Chapter 4: Of God's Decree

Q. What is God's decree?

A. That whereby he has before determined and decreed with himself whatever shall come to pass.

Q. Do you say that God's decree reaches to all things whatever comes to pass in time?

A. Yes, all things whatever have been, are, or that shall be hereafter, were before decreed, and determined by God (Ephesians 1:11; Acts 15:18).

Q. What are some of the principal things that are so decreed?

A. Things that are most casual, things that are most freely done by the creature, and things wherein the creature commits abundance of sin.

Q. What else?

A. Such things as seem small and little are also great and special events.

Q. What are some of those great and special events that are decreed by the Lord?

A. The coming and death of Christ, and all the works of his mediatorship, the salvation of the godly, the damnation of the wicked, the day of every man's particular death, and the day of the general judgment.

Q. When were all these things decreed by God?

A. Before the world was created, even from everlasting (1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:4; 3:11; 1 Peter 1:20; 2 Timothy 1:9).

Q. What was the cause of God's decrees?

A. The cause that moved him to decree was nothing foreseen in the creature, but his own will and good pleasure (Romans 9:11, 18; Matthew 11:25, 26).

But since some are appointed by the decree of God to damnation, if his will be the cause of that decree, how is that just?

Yes, it is most just and righteous notwithstanding (Romans 13, 14).

Q. How may that appear?

A. Because the will of God is the rule of all righteousness, and because the Lord has absolute power over all creatures, as the potter has power over his clay.

Q. How else may the justice of the Lord in his decrees appear?

A. Because whatever be the Lord's decree, there is no man actually condemned till he be first defiled with sin (Romans 3:9, 19; 2:6, 9; Genesis 4:7).

Q. Whether is the decree of God certain and immutable, or such as may be changed and not take effect?

A. It is altogether unchangeable, and shall surely be accomplished (Psalm 33:11; 135:6; Isaiah 46:10; 14:27; Romans 9:11).

Q. If the decree of God be unchangeable, then what needs man to be careful in the use of means for his own good?

A. Yes, the means must be used notwithstanding God's decree; and that partly because the means are appointed and decreed of God as well as the end; and partly because the revealed will and command of God is our rule, and not his secret decree.

Q. Do you think then that God's decree does not excuse men from blame in the sins which they do commit?

A. It does not excuse them at all, and the reason is because the decree of God infuses no corruption into the hearts of men, nor constrains them to sin against their will, but they sin most freely and willingly of their own accord.

Q. Is the decree of God secret within himself, or revealed and made known?

A. It is secret within himself, till himself does reveal it, and therefore further than so it is not to be searched into (Romans 11:33, 34; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Deuteronomy 29:29).

Q. How does God reveal his decree?

A. Partly by his word, wherein this doctrine is plainly and plentifully taught, and partly by the execution and accomplishment of things in time.

Q. How does the execution or accomplishment of things reveal God's decree?

A. Yes, very clearly, because nothing was decreed but he executes the same in time; and whatever is brought to pass in time was determined and decreed afore (Ephesians 1:11; Psalm 135:6; Isaiah 46:10).

Q. How many ways may the decree of God be considered?

A. As respecting all the creatures in general, or as it respects the reasonable creatures, angels and men, in special.

Q. What are the parts of God's decree as it respects man?

A. Election and reprobation.

Q. What is Election?

A. It is the decree of God, or his predestination, whereby of his own free love and good pleasure he has from everlasting appointed and chosen some certain men to the obtaining of grace and salvation by Christ, for the praise of his glorious grace.

Q. And what is reprobation?

A. It is the decree of God whereby of his mere will and good pleasure some certain men are not elected and ordained to life, but on the contrary are appointed to destruction or damnation to be inflicted upon them for their sin, to the praise of God's glorious justice.