew this, he must have predetermined it ; be- cause his own will is the foundation of his de- crees, and his decrees are the foundation of his prescience ; he therefore foreknowing futurities, because, by his predestination, he hath rendered their futurition certain and inevitable. Neither is it possible, in the very nature of the thing, that they should be elected to salvation, or ever obtain it, whom God foreknew should perish : for then the divine act of pretention would be changeable, wavering and precarious ,• the divine foreknowledge would be deceived ; and the di- vine will impeded. All which are utterly im- possible. Lastly, That all men are not chosen to life, nor created to that end, is evident, in that there are some who were hated of God before they were born, Rom. ix. 11, 12, 13. are fitted for destruction, verse 22. and made for the day of evil, Prov. xvi. 4.
But, 2. All men universally are not ordained to condemnation. There are some who are cho- sen, Mat. xx. 1G. An election, or elect number, who obtain grace and salvation, while the rest are blinded, Rom. xi. 7. a little flock, to whom it is the Father's good pleasure to give the kingdom, Luke xii. 21. A people whom the Lord hath reserved, Jer. 1. 20. and formed for himself, Isai. xliii. 21. A peculiarly favoured race, to whom it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom
1^5
of heaven ; while, to others, it is not given, Mat. xiii. 11. A remnant according to the election of grace, Rom. xi. 5. Whom God hath not ap- pointed to wrath, but to obtain salvation by Je- sus Christ, 1 Thess. v. 9. In a word, who are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy na- tion, a peculiar people, that they should shew forth the praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light, 1 Pet. ii. 9. And whose names, for that very end, are in the book of life, Phil. iv. 3. and written in heaven, Luke x. 20. Heb. xii. 23. Luther* observes, that, in the 9th, 10th, and 11th chapters of the epistle to the Romans, the apostle particu- larly insists on the doctrine of predestination; " Because," says he, "all things whatever, arise from, and depend upon, the divine appoint- ment ; whereby it was preordained who should receive the word of life, and who should disbe- lieve it ; who should be delivered from their sins, and who should be hardened in them ; and who should be justified, and who condemned."
IV. We assert, that the number of the elect, and also of the reprobate, is so fived and deter- mined, that neither can be augmented or dimi- nished.
It is written of God, that he telle th the num- ber of the stars, and calleth them all by their names, Psalm c lvii. 4*. Now it is as incompa- tible with the infinite wisdom and knowledge of the all-comprehending God, to be ignorant of the names and number of the rational creatures he has made, as that he should be ignorant of the stars and the other inanimate products of his al- mighty power : and, if he knows all men in gene-
* fit Prsfat. ad cpist. ad Horn. 11
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ral taken in the lump, he may well be said, in a more near and special sense, to know them that are his by election, 2 Tim. ii. 19. And, if he knows who are his, he must, consequently, know whp are not his, i. e. whom, and how many he hath left in the corrupt mass, to be justly punish- ed for their sins. Grant this, (and who can help granting a truth so self-evident ?) and it follows that the number, as well of the elect as of the reprobate, is fixed and certain : otherwise God would be said to know that which is not true, and his knowledge must be false and delusive, and so no knowledge at all : since that which is in it- self, at best but precarious, can never be the foundation of sure and infallible knowledge. But that God does indeed precisely know to a man who are and who are not, the objects of his electing favour, is evident from such scriptures as these, Exod. xxxiii. 17. "Thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name." Jer. i. 5. " Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee." Luke x. 20. '* Your names are written in hea- ven." Luke xii. 7. " The very hairs of your head are all numbered." John xiii. 18. "I know whom I have chosen." John x. 14. "I know my sheep, and am known of mine." 2 Tim. ii. 19. " The Lord knoweth them that are his." And, if the number of these is thus assuredly settled and exactly known, it follows that we are right in asserting,
