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374 ONE ABSOLUTE PREDESTINATION.

from the certainty of GOD's foreknowledge, they infer that it is tantamount to a decree, or that GOD has from eternity decreed all thofe events, which he forefaw.

They fay, that GOD if the fame from and to eternity; that all things paft, prefent, and to come, are prefent with GOD, who beholds all things with one intuitive act, without fucceffion of time, which meafures our actions here below; and therefore that all GOD's decrees are from eternity: and fince he has decreed the reprobation of the wicked, and the election of the juft, it muft follow, that he has decreed it from eternity. And thence they infer, that fuch degrees being already paft, they are irreverfible, and cannot be altered by any thing that we can do; and therefore that it fignifies nothing what we do, whether good or bad; for that our fentence is already produced, though we know it not.

That GOD having decreed to love the elect, he loves them, though in their groffeft fins; and hates the reprobates, becaufe he has fo decreed, though in the moft virtuous actions; that he loves them never the more for their good actions; nor is any whit the more difpleafed with the elect for their fins.

Now in anfwer to thefe fatal and diabolical fuggeftions, I would recal thefe men a little to confider of their own way of reafoning. For if there be no fucceffion of time in GOD, if eternity is but one enduring inftant; if therefore paft, prefent, and to come, are all one with GOD; if all things are prefent to him; then it muft follow, that foreknowledge and predeftination are words only fitted to our capacities, who cannot apprehend duration without fucceffion of time, which meafures all duration to us. And there being no paft or future in GOD, confequently, though he knows all things, yet he foreknows nothing; and though he has decreed, yet no pre-decreed: and there is no fuch thing as predeftination in GOD; that is, not properly, and in the frictnefs of the thing, though the word is ufed in holy fcripture, as many others are, only to comply with our weaknefs, who could underftand nothing of GOD from words

ON ABSOLUTE PREDESTINATION. 375

words fpoken of him ftrictly and properly, according to his incomprehenfible nature. There are no fuch words among men, or intelligible to men; and therefore they muft not argue ftrictly and philofophically from fuch words, more than from GOD's coming down to fee, whether men's fins were according to the cry of them, which had gone up to him, and the like.

Now there is no difficulty in GOD's knowledge, or decree, to fay that he knows our fins, and decrees punifhment to them, and the happinefs of thofe that are good; for this is juft, and what every one does allow. But all the objection is in the particle fore, or pre, fore-knowledge, or pre-deftination; which being confidered as before our actions, are fuppofed to lay a force upon them, and take away the freedom of our will.

But there being no fuch thing as fore or after in GOD, confequently our whole reafoning upon them is out of doors; and all the dreadful consequences, before-mentioned, are only chimeras of our own, proceeding all upon a wrong notion of GOD; while we endeavour to meafure him by our own fcantling, and argue from properties, which we muft confefs that we only fuppofe to be in him, but know at the fame time, that they do not belong to him.

If it be faid that we cannot argue otherwife of thefe hidden things of GOD, which are not revealed to us; I grant it. But then the right confequence is, that we fhould let them alone; at leaft, fince we cannot argue truly and properly or them, we fhould not draw confequences, as certain, from premifes which are altogether uncertain. And where we confefs that we cannot argue right, the beft way is not to argue at all; efpecially where we are forbidden, and the effects of it are of fuch terrible confequences.

If any think, that I have criticifed too nicely upon foreknowledge and predeftination, let them confider, that I have only repeated what the Predeftinarians do urge on their fide: they build upon the nicety, and thence infer GOD's eternal decrees. And I have fhewn, that from the fame nicety all their

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'.) Needs correcting.