Predestination and Election
PREDESTINATION AND ELECTION.
Antil.
Sir, in mine opinion, you have uttered some very dangerous things, and such as were enough to drive a man to despair.
Theol. What be they, I pray you ?
Antil. There be divers things; but one thing doth most of all stick in my stomach, and that is, the small number that shall be saved, as you I say: but I can hardly be persuaded that God made so many thousands to cast them away when he hath done.
Do you think that God hath t made us to condemn us? will you make him to I be the author of condemnation ?
Theol. Xothing less; for God is not the cause of men's condemnation, but themselves; for every man's destruction cometh of himself; as it is written, Hosea xiii. 9, "O Israel, thy destruction is of thyself."
As for God, he doth, in great ^ mercy, use all possible means to save souls; as he by the prophet, Isaiah v. 4, "What could I have done more to my vineyard, that I have not done unto it?" but to come nearer to your question Isaith :
I deny that God hath created the most part of men only and solely unto perdition, as the proper end which he did aim at in creating them ; but he hath created all things for the praise of his glory, as it is written, Prov. xvi. 4, "He hath I created all things for himself, and the wicked also for the evil day."
Then it foUoweth, that the cause and end why the wicked were created, neither was nor is only the destruction of his creature, but his own praise and glory; that that only might appear and shine forth in all his works.
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Yet certain it is, that God, for just causes, albeit unknown and hid to us, hath rejected a great part of men.
The causes, I say, of reprobation are hid in the eternal counsel of God, and known to his godly wisdom only.
They are secret and hid from us ; reserved in his eternal wisdom to be revealed at the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus.
His judgments, saith the scriptures, are as a great deep, and his ways past finding out.
It is as possible for us to comprehend the ocean sea in a little dish, as to comprehend the reason of God's counsel in this behalf.
Antil. What reason, justice, or equity is there that sentence of death should be passed upon men before they be born, and before they have done good or evil?
Theol.
I told you before that we can never comprehend the reason of God's proceeding in this behalf, yet we must know that his will is the rule of righteousness, and must be unto us instead of a thousand reasons; for whatsoever God willeth, inasmuch as he willeth it, is to be holden just.
We cannot conceive the reason of many natural things, and things subject to sense, as the motion of the celestial bodies, their inconceivable swiftness, their matter and substance, their magnitude, altitude, and latitude.
We cannot thoroughly find out the cause of the thunder, lightning, winds, earthquakes, ebbing and flowing of the sea, and many other things under the sun.
How then can we possibly ascend up into the privy chamber and council-house of God, to sift and search out the bottom of God's secrets, which no wit or reach of man can any way attain unto?
Let us therefore learn in God's fear to reverence that which we cannot in this life comprehend.
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This one thing I must say unto you, that whatsoever God decreeth, yet doth he execute no man till he have ten thousand times deserved it.
Foi* betwixt the decree and the execution thereof, Cometh sin in us, and most just causes of condemnation.
Antil.
If God have decreed men's destruction, what can they do withal? who can resist his will? why then is he angry with us?
For aU things must needs come to pass according to his decree Mid determination.
Theol.
First, I answer you with the apostle.
Bom. ix. 20, " man, who art thou which pleadest against God!
Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus ?
Hath not the potter power of the clay, to make of the same lump one vessel to honour, and another to dishonour?"
Moreover, I answer, that God's decree doth not enforce the will of man, but it worketh and moveth of itself.
It hath in itself the beginning of evil motion, and sinneth willingly.
Therefore, though the decree of God imposeth a necessity upon all secondary causes, so as they must needs be framed and disposed according to the same, yet no co-action or constraint, for they are all cairied with their voluntary motion.
Even as we see the pliunb of a clock, being the first mover, doth cause all the other wheels to move, but not to move this way or that way, for in that they move some one way and some another, it is of themselves— I mean of their own frame.
So God's decree doth move all secondary causes, but not take away their own proper motion; for God is the author of every action, but not of any evil in any action.
