The doctrine of reprobation briefly considered: being the substance of some lectures in Harvard College. / By Edward Wigglesworth, D.D. and Hollisian Professor of Divinity.

The Doctrine of REPROBATION considered with Candor. PART I.

JUDE, ver. IV.

FOR there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condem|nation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

HAVING spoken largely of the doctrine of Election in several late discourses; I must now proceed to consider the doctrine of Reprobation also, and see what ac|count the scriptures give us of it. And I do this the rather, because I believe it is very much owing to misapprehensions, or want of due con|sideration of what the scriptures teach us con|cerning the latter of these points; that so many prejudices have arisen in the minds of men against the whole doctrine of the divine decrees.—Now the words which have been read at this time, may serve well enough as an Introduction to the scripture account of Reprobation.

IN the preceding verse the apostle tells those to whom he directs his epistle, that it was need|ful for him to write unto them, and exhort them, that they should contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints. The reason why this exhortation was so necessary, we have in the words before us, For there are cer|tain men crept in unawares—ungodly men—deny|ing the only Lord God, &c. There were certain men, ungodly in life, and damnably heretical in doctrine, who had craftily slipt into the church unobserved. And there was great danger lest by the wicked practices and damnable heresies, which these brought in privily; others also should be induced to put away a good conscience, and make shipwreck of their faith. And lest any should think it was only a chance which had happened unto them that the church was at this time so infested with these deceitful workers, and sons of perdition; the apostle therefore assures them, that this whole matter came to pass by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God; that these very men were before of old ordained to this condemnation. Nor need any wonder to hear him say so, for it was nothing but what had been spoken of before by the apostles of our Lord; v. 14. And even Enoch, the seventh from Adam, had prophesied of them. v. 17.

BY the condemnation to which these men were before of old ordained—some understand, that reprobate mind to which God gave them over to do those things which are not conve|nient, and to corrupt and pervert the doctrines

of the gospel.—Others understand the just dere|liction of God, by which they were permitted, for their former sins, to make shipwreck of their own faith, and to become the authors of damna|ble error and heresy in others, and at last to be condemned themselves forever.—In fine, by this condemnation, some understand eternal damnation itself. For so the original word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is often used elsewhere in the New Testament.* 1.1 And it is certain from the whole progress of this epistle, that the apostle Jude is here speaking of those very persons, as already crept into the church, whom the apostle Peter had foretold would creep into it; and concerning whom he says, that their judgment now of a long time lingreth not, and their damnation slumbreth not. 2 Pet. II. 3. Upon the whole, in whichever of these senses we take the expression, it will amount to much the same thing. For if by this condemna|tion we understand, either only the divine dere|liction, or only that reprobate mind consequent upon it; yet we must understand it of such a reprobate mind, or such a dereliction, as will certainly end in the damnation of hell; because the apostle expressly tells us, [ver. 13.] that to the persons under this condemnation is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

AND to this condemnation, he says, they were before of old ordained, or, as it is in the original, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 before of old written. That is, say some, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 concerning whom it was

before written. Thus they suppose it was in those remarkable words of the apostle Paul, 2 Thes. II. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. And then shall that wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness, in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned, who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. The same persons they suppose to have been written of before by Peter also, when he says, 2 Pet. II. 1, 2, 3. There shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingreth not, and their dam|nation slumbreth not.—Others again suppose, that the expression refers to the words of our blessed Saviour recorded Matt. XXIV. 4, 5, 10, 11, 14. Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ: and shall deceive many. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and

shall hate one another. And many false pro|phets shall arise, and shall deceive many.—And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.

NOW tho' it be certain, that Peter (at lest) had written before of these very persons, and of their condemnation to eternal punishment; who are here said to be before of old written to this condemnation: Yet I cannot perswade myself, that they are said to be before of old written to this condemnation, upon account of them and their condemnation's having been written of before by Peter, or any other apostle. For what had been written by Peter, or possibly by any other apostle, concerning these persons, could not be said to have been written of old, but of late, when Jude wrote this epistle.—More|over, the prophesies which went before con|cerning these persons, and their condemnation, are manifestly spoken of as a thing distinct from their being before of old ordained or written to condemnation. For after the apostle hath said, that the men who were crept in unawares, were before of old ordained to condemnation; he goes on to say, v. 14. And Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of these. And then he proceeds, v. 17, 18, to put his beloved in remembrance of the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: How that they told them there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate them|selves

—not having the spirit.—From all which it appears to me that their being before of old ordained or written to condemnation, must be understood according to the sense, of perhaps the bigger and better part of protestant exposi|tors of the last century, to refer, not to any thing which had been spoken or written about these persons, either by prophets or apostles under the inspiration of God; but to the determination of the divine mind concerning them, namely, to the decree of Reprobation (as it hath been called) which was before of old, even from the days of eternity.—This may suffice for the meaning of the Condemnation spoken of in my text; and of certain men's being before of old ordained to it.— The next thing to be considered is,

THE character of the persons ordained to this condemnation.— And this is, ungodly men, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, deny|ing the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ: or as the apostle Peter prophesying of the same persons expresses it, 2 Pet. ii. 1. False teachers who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them.— The sum of the matter then may be taken up in the two following propositions, namely,—

I. THAT there are certain men from eter|nity ordained of God to condemnation.— And,

II. THAT these are men of wicked lives, or damnably heretical principles, or both.— The great controversy between the Supralapsarian Calvinists and the Arminians concerning the decree of Reprobation, will fall in most naturally

to be discussed under the second of these propo|sitions. However it may not be amiss, before I proceed to that, to speak something briefly to the first, viz.

