Wesley Corpus

Pred.--Undoubtedly : For “the almighty power of God extends itself to the first fall, and all other sins of angels and men.” (Assembly’s Catechism, c. 5.) Friend.--I grant, God foresaw the first man would fall. Pred.--Nay, “God not only foresaw that Adam would fall, but also ordained that he should.” (Calvin’s Inst., b. 3, c. 23, sec. 7.) Friend.--I know God permitted Adam’s fall. Pred.--I tell you, “he fell not only by the permission, but also by the appointment, of God.” (Calvini Responsio ad Calumnias Nebulonis cujusdam ad Articulum primum.) “He sinned because God so ordained, because the Lord saw good.” (Calvin's Inst., b. 3, c. 24, sec. 8.) Friend.--But do not those who differ from you raise many objections against you as to this point? Pred.--Yes: “Those poisonous dogs vomit out many things against God.” (Ibid., b. 3, c. 23, sec. 2.) “They deny that the Scripture says God decreed Adam’s fall. They say he might have chose either to fall or not; and that God fore ordained only to treat him according to his desert: As if God had created the noblest of all his creatures, without fore ordaining what should become of him !” (Ibid., sec. 7.) Friend.--Did God then make Adam on purpose that he might fall? Pred.--Undoubtedly. “God made Adam and Eve to this very purpose, that they might be tempted and led into sin. And by force of his decree, it could not otherwise be but they must sin.” (Piscatoris Disput. Praedest, Praef, p. 6) Friend.--But do not you ground God's decree on God’s foreknowledge rather than his will? Pred.--No : “God foresees nothing but what he has decreed, and his decree precedes his knowledge.” (Piscat. Disput. Praedest.) Friend.--Well, this may truly be termed a horrible decree. Pred.--“I confess it is a horrible decree; yet no one can deny but God foreknew Adam's fall, and therefore foreknew it, because he had ordained it so by his own decree.” (Calv. Inst., b. 3, c. 23, sec. 7.) Friend.--Do you believe, then, that God has by his own positive decree, not only elected some men to life, but also reprobated all the rest? Pred.--Most surely, if I believe one, I believe the other. “Many indeed (thinking to excuse God) own election, and yet deny reprobation; but this is quite silly and childish.