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ble, God by his decrees freely determineth what shall come to pass; and makes them future, which before were but possible. After this decree, as they commonly speak, followeth, or together with it, as others more exactly, taketh place, that prescience of God which they call visionis of vision,' whereby he infallibly seeth all things in their proper causes; and how and when they shall come to pass; now these two sorts of knowledge differ, inasmuch as by the one, God knoweth what it is possible may come to pass; by the other, only what it is impossible should not come to pass: things are possible in regard of God's power, future in regard of his decree. So that (if I may so say), the measure of the first kind of science, is God's omnipotency what he can do; of the other his purpose, what certainly he will do, or permit to be done. With this prescience then, God foreseeth all, and nothing but what he hath decreed shall come to pass.

For every thing to be produced next and under him," God hath prepared divers and several kinds of causes; diversly operative in producing their effects; some whereof are said to work necessarily; the institution of their nature being to do as they do, and not otherwise; so the sun giveth light, and the fire heat. And yet in some regard, their effects and products, may be said to be contingent and free; inasmuch as the concurrence of God, the first cause, is required to their operation, who doth all things most freely, according to the counsel of his will: thus the sun stood still in the time of Joshua; and the fire burned not the three children; but ordinarily such agents working necessitate natura, their effects are said to be necessary.

e Res ipsæ nullo naturæ momento possibiles esse dicendæ sunt priusquam a Deo intelliguntur, scientia quæ dicitur simplicis intelligentiæ, ita etiam scientia quæ dicitur visionis, et fertur in res futuras, nullo naturæ momento, posterior statuenda videtur, ista futuritione, rerum; cum scientia, &c. D. Twiss. ad errat. vind. grat.

f Scientia visionis dicitur, quia ea quæ videntur, apud nos habent esse distinctum extra videntem. Aq. p. q. 14. a. 9. c.

g In eo differt præscientia intuitionis, ab ea, quæ approbationis est, quod illa præsciat, quod evenire possibile est: hoc vero quod impossibile est non evenire. Ferrius. Orthod. Scholast. speci. cap. 23. Cæterum posterior ista scientia non proprie dicitur a Ferrio scientia approbationis, illa enim est, qua Deus dicitur nosse quæ amat et approbat: ab utraque altera distincta. Matt. vii. 23. Rom. xi. 2. 2 Tim. ii. 9. Quamvis infinitorum numerorum, nullus sit numerus, non tamen est incomprehensibilis ei, cujus scientiæ non est numerus: Aug. de civit. Dei. lib. 12. cap. 18.

Quibusdam effectibus præparavit causas necessarias, ut necessario eveniret, quibusdam vero causas contingentes ut evenirent contingenter, secundum conditionem proximarum causarum. Aquin. p. q. 23. a. 4. in cor. Žanch. de natur. Dei. lib. 5. qu. 4. thes.

The author has omitted the numeral, first, in this place. Editor.

b.

1

Secondly, To some things God hath fitted free and contingent causes, which either apply themselves to operation in particular, according to election; choosing to do this thing, rather than that: as angels and men, in their free and deliberate actions, which they so perform as that they could have not done them: or else they produce effects κarà Tò avμßeßnкòs, merely by accident; and the operation of such things we say to be casual; as if a hatchet falling out of the hand of a man, cutting down a tree, should kill another whom he never saw. Now nothing in either of these ways come to pass, but God hath determined it both for matter and the manner; even so, as is agreeable to their causes; some necessarily, some freely, some casually, or contingently, yet also as having a certain futurition from his decree; be infallibly foreseeth that they shall so come to pass. But yet, that he doth so in respect of things free and contingent, is much questioned by the Arminians in express terms, and denied by consequence, notwithstanding St. Jerome affirmeth,* that so to do, is destructive to the very essence of the Deity.

First, Their doctrine of the mutability of God's decrees, on whose firmness is founded the infallibility of this prescience, doth quite overthrow it; God thus foreknowing only what he hath so decreed shall come to pass; if that be no firmer settled, but that it may and is often altered according to the divers inclinations of men's wills, which I shewed before they affirm, he can have at best but a conjectural foreknowledge, of what is yet for to come: not founded on his own unchangeable purpose; but upon a guess, at the free inclination of men's wills. For instance,' God willeth that all men should be saved: this act of his will, according to the Arminian doctrine, is his conditionate decree to save all men if they will believe; well, among these is Judas," as equal a sharer in the benefit of this decree as Peter. God then will have him to be saved, and to this end allows him all those means which are necessary to beget faith in him, and are every way sufficient to that purpose, and do produce

i Res et modos rerum. Aquin.

Cui præscientiam tollis, aufers divinitatem. Hieron. ad Pelag. lib. 5.

1 Deus ita omnium salutem ex æquo vult, ut illam ex æquo optet et desideret. Cor. ad Moli. cap. 31. sect. 1.

Talis gratia omnibus datur quæ sufficiat ad fidem gencrandam. idem: ibid. sect. 15.

that effect in others; what can God foresee then but that Judas as well as Peter will believe? He intendeth he should, he hath determined nothing to the contrary: let him come then, and act his own part, why? He proves so obstinately malicious," that God with all his omnipotency, as they speak, by any way that becomes him, which must not be by any irresistible efficacy, cannot change his obdurate heart. Well then, he determineth, according to the exigence of his justice, that he shall be damned for his impenitency; and foreseeth that accordingly : but now, suppose this wretch, even at his last moment, should bethink himself and return to the Lord, which in their conceit he may, notwithstanding his former reprobation (which, as they state it, seems a great act of mercy); God must keep to the rules of his justice, and elect or determine to save him: by which the varlet hath twice or thrice deceived his expectation.

