eves that God is an intelligent being,
and considers what this character implies. An intelligent being is
one who knows and judges, who purposes ends and devises means, who
acts from design, conceives a plan, and then proceeds to execute it.
Fortune was worshiped as a goddess for the ancient heathens, and was
represented as blind, to signify that she was guided by no faced
rule, and distributed her favors at random. Surely no person of
common sense, not to say piety, will impute procedure so irrational
to the Lord of universal nature. As he knew all things which his
power could accomplish, there were, undoubtedly, reasons which
determined him to do one thing, and not to do another; and his
choice, which was founded upon those reasons, was his decree."

That God must have decreed all future things, is a conclusion which
necessarily flows from his foreknowledge, independence, and
immutability. "The foreknowledge of God will necessarily infer a
decree, for God could not foreknow that things would be, unless he
had decreed they should be and that because things would not be
future, unless he had decreed they should be." If God be an
independent being, all creatures must have an entire dependence upon
him; but this dependence proves undeniably that all their acts must
be regulated by his sovereign will. If God be of one mind, which
none can change, he must have unalterably fixed everything in his
purpose which he effects in his providence.

This doctrine is plainly revealed in the Scriptures. They speak of
God's foreknowledge, his purpose, his will, the determinate counsel
of his will, and his predestination. "Whom he did foreknow, he also
did predestinate." Romans 8:29. "He has made known unto us the
mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he has
purposed in himself:" "He works all things after the counsel of his
own will." Ephesians 1:9, 11. "Christ," says an apostle, "was
delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God." Acts
2:23.

"The decrees of God relate to all future things, without exception;
whatever is done in time was foreordained before the beginning of
time. His purpose was concerned with everything, whether great or
small, whether good or evil; although, in reference to the latter,
it may be necessary to distinguish between appointment and
permission. It was concerned with things necessary, free, and
contingent; with the movements of matter, which are necessary; with
the volitions and actions of intelligent creatures, which are free;
and with such things as we call accidents, because they take place
undesignedly on our part, and without any cause which we could
discover. It was concerned about our life and our death; about our
state in time and our state in eternity. In short, the decrees of
God are as comprehensive as his government, which extends to all
creatures, and to all events."

The decrees of God are free. He was not impelled to decree from any
exigency of the divine nature; this would be to deny his
self-sufficiency. Neither was he under any external constraint; this
would be destructive of his independence. His decrees, therefore,
must be the sovereign and free act of his will. By this it is not
meant to insinuate that they are arbitrary decisions; but merely
that, in making his decrees, he was under no control, and acted
according to his own sovereignty.

The decrees of God are most wise. They are called "the counsel of
his will," to show that, though his will be free, yet he always acts
in a manner consummately wise. He needs not to deliberate, or take
counsel with others, but all his decrees are the result of unerring
wisdom. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge
of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past
finding out!" "Wisdom is discovered in the selection of the most
proper ends, and of the fittest means of accomplishing them. That
this character belongs to the decrees of God is evident from what we
know of them. They are disclosed to us by their execution; and every
proof of wisdom in the works of God is a proof of the wisdom of the
plan in conformity to which they are performed."

The decrees of God are eternal. This our Confession explicitly
affirms—"God, from all eternity, did ordain whatever comes to pass."
This is asserted in opposition to the Socinians, who hold that some,
at least, of the decrees of God are temporary. Those decrees which
relate to things dependent on the free agency of man, they maintain,
are made in time. But what says the Scripture? It expressly
declares, that everything which has happened, and everything which
is to happen, was known to God from everlasting. "Known unto God are
all his works, from the beginning of the world." Acts 15:18. To
suppose any of the divine decrees to be made in time, is to suppose
the knowledge of the Deity to be limited. If from eternity he knew
all things that come to pass, then from eternity he must have
ordained them; for if they had not been determined upon, they could
not have been foreknown as certain.

