de

salvation of others, inasmuch as he calleth them unto the performance of the condition thereof. Now our obedience is so to be regulated by this revealed will of God, that we may sin, either by omission, against its precepts, or commission, against its prohibitions; although by our so omitting, or committing, of any thing, the secret will or purpose of God be fulfilled. Had Abraham disobeyed God's precept, when he was commanded to sacrifice his son Isaac; though God's will had been accomplished thereby, who never intended it, yet Abraham had grievously sinned against the revealed will of God, the rule of his duty. The holiness of our actions, consisteth in a conformity unto his precepts, and not unto his purposes; on this ground, Gregory affirmeth, that many fulfil the will of God (that is, his intentions) when they think to change it (by transgressinghis precepts); and by resisting, imprudently obey God's purpose:' and to shew how merely we in our actions are tied to this rule of our duty. Austin shews how a man may do good in a thing cross to God's secret will, and evil in that which complieth with it; which he illustrates by the example of a sick parent having two children, the one wicked, who desires his father's death, the other godly, and he prays for his life; but the will of God is he shall die, agreeably to the desire of the wicked child; and yet it is the other who hath performed his duty, and done what is pleasing unto God.

St.

Thirdly, To return from this not unnecessary digression, that which we have now in agitation, is the secret will of God, which we have before unfolded, and this it is that we charge the Arminians for affirming, that it may be resisted; that is, that God may fail in his purposes, come short of what he earnestly intendeth; or be frustrated of his aim and end: as if he should determinately resolve the faith and salvation of any man, it is in the power of that man, to make void his determination, and not believe, and not be saved. Now it is only in cases of this nature, wherein our own free-wills have an interest, that they thus limit and circumscribe thepower of the Most High: in other things, they grant his omnipotence to be of no less extent than others

d Multi voluntatem Dei faciunt, cum illam nituntur vitare, et resistendo impruden⚫ ter obsequuntur divino consilio. Greg. Moral. lib. 6. сар. 11.

e August. Enchirid. ad Lauren. cap. 101.

do; but in this case, they are peremptory and resolute, without any colouring or tergiversation; for whereas there is a question proposed by the apostle, Rom. ix. 19. Who hath resisted his will?' which that none hath or can, he grants in the following verses; Corvinus affirms,' it is only an objection of the Jews rejected by the apostle;' which is much like an answer young scholars usually give to some difficult place in Aristotle, when they cannot think of a better, loquitur ex aliorum sententia:' for there is no sign of any such rejection of it by the apostle, in the whole following discourse yea, and it is not the Jews, that St. Paul disputeth withal here, but weaker brethren concerning the Jews; which is manifest from the first verse of the next chapter, where he distinguisheth between brethren to whom, and Israel of whom, he spake. Secondly, He speaks of the Jews in the whole treatise in the third person, but of the disputer in the second. Thirdly, It is taken for a confessed principle, between St. Paul and the disputer as he calls him; that the Jews were rejected, which surely themselves would not readily acknowledge. So that Corvinus rejects as an objection of the Jews, a granted principle of St. Paul, and the other Christians of his time. With the like confidence, the same author affirmeth, That they nothing doubt but that many things are not done which God would have to be done :' Vorstius" goes farther, teaching' that not only many things are done, which he would have done, but also that many things are done, which he would not have done?' he means not our transgressing of his law, but God's failing in his purpose; as Corvinus clears it, acknowledging, that the execution of God's will, is suspended or hindered by man: to whom Episcopius subscribes ; as for example, God purposeth and intendeth the conversion of a sinner; suppose it were Mary Magdalen, can this intention of his be crossed and his will resisted? Yea, say the Arminians; for God converts sinners by his grace; but we can resist

Ea sententia non continet apostoli verba, sed Judæorum objectionem ab apostolo rejectam. Corvin. ad Mol. cap. 3. per. 19.

Multa non fieri quæ Deus fieri vult, vel non dubitamus.'Corvin. ibid.'cap.5. p. 5. Multa fiunt quæ Deus fieri non vult: nec semper fiunt quæ ipse fieri vult. Vorst. de Deo, pag. 64.

Ab homine esse agnoscimus, quod voluntatis (divinæ) executio sæpe suspendatur. Corvin, ubi sup. parag. 12.-Episcop. disput. pri. de volun. Dei coral. 5.

6

God when he would convert us by his grace," say six of them jointly in their meeting at the Hague. But some one may here object,' say they, 'that thus God faileth of his intention, doth not attain the end, at which he aims: we answer, This we grant:' or be it the salvation of men, they say, 'they are certain that God intendeth that for many,' which never obtain it ;' that end he cannot compass.

And here, methinks, they place God in a most unhappy condition, by affirming that they are often damned, whom he would have to be saved, though he desires their salvation with a most vehement desire and natural affection; such, I think, as crows have to the good of their young ones, for that there are in him such desires as are never fulfilled, because not regulated by wisdom and justice; they plainly affirm. For although by his infinite power, perhaps, he might accomplish them, yet it would not become him so to do.