As the soul of man is the original cause of all motion in man, as the
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philosophers dispute, but yet not of lame and impotent motion, for that is from another cause, to wit, some defect in the body; so I say, God's decree is the root and first cause of motion, but not of defective motion, that is from ourselves.
Likewise that a bell soundeth, the cause is in him that ringeth it, but that it jarreth, the cause is in itself.
Again, that a instrument soundeth, is in him that playeth upon it, but that it jarreth is in itself, that is in its own want of tuning.
So then, to shut up this point, all instruments and middle causes are so moved of Grod, being the first mover, that he always doth well, holily, and justly in his moving.
But the instruments moved are carried in contrary motions, according to their own nature and frame.
If they be good they are carried unto that which is good, but if they be evil, they are carried unto evil.
So that, according to the double beginning of motion and will, there is a double and divers work and effect.
Antil. But from whence cometh it that man of himself, that is of his own free motion, doth will that which is evil?
Theol. From the fall of Adam, whereby his will was corrupted.
Antil. Who was the cause of Adam's fall?
Theol. The devil, and the deprivation of his own will.
Antil. How could his will incline unto evil, it being made good, and he being made good?
Theol. He and his will were made good, yet mutably good ; for to be immutably good is proper only to God; and Adam did so stand that he might fall, as the event declared.
Antil. Was not the decree of God the cause of Adam's fall?
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Theol. No, but the voluntary inclmation of his will unto evil.
For Adam's will was neither forced, nor by any violence of God's purpose, compelled to consent; but he, of free wiU and ready mind, left God and joined with the devil.
Thus then I do determine that Adam sinned necessarily, if you respect the decree or event, but if you respect the first mover and inherent cause, which was his own will, then he sinned voluntarily and contingently; for the decree of God did not take away his will or the contingency thereof, but only order and dispose it; therefore, as a learned " Volens peccavit et motu. He sinned willingly, and of his own motion."
And writer (Beza) says, therefore no evil is to be attributed imto God, or his decree.
Antil. How then do you conceive and consider of the purpose of God in all these things?
Theol. Thus, that God decreed with himself, uno actu, at once, that there should be a world.
—that Adam should be created perfect—that he should fall of himself—that all should fall with him—that he would save some of the lost race— that he would do it of mercy through his Son— that he would condemn others for sin.
Antil. But how do you prove the decree of reprobation? to wit, that God hath determined the destruction of thousands before the world was.
Theol.
The scriptures calleth the reprobates, Eom. ix. 22, "The vessels of wrath prepared to destruction."
The scriptures saith, 1 Thes. v. 9, "God hath not appointed us unto wrath;" therefore it foUoweth ; that some are appointed unto wrath.
The scriptures saith, 1 Pet. ii. 8, of the reprobates, "That they were even ordained to stumble at the word."
The scriptures saith, Q
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"They were of old ordained to this condemnation, Jude 4.
Antil. But how do you answer this?
"Grod willeth not the death of a sinner,"
Ezek, xviii; therefore he hath predestinated none to destruction.
Theol. God willeth not the death of a sinner simply and absolutely, as it is the destruction of his creature, but as it is a means to declare his justice and to set forth his glory.
Antil.
Grod did foresee and foreknow that the wicked would perish through their own sin, but yet he did not predestinate them unto it.
Theol.
God's prescience and foreknowledge cannot be separated from his decree; for whatsoever God hath foreseen and foreknown in his eternal counsel, he hath determined the same shall come to pass; for as it appertaineth to his wisdom to foreknow and foresee all things, so doth it appertain to his power to moderate and rule all things according to his wiU.
Antil. What do you call prescience in God?
Theol.
Prescience in God is that whereby all things abide present before his eyes, so that to his eternal knowledge nothing is past, nothing to come, but all things are always present.
And so are they present, that they are not as conceived imaginations, forms, and motions, but all things are always so present before God that he doth behold them in their verity and perfection.
Antil. How can God justly determine of men's destruction before they have sinned?