The decrees of God are absolute and unconditional. He has not
decreed anything, because he foresaw it as future; and the execution
of his decrees is not suspended upon any condition which may, or may
not be performed. This is the explicit doctrine of our Confession,
and it is this principle which chiefly distinguishes Calvinists from
Arminians, who maintain that God's decrees are not absolute but
conditional.

"It is granted, that some of the decrees of God are conditional, in
this sense, that something is supposed to go before the event which
is the object of the decree, and that, this order being established,
the one will not take place without the other. He decreed, for
example, to save Paul and the companions of his voyage to Italy; but
he decreed to save them only on condition that the sailors should
remain in the ship.—Acts 27. He has decreed to save many from the
wrath to come; but he has decreed to save them only if they believe
in Christ, and turn by him from the error of their ways. But these
decrees are conditional only in appearance. They merely state the
order in which the events should be accomplished; they establish a
connection between the means and the end, but do not leave the means
uncertain. When God decreed to save Paul and his companions, he
decreed that the sailors should be prevented from leaving the ship;
and accordingly gave Paul previous notice of the preservation of
every person on board. When he decreed to save those who should
believe, he decreed to give them faith; and, accordingly, we are
informed, that those whom he predestined he also calls into the
fellowship of his Son.—Romans 8:30. That any decree is conditional
in the sense" of Arminians, "that it depends upon the will of man,
of which he is sovereign master, so that he may will or not will as
he pleases,—we deny. 'My counsel,' says God, 'shall stand, and I
will do all my pleasure.'—Isaiah 46:10. But he could not speak so,
if his counsel depended upon a condition which might not be
performed." Conditional decrees are inconsistent with the infinite
wisdom of God, and are in men the effects of weakness. They are also
inconsistent with the independence of God, making them to depend
upon the free will or agency of his creatures. The accomplishment of
them, too, would be altogether uncertain; but the Scripture assures
us, that "the counsel of the Lord stands forever, and the thoughts
of his heart to all generations." Psalm 33:11. All his purposes are
unalterably determined, and their execution infallibly certain.
"There are many devices in a man's heart," which he is unable to
accomplish, "nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall
stand." Proverbs 19:21.

It has been often objected to the doctrine respecting the divine
decrees taught in our Confession, that it represents God as the
author of sin. But the Confession expressly guards against this
inference, by declaring that God has so ordained whatever comes to
pass as that he is not thereby the author of sin. The decree of God
is either effective or permissive. His effective decree respects all
the good that comes to pass; his permissive decree respects the evil
that is in sinful actions. We must also distinguish between an
action purely as such, and the sinfulness of the action. The decree
of God is effective with respect to the action abstractly
considered; it is permissive with respect to the sinfulness of the
action as a moral evil.

It has also been objected, that if God has foreordained whatever
comes to pass, human liberty is taken away. To this it has been
commonly replied, that it is sufficient to human liberty, that a man
acts without any constraint, and according to his own free choice;
that the divine decree is extrinsic to the human mind; and, while it
secures the futurition of events, it leaves rational agents to act
as freely as if there had been no decree. This answer, it must be
acknowledged, merely amounts to an assertion that, notwithstanding
the decree of God, man retains his liberty of action. We still wish
to know how the divine pre-ordination of the event is consistent
with human liberty. "Upon such a subject," says Dr. Dick, "no man
should be ashamed to acknowledge his ignorance. We are not required
to reconcile the divine decrees and human liberty. It is enough to
know that God has decreed all things which come to pass, and that
men are answerable for their actions. Of both these truths we are
assured by the Scriptures; and the latter is confirmed by the
testimony of conscience. We feel that, although not independent upon
God, we are free; so that we excuse ourselves when we have done our
duty, and accuse ourselves when we have neglected it. Sentiments of
approbation and disapprobation, in reference to our own conduct or
that of other men, would have no existence in our minds if we
believed that men are necessary agents. But the tie which connects
the divine decrees and human liberty is invisible. 'Such knowledge
is too wonderful for us; it is high, we cannot attain unto
it.' "—Psalm 139:6.

