Of The Eternity And Immutability Of The Decrees Of Almighty God, Denied And Overthrown By The Arminians
Chapter 2
OF THE ETERNITY AND
IMMUTABILITY OF THE
DECREES OF ALMIGHTY GOD,
DENIED AND OVERTHROWN
BY THE ARMINIANS
It has always been believed among Christians, on infallible grounds (as I will show hereafter), that all the decrees of God, as they are internal acts of his will, so they are eternal acts of his will; and therefore they are unchangeable and irrevocable. Mutable decrees and occasional resolutions are most contrary to the pure nature of Almighty God.
Such principles as these, evident and clear by their own light, were never questioned by anyone before the Arminians began ajki>nhta kinei~n,34 and to profess themselves to delight in opposing common notions of reason concerning God and his essence so that they might exalt themselves into his throne. To ascribe the least mutability to the divine essence, with which all the attributes and internal free acts of God are one and the same, was always accounted uJperbolhthtov,
"transcendent atheism," in the highest degree.35 Now, of whatever nature this crime may be, it is not an unjust imputation to charge the Arminians with it, because they confess themselves guilty, and glory in the crime.
Chapter 2: OF THE ETERNITY AND IMMUTABILITY OF GOD'S DECREES
First. They undermine and overthrow the eternity of God's purposes by affirming that, in the order of the divine decrees, there are some which precede every act of the creature, and some again that follow them: so says Corvinus,36 the most famous of that sect.37 Now, all the acts of every creature, being but of yesterday and temporary, like themselves, surely those decrees of God cannot be eternal which follow them in order of time. And yet they press this, especially in respect to human actions, as a certain and unquestionable truth. "It is certain that God wills or determines many things which he would not will or determine, unless some act of man's own will preceded it," says their great master, Arminius.38 The same thing is affirmed, with a little addition (as such men always become worse and worse)39 by his genuine scholar, Nic. Grevinchovius.40 I suppose," he says, "that God wills many things which he neither would nor justly could will and purpose, unless some action of the creature preceded it."41 And here observe that in these places they do not speak of God's external works
– of his outward actions– such as inflicting punishments, bestowing rewards, and other such outward acts of his providence. We admit that the administration of these is various, and diversely applied to several occasions. Rather, they speak of the internal purposes of God's will, his decrees and intentions, which have no present influence upon or respect to any action of the creature. Indeed, they deny that God has any determinate resolution at all concerning many things, or any purpose further than a natural affection towards them. "God does or omits that towards which, in his own nature and in his proper inclination, he is affected – as he finds man complying with or not complying with that order which God has appointed," says
Corvinus.42 Surely these men do not care what indignities they cast upon the God of heaven, so that they may maintain the pretended endowments of their own wills. For here they ascribe to their wills such an absolute power that God himself cannot determine a thing to which he is well-affected (as they strangely phrase it), before he is sure of their compliance by an actual concurrence. Now, this imputation
Chapter 2: OF THE ETERNITY AND IMMUTABILITY OF GOD'S DECREES
they cast upon the decrees of God, that in general they are temporary, they press home upon that particular decree which lies most in their way, the decree of election. Concerning this, they tell us roundly that it is false that election is confirmed from eternity.43 The Remonstrants say so in their Apology, notwithstanding that St. Paul tells us that it is the "purpose of God," Rom 9:11, and that we were "chosen before the foundation of the world," Eph 1:4. Nor do the Arminians grant anything material there – namely, that there is a decree preceding this, which may be said to be from everlasting. Seeing that St. Paul teaches us that election is nothing but God's purpose of saving us, to then affirm that God eternally decreed that he would elect us, is the same as saying that God purposed that in time he would purpose to save us.
Such resolutions may be fit for their own wild heads, but they must not be ascribed to God only-wise.