Theol. This objection hath been answered in part before ; for I told you that God condemneth none but for sin, either originally only, or else both original and actual; for howsoever he doth
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in himself, before all time, determine the reprobation of many, yet he proceedeth to no execution, till there be found in us both just deserts and apparent cause.
Therefore they deal unsoundly and foolishly which confound the decree of reprobation with damnation itself, since sin is the cause of the one, and only the will of Grod of the other.
I*hil. Well, sir, since we are so far proceeded in this question, by the occasion of this man's objections and cavils, I pray you now, as you have spoken much of reprobation and the causes thereof, so let us hear somewhat of election and the causes thereof; and sbow us out of the scriptures that God hath before all worlds chosen some to eternal Ufe.
Theol. Touching the decree of election there are almost none that make any doubt thereof, therefore small proof shall serve for this point.
Only I will confirm it by one or two testimonies out of the holy scriptures.
First, the apostle saith, Ephes. i. 3, 4, "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ, as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love."
You see the words are very plain and pregnant for this purpose.
Another confirmation is taken out of the 8th chap, to the Romans, in the 29th verse, "Those whom he knew before did he also predestinate to be like to the image of his own
Son, that he might be the first-bom of many brethren."
Phil. Which be the causes of election?
Theol. The causes of election are to be found
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only in God himself.
For liis eternal election dependeth neither upon man, neither yet upon anything that is in man,' but is purposed in himself, and established in Christ, in whom we are elected.
This is fully proved in these words, Eph. i. 5, 6, "Who hath predestinated us to be adopted through Jesus Christ in himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glory, wherewith he hath made us freely accepted in his Beloved."
Where we see the apostle telleth us, that his free grace and the good pleasvire of his will, are the first motives or moving causes of our election.
Phil. But the papists fetch the first motive of election out of man's merits and foreseen works; for, say they, God did forsee who would repent, believe, and do well, and therefore he made choice of them.
Theol. But they are greatly deceived.
For I S2ij, again and again, that there was nothing in us which did ever move God to set his love upon us and choose us unto life, but he ever found the original cause in himself; as it is written, Eom. ix.
18, "He will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth;" and " It is neither in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth, but in God that sheweth mercy."
The Lord himself, in Deut. vii. 7, also testifieth that he did choose his people, not for any respect in them, but only because he loved them; and bore a special favour unto them.
So, then, it again, ver. 16, is a certain truth that God's eternal predestination excludeth all merits of man, and all power of his will, thereby to attain eternal life; and that his free mercy and undeserved favour is both the beginning, the middle, and the end of our salva-
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tion: that is to say, all is of him, and nothing of ourselves.
Phil. Whether then doth faith depend upon election, or election upon faith? that is, whether did God choose us because we do believe? or whether do we believe, because we are chosen ?
Theol. Out of all doubt, both faith and all finiits of faith do depend upon election.
For, therefore we believe, because we are elected, and not therefore elected, because we believe; as it is written, " So many as were ordained to everlasting life believed," Acts xiii. 48.
Antil.
If men be predestinate before they be bom, to what purpose serve all precepts, admonitions, laws, &c.?
It forceth not how we live; for neither our godly or ungodly life can alter the purpose of God.
Theol. This Ls a very wicked and carnal objection, and sheweth a vile and dissolute mind in them that use it.
But I would wish such men to consider the end of our election, which is that we should lead a godly life; as it is plainly set down in the first to the Ephesians, where the " God hath chosen us beapostle saith, ver, 3, 4, fore the foundation of the world."
But to what end? that we should live as we list?
Xo, no, saith he, " But that we should be holy and unblameable before him in love."
