First, It is laid down as a firm foundation, that " known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world," Acts xv. 18. Every thing, then, that in any respect may be called his work, is known unto him from all eternity. Now, what in the world, if we may speak as he hath taught us, can be exempted from this denomi- nation ? Even actions in themselves sinful are not ; though not as sinful, yet in some other regard, as punishments of others. " Behold," saith Nathan to David, in the name of God, " I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun ; for thou didst it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel," 2 Sam. xii. 11, 12. So, also, when wicked robbers had nefariously spoiled Job of all his sub- stance, the holy man concludeth, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away," chap. i. 21. Now, if the working of God's providence be so mighty and effectual, even in and over those actions wherein the devil and men do most maliciously offend, as did Absalom and the Sabean with the Chaldean thieves, that it may be said to be his work, and he may be said to " do it" (I crave liberty to use the Scripture phrase), then certainly nothing in the world, in some respect or other, is independent of his all-disposing hand; yea, Judas himself betraying our Saviour did nothing but " what his hand and counsel determined before should be done,"^ Acts iv. 28, in respect of the
' Ames. Antisynod, p. 10.
2 "Deus suo modo aliquando metuit, hoc est, merito suspicatur et pnidenter conjicit, hoc Tel illud malum oriturum."- — -Vorsti. de Deo, p. 451.
3 " Deus non semper ex praescientia finem intendit." — Armin., Antip., p. G67; Corv. ad Molin., cap. v. sect. 5.
* " Cum et pater tradiderit filium suum, et ipse Chi-istus corpus suum : et .Tudas do- mimxm suum : cur in hac traditione Deus est plus, et homo reus, nisi quia in re una quam feceruut, causa non fuit una propter quam fecerunt." — Aug., Epist. xlviii.
28 A DISPLAY OF ARMINIANISM.
event of the thing itself. And if these actions, notwithstanding these two hinderances, — first, that they were contingent, wrought by free agents, working according to election and choice; secondly, that they were sinful and Avicked in the agents, — had yet their dependence on his purpose and determinate counsel, surely he hath an interest of operation in the acts of every creature. But his works, as it appears before, are all known unto him from the beginning, for he worketh nothing by chance or accidentally, but all things determinately, ac- cording to his own decree, or " the counsel of his own will," Eph. i. 11.
Secondly, The manner of God's knowing of things doth evidently show that nothing that is, or may be, can be hid from him; ^ which is not by discourse and collection of one thing out of another, con- clusions out of principles, but altogether and at once, evidently, clearly, and distinctly, both in respect roD 6V/ and roZ hion. By one most pure act of his own essence he discerneth all things: for there is " no creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all are naked and opened unto his eyes," Heb. iv. 13. So that those things concerning which we treat ^he knoweth three ways : — First, In him- self and his own decree, as the first cause ; in which respect they may be said to be necessary, in respect of the certainty of their event. Secondly, In their immediate causes, wherein their contingency doth properly consist. Thirdly, In their own nature as future, but to his infinite knowledge ever present.
Thirdhj, The Scripture^ is full of expressions to this purpose, — to wit, " That God knoweth all secrets, and revealeth hidden things. he searcheth the reins and the heart : he knoweth the number of the stars, and the birds of the air, the lilies of the field, the falling of sparrows, the number of the hairs of our heads." Some places are most remarkable, as that of the Psalmist, " He knoweth my thoughts long before;" even before ever they come into our minds, before their first rising. And yet many actions that are most contingent de- pend upon those thoughts known unto God from eternity; nay, — which breaketh the very neck of the goddess contingency, — those things wherein her greatest power is imagined to consist are directly ascribed imto God, as our words, " the answer of the tongue," Prov. xvi. 1; and the directing of an aiTow, shot by chance, to a mark not aimed at, 1 Kings xxii. 34. Surely God must needs foreknow the event of that contingent action ; he must needs know the man would so
■ " Dcus non particulatim, vol singillatim omnia vidct, vclut alternanter concopta, hinc illuc, iiule luic, sed omnia vidct simul." — Aug., lib. xv. de Trinit., cap. 14. " In scientia diviiia nuUus est discursus, sed omnia pcrfecte intelligit." — Tho., p. q. 14, a. 7. c.
» Tilcn. Syntag. dc Attrib. Dei, thcs. 22; Zancli. dc Nat. Dei. Unumquodque quod est, dum est, nccessc est, ut sit.