John Brown of Haddington (1722-1787) on Divine Reprobation

Brown:

1)
Q. What are the two branches of predestination?
A. Election and reprobation, Rom. ix. 22,23.

Q. What is the election of angels ?
A. God’s decree to continue and establish such particular angels in eternal holiness and happiness, 1 Tim. v. 21. John Brown, An Essay Towards an Easy, Plain, Practical, and Extensive Explication of the Assembly’s Shorter Catechism (New York: Robert Carter, 1846), 50.  [Some reformatting.]

2)
Q. Whet is reprobation?
A. It is God’s decree to permit unelected angels and men to fall into, and continue in sin, und to punish them for the same.

Q. Is sin the cause of reprobation?
A. Sin is the cause of damnation; but God’s sovereign will is the cause of reprobation, Rom, ix. 11-28.

Q. Is not God partial, in appointing some to wrath, and others to happiness?
A. No; For though he give the elect what they deserve not, yet he inflicts nothing upon reprobates, but what they well deserve.

Q Doth reprobation oblige any to sin?
A. No; sin is. wholly the creature’s voluntary choice, Jam. i 13.

Q. What is the end of reprobation?
A. The glory of God’s sovereignty and justice, Rom. ix. 22.

Q. How should we improve this awful decree of reprobation?
A. By flying speedily to Christ, that we may see that we are not included in it, Isa lv. 1 3. John Brown, An Essay Towards an Easy, Plain, Practical, and Extensive Explication of the Assembly’s Shorter Catechism (New York: Robert Carter, 1846), 51-52.  [Some reformatting.]

John Marbeck (ca. 1510-ca.1585) on Reprobation by way of Peter Martyr Vermigli (1499-1560) and John Knox (1510-1572)

Marbeck:

Reprobation.

A definition of this word Reprobation.

Reprobation is the most wise purpose of God, whereby he has before all eternity constantly decreed without any injustice, not to have mercy on those whom he has not loved, but have overhipped* that by their just condemnation, he might declare his wrath towards sinners and also his glory.                                                     Pet. Mar. upon the Rom. fol. 293.

How the just cause of reprobation is hid unto us?

We say not that God’s ordinance is the cause of reprobation, but we affirm that the just causes of reprobation are to be hid in the eternal counsel of God, and known to his godly wisdom alone, but the causes of sin of death and damnation are evident and manifestly declared to us in the Scriptures, to wit, man’s free will, consenting to the deceivable persuasion of the devil, willful sin, and voluntary rebellion, by which entered death into this world, the contempt of the graces and God’s mercies offered, with the heaping up of sin upon to sin, till damnation justly came. The causes I say of sin, death and damnation, are plainly noted unto us in God’s Holy Scriptures. But why it pleased God to show mercy to some, and deny the same to others, because the judgments of God, are a devouring depth, we enter not in reasoning with him, but with all humility render thanks to is Majesty, for the grace and mercy, which we doubt not but of his free grace, we have received in Christ Jesus our only head.                                                                 Knox.

Iohn Marbeck, A Book of Notes and Common Places, collected and gathered out of the works of diuers singular Witers, and brought Alphabetically in order (Imprinted at London by Thomas East, 1581), 906-907. [Some spelling modernized.] [* Overhipped: past tense of overhip: to pass over, to pass by.]

Wilhelmus à Brakel (1635-1711) on Election and Reprobation

Wilhelmus à Brakel:

The Two Parts of Predestination: Election and Reprobation

Predestination consists of two parts: election and reprobation. This is evident from texts in which both are mentioned simultaneously. “. . . vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: . . . vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory” (Rom. 9:22-23); “The election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded” (Rom. 11:7); “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Th. 5:9).

The Decree of Election

Various words are used to describe the decree of election, such as “purpose,” “foreknowledge,” and “predestination.” “…them who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate” (Rom. 8:28-29). It is also referred to as being ordained to eternal life: “And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48); as being written in the book of life: “but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20); as obtaining salvation (1 Th. 5:9), and by the word “chosen”: “According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4).

Election is the foreordination of God whereby He eternally, certainly, and immutably has decreed to lead some specific individuals, identified by name, unto eternal salvation, not because of foreseen faith or good works, but motivated purely by His singular and sovereign good pleasure to the glory of His grace.

( 1 ) Election is a divine deed. It has pleased the eternal God, who is all-sufficient in Himself, to communicate His goodness, having chosen some men to be the recipients of that communication. “He hath chosen us” (Eph. 1:4); He hath appointed us “to obtain salvation” (1 Th. 5:9). It is for this reason that they are called “His own elect” (Luke 18:7). God must not be perceived here as Judge, judging the deeds of men to either justify or damn them in consequence of this, but He must here be considered as sovereign Lord, who deals with His creatures as it pleases Him, electing the one and rejecting the other.