V. That the decrees of election and reproba- tion are immutable and irreversible.
Were not this the case, 1. God's decrees would be precarious, frustrable, and uncertain ; and, by consequence, no decree at all. 2. His foreknowledge would be wavering, indetermi- nate, and liable to disappointment ; whereas, it always has its accomplishment, and necessarily
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infers the certain futurity of the thing or things foreknown : Isa. xlvi. 9, 10. " I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done ; saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." 3. Nei- ther would his word be true, which declares, that, with regard to the elect, the gifts and calling of God are without repentance, Rom. xi. 29. that whom he predestinated, them he also glorified, chap. vii. 80. that whom he loveth, he loveth to the end, John xiii. 1. with numberless passages to the same purpose. Nor would his word be true, with regard to the non-elect, if it was possible for them to be saved ; for it is there declared, that they are fitted for destruction, &c. Rom. ix. 22. Foreordained unto condemnation, Jude 4. and delivered over to a reprobate mind, in order to their damnation, Rom. i. 28. 2 Thess. ii. 12. 4. If, between the elect and reprobate, there was not a great gulf fixed, so that neither can be otherwise than they are ; then, the will of God (which is the alone cause why some are chosen and others are not) would be rendered ineffica- cious and of no effect. 5. Nor could the justice of God stand, if he was to condemn the elect, for whose sins he hath received ample satisfac- tion at the hand of Christ ; or if he was to save the reprobate, who are not interested in Christ, as the elect are. 6. The power of God (whereby the elect are preserved from falling into a state of condemnation, and the wicked held down and shut up in a state of death) would be eluded, not to say utterly abolished. 7. Nor would God be unchange- able, if they, who were once the people of his love, could commence the objects of his hatred ; or if the vessels of his wrath could be saved with the
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vessels of grace. Hence that of St. Austin ;* "Brethren," says he, "let us not imagine, that God puts down any man in his book, and then era- ses him : for, if Pilate could say, what I have writ- ten I have written, how can it be thought that the griat God would write a person's name in the book of life, and then blot it out again V? And may we not, with equal reason, ask, on the other hand, How can it be thought, that any of the reprobate should be written in that book of life, which con- tains the names of the elect only ? or, that any should be inserted therer who were not written among the living from eternity ? I shall conclude this chapter with that observation of Luther,f " This," says he, "is the very thing that rases the doctrine of free-will from its foundations ; to wit, that God's eternal love of some men, and hatred of others, is immutable and cannot be reversed." Both one and the other will have its full accom- plishment.
* Tom. 8. in Psalm 68. col. 738. f Dc Sen-. Arbiter, c.-ip. 1S8~
CHAPTER III.
CONCERNING ELECTION UNTO LIFE ,' OR PRE- DESTINATION, AS IT RESPECTS THE SAINTS IN PARTICULAR.
HAVING considered predestination, as it re- gards all men in general ; and briefly shewn that by it, some are appointed to wrath, and others to obtain salvation by Jesus Christ, 1 Thess. v. 9. I now come to consider more distinctly that branch of it, which relates to the saints only, and is commonly styled election. Its definition I have given already in the close of the first chap- ter : what I have further to advance from the scriptures on this important subject, I shall re- duce to several positions, and subjoin a short ex- planation and confirmation of each.
Pos. 1. Those who are ordained unto eternal life were not so ordained on account of any wor- thiness foreseen in them, or of any good works to be wrought by thtm ; nor yet for their future faith : but purely and solely, of free, sovereign grace, and according to the mere pleasure of God. This is evident, among other considerations, from this ; that faith, repentance and holiness, are no less the free gifts of God, than eternal life itself. Eph. ii. 8. M Faith — is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Phil. i. 29. " Unto you it is given to believe." Acts v. 31. " Him hath God exalted with his right hand, for to give repentance." Acts xi. 18. " Then hath God also to the Gen- ii *
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tiles granted repentance unto life." In like man- ner, holiness is called the sanctification of the Spirit, 2 Thess. ii. 13. because the divine Spirit is the efficient of it in the soul, and, of unholy, makes us holy. Now, if repentance and faith are the gifts, and sanctification is the work of God, then these are not the fruits of man's free will, nor what he acquires of himself; and so can neither be motives to, nor conditions of, his election, which is an act of the divine mind, an- tecedent to, and irrespective of, all qualities what- ever, in the persons elected. Besides, the apos- tle asserts expressly, that election is " not of works, but of him that calleth ;" and that it pass- ed before the persons concerned had " done either good or evil," Rom. ix. 11. Again, if faith or works were the cause of election, God could not be said to choose us, but we to choose him ; contrary to the whole tenor of scripture ; John xv. 16. " Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." 1 John iv. 10, 19. " Hereia is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us. We love him, because he first loved us." Election is ever)' where asserted to be God's act and not man's, Mark xiii. 20. Rom. ix. 17. Eph. i. 4. 1 Thess. v. 9. 2 Thess. ii. 13. Once more, we are chosen that we might be holy, not because it was foreseen we would be so, Eph. r. 4. Therefore, to represent holiness as the reason why we were elected, is to make the effect ante- cedent to the cause. The apostle adds, verse 5. *' having predestinated us according to the good pleasure of his will :" most evidently implying, that God saw nothing extra se, had no motive from without, why he should either choose any at all, or this man before another. In a word, the elect were "-freely loved," Hos. xiv. 4. u freely chosen," Rom. xi. 5, 6. and " freely re-
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deemed," Isa. Hi. 3. they are " freely called," 2 Tim. i. 9. " freely justified," Rom. iii. 24. and shall be "freely glorified," Rom. v. 23. The great Augustine in his book of Retractions, ingenuously acknowledges his error in having once thought, that faith foreseen was a condition of election : he owns that that opinion is equal- ly impious and absurd ; and proves that faith is one of the fruits of election, and consequently, could not be in any sense a cause of it : "I could never have asserted," says he, "that God, in choos- ing men to life, had any respect to their faith, had I duly considered that faith itself is his own gift." And, in another treatise of his,* he has these words ; u Since Christ says, ye have not chosen me, &c. I would fain ask, whether it be scriptural to say, we must have faith before we are elected ; and not rather, that we are elected in order to our having faith !"
