CHAPTER VII. (1)

Of the Decree, and Counsell of God.

1. IN the powerfull Efficiency of God, the Decree of God obtaineth the first place: because this manner of working, being of all most perfect, doth chiefly agree to the Divine Nature.

2. The Decree of God is his determinate purpose of effecting all things by his almighty Power, and according to his counsell, Eph. 1. 11. He doth all things according to the counsell of his own will.

3. In the Decree of God there appeareth his constancy, truth, and faithfulnesse.

4. Constancy is that whereby the Decree of God remaines alwayes immutable, Num. 23. 23. The strong God is not a man that he should ly, or the Sonne of man that he should repent, Prov. 19. 21. The Counsell of the Lord it shall stand.

5. Truth is that whereby he declares that alone which he hath decreed, Ierem. 13. 10. Iehova is a God of truth. Rom. 3. 4. Let God be true and every man a lia[gap]. For although his words may seeme sometime to sound another thing, yet the sence of them doth alwayes agree with the Decree.

6. Faithfulnesse is that whereby he effects that which he hath decreed, and as he hath decreed. Isay 46. 10. My Counsell shall stand, and I will doe all my pleasure.

7. Every Decree of God is eternall. 1 Cor. 2. 7. Acts 15. 18.

8. To this Decree of God pertaineth Counsell. Eph. 1. 11. Acts 4. 28.

9. The Counsell of God is as it were his deliberation concerning the doing of every thing in the best manner, after that it is of the understanding and will approved.

10. Counsell is given to God in respect of perfect judgement, whereby he doth all things advisedly I. E. willingly and of set purpose: not in respect of any inquisition upon which such a judgement doth depend us men. For God seeth, and willeth all and every thing together. Therefore it is called, as it were deliberation, not deliberation properly so called.

11. Three things concurre to the perfection of this Counsell. 1. A scope or end propounded. 2. A conceipt of the minde tending towards that scope. 3. An intention, and well pleasingnesse of the will.

12. The scope or end of this Counsell is the glory of God himselfe, that is, that goodnesse, or perfection of God which is made manifest by his Efficiency, and shines forth in his works, Eph. 1. 6. To the praise of his glorious grace.

13. In every artificer, or one that workes by counsell ad extra, outwardly, there is a platforme afore hand in the mind which when he is about to work he lookes into, that he may fit his worke to it: so also in God seeing he worketh not naturally nor rashly, nor by constraint, but with greatest perfection of reason, such a platforme is to be conceived to praeexist before in his mind, as the exemplary cause of all things to be done. Heb. 11. 3. Those things we see were made of things that doe not appeare.

14. The platforme of all things is the Divine Essence, as it is understood of God himselfe as imitable by the Creatures, or so as in some sort the Image of that perfection or some footstep thereof may be expressed in the Creatures: that is, the Creatures themselves, as they are conceived in the Mind of God, are the platforme or image of that nature which they have in themselves.

15. A platforme in the mind of man, who attaines to knowledge by Analysis or resolution is collected of things themselves: and so things are first in themselves, then they come unto the senses of men, and then to the understanding, where they can make some Idea to direct the following, operation. But because God understandeth all things by Genesis, or composition, and doth not require knowledge by Analysis, or resolution of things, therefore all things are first in his minde before they are in themselves.

16. In us the things themselves are the example, platform or copy, and our knowledge is the Image: but in God the Divine knowledge is the coppy-platforme, and the things themselves the Image, or expresse likenesse of it.

17. An Idea in man is first imprinted and afterwards expressed in the things: but in God it is only expressing properly, not impressed, because it doth not come from any other thing.

18. From this one foundation may all errors of merits and foreseene faith be sufficiently refuted. For if any Decree of God should depend properly upon such foresight, then the Idea of God should come to him from something else, which doth in no wise agree with his nature.

19. The Idea or platforme, as it is absolutly considered in God, is only one, but as it includes divers respects to the Creatures, it becomes manifold; so that it is true,

that the Idea of one Creature is not the Idea of another.

20. There are in God platformes of all perfections which are in the Creatures, because they proceed from the active power of God: but not of imperfections, if they be formally considered as imperfections.

21. Therefore the knowledge of evill depends upon the denying of good, as the being of evill consists in privation of good, for every thing as it hath its being, so it is knowne.

22. Ideas as they are many, so some of them are Connexa knit together among themselves, and depend one upon another: whence also a certaine order ariseth of former and latter.