James Saurin (1677-1730) on Supralapsarianism

Saurin:

The third system is that of such divines as are called Supralapsarians. The word supralapsarian signifies above the fall, and these divines are so called because they so arrange the decrees of God as to go above the fall of man, as we are going to explain. Their grand principle is, that God made all things for his own glory; that his design in creating the universe was to manifest his perfections, and particularly his justice and Ins goodness; that for this purpose he created men with design that they should sin, in order that in the end he might appear infinitely good in pardoning some, and perfectly just in condemning others; so that God resolved to punish such and such persons, not because he foresaw they would sin, but he resolved they should sin that he might damn them. This is their system in a few words. It is not that which is generally received in our churches, but there have been many members and divines among us who adopted and defended it; but whatever veneration we profess for their memory, we ingenuously own, we cannot digest such consequences as seem to us necessarily to follow these positions. We will just mention the few difficulties following.

First, we demand an explanation of what they mean by this principle, ” God hath made all things for his own glory.” If they mean that justice requires a creature to devote himself to the worship and glorifying of his Creator, we freely grant it. If they mean that the attributes of God are displayed in all his works, we grant this too. But if this proposition be intended to affirm that God had no other view in creating men, so to speak, than his own interest, we deny the proposition, and affirm that God created men for their own happiness, and in order to have subjects upon whom he might bestow favours. We desire to be informed in the next place, how it can be conceived, that a determination to damn millions of men can contribute to the glory of God? We easily conceive that it is for the glory of divine justice to punish guilty men: but to resolve to damn men without the consideration of sin, to create them that they might sin, to determine that they should sin in order to their destruction, is what seems to us more likely to tarnish the glory of God than to display it.

Thirdly, we demand, how according to this hypothesis it can be conceived that God is not the author of sin? In the general scheme of our churches, God only permits men to sin, and it is the abuse of liberty that plunges man into misery. Even this principle, all lenified as it seems, is yet subject to a great number of difficulties: but in this of our opponents, God wills sin to produce the end he proposed in creating the world, and it was necessary that men should sin; God created them for that. If this be not to constitute God the author of sin, we must renounce the most distinct and clear ideas.

Fourthly, we require them to reconcile this system with many express declarations of scripture, which inform us that God would have all men saved. How doth it agree with such pressing entreaties, such cutting reproofs, such tender expostulations as God discovers in regard to the unconverted; “O that my people had hearkened unto me! O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under Her wings, and ye would not?” Matt, xxiii. 37.

Lastly, we desire to know how it is possible to conceive a God, who being in the actual enjoyment of perfect happiness, incomprehensible and supreme, could determine to add this degree though useless to his felicity, to create men without number for the purpose of confining them for ever in chains of darkness, and burning them for ever in unquenchable flames.

James Saurin, “The Deep Things of God,” in Sermons Translated from the Original French of The Late. Rev. James Saurin, (Schenectady: Printed by William J. M’Cartee, 1813), 362-364.

William Sclater (1575-1627) on Reprobation

Sclater:

And hated Esau] That is, Reprobated Esau: Now that there is Reprobation, appears, because there is Election. 2. God has not Mercy on all. 3. There are Vessels of wrath prepared to destruction, Rom. 9:22, and Jude 4, ordained to this judgement. 4. Effects, denial of means to many for Salvation.

If any ask what it is? Reprobation is an Act of God whereby he determines, not to have mercy on some, but to leave them to destruction, for the glory of his justice. For the moving cause of Election that that may be known, we are to conceive the Acts of Reprobation to be two. 1. A decree not to have mercy; this Absolute, and has no other cause, but the Will of God; And let none say, this is injury, for God is bound to none. Rom. 11:33, therefore, Saint Paul refers to all God’s Will, and admits the depth of this secret, which had been vain, if the cause thereof be foresight of sin and disobedience. 2. The second Act, is ordination unto punishment, and Damnation; this has some respect unto sin, being an Act of Justice, in respect to Execution: And therefore, though it be true that God refuses to show mercy only because he will; yet he ordains no man to damnation, but for his sin; Judas damned for his sin; Comparative, why this not that, no other cause, but God’s Will.

William Sclater, A Brief and Plain Commentary with Notes: Not More Useful, than Seasonable, upon the whole Prophecie of Malachy (London: Printed by J.L. for Christopher Meredith at the sign of the Crane in Pauls Church-yard, 1650), 15.

[Notes: That last sentence may be confusing. What he is saying is that if we ask the question, "Why is this man condemned?" Scalter would say, "That man is condemned solely on account of his sin." If we ask the second question: "Why is this man elected, but not that man?" Sclater would answer, "This man is elected, but not that man, because of the absolute will of God alone." For the Reformed, in the first act of reprobation, namely Preterition, man is rejected solely because of the free will of God. In the second act, namely Predamnation, however, man is condemned on account of his sin only. C.f. Heppe and Leigh.]