92 THE SWISS REFOPwMATlON.
Human Will," and the first edition of Melanclitlion's Loci, or Calvin's more mature and careful statements. All the Reformers were originally strong Augustinian predestinarians and denied the liberty of the human will. Augustin and Luther proceeded from anthropological premises, namely, the total depravity of man, and came to the doctrine of predestination as a logical consequence, but laid greater stress on sacramental grace. Zwingli, anticipating Calvin, started from the theological principle of the absolute sovereignty of God and the identity of foreknowledge and foreordination. His Scripture argument is chiefly drawn from the ninth chapter of Romans, which, indeed, strongly teaches the freedom of election,^ but should never be divorced from the tenth chapter, which teaches with equal clearness human responsibility, and from the eleventh chapter, which prophesies the future conversion of the Gentile nations and the people of Israel.
Zwingli does not shrink from the abyss of supralapsarianism. God, he teaches, is the supreme and only good, and the omnipotent cause of all things. He rules and administers the world by his perpetual and immutable providence, which leaves no room for accidents. Even the fall of Adam, with its consequences, is included in his eternal will as well as his eternal knowledge. So far sin is necessary, but only as a means to redemption. God's agency in respect to sin is free from sin, since he is not bound by law, and has no bad motive or affection.^ Election is free and independent;
1 P. 114: "Nos cum Paulo in hac sententia sumus, id prcedestinatio libera sit, citra omnem respecturii bene aiit male factor am." He refers especially to what Paul says about God hardening Pharaoh's heart, and hating Esau and loving Jacob before they were born. But this has reference to their position in history, and not to their eternal salvation or perdition.
2Z)e Providentia Dei (p. 11.3): "Impulit Deus [latronem'] ut occideret ; sed ceque impellit judicem, ut percussorem justitice mactet. Et qui impelht, agit sine omni criminis suspicione; non enim est ;%b lege. Qui vera impellitur, tam abest ut sit alienus a crimine, ut nullam fere rem gerat sine aliqua labia aspergine, quia sub lege est." Zwingli defends this view by the illustration of the magistracy
§ 29. THE THEOLOGY OF ZWINGLI. 93
it is not conditioned by faith, but includes faith.^ Salvation is possible without baptism, but not without Christ. We are elected in order that we may believe in Christ and bring forth the fruits of holiness. Only those who hear and reject the gospel in unbelief are foreordained to eternal punishment. All children of Christian parents who die in infancy are included among the elect, whether baptized or not, and their early death before they liave committed any actual sin is a sure proof of their election.^ Of those outside the Church we cannot judge, but may entertain a charitable hope, as God's o;race is not bound. In this direction Zwinsfli was more liberal than any Reformer and opened a new path. St. Augustin moderated the rigor of the doctrine of predestination by the doctrine of baptismal regeneration and the hypothesis of future purification. Zwingli moderated it by extending the divine revelation and the working of the Holy Spirit beyond the boundaries of the visible Church and the ordinary means of grace.
It is very easy to caricature the doctrine of predestination, and to dispose of it by the plausible objections that it teaches the necessity of sin, that it leads to fatalism and pantheism, that it supersedes the necessity of personal effort for growth in grace, and encourages carnal security. But every one who knows history at all knows also that the
taking a man's life. So a soldier may kill an enemy in battle, without committing murder. Melanclithon traced (1521) the adultery and murder of David and the treason of Judas to the Divine impulse; but he abandoned afterwards (1535) this " Stoic figment of fatalism."
1 P. 121: "Fides its datur, qui ad vitavi eternam electi et ordinati sunt; sic tamen ut electio antecedat, et fides velut symbohnn electionem sequatur. Sic eniin habet Paidus, Rom. 8:29."
2 He reasons thus : Nothing separates us from God but sin ; children have not committed actual sin ; Christ has expiated for original sin ; consequently children of Christian parents, about whom we have an express promise, are certainly among the elect if they are taken away in infancy. "Defunr]i in illis elect ionis sig7iiim est perinde ac fides in ndultis. Et qui reprohi sunt et a Deo repudiati, in hoc statu innocentice. non moriuntur, sed divina providentia seruantur ut repudiatio illorum crtminosu vita notetur." (P. 127.)