Again, he saith, Rom. viii. 29, " We are predestinate to be made like the image of his Son;" that is, to be holy and righteous; for most certain it is that we can judge nothing of predestination but by the consequents, that is, by our calling, justification, and sanctification ; for when once we feel the work of grace within us, that is, that we are washed by the new birth, and renewed by the
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Holy Ghost, finding in ourselves an unfeigned hatred of sin, and love of righteousness, then are we sure, and out of all doubt, that we are predestinated to life; and it is even as much as if Grod had personally appeared unto us, and whispered us in the ear, and told us that our names are taken and written in the book of life:
"For, whom he hath predestinated, them hath he called; and whom he hath called, them he hath justified; and whom he hath justified, them he hath glorified," verse 30,
Now, therefore, till we feel these marks of election wrought in us, we can be at no certainty in this point ; neither are we to take any notice of it, or middle in it ; but we must strive, according to that power and faculty we have, to live honestly and civilly, waiting upon God till he have mercy on us, and give us the true touch.
As for them that are careless and dissolute, setting all at six and seven, there is small hope that they are elected, or ever shall be called.
Antil. I think the preaching and publishing of this doctrine of predestination hath done much hurt; and it had been good it had never been known to the people, but utterly concealed ; for some it driveth to despair, and others it maketh more secure and cai'eless.
Theol. You are in a great error, for this doctrine is a part of God's revealed truth, which he would have known to his people; and, in good sooth*, it is of very great and comfortable use ta the children of God against all the assaults of the devil, and temptations of desperation whatsoever; for, when a man hath once in truth felt, by the effects, that God hath chosen him to life, • Truth
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then though the devil lie sore at him, and the conscience of sin and his own frailties most vehemently assault him, yet he knoweth certainly that the eternal purpose and counsel of God is immutable; and that because his salvation is not grounded upon himself, nor his own strength, but upon the unchangeable decree of Grod, which is a foundation unmoveable, and always standing sure and firm; therefore, do the devil and sin what they can, yet he shall be upheld in righteousness and truth, and, as it were, bom up in the arms of God, even to the end; for whom God loveth, to the end God loveth them.
Moreover, when once the Lord's people perceive, by their sanctrfication and new birth, both that the Lord hath rejected and reprobated so many thousand thousands, and made choice of them to be heirs of his most glorious kingdom, being in themselves of the same mould and making that others are, and that he hath done all this of his free grace and undeserved mercy towards them, oh how doth it ravish their hearts with the love of him
Again, how frankly and cheerfully do they serve him! how willingly and faithfully do they obey him! yea, how are they wholly enwrapt and inflamed with the desire of him ! for it is the persuasion and feeling of God's love toward us that draweth up our love to him again, as St. John saith, iv. 19, " We love him, because he hath loved us first."
Moreover, it is said of Mary Magdalene " That she loved much, because much was forgiven;" for, after she felt her many and great sins finely pardoned, her affections were kindled with the love and obedience of Christ.
So likewise the church in the Canticles, after she had been in the banqueting house of aU spiritual grace, and
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felt the banner of Christ's love displayed upon her, forthwith she was enwrapt therewith, and " That she was cried out, as it were in a swoon, sick of love."
So again, when Christ put in his hand by the hole of the door, that is, touched the very inward parts of her heart, by his Spirit, then her heart yearned, and her bowels were affectioned towards him. This is it which St.
Paul prayeth for upon his knees, that it may be " That they may be granted to the Ephesians, able to comprehend with all the saints, what is the breadth and length, heighth and depth of God's love towards us, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, and to be filled with all the fulness of the Grod."
Thus you then see the great and comfortable use of this doctrine of election, both in that it ministereth strength and comfort against all temptations; as also because it constraineth us to love God, and of very love to fear him and obey him.
PJiil. Well, sir, I think now you have spent time enough in answering the objections and cavils of Antilegon; in all which I do observe one thing, that there is no end of cavilling and objecting against the truth ; and that a man may object more in an hour than a learned man can well answer in a day.
TJieol. You say truth; and the reason hereof is because men have sin in them out of measure, and the Spirit of God but in measure ; therefore they can by the one object, and conceive more against the truth, than by the other they shall be able to answer and say for it.
PMl.
It appcareth, indeed, that errors be infinite, and objections innumerable, and that there is no end of men's cavilling against God's sacred