Culverwell:

For the better understanding and practice of this duty, of particular application of God’s promises to our several necessities, that so we may thereby live by Faith, (which is the chief thing by me intended in this Treatise) we are advisedly to consider the nature and kinds of these promises (which be the foundation of our Faith), that so we may more soundly apply them to our several occasions and uses.

By God’s promises, I understand generally all those declarations of God’s will, wherein he offers us to his Word any good thing to enjoy: as on the other side, by threats are meant those declarations of his Will, wherein he denounces any evil against us for sin. Both which he plentifully sets down in the Holy Scriptures to these ends, that by his promises he might allure and draw us to believe and obey his will; and by his threatenings he might scare us from sin: In all which God does declare his will after a double manner, either absolutely, or conditionally. Absolutely, what he will most certainly do, any thing to the contrary notwithstanding. As for example, “That there shall be no more waters of a flood to destroy all flesh.” And, “in this same time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son,” which the Apostle says, is a word of promise: of this sort be all of God’s promises concerning salvation made unto the Elect, which cannot be made void by any means whatsoever.

The other manner whereby God does reveal his will, is not absolute, but (as it is commonly said to be) conditional, which is, when God declares his will, what he will do if we do our part, else not: this conditional promise well understood, may be born; otherwise misunderstood, it destroys the nature of the free and gracious promise of the Gospel, and in this respect confounds the Law and the Gospel, taking away a chief difference between the Covenant of Works (wherein God promised life upon the condition of doing all that was written in the Law, without which condition performed on our parts, God did not covenant to give life): and the Covenant of Grace, wherein God freely promised, not only life, as Jer. 31, from vers. 31. to 35. read the place. The like Ezek. 36.24. &c. “A new heart also I will give you), &c. In which, and the like many, is  no condition expressed on our parts, but God himself makes capable of this grace whom he pleases. How these are by us to be applied, afterwards I will show. But now seeing very many, yea the most of  the free gracious promises of the Gospel, be propounded with some condition, either expressed or necessarily understood, we are wise to consider them; As first in this, and the like many, the condition, or duty required, is expressed, Joh. 3:15, “Whosoever believes in Christ, shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

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[Note: we are now in a position to properly appreciate Amyraut and Testard’s use of the language of conditional will, decree, and predestination: as we now can document precedent use of this same language, with the same intent, in Twisse, Davenant, Polanus, Bucer, Zanchi. It is not the case that Amyraut and Testard were introducing either novel doctrines or language.]

The Synod of Alancon (1637):

19. And as for the Conditional Decree, of which mention is made in the aforesaid Treatise of Predestination, the said Sieurs Testard and Amyraud declared, that they do not, nor ever did understand any other thing, than God’s Will revealed in his Word, to give Grace and Life unto Believers; and that they called this in none other Sense a Conditional Will than that of Anthropopeia, because God promises not the Effects thereof, but upon condition of Faith and Repentance. And they added farther, That although the Propositions resulting from the Manifestation of this will be conditional, and conceived under an if, or it may be; as, if thou believest thou shalt be saved; if a Man repent of his Sins, they shall be forgiven him; yet nevertheless this doth not suppose in God an Ignorance of the Event, not an Impotency as to the Execution, nor any Inconstancy as to his Will, which is always firmly accomplished, and ever unchangeable in itself, according to the Nature of God, in which there is no Variableness nor Shadow of turning.

20. And the said Sieur Amyraud did particularly protest, as he had formerly published unto the World, that he never gave the Name of Universal or Conditional Predestination unto this Will of God than by way of Concession, and accommodating it unto the Language of the Adversary: Yet forasmuch as many are offended at this Expression of his, he offered freely to raze it out of those places, where ever it did occur, promising also to abstain from it for the future: and both he and the Sieur Testard acknowledged, that to speak truly and accurately according to the Usage of sacred Scripture, there is none other Decree of Predestination of Men unto eternal Life and Salvation, than the unchangeable Purpose of God, by which according to the most free and good Pleasure of his Will, he hath out of mere Grace chosen in Jesus Christ unto Salvation before the Foundation of the World, a certain number of Men in themselves neither better nor more worthy than others, and that he hath decreed to give them unto Jesus Christ to be saved, and that he would call and draw them effectually to Communion with him by his Word and Spirit. And they did, in consequence of this Holy Doctrine, reject their Error, who held that Faith, and the Obedience of Faith, Holiness, Godliness and Perseverance, are not the Fruits and Effects of this unchangeable Decree unto Glory, but Conditions and Causes, without which Election could not be passed; which Conditions or Causes are antecedently requisite, and foreseen as if they were already accomplished in those who were fit to be elected, contrary to what is taught us by the sacred Scriptures, Acts 13.48. and elsewhere.