Secondly, They affirm, that God is said properly to expect and desire divers things which yet never come to pass; we grant, saith Corvinus, that there are desires in God, that never are fulfilled.' Now, surely to desire what one is sure will never come to pass, is not an act regulated by wisdom or counsel and, therefore, they must grant that before he did not know but perhaps so it might be: God wisheth and desireth some good things, which yet come not to pass, say they, in their confession: whence one of these two things must needs follow; either first, that there is a great deal of imperfection in his nature to desire and expect what he knows shall never come to pass; or else he did not know but it might, which overthrows his prescience: yea, and say they expressly,'' that the hope and expectation of God is deceived by man:' and confess, that the strength of their strongest argument lies in this, that God hoped and expected obedience from Israel.' Secondly, that he complaineth that

Pertinaci quorundam malitia compulsus. Armin. ubi sup.

• Reprobatio populi Judaici fuit actio temporaria et quæ bono ipsorum Judæorum si modo sanabiles adhuc essent, animumque advertere vellent, servire poterat, utque co fini serviret a Deo facta erat. Rem. apol. cap. 20. p. 221.

P Injustum est apud Deum vel non credentem eligere, vel credentem non eligere. Rem. Apol.

q Concedimus in Deo desideria, quæ nunquam implentur. Corvin. ad Molin. cap.

5. sect. 2.

r Bona quædam Deus optet et desiderat. Rem. Confes. ca. sect. 9.

• Dei spes et expectio est ab hominibus elusa: Rem. Scrip. syn. in cap. 5. Isa. v. 1. In eo vis argumenti est, quod Deus ab Israele obedientiam et sperarit, et expectarit. idem. ibid. Quod Deus de elusa spe sua conqueratur. idem ubi supra.

his hope is deluded; which being taken properly, and as they urge it, cannot consist with his eternal prescience. For they disesteem the usual answer of divines, that hope, expectation, and such like passions, which include in them any imperfection, are ascribed unto God per άνθρωποπάθειαν, in regard of that analogy, his actions hold with such of ours as we perform, having those passions.

Thirdly, They teach, that God hath determined nothing concerning such things, as these in question. That God hath determined future contingent things unto either part (I mean such as issue from the free-will of the creature), I abominate, hate, and curse as false, absurd, and leading us on unto blasphemy,' saith Arminius. To determine of them to either part, is to determine and ordain whether they shall be, or whether they shall not be; as that David shall, or shall not, go up to-morrow against the Philistines and prevail. Now the infallibility of God's foreknowing of such things depending on the certainty of his decree, and determination, if there be no such thing as this, that also must needs fall to the ground.

Fourthly," See what positively they write concerning this everlasting foreknowledge of God. First, they call it a troublesome question. Secondly, they make it a thing disputable, whether there be any such thing or no; and though haply it may be ascribed unto God; yet, Thirdly, they think it no motive to the worship of him. Fourthly, they say, better it were quite exploded, because the difficulties that attend it can scarcely be reconciled with man's liberty, God's threatening and promises; yea, Fifthly, it seems rather to be invented, to crucify poor mortals than to be of any moment in religion; so Episcopius. It may be excepted, that this is but one doctor's opinion: it is true they are one man's words, but

Deum futura contingentia, decreto suo determinasse ad alter utram partem (intellige quæ a libera creaturæ voluntate patrantur), falsum, absurdum, et multiplicis blasphemiæ prævium abominor et exsecror. Armin. declarat. senten.

Disquiri permittimus. 1. Operosam illam quæstionem, de scientia futurorum contingentium absoluta et conditionata. 2. Etsi non negemus Deo illam scientiam attribui posse. 3. Tamen an necessarium saluti sit ad hoc ut Deus recte colatur examinari permittimus. 4. Tum merito facessere debent a scholis et ecclesiis, intricatæ et spinosa istæ quæstiones quæ de ea agitari solent,-quomodo illa cum libertate arbirii, cum seriis Dei comminationibus,-aliisque actionibus, consistere possit: quæ omaia crucem potius miseris mortalibus fixerunt, quam ad religionem cultumque divinum, momenti aliquid inquisitoribus suis attulerunt. Episcopius, disput. 4. sect. 10. Rem. Apol. pp. 43, 44.

the thing itself is countenanced by the whole sect. As first, in the large prolix declaration of their opinions they speak not one word of it, and being taxed for this omission by the professors of Leyden, they vindicate themselves so coldly in their apology, that some learned men do from hence conclude," that certainly in their most secret judgments, all the Arminians do consent with Socinus, in ascribing unto God only a conjectural foreknowledge. And one great prophet of their own affirms roundly, that God after his manner oftentimes feareth, that is, suspecteth, and that not without cause, and prudently conjectureth, that this or that evil may arise;' Vorst. And their chiefest patriarchs, that God doth often intend what he doth not foresee will come to pass;' Armin. Corvin. Now whether this kind of atheism be tolerable among Christians or no, let all men judge who have their senses exercised in the word of God; which, I am sure, teaches us another lesson. For,

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 denomination? 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 substance, the holy man concludeth, 'The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away;' Job i. 1. 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

Ames. Antisynod, p. 10.

* Deus suo modo aliquando metuit, hoc est, merito suspicatur et prudenter conjicit, hoc vel illud malum oriturum. Vorsti. de Deo. p. 451.

y Deus non semper ex præscientia finem intendit. Armini. Antip. p. 667. Corvin. ad. Mol. cap. 5. sect. 5.