23. Idea's as they are considered going before the Decree of Gods Will, doe represent a quiddity of things, and only a possible existence: as they are considered after the determination of Gods Will, they represent the same thing, as actually to come, according to their actuall existence.

24. From that divers consideration there ariseth distinction of Divine knowledge into that which is called, Knowledge of simple understanding, and knowledge of vision.

25. Knowledge of simple intelligence, is of all possible things, that is, of all and every thing, which may be done by most perfect knowledge in God.

26. Knowledge of vision, is the knowledge of all future things, whether they be in their own nature, necessary, or free, or contingent.

27. These things that God knowes by the knowledge of simple intelligence or meere understanding, he knowes by his all sufficiency: but those things that he knowes by knowledge of vision, he knowes by his Efficiency, or by the Decree of his own will, Psal. 33. 15. He that frames their hearts, observeth all their workes. Isa. 44. 2. Who as I, foretelleth and declareth it, or ordereth

it to me, from the time that I disposed the people for ever: that the things to come, and which shall come to passe may be declared to them?

28. A middle knowledge by which God is fained of some to have known before the Decree of his will by supposition, such events to come to passe, if such causes were put: seeing that it doth both determine events to come certainly to passe independantly from Gods Will, and doth make some knowledge of God to depend chiefly on the object: I say such a knowledge cannot stand with the great perfection of God.

29. The Divine Idea, according to the variety of Notions, which are in the things, doth put on divers respects. In respect of the Principles, it is called intelligence whereby God perceiveth every severall thing in every thing: in respect of truth belonging to every severall thing it is called Science, which as to the extent of it, is Omniscience: & as to that being which things have in their proper measure, is called Praescience. In respect of the dependance of truths which they have among themselves, it is called Sapience, whereby he knoweth what is convenient for every thing, and what is disagreeable from it: In respect of the whole order to be appointed in practise, it is called Prudence, whereby he knowes, to apply the fittest occasions to every thing: Lastly, in respect of putting in practise, it is called Art. Whereby hee knowes to effect all things most skilfully. Heb. 11. 10.

30. Those words are often used promiscuously in the Scriptures, to explaine the perfection of Divine understanding to the capacity of those, who have an understanding very imperfect; yet of their own nature they admit this distinction, and not another.

31. That conjecturall knowledge which only some doe give to God, about contingent things to come, doth plainly repugne the nature, and perfection of God.

Of those three things which were propounded as concurring to the perfection of Gods Counsell, namely, A scope, conceived of the minde, and intention of will; The Third remaines to be considered, which is called, Good pleasure.

32. The Good pleasure of God is an act of Divine will, most freely and effectually determining of all things.

33. Good pleasure indeed in Scripture doth most usually set forth the good will of God, whereby he willeth, and determineth a saving good unto his: yet because all the Counsell of God is well pleasing to him, it is rightly used by Divines to explaine every Counsell of God, even according to the Scriptures.

34. This will is truly free: because whatsoever it willeth, it willeth it not by necessity of nature, but by Counsell.

35. It is most free, or chiefly and absolutely free, depending upon no other, but the freedome of the will of men and Angels by reason of that dependance which it hath on God, is lesse free partaking of another.

36. Freedome in those operations which are outward is not only concomitant, as it is in inward operations; but also it is antecedent by way of a principle: because that which God willeth to worke outwardly, he willeth not out of necessity of nature, but of precedent choise: for there is not a necessary connexion betweene the Divine Nature, and those Acts.

37. This will is Effectuall: because whatsoever it willeth, he effecteth it in its time, neither is there any thing that is not done, if he willeth it to be done. Psal. 115. 3. & 135. 6. Iehova doth whatsoever he pleaseth.

38. Hence the Will of God is the first cause of things. Rev. 4. 11. By thy will they are, and were created. But the Will of God, as it willeth to worke outwardly, doth not presuppose the goodnesse of the object, but by willing doth make the object. Iames 1. 18. Because he would, he begat us, Rom. 9. 18. He hath mercy on whom he will.

39. Therefore there is no cause properly so called, to be given of Gods Will.

40. Hence it is rightly said, that God doth will one thing to exist for another: but not that that one thing is a proper cause whereby the Will of God is inwardly moved to appoint that other thing. So God would that the Sunne and stars should exist, for the generation, conservation, and corruption of things below: yet the Sunne and Stars, are not a cause why God would that those things should be generated, conserved, and corrupted. And so it is in all things out of God, which indeed among themselves are causes and effects, even as they depend upon the Divine will, but there is no cause of Gods Will out of it selfe.

