![Transcription Center logo](/themes/custom/tc_theme/assets/image/logo.png)
This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.
actions by an evil god, who was the prime author of all evil things or actions that were in the world. The maintainers of the absolute decree fay one of these two things, either that all actions natural and moral, good and evil, and all events likewise, are absolutely necessary; so the supralapsarians: or that all men's ends (at least) are unalterable by the power of their wills; so the Sublapsarians. And this is upon the matter all one with the former. For first, in vain is our freedom in the action and means, if the end at which they drive be determined. And secondly, the determination of the end necessarily involves the means that precede that end; as if a man be fore-determined to damnation, be must unavoidable sin, else he could not be damned. Now in these three opinions, we may note two things: 1. The substance of them, which is unavoidableness of men's actions and ends, whatsoever they be: in this all of them agree, all holding that in all things, at least in all men's ends, undeclinable fates and insuperable necessity govern. And therefore melanethan doth not scruple to call the absolute decree [ Fatum stoicism, & tabulas parcarum] stoical fate, and the destinies' tables. 2. We may note the circumference, or the grounds of their opinions; the Stoics and the Manichees have the better. For it is better to derive this necessity of sin and misery, from an evil god, or the course of nature, than from the decree of that GOD who is infinitely good. For this reason alone, may this doctrine be suspected: because those dreams of the Stoics were exploded by the best philosophers of all sorts. And this of the Manichees was friended down by the fathers in general, not only as foolish, but as impious, not so much for anything circumstantial (page break) in it, as for the substance of the error; because it made all things and events necessary, and so plucked up the roots of virtue and vice, and left no place of just rewards or punishments. [To be continued.] Thoughts on Absolute Predestination. Extracted from Mr. Lesley. Some men suppose, there is an irresistible decree already gone forth upon every man, of happiness or misery, which by no means that can be used will ever alter; that this decree has been from eternity, though secret to us; and therefore that all our labour, all our means, are perfectly in wain; that there is nothing to be done, but to fold our arms, and expect the issue of GOD's secret decree, which is already past; and therefore that it is no matter whether we obey the commands of GOD, or not; that they were given us to no end, as to our salvation, which does not depend upon them, but only upon the supposed decree. Thus has the arch-enemy blinded their eyes, and tied up their hands from the working towards their own salvation; and thrown them upon a fresh provocation of searching into GOD's secret counsels, which he has forbidden. The secret things belong unto the Lord our GOD; but those things, which are revealed, belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we do all the words of this law. Deut. xxix. 29. What is revealed only, is the rule of our duty: why then do we search into those decrees, which we call secret? If GOD will have them secret, why will we not let them be secret? He smote fifty thousand and seventy of the Bethshemites with a great slaughter, because they looked into his ark, (1 Sam. vi. 19.) Who then is able to stand before this Lord GOD?
Transcription Notes:
Please note the difference between the shape of f and s in this printing. 'S' occurring at start and middle of words is shaped like 'f' but without the crossbar. (S at word-end is like a modern 's'.)