Secondly. Because they assert that God's decrees are temporary and had a beginning, so also his decrees will expire and have an ending, subject to change and variableness. "Some acts of God's will cease at a certain time," says Episcopius.44 What? Does anything come into his mind that changes his will? "Yes," says Arminius, He would have all men to be saved; but compelled by the stubborn and incorrigible malice of some, he would have them miss it."45 However, this is some recompense – denying God a power to do what he will, they let him be content to do what he may, and not to repine much at his hard condition. Certainly, if not for this favor, God would be a debtor to the Arminians. Thieves give what they do not take. Having robbed
God of his power, they would leave him just enough goodness that he will not be troubled by it, though he is sometimes compelled to what he is very loath to do. How they and their fellows, the Jesuits, denounced poor Calvin for sometimes using the hard word compulsion to describe the effectual, powerful working of the providence of God in the actions of men;46 but they can fasten the same term on the will of God, and no harm done! Surely he will one day plead his own cause against them. Yet do not blame them, "si
Chapter 2: OF THE ETERNITY AND IMMUTABILITY OF GOD'S DECREES
violandum est jus, regnandi causa violandum est." It is to make themselves absolute that they cast off the yoke of the Almighty in this way, and they do that both in things concerning this life, and the life to come. They are greatly troubled if it were said that every one of us brings along with us into the world an unchangeable pre-ordination to life and death eternal;47 for such a supposal would quite overthrow the main foundation of their heresy – namely, that men can make their election void and frustrated (as they jointly lay down in their
Apology).48 No, it is a dream, says Dr Jackson,49 to think of God's decrees concerning things to come as irrevocably finished acts; this would hinder what Welsingius lays down as truth,50 "that the elect may become reprobates, and the reprobates may become elect." Now, added to these particular sayings is their whole doctrine concerning the decrees of God, as they refer to the actions of men being exactly comformable to them;51 such as, First.52 They distinguish God's decrees as either peremptory or not peremptory.53 These are terms used in the citations of courts of litigation, rather than as expressions of God's purpose in sacred
Scripture. This distinction is not, as applied by them, compatible with the unchangeableness of God's eternal purposes. Pro>skairoi, they say, or temporary believers, are elected (though not peremptorily) with such an act of God's will (in its origin, continuance, and end) as to coexist in every way commensurate with their fading faith. Sometimes, like Jonah's gourd, this election is but "filia unius noctis" – in the morning it flourishes, in the evening it is cut down, dried up, and withers. In their opinion, a man who is in Christ by faith, or who actually believes (which is, as they say, in everyone's own power to do),54 is the proper object of election – of election, I say, not peremptory; election is a pendent act,55 expecting the final perseverance and consummation of a man's faith; and therefore it is immutable – because man having fulfilled his course, God has no cause to change his purpose of crowning him with reward. Also (as they teach), a man is the object of reprobation only according to his
Chapter 2: OF THE ETERNITY AND IMMUTABILITY OF GOD'S DECREES
infidelity, whether it is present and removable, or obdurate56 and final; if obdurate, reprobation is peremptory and absolute; if removable, it is conditional and alterable. Thus their election and reprobation hang on the qualities of faith and unbelief.57
Now, this lets a faithful man, elected by God according to his present righteousness, apostatize totally from grace (with them, affirming that there is any promise of God implying a man's perseverance is to overthrow all religion); and it lets the unbelieving reprobate leave his incredulity and turn to the Lord – and corresponding to this mutation of their conditions, are the changings of the purpose of the Almighty concerning their everlasting state.
Again, suppose these two men, by alternate courses, should each return to their former estate (as the doctrine of apostasy which they maintain allows), the decrees of God concerning them must again be changed; for it is unjust for God either not to elect the one that believes, if only for an hour, or not to elect reprobate unbelievers.
Now, what unchangeableness can we fix to these decrees, if it lies in the power of man to make them as inconstant as Euripus? 58 Besides this, it makes it possible that all the members of Christ's church, whose names are written in heaven, should within one hour be enrolled in the black book of damnation.
Secondly. Because these not-peremptory decrees are mutable, they make the peremptory decrees of God temporal. "Final impenitency," they say, "is the only cause of reprobation; and the finally unrepenting sinner is the only object of reprobation – peremptory and irrevocable."