Now let any good natured man, who hath been a little troubled for poor Jupiter in Homer, mourning for the death of his son Sarpedon, which he could not prevent; or hath been grieved for the sorrow of a distressed father, not able to remove the wickedness and inevitable ruin of an only son; drop one tear for the restrained condition of the God of heaven, who, when he would have all and every man in the world to come to heaven to escape the torments of hell, and that with a serious purpose and intention that it shall be so, a vehement affection and fervent natural desire that it should be so, yet being not in himself alone able to save one, must be forced to loose his desire, lay down his affection, change his purpose, and see the greatest part of them to perish everlastingly: yea, notwithstanding that he had provided a sufficient means for them all to escape, with a purpose and intention that they should so do.

* Possumus Deo resistere, cum nos vult per gratiam suam convertere. Rem. coll. Hag. p. 193-Objiciet quis, ergo illum suum finem Deus non est assecutus, respondemus, nos hoc concedere. Rem. defens. sent. in Synod. p. 256.

1 Nobis certum est, Deum multorum salutem intendere, in quibus eam non asse-, quitur, Grevin. ad Ames. p. 271.

m Vehemens est in Deo affectus ad homini benefaciendum. Cor. ad Molin. cap. 5. sect. 8.

■ Esse in Deo desideria quæ non implentur concedimus; idem. sect. 9.-Non decet ut Deus infinita sua potentia utatur ad id efficiendum, quo desiderio suo naturali fertur Armi. Antiper. p. 584.

• Deus eo fiue et intentione remedium præparavit, ut omnes ejus actu fierent participes, quamvis id non actu evenit. Rem. Apol. cap. 7. fol. 86.

In brief, their whole doctrine in this point is laid down by Corvinus, chap. iii. against Moulin, and the third section where first, he alloweth of the distinction of the will of God, into that whereby he will have us do something, and that whereby he will do any thing himself: the first is nothing but his law and precepts, which we with him affirm may be said to be resisted, inasmuch as it is transgressed: the latter, he saith, if it respect any act of man's, may be considered as preceding that act, or following it if preceding it, then it may be resisted, if man will not co-operate. Now this is the will of God whereby himself intendeth to do any thing: the sum of which distinction is this, the will of God concerning the future being of any thing, may be considered as it goeth before the actual existence of the thing itself, and in this regard it may be hindered or resisted; but as it is considered to follow any act of man, it is always fulfilled by which latter member, striving to mollify the harshness of the former, he runs himself into inexplicable nonsense, affirming, that, that act of the will of God, whereby he intendeth men shall do any thing, cannot be hindered after they have done it, that is, God hath irresistibly purposed they shall do it, provided they do it. In his following discourse also, he plainly grants, that there is no act of God's will about the salvation of men, that may not be made void and of none effect, but only that general decree, whereby he hath established an inseparable connexion between faith and salvation, or whereby he hath appointed faith in Christ, to be the means of attaining blessedness; which is only an immanent act of God's will, producing no outward effect: so that every act thereof, that hath an external issue by human co-operation, is frustrable and may fall to the ground: which in what direct opposition it stands to the word of God, let these following instances declare.

First, 'Our God is in heaven,' saith the Psalmist, 'he hath done whatsoever he pleased;' Psal. cxv. 5. not only part, but all, whatsoever he pleased, should come to pass by any means. He ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whom he will;' Dan. iv. 23. The transposition of kingdoms, is not without the mixture of divers free and voluntary actions of men, and yet in that great work, God doth all that he pleaseth; yea, before him, all the inhabitants

of the earth are reputed as nothing, and he doth according to his will, in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What dost thou?' ver. 35. My counsel,' saith he, shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure;' Isa. xlvi. 10. ‘I have purposed, I will also do it ;' ver. 11. Nay, so certain is he of accomplishing all his purposes, that he confirms it with an oath; The Lord of hosts hath sworn, Surely as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, and as I have purposed so it shall stand;' Isa. xiv. 24. And indeed it were a very strange thing, that God should intend what he foreseeth will never come to pass; but I confess this argument will not be pressing against the Arminians who question that prescience; but yet, would they also would observe from the Scripture, that the failings of wicked men's counsels and intentions is a thing that God is said to deride in heaven;' as Psal. ii. 4. He threatens them with it, Take counsel,' saith he, 'together, and it shall come to nought;' Isa. viii. 10. 'speak the word and it shall not stand; see also chap. xxix. 7, 8. and shall they be enabled to recriminate, and cast the like aspersion on the God of heaven? No, surely; saith St. Austin, Let us take heed we be not compelled to believe that Almighty God would have any thing done which doth not come to pass:' to which truth also that the schoolmen have universally consented is shewed by Alvarez, disput. 32. pro. 3. and these few instances will manifest the Arminian opposition to the word of God in this particular.

р

S. S.

Lib. Arbit.

'We nothing doubt but many things which God willeth, or that it pleaseth him to have done, do yet never come to pass; Corvin. 'We grant that some of God's desires are never fulfilled;' Idem. 'It is in the power of man to hinder the execution of God's will;' Idem.

P Ne credere cogamur aliquid omnipotentem Deum voluisse factumque non esse. August. En. cap. 103.