' "Possunt homines electionem s^am irritam et frustraneam reddere." — ^Eem. Apol., cap. ix. p. 105.
2 Jackson, of the Divine Essence.
^ " Non niirum -videri debet quod aliquando ex electis rcprobi et ex reprobis electi fiant."— Welsin. de Of. Ch. Horn.
* " Omnia Dei decreta, non sunt peremptoria, sed qusedam conditionata ac mutabilia." — Concio. ad Cler. Oxon. ann. 1641, Eeni. Decla. Sent, in Synod., alibi passim. " Electio sicut etjustificatio, et incerta et revocabilis, utramque vero conditionatam qui negaverit, ipsum quoque evangelium negabit." — Grevinch. ad Ames., pp. 136, 137.
* " Ad gloriam participandam pro isto tempore qiio credunt electi simt." — Rem. Apol., p. 190.
6 " Decreta hypotlietica possunt mutari, quia conditio respectu hominis A-el prtcstatur vel non prsestatur, atque ita existit vol non existit. Et quum extitit aliquandiu, ssepe existere desinit, et rursus postquam aliquandiu desiit, existere incipit." — Corv.adMoliu., cap. V. sec. 10.
VOL. X. 2
18 A DISPLAY OF ARMINIANISLI.
with tliem to overthrow all religion), and let the unbelieving reprobate depose his incredulity and turn himself unto the Lord; answerable to this mutation of their conditions are the changings of the purpose of the Almighty concerning their everlasting state. Again ; suppose these two, by alternate courses (as the doctrine of apostasy main- taineth they may), should return each to their former estate, the decrees of God concerning them must again be changed; for it is unjust with him either not to elect him that believes, though it be but for an hour, or not to reprobate unbelievers. Now, what un- changeableness can we fix to these decrees, which it lies in the power of man to make as inconstant as Euripus; making it, beside, to be possible that all the membei's of Christ's church, whose names are written in heaven, should within one hour be enrolled in the black book of damnation ?
Secondly, As these not-peremptory decrees are mutable, so they make the peremptory decrees of God to be temporal. " Final im- penitency," say they, " is the only cause, and the finally unrepenting sinner is the only object, of reprobation, peremptory and irrevocable." As the poet thought none happy,^ so they think no man to be elected, or a reprobate, before his death. Now, that denomination he doth receive from the decrees of God concerning his eternal estate, which must necessarily then be first enacted. The relation that is between the act of reprobation and the person reprobated importeth a co-ex- istence of denomination. When God reprobates a man, he then be- comes a reprobate; which if it be not before he hath actually fulfilled the measure of his iniquity, and sealed it up with the talent of final impenitency in his death, the decree of God must needs be temporal, the just Judge of all the world having till then suspended his deter- mination, expecting the last resolution of this changeable Proteus. Nay, that God's decrees concerning men's eternal estates are in their judgment temporal, and not beginning until their death, is plain from the whole course of their doctrine, especially where they strive to prove that if there were any such detennination, God could not threaten punishments or promise rewards. " Who,"^ say they, "can threaten punishment to him whom, by a peremptory decree, he will have to be free froin punishment?" It seems he cannot have deter- mined to save any whom he threatens to punish if they sin, which [it] is evident he doth all so long as they live in tliis world ; Avhich makes God not only mutable, but quite deprives him of his foreknowledge, and makes the form of his decree run thus: — " If man will believe, I determine he shall be saved; if he will not, 1 determine he shall be
» " Dicique beatus — Ante obitum nemo," etc. — Ovid.
* " Quis enim comminetur poenam ei, quern peremptorio decreto a jcena immuncni esse Tult?" — Rem. Apol., cap. xvii. p. 187.
OF THE DECREES OF GOD, 19
damned/' — that is, " I must leave him in the meantime to do what he will, so I may meet with him in the end/'
Thirdly, They affirm no decree of Almighty God concerning men is so unalterable^ but that all those who are now in rest or misery might have had contrary lots; — that those which are damned, as Pharaoh, Judas, etc., might have been saved ; and those which are saved, as the blessed Virgin, Peter, John, might have been damned : which must needs reflect with a strong charge of mutability on Almighty God, who knoweth who are his. Divers other instances in this nature I could produce, whereby it would be farther evident that these innovators in Christian religion do overthrow the eternity and unchangeableness of God's decrees; but these are sufficient to any discerning man. And I will add, in the close, an antidote against this poison, briefly showing what the Scripture and right reason teach us concerning these secrets of the Most High.
First, " Known unto God," saith St James, " are all his works from the beginning," Acts xv. 18; whence it hath hitherto been concluded that whatever God doth in time bring to pass, that he decreed from all eternity so to do. All his works were from the beginning known unto him. Consider it particularly in the decree of election, that fountain of all spiritual blessings, that a saving sense and assurance thereof (2 Pet. i. 10) being attained, might effect a spiritual rejoicing in the Lord, 1 Cor. xv. 31. Such things are everywhere taught as may raise us to the consideration of it as of an eternal act, irrevocably and immutably established : " He hath chosen us before the foundation of the world," Eph. i. 4 : his "pui-pose according to election," before we were born, must " stand," Rom. ix. 11 ; for to the irreversible stability of this act of his will he hath set to the seal of his infallible knowledge, 2 Tim. ii. 19. His purpose of our salvation hy gTace, not according to works, was " before the world began," 2 Tim. i. 9 : an eternal purpose, proceeding trom such a will as to which none canresist, joined with such a knowledge as to which all things past, present, and to come are open and evi- dent, must needs also be, like the laws of the Medes and Persians, permanent and unalterable.