As the poet thought none were happy,59 so they think that no man is to be elected, or be a reprobate, before his death. Now, he receives that denomination60 from the decrees of God concerning his eternal estate, which must necessarily, then, be enacted first. The relation that exists between the act of reprobation and the person who is reprobated imports a co-existing denomination of "reprobate." When God reprobates a man, the man then becomes a reprobate. If this does not occur before the man has actually fulfilled the measure of his iniquity,
Chapter 2: OF THE ETERNITY AND IMMUTABILITY OF GOD'S DECREES
and sealed it with the quality of his final impenitency upon his death, then the decree of God must be temporal. The just Judge of all the world has suspended his determination until then, awaiting the last resolution of this changeable Proteus.61 It is plain from the whole course of their doctrine, that God's decrees concerning men's eternal estates are temporal in their judgment, and do not begin until their death. This is especially plain where they strive to prove that if there were any such determination, God could not threaten punishments or promise rewards. "Who," they ask, "can threaten punishment to someone that, by a peremptory decree, he wants to be free from punishment?"62 It seems God cannot have determined to save anyone whom he threatens to punish if they sin. It is evident, however, that he does threaten all so long as they live in this world; this makes God not only mutable, but it quite deprives him of his foreknowledge. And it makes the form of his decree run this way: "If man will believe, then I will determine that he shall be saved; if he will not believe, then I will determine that he shall be damned," – that is, "I must leave him in the meantime to do what he will, so that I may meet with him in the end."
Thirdly. They assert that no decree of Almighty God concerning men is so unalterable that all those who are now in rest or misery might have had contrary lots 63 – that those who are damned, such as Pharaoh, Judas, etc., might have been saved; and that those who are saved, such as the blessed Virgin, Peter, John, etc., might have been damned. This must reflect a strong charge of mutability on Almighty
God, who knows who are his. I could produce various other instances of this nature, by which it would be further evident that these innovators in Christian religion overthrow the eternity and unchangeableness of God's decrees; but these are sufficient for any discerning man.
I will add in closing, an antidote against this poison, briefly showing what the Scripture and right reason teach us concerning these secrets of the Most High.
Chapter 2: OF THE ETERNITY AND IMMUTABILITY OF GOD'S DECREES
First. "Known to God," says St. James, "are all his works from the beginning," Acts 15:18; Up to now it has been concluded from this that whatever God brings to pass in time, he decreed from all eternity.
All his works were known to him from the beginning. Consider it particularly in the decree of election, that fountain of all spiritual blessings. Obtaining a saving sense and assurance of it, 2 Peter 1:10, might effect a spiritual rejoicing in the Lord, 1 Cor 15:31.64 Such things are taught everywhere in Scripture in such a way as may raise us to consider it as an eternal act, irrevocably and immutably established:
"He has chosen us before the foundation of the world," Eph 1:4: his "purpose according to election" – before we were born – must
"stand," Rom 9:11; for to the irreversible stability of this act of his will, he has set the seal of his infallible knowledge, 2 Tim 2:19. His purpose of our salvation by grace, not according to works, was "before the world began," 2 Tim 1:9. An eternal purpose, proceeding from such a will that none can resist it, joined with such a knowledge of all things past, present, and to come – open and evident to him – means his purpose must be like the laws of the Medes and Persians: permanent and unalterable.
Secondly. The decrees of God65 being conformable to his nature and essence, they require eternity and immutability as their inseparable properties. God, and only him, never was, nor ever can be, what now he is not. Passive possibility to anything, which is the fountain of all change, can have no place in the one who is "actus simplex," and purely free from all composition. For this reason, St. James affirms that "with him there is no variableness, nor shadow of turning," James
1:17; "with him," that is, in his will and purposes. And by his prophet he affirms, "I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed," Malachi 3:6 – where he proves that his gracious purposes do not change, because he is the LORD. The eternal acts of his will, not really differing from his unchangeable essence, his will must be immutable.