I. THAT there are certain men from eternity ordained of God to condemnation.—The election (says the apostle) hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded, or hardned. Rom. xi. 7. And again, Rom. ix. 22. What if God willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fit|ted to destruction.— The proposition before us may be illustrated and prov'd under three par|ticulars, viz.

1. THAT some of mankind are certainly ordain'd of God to condemnation.

2. THAT this divine ordination is from eternity.— And,

3. THAT the persons so ordained to condem|nation are determined.— What I intend by each of these, I think will be almost allowed me by all parties, except Socinians.

1st THEN, Some of mankind are certainly ordained of God to condemnation.— By condem|nation I intend eternal damnation itself; or that misery which will be the everlasting portion of them, who die in their sins. By being ordained to this misery or condemnation, I intend, that there is a determination of the divine will con|cerning it; that none drop into perdition with|out the will of God, or without his antecedently determining (in some sense) that they should. Not that the determination of the divine will is

either the moral or the physical cause of mens sin and misery. The Calvinists generally reject such a thought as this. And I here only sup|pose, that a determination of the will of God, is necessarily antecedent to the condemnation of men; that since the kingdom of God ruleth over all, so that not a sparrow falleth to the ground without him; much less can any of his rea|sonable creatures perish, without his determin|ing before, at least to permit that they should.

NOW it is certain that some of mankind shall be miserable forever, from the express words of our blessed Lord, Matt. xxv. 46. These shall go away into everlasting punishment: And if some of mankind shall be miserable forever, we must suppose they are antecedently ordained of God to this condemnation; or else we must suppose that God don't know of it before it happens; or lastly, that tho' he knows of it, yet he is not able to prevent it. For if God knows of mens falling into condemnation before it happens; and could prevent it, if he thought fit; we must certainly conclude, that he determines not to prevent, but suffer it (which is all I intend by ordaining or writing it) or else it could never happen. Now that God knows of mens falling into condemnation before it happens is certain, from his foretelling of it: And it is no less cer|tain that he could prevent it, if (all things con|sider'd) he judg'd it wisest and best so to do; for all things are possible with him; and espe|cially the hearts of all men are in his hands, and he can turn them whithersoever he pleases. And

therefore, it cannot but be allowed, that he de|termines not to prevent it; or in other words, by which I intend the same thing, that they who fall into condemnation, are ordained of God to it, not by an effective, but only by a permissive decree.—I proceed to say

2. THAT this divine ordination is from eternity. Or that God hath from eternity deter|mined to permit some of mankind to fall into condemnation.

THE truth of this will appear undeniably from considering the perfection of the know|ledge and power of God. For it is impossible to suppose that he, whose kingdom ruleth over all, and who is able to prevent what he pleases, should know that any thing will come to pass, which he does not at the same time determine to permit, and not to hinder. And therefore, since God did from eternity know of the falling of some of mankind into everlasting condemnation, he must from eternity have determined to per|mit it.

3. THE very persons so ordained or written to condemnation are determined.— This likewise fol|lows from the certainty and exactness of the foreknowledge of God. For whether we sup|pose the decree of God to be antecedent in or|der of nature to his foreknowledge, or his fore|knowledge antecedent to his decree, (which it would be beside my purpose to dispute here) yet since he knows beforehand the very persons, who will fall into condemnation; he must de|termine beforehand, at least to permit those very persons so to do.

UPON the whole, if some of mankind are cer|tainly ordained, or written of God to condem|nation; if this divine ordination is from eterni|ty; and if the very persons so ordained or writ|ten to condemnation are determined; then it is true that there are certain men from eternity or|dained or written of God to condemnation; which was my first proposition.—I shall con|clude at present, with just observing, that this doctrine, as I have explained it, is far from mak|ing God the author of those sins which he hath determined to punish everlastingly.— For the dimmest eye may see, that

they who affirm, that God hath from eternity decreed to permit those sins to be committed, which he certainly knew would be committed if he prevented them not; and that he accordingly does per|mit them, do not hereby make him the author of sin. God's suffering his creatures to sin, when it is in his power to hinder them, is not to be the author of sin, nor is God in justice, or in mercy obliged to exert his power in hin|dring persons (in a state of trial) from sinning, tho' he knows they will sin if he does not, and that their sinning will bring ruin upon them.

If it was inconsistent with the justice or mercy of God, to leave creatures in a state of trial, to exercise the freedom of their own wills, what|ever the foreseen event may be; it would be in|consistent with the wisdom of God, ever to put any of his creatures in a state of trial for eternity.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vid. Matt. XXIII. 14. Mark XII. 40. Luke XX. 47. Rom. III. 8. 1 Tim. III. 6.