Pos. 2. As many as are ordained to eternal life, are ordained to enjoy that life in and through Christ, and on account of his merits alone, 1 Thess. v. 9. Here let it be carefully observed, that not the merits of Christ, but the sovereign love of God only, is the cause of election itself : but then, the merits of Christ are the alone pro- curing cause of that salvation to which men are elected. This decree of v od admits of no cause but of himself; but the thing decreed, which is the glorification of his chosen ones, may and. does admit, nay, necessarily requires, a meritori- ous cause ; which is no other than the obedience and death of Christ.
Pos. 3. They who are predestinated to life, are likewise predestinated to all those means
De Prxdest cap. IT.
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which are indispensably necessary in order to their meetness for, entrance upon, and enjoyment of, that life : such as repentance, faith, sanctifica- tion, and perseverance in these to the end.
Acts xiii. 48. u As many as were ordained to eternal life believed." Eph. i. 4. " He hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love." Eph. ii. 10. " For we [i. e. the same we, whom he hath chosen before the foundation of the world] are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath foreordained that we should walk in them." And the apostle assures the same Thes- salonians whom he reminds of their election, and God's everlasting appointment of them to obtain salvation, that this also was his will con- cerning them, even their sanctification. 1 Thess. i. 4. and v. 9. and iv. 3. and gives them a view of all these privileges at once, 2 Thess. ii. 13. " God hath, from the beginning, chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth." As does St. Peter, 1 Pet. 1. 2. '■'■elect — through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." Now, though faith and holiness are not represented as the cause where- fore the elect are saved ; yet, these are con- stantly represented, as the means through which they are saved, or as the appointed way wherein God leads his people to glorv : these blessings be- ing always bestowed previous to that. Agree- able to all which is that of Austin :* Whatso- ever persons are, through the riches of divine grace, exempted from the original sentence of
• De Corrept. & Grat cap. 7-
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condemnation, are undoubtedly brought to hear the Gospel ;* and when heard they are caused to believe it ; and are made likewise to endure to the end, in the faith which works by love : and should they at any time go astray, they are re- covered and set right again." A little after he adds ; " All these things are wrought in them by that God, who made them vessels of mere}-, and who, by the election of his grace chose them in his Son, before the world began."
Pos. 4. Not one of the elect can perish, but they must all necessarily be saved. The reason is this ; because God simply and unchangeably wills, that all and every one of those whom he hath appointed to life should be eternally glori- fied ; and, as was observed toward the end of the preceding chapter, all the divine attributes are concerned in the accomplishment of this his will. His wisdom which cannot err ; his know- ledge which cannot be deceived ; his truth which cannot fail ; his love, which nothing can alien- ate ; his justice, which cannot condemn any, for whom Christ died ; his power, which none can resist ; and his unchangeableness, which can never vary : from all which it appears that we do not speak at all improperly, when we say, that the salvation of his people is necessary and cer- tain. Now, that rs said to be necessary, quod ncquit allter esse, which cannot be otherwise than it is : and if all the perfections of God are enga- ged to preserve and save his children, their safe- ty and salvation must be, in the