It may be further observed, that, although God has unchangeably
ordained whatever comes to pass, yet this does not take away the
contingency of second causes, either in themselves or as to us.
Nothing can be more contingent than the decision of the lot,—yet
"the lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of
the Lord." Proverbs 16:33.

SECTION 3. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory,
some men and angels are predestined unto everlasting life, and
others foreordained to everlasting death.

SECTION 4. These angels and men, thus predestined and foreordained,
are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number is so
certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or
diminished.

SECTION 5. Those of mankind that are predestined unto life, God,
before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his
eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good
pleasure of his will, has chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory,
out of his mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith
or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing
in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving him thereunto; and
all to the praise of his glorious grace.; 1 Thessalonians 5:9

Exposition of 3.3–3.5

The decree of God, with respect to the everlasting state of angels
and men, is known by the name of predestination; and this consists
of two branches, generally distinguished by the names of election
and reprobation.

That part of the angels were elected is inferred from that passage
of Scripture in which the elect angels are mentioned. 1 Timothy
5:21. Of the fallen angels two apostles make express mention. 2 Pet
2:4; Jude 6. Thus the election of a part of the angels is explicitly
taught in Scripture, and the non-election of others is necessarily
implied; for election is a relative term, and necessarily involves
the idea of rejection.

Of the decree of election, as it relates to men, the above sections
contain a full statement, and a subsequent section states the
doctrine of Scripture respecting what is usually termed the decree
of reprobation. That there is such a thing as election, in some
sense or other, must be admitted by all who believe the Scriptures;
but many who retain the word, completely explain away the doctrine
which the Bible teaches upon the subject.

Some will allow of no election but that of nations, or of whole
Churches, in their collective capacity. That the Scripture speaks of
such a general election is admitted; but this is not inconsistent
with a particular and personal election. The Jews were a chosen
generation, separated from among the other nations of the world, to
be, in a peculiar manner, the people of God; but our Lord intimates
that among them there was a remnant chosen in a superior
sense.—Matthew 24:22. The Apostle Paul also says, "Even at this
present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace."
Romans 11:5. That it is of the Jews, the chosen nation, the apostle
speaks, and that he distinguishes a remnant from the great body of
them, is sufficiently manifest; and he plainly intimates, that the
former were chosen in such a sense as the latter were not.

Some allow only of an election to external privileges. Holding that
the Scripture speaks solely of an election of communities, they
maintain that they are only chosen to the enjoyment of the external
means of salvation. But we are assured from Scripture, that they who
believe "were ordained to eternal life," and that they were "chosen
to salvation." Acts 13:48; 2 Thessalonians 2:13.

Some, by election, understand no more than a separation of persons
from the world, made in time, and thus identify it with their
calling, or conversion. But in Scripture, election and calling are
clearly distinguished; and the latter is represented as the effect
of the former. Persons are said to be "called according to God's
purpose," and "whom he did predestine, them he also called." Romans
8:28–30. Now, predestination and the purpose of God must be very
different from calling, which proceeds from it, unless the cause and
the effect are the same thing. To put such interpretations upon the
word election, is to wrest the language of Scripture, and to impose
upon it a sense contrary to its obvious meaning.

It would be tedious, and would serve no good purpose, to enumerate
the multifarious opinions which have been held on this subject. It
will be sufficient to mention the opinion of the Socinians, and of
the Arminians. The Socinians deny the certain prescience of future
contingencies, such as the determinations of free agents; and,
therefore, the only decree respecting the salvation of men which
they will admit to have been made from eternity, and to be
unchangeable, is a general conditional decree, that such as believe
and obey the gospel shall be saved; and, according to them, a
special decree concerning particular persons, is only made in time,
when persons perform the condition contained in the general decree.
The Arminian