The earlier dogmatists of the Reformed Church large- ly discussed the question whether right is right because God wills it, or whether God vrills right because it is right. Some (e. g. Polanus) maintained the former view as the only one consistent with the absolute nature of God. The later writers maintain the opposite view, e. g.Voetius : "God is subject to no moral duty y)-o»i ^nth- out, because he is no man's debtor, and there is no cause outside of God that can bind or determine him. But from ivithin he may be bound (so to speak), not, indeed, in the sense of subjection, because he is his own debtor, and cannot deny himself. Thus, in divine things, the Fa- ther is bound to love the Son, for he cannot but love him ; while the Son, by the very necessity of his di- vine nature, is bound to work by the Father ; nor can he do otherwise whenever a work outside of God is to be performed. So, also, in external acts, the creature hav- ing been once produced, God is bound to maintain it by his perpetual power and contmual influence (as long as he wishes it to exist), to move directly upon it as its first mover, and guide it to his glory (Prov. xvi, 4 ; Eom. xi, 34-30). That is immutably good and just whose opposite he cannot wish." So also Heidegger {Corp. Theol. iii, 89, 90) : " AVhatever is the holiness, justice, and goodness of the creature, nevertheless its rule and first norm in the sight of God is not his free will and command, but his own essential justice, holiness, ami cpod- ness." On this subject Watson remarks as follows : " Without conducting the reader into the profitless ques- tion whether there is a fixed and unalterable nature and fitness of things, independent of the divine will on the one hand ; or, on the other, whether good and evil have their foundation, not in the nature of things, but only in the divine will, which makes them such, there is "a method, less direct it may be, but more satisfactory, of assisting our thoughts on this subject. It is certain that various affections and actions have been enjoined upon aU rational creatures under the general name of righteousness, and that their contraries have been pro- hibitetU It is a matter also of constant experience and observation that the good of society is jiromoted only by the one, and injured by the other; and also that ev- ery individual derives, by the very constitution of his nature, benefit and happiness from rectitude, injur}' and misery from' vice. This constitution of human nature
is therefore an indication that the Maker and Ruler of men formed them with the intent that they should avoid vice and practice virtue ; and that the former is the ob- ject of his aversion, the latter of his regard. On this principle, all the laws, which in his legislaiice character almighty God has enacted for the government of man- kind, have been constructed. ' The law is hvlij, and the commandment holy, just, and rjood.'' In the administra- tion of the world, where God is so often seen in his judi- cial capacity, the punishments which are inflicted, indi- rectly or immediately upon man, clearly tend to discour- age and prevent the practice of evil. 'Above all, the Gospel, that last and most perfect revelation of the di- vine will, instead of giving the professors of it any al- lowance to sin, because grace has abomided (which is an injurious imputation cast upon it by ignorant and impious minds), its chief design is to establish that great principle, God's moral piurity, and to manifest his abhor- rence of sin, and inviolable regard to purity and virtue in his reasonable creatures. It was for this he sent his Son into the world to turn men from their iniquities, and bring them back to the paths of righteousness. For this the blessed Jesus submitted to the deepest humilia- tions and most grievous sufferings. He gave himself (as St. Paul speaks) for his Church, that he might sanc- tify and cleanse it ; that he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, but that it should be holy and without blemish; or, as it is else- where expressed, he gave himself for us, to redeem us from our iniquities, and to purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works' (Abernethy, iSe7inons). Since, then, it is so manifest that ' the Lord loveth righteousness and hateth iniquity,' it must be necessa- rily concluded that this preference of the one, and ha- tred of the other, flow from some principle in his very nature—^ that he is the righteous Lord ; of purer eyes than to behold evil ; one who cannot look upon iniqui- ty.' This principle is holiness, an attribute which, in the most emphatic manner, is assumed by himself, and attributed to him, both by adoring angels m their choirs, and by inspired saints in their worship. He is, by his own designation, '/^e Holy One of Isi-ael-' the seraphs in the ','ision of the prophet cry continually, 'Holy, HOLY, HOLY is the Lord God of hosts ; the v:hole earth is full of his glory ;' thus summing up all liis glories in this sole moral perfection. The language of the sanctuary on earth is borrowed from that of heaven: ' Who shall not fear thee, 0 Lord, and glorify thy name, for thou only art Holy.' If, then, there is this principle in the di- vine mind which leads him to prescribe, love, and re- ward trath, justice, benevolence, and every other virtu- ous affection and habit in his creatures which we sum up in the term holiness, and to forbid, restrain, and pun- ish their opposites — that principle, being essential in him, a part of his very nature and Godhead, must be the spring and giude of his own conduct ; and thus we con- ceive without difficulty of the essential rectitude or holi- ness of the divine nature, and the absolutely pure and righteous character of his administration. This attri- bute of holiness exhibits itself in two great branches, justice and truth, which are sometimes also treated of as separate attributes." See Watson, Theolog. Institutes, i, 43G; Knapp, Theology, §29; 'LelawA, Sermons, i, 199; Al)ernethy, Sermons, ii, 180 ; Heppe, Dogmatih der evang- rrform. Kirche, p. 73 sq. ; Pye Smith, Theol. p. 173 sq. ; Pearson, Exposition of the Creed, i, 10, 531, 541 ; Smith's Hagenbach, History of Doctrines, i, 110 sq. ; Donier, in .lahrb.f deutsche Theol. i,2; ii, 3 ; iii, 3 ; Hoefer, Nouv. Bioq. Generale, xix, 618 ; Herzog, Real-Enqiklop. v, 133 ; iii, 321; xix, 618-624; Biblioth. Sac. xii, 377 ; xiii,840; Meth. Quart. Rev. xi, 505 ; Thomasius, Dogmatik, i, 141 ; Staudenmeier, Dogmatik, ii, 590-610; Dwight, Theol. i (see Index) ; IMartensen, Dogmatik, p. 99 ; Clark, Outl. of Theol. ii, 9 sq. ; Calvin, Institutes, i, 377 ; Wesley, Works, ii, 430. See God.