41. Also the willing of one thing in God, is not properly a cause effecting that he will another thing in himselfe, because the Efficiency of a cause upon an effect, and dependance of the effect upon a cause, cannot be in the Will of God, which is God himselfe, truly and simply willing all things together and at once, with one onely act; yet it is true that the Schoolemen say, that a passive attingency of the Divine will in respect of one thing, is a cause of a passive attingency in respect of another: and so in this sence it is truly and piously said, that God willeth some one thing, because he willeth another.

42. Therefore although he willeth many things which will not follow but upon some antecedent act of the Creature, yet the very act of willing in God doth

not properly depend as a consequent thing upon the act of the Creature. Neither is it lawfull under the appellation of an Antecedent will, to give unto God that imperfect will which is called Velleitas, a woulding in the Schooles. For it doth not agree to an Omniscient, Omnipotent, and infinitely, blessed Nature.

43. Wherefore that opinion which determines that God doth will something antecedently to the act of the Creature, which same thing afterwards he willeth not towards them, but wills another thing, is not to be admitted: because it makes the Will of God mutable and depending upon the act of the Creature, so that as often as the act of the Creature is changed, so often also it is changed.

44. By that opinion also, that forme of speech prescribed in the Word of God wherein we commit ourselves and all ours to God, as I will doe this, or that, if God wil, should not be used in all things, but turned contrarily, God will doe this or that, if man will.

45. This will determines of all things, greatest, least, contingent, necessary, free, without exception: This the Scripture shewes of all kind of things: as of Christ Iesus to be glorified, and the Church to be saved by him. Psal. 2. & 110. 1. & 40. 7, 8, 9. Heb. 7. 16. 21. Eph. 5. 25. 2 Tim. 1. 9. Of Pharaoh. Exod. 1. 3. Where God did so dispose all things, that he might move Pharaoh to persecute and overthrow the people of Israel; nay he hardened him, that he might persecute them: yet Pharaoh, and Israel did worke freely. In like manner of the selling of Ioseph, wherein all things happened freely, and contingently, God determining of it according to his Will. Of the very heart of man. Psal. 33. 15. 1 Sam. 10. 9. 26. Prov. 21. 1. Of a man killing another by chance. Exod. 21. 13. Of the Lot cast into the Lap. Prov. 16. 33. Of little Sparrowes falling to the ground: Of all the haires of a mans head. Matthew 10. 29. 30. Of the Lillies,

Flowers, and Grasse of the Earth, Matthew. 6. 28. 30. Finally, of all created things. Iob 38. Psal. 104. Isay. 45. 7. Ierem. 14. 22.

46. If God should not determine of all things, his Will should not be simply & universally the first cause: and therefore they that thinke the contrary, must of necessity either make two first beginnings, or more then two, which is very far from all truth.

47. But there is not the same reason of will as there is of Divine knowledge and power, for knowledge knowes all things that may be known, and power can doe all possible things, and they are stretched forth together beyond those things which actually have been, are, and shall be: but by his Will he willeth not all things he can will, but all things which he judgeth to be willed, and therefore actually to be hereafter: whence it is that although God may be called, Omniscient, and Omnipotent, yet he cannot be called Omnivolent.

48. Whatsoever God willeth in all these things, he is universally effectuall: so as he can in no wise be hindred, or frustrated, whereby he cannot obtaine what he wills. For if he should properly will any thing, and could not obtaine it, he should not be most perfect and blessed.

49. Yet the Will of God doth not infer a necessity upon all future things, but a certainty only as touching the event. So it could not be as to the certainty of the event, that the bones of Christ should be broken, because God would that they should not be broken: yet there was no necessity imposed upon the Souldiers Speares, and other second causes which were present.

50. Nay it is so far off, that the will of God, which doth most certainly attaine to whatsoever it willeth, doth urge all things with hard necessity, that it is the prime roote, and efficient cause of all that contingency, and freedome, which is in things: because it doth effectually

foreordaine such effects to follow of such causes.

51. In those things which God Willeth there is a certaine order conceived, namely that first he Willeth the end, before the meanes to the end, because he worketh by most perfect reason: and among meanes, he first Willeth those things which come neerest to the end: for that which is first in order of execution, that is last in order of intention, and so contrarily.

52. This Will of God, is, partly hidden, and partly revealed. Deut. 29. 29.