45. In what sense do Arminians hold, the distinction betiveen the absolute and conditional ivill of God, and what are the objec- tions to that view ?
In their view that is the absolute will of God which is sus- pended upon no condition without himself, e. g., his decree to create man. That is the conditional will of God which is sus-
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pended upon a condition, e. g., his decree to save those that be- lieve, i. e.} on condition of their faith.
It is evident that this view is entirely inconsistent with the nature of God as an eternal, self-existent, independent being, in- finite in all his perfections. It degrades him to the position of being simply a coordinate part of the creation, mutually limiting and being limited by the creature.
The mistake results from detaching a fragment of God's will from the one whole, all-comprehensive eternal purpose. It is evident that, when properly viewed as eternal and one, God's purpose must comprehend all conditions, as well as their conse- quents. God's will is suspended upon no condition, but he eter- nally wills the event as suspended upon its condition, and its condition as determining the event.
It is admitted by all that God's preceptive will, as expressed in commands, promises, and threatenings, is often suspended upon condition. If we believe we shall certainly be saved. This is the relation which God has immutably established between faith as the condition, and salvation as the consequent, i. e., faith is the condition of salvation. But this is something very different from saying that the faith of Paul was the condition of God's eternal purpose to save him, because the same purpose determined the faith as the condition, and the salvation as its consequent. See further, Chapter IX., on the decrees.
46. In what sense is the will of God said to be eternal ?
It is one eternal, unsuccessive, all-comprehensive act, absolutely determining either to effect or to permit all things, in all of their relations, conditions, and successions, which ever were, are, or ever will be.
47. In what sense may the will of God be said to be the rule- of righteousness ?
It is evident that in the highest sense, with respect to God; willing, his mere will can not be regarded as the ultimate ground of all righteousness, any more than it can be as the ultimate ground of all wisdom. Because, in that case, it would follow,, first, that there would be no essential difference between right and wrong in themselves, but only a difference arbitrarily consti-
120 THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD.
tuted by God himself ; and, second, that it would be senseless to ascribe righteousness to God, for then that would be merely to say that he wills as he wills. The truth is, that his will acts as his infinitely righteous wisdom sees to be right.
On the other hand, God's revealed will is to us the absolute and ultimate rule of righteousness, alike when he commands things in themselves indifferent, and thus makes them right, as when he commands things in themselves essentially right, be- cause they are right.
THE INFINITE JUSTICE OF GOD.
48. What is meant by the distinctions absolute and relative, rector al, distributive, and punitive or vindictive justice of God ?
The absolute justice of God is the infinite moral perfection or universal righteousness of his own being.
The relative justice of God is his infinitely righteous nature, viewed as exercised in his relation to his moral creatures, as their moral governor.
This last is called rectoral, when viewed as exercised gen- erally in administering the affairs of his universal government, in providing for and governing his creatures and their actions. It is called distributive, when viewed as exercised in giving unto each creature his exact proportionate due of rewards or punish- ment. It is called punitive or vindictive, when viewed as de- manding and inflicting the adequate and proportionate punish- ment of all sin, because of its intrinsic ill desert.
49. What are the different opinions as to the nature of the punitive justice of God, i. e., what are the different reasons as- signed why God punishes sin ?
The Socinians deny the punitive justice of God altogether, and maintain that he punishes sin simply for the good of the in- dividual sinner, and of society, only so far as it may be interested in his restraint or improvement. The new school theologians, ■maintaining the governmental theory of the Atonement, hold that God punishes sin not because of a changeless principle in himself demanding its punishment, but for the good of the uni- verse, on. the basis of great and changeless principles of govern-
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mental policy. Thus resolving justice into a form of general benevolence. — See Bernan on the Atonement.
Some hold that the necessity for the punishment of sin is only hypothetical^ i. e., results only from the eternal decree of God.