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Davenant:

For Zanchi and Bucer‘s opinion concerning the commmand of believing a man’s singular Election or Predestination, I have formerly expressed my judgement, which I submit unto the learned. If there were such a necessary universal command, only upon this reason, because the grace of vocation is infallibly frustrated by all the Non-elect, this being true as well in the Remonstrant’s opinion as ours, this mandate of believing a man’s singular Election would reach unto them as well as unto us. And all which they talk of mere delusions of men not-elected (in regard there is an eternal purpose of God to permit them to amke all the grace offered unto them fruitless) fights against them themselves as much as against us. John Davenant, Animadversions Written By the Right Reverend Father in God, John, Lord Bishop of Sarisbury, upon a Treatise intitled “God’s love to Mankind,” (London: Printed for Iohn Partridge, 1641), 277. [Some spelling modernized.]

[Note: C.f., Zanchius on the Death of Christ, and Twisse on Bucer on the Subject of “Conditional Predestination”.]

Polhill:

1) Now then, how far doth God will the salvation of all? Surely thus far, that if they believe they shall be saved. No divine can deny it, especially seeing Christ himself hath laid it down so positively, “This is the will of him that sent me, saith he, that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life,” (John vi. 40). Wherefore, if God will the salvation of all men thus far, that if they believe they shall be saved; then Christ died for all men thus far, that if they believe they shall be saved. But you will say, that promise, Whosoever believes shall be saved, is but voluntas signi, and not voluntas beneplacitii, which is the adequate measure of Christ’s death. Unto which I answer; If that promise be voluntas signi, what doth it signify? What but God’s will? What will but that good pleasure of his, that whosoever believes shall be saved? How else is the sign of the true God a true sign? Whence is that universal connexion betwixt faith and salvation? is it not a plain efflux or product from the decree of God? Doth not that evidently import a decree, that whosoever believes shall be saved? Surely it cannot be a false sign; wherefore, so far God’s will of salvation extends to all men, and consequently so far Christ’s death extends to them.” Edward Polhill, “The Divine Will Considered in its Eternal Decrees,” in The Works of Edward Polhill (Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 1998), 164.

2) 1. Let us distinguish the decrees of God: some of them are merely productive of truths, others are definitive of things which shall actually exist. The first are accomplished in connexions, the last in events. To clear it by scripture instances: the decree, that David should be king of Israel, was definitive of a thing; but the decree, that if Saul obeyed, his kingdom should have continued, (1 Sam. xiii. 13,) is but productive of a truth. The decree that David should not be delivered up by the men of Keilah, was definitive of a thins; but the decree, that if he had staid there they would have delivered him up, (1 Sam. xuiii. 12,) was but productive of a truth. The decree, that Jerusalem should be burnt with fire, was definitive of a thing; but the decree, that if Zedekiah did go forth to the king of Babylon it should not be burnt, (Jer xxxviii.17,) was but productive of a truth. Moreover, that there are decrees definitive of things, is proved by the events; that there are decrees productive of truths, is proved by the connexions; if there be no such connexions, how is the Scripture verified? but if there be, how are these things connected? There is no natural connexion between Saul’s obedience and his crown; David’s stay, and the Keilites treachery; Zedekiah’s out-going, and Jerusalem’s firing: wherefore these connexions do flow out of God’s decrees as productive of truths. Now, to apply this distinction to our present purpose: The decree of damning the reprobate for final sin is definitive of a thing; but the decree imported in the general promise, is but productive of a truth, viz., That there is an universal connexion between faith and salvation; such a connexion, that reprobates themselves, if believers, should be saved. Now these two decrees may very well stand together; for decrees definitive of events, contradict not decrees productive of truths, unless the event in the one decree contradict the truth in the other. Wherefore if (which is not) there were a decree of damning reprobates, whether they did believe or not, it could not stand with the general promise; for the event of that decree would contradict the truth of the promise. But the decree (such as indeed it is) or damning reprobates for final sin, may well consist with the general promise; for the event of that decree no way crosses the truth of the promise. Reprobates are damned for final sin, that is the event of one decree; and reprobates, if believers, shall be saved; that is the truth of another: both which may well consist together.

2. Let us distinguish the objects of these decrees; the objects stand not under the same qualifications as to both of them. The decree of salvation upon gospel terms respect a men as lapsed sinners; but the decree of everlasting damnation respects them as final sinners; and so there is no inconsistency between them. so there is no inconsistency between them. Thus much, by way of answer to the objection: yet withal, before I pass on to the next thing, suffer me a little to stand and adore the stupendous abyss of the divine decrees. The elect arrive at heaven, yet by the way see hell flaming in the threatening: the reprobate sink to hell, yet by the way see heaven opening in the promise. The elect cannot live and die in sin, gut they will be sub gladio; the reprobates cannot repent and return, but they will be sub corona. Tremble, work and watch O saints, for the Holy One thunders out from heaven in that sacred sentence, “If you live after the flesh you shall die.” Repent, return and believe, O sinners! for the divine philanthropy woos you in those real undissembled offers of mercy, “Whosoever believes shall be saved; Whosoever forsakes his sins shall find mercy.” Here, O here, is polupoikilos sophia, the manifold wisdom of God; a fit reserve for the apocalypse of the judgement day, whose clear light will display these wonderful consistencies before men and angels. Edward Polhill, “The Divine Will Considered in its Eternal Decrees,” in The Works of Edward Polhill (Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 1998), 131-132.

Credit to Tony for the find.