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Thirdly. Whatever God has determined to be accomplished, according to the counsel of his wisdom and the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glory, stands sure and immutable; for "the Strength of Israel will not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind," 1 Samuel 15:29. "He declares 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,"
Isaiah 46:10. This certain and infallible execution of his pleasure is extended to particular contingent events, Isaiah 48:14. Indeed, it is an ordinary thing with the Lord to confirm the certainty of those things that are yet to come from his own decree. For example, "The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so it shall come to pass; and as I have purposed, it shall stand, that I will break the Assyrian," etc., Isaiah 14:24-25 – "It is certain the Assyrian shall be broken, because the Lord has purposed it;" this would be a weak kind of reasoning, if his purpose might be altered. No. "He is of one mind, and who can turn him? And he does what his soul desires," Job 23:13.
"The Lord of hosts has purposed, and who shall annul it?" Isa 14:27.
So that the purpose of God and the immutability of his counsel (Heb 6:17) have their certainty and firmness from eternity, and they do not depend on the variable lubricity of mortal men. We must grant this, unless we intend to set up impotency against omnipotency, and arm the clay against the potter.
Fourthly. If God's determination concerning anything were to have a temporal origin, it must be either because he then perceived some goodness in it of which he was ignorant before, or else because some accident affixed a real goodness to some state of things which it did not have from him. Neither of these can be affirmed without abominable blasphemy. This is because he knows the end from the beginning, all things from everlasting, being always the same, the fountain of all goodness, of which other things participate in that measure which it pleases him to communicate it to them. Add to this the omnipotency of God: there is "power and might in his hand," so that none is able to
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withstand him, 2 Chronicles 20:6. This will not permit any of his purposes to be frustrated. In all our own intentions, if the defect is not in the error of our understanding (which may be rectified by better information), when we cannot do what which we would, we will do what we can. The alteration of our purpose is for lack of power to fulfill it. This impotency cannot be ascribed to Almighty God who is
"in heaven, and has done whatever he pleased," Psalm 115:3. So that the immutability of God's nature – his almighty power, the infallibility of his knowledge, his immunity from error in all his counsels – show that he never fails to accomplish anything that he proposes to manifest his glory. To close up this discourse, in which I have not revealed half the poison contained in the Arminian doctrine concerning God's decrees, I will present in brief the opposing views in this matter between the word of God and the patrons of free-will:
S.S.
Lib. Arbit.
"He has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world," Eph 1:4.
"It is false to say that election is confirmed from everlasting," Rem.
Apol.
"He has called us according to his own purpose and grace, before the world began,"
2 Tim 1:9.
"It is certain that God determines diverse things which he would not, did not some act of man's will go before," Armin.
"Known to God are all his works from the beginning of the world," Acts 15:18.
"Some decrees of God precede all acts of the will of the creature, and some follow," Corvinus "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, swing, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure," Isaiah 46:10.
"Men may make their election void and frustrated," Rem. Apol.
"For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand," as Rom 9:11.
"It is no wonder if men sometimes of the elect become reprobate, and those of the reprobate become elect," Welsin.
"The foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, The Lord knows those that are his,"
2 Tim 2:19.
"Election is uncertain and revocable; whoever denies it overthrows the gospel," Grevinch.
Chapter 2: OF THE ETERNITY AND IMMUTABILITY OF GOD'S DECREES
"The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations," Psalm 33:11.
"Many decrees of God cease at a certain time," Episcop.
"My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure," Isaiah 46:10.
"God would have all men be saved, but compelled by the stubborn malice of some, God changes his purpose, and will have them perish,"
Armin.
"I am the LORD, I do not change,"
Malachi 3:6.
"As men may change themselves from believers to unbelievers, so God's determination concerning them changes," Rem.
"With the Father of lights there is no variableness, or shadow of turning," James
1:17; Exodus 3:13,14; Psalm 102:27; 2 Tim 2:13; 1 Samuel 15:29; Isaiah 14:27; Job 23:13; Psalm 115:3.
"All God's decrees are not peremptory, but some are conditional and changeable,"
Sermon at Oxford.