Wollebius:

But that which is included in the popular jingle,

He commands and he forbids,
Permits, advises, and fulfills,

may be loosely called by the designation of divine will. Just as the edicts of a magistrate are called his will, so the designation of will may be given to precepts, prohibitions, promises, and even deeds and events. Thus the divine will is also called that which God wants done [voluntas signi], because it signifies what is acceptable to God; what he wants done by us. It is called “consequent” because it follows that eternal antecedent; “conditional” because the commandments, prohibitions, warnings, and promises of God all have a condition of obedience or disobedience attached to them. Finally, it is called “revealed,” because it is always explained in the word of God. It must be observed that this sort of distinction does not postulate either really diverse, or contradictory, wills in God.

Johannes Wollebius, “Compendium Theologiae Christianae,” in John W. Beardslee III, Reformed Dogmatics (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker, 1977), 48. [Originally published in 1626.]

Amyraut:

All of the New Testament from beginning to end teaches this to us. Christ, notably, does so in these beautiful passages: ‘As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so also it is necessary that the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but should have eternal life. For God has so loved the world that he has given his only Son, so that whoever believes in him might not perish, but have eternal life . For God has not sent his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world be saved by him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already. For he has not believed on the name of the only Son of God.’ (John 3:14-16) Furthermore, ‘Whoever believes in me has life eternal, and whoever does not believe, the wrath of God abides on him.’ (John 3:36) And there is no need for more proofs in a thing so clear and uncontested. His beloved disciple uses a most emphatic expression. ‘If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. For this is the witness of God, of which he has testified of his Son, that God has given us eternal life and that this life is in his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the witness of God in him, whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, for he has not believed the testimony that God has given of his own Son.’ (I John 5:9, 10 ) So that in not receiving Christ as Saviour one rejects the only means of obtaining salvation, and beside the sin that there is in despising so great a grace as God has offered there is, moreover, this crime also of accusing God of falsehood in not believing the testimony which he has given concerning his Son. Thus, if you consider the care that God has taken to procure the salvation of the human race by sending his Son in to the world and the things that he has done and suffered to this end, the grace is universal and presented to all men. But if you consider the condition which he has necessarily established- to believe in his Son-, you will find that while this compassion of giving men a Redeemer proceeds from a marvelous love toward the human race, nevertheless this love does not exceed this limit- to give salvation to men, provided that they do not refuse it. If they refuse it, he deprives then of hope and they by their unbelief aggravate their condemnation. Consequently these words, ‘God desires the salvation of a ll men,’ (I Tim 2:4) receive this necessary limitation, providing that they believe.’ If they do not believe, he does not desire it. This will to make the grace of salvation universal and common to all men is in this way conditional, that without the accomplishing of the condition, it is entirely in effectual. Let us see therefore on what the fulfilling of condition, and consequently the particular efficacy of universal grace, depends.

Moyse Amyraut, Brief Treatise on Predestination and its Dependent Principles, trans., by Richard Lum (Th.D. diss, 1986), 42-44.

[Note, on ‘conditional willing’ see Calvin on Ezekiel 18:23, 31-32 and 33:11; on John 3:16, see John Calvin on John 3:16; on the language of ‘universal grace’ see Wolfgang Musculus on the Redemption of Mankind. Amyraut is using an older vocabulary which was more common in its own day.]

Davenant:

Animadversions:

1) Where he evidently [Dr. Overall] acknowledges an eternal, secret, absolute Decree, predestinating particular persons unto eternal life, without all dependency upon their foreseen faith or perseverance; though there withal he conjoin an open, revealed and Evangelical Decree of bring men into the possession of eternal life, by the way and upon the condition of their faith, repentance and perseverance.  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), 9-10.  [Some spelling modernized.]

2) Unto all these and the like inferences and opinions we answer briefly three things. First, That Predestination is absolute not because it intends the bring of any man unto eternal life without performing the conditions which God in his most gracious decree of Election doth as absolutely and certainly ordain men unto saving grace as unto everlasting glory. Secondly, That in the Divine Predestination there is always included a prescience of the faith and perseverance of all such as are elected: yet so, that this prescience is not the antecedent motive unto their Election, but this foreseen faith and perseverance is a consequent fruit or effect of the Divine Election. Lastly. That there is a decree conditional established by God concerning man’s salvation, namely, That if any man repent, believe and persevere, he shall most certainly be saved. But we say it is an abuse of the Word, to call this the decree of God’s Election or Predestination. For the truth of this decree may stand good and firm though no man living should believe or attain unto eternal life. But the Divine predestination or Election is such a decree as infallibly in some men produces faith, and brings unto eternal life a certain number of persons known only unto God himself.  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), 13. [Some spelling modernized.]

3) Those who are passed by in the eternal decree of God, are not by any force of the decree left without the benefit which the Scriptures promise upon condition of repentance, no more than those whom God has eternally elected, are, by virtue of that decree, freed from the punishment which supposing their impenitency must light upon them. Notwithstanding the absolute eternal decrees of Election and Reprobation, the revealed Evangelical Decrees stand in their full force. If Cain repent and live well, he shall be pardoned and saved: if Peter repent not, and persevere in his sin, he shall be damned.   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), 24. [Some spelling modernized.]

4) Conditional decrees of Salvation and Damnation have been published in the Gospel, and are acknowledged by all Divines: but conditional Decrees of eternal Predestination and Preterition are not found in Scripture, nor allowed of by the Church of England. Every man knows where to find these conditional decrees, “If any man believe and repent, he shall be saved;” “If any man continue in infidelity and impenitency, he shall be damned:” But it will be hard for any Remonstrant to show these other, “If any man believe, he shall be predestinated;” “If any man believe not, he shall not be predestinated.”  Faith is a temporal effect produced in those which were elected from eternity, not foreseen condition drawing after it God’s eternal Election.  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), 31. [Some spelling modernized.]

5) For the secret Decree of absolute Election and Non-election, or (in other terms) of absolute Predestination and absolute negative Reprobation, they are to be distinguished from the revealed and published decrees of the Salvation of all singular persons upon condition of their faith, repentance and perseverance, and damnation of all singular persons, if they continue in unbelief and impenitency. We acknowledge these later to be the eternal and immutable decrees of God, as well as the former; and no man attains salvation, or incurs damnation, but according to these: but we say the Remonstrants err in confounding these conditional decrees, which make no distinction betwixt man and man, with the absolute decrees of Election and Predestination, which are distinguishing decrees.   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), 108. [Some spelling modernized.]

6) His [Davenant’s opponent] sixth Testimony out of Scripture, is taken from certain conditional propositions, which promise God’s favor and eternal life unto men upon conditions; namely “if they seek him,” “If they do well,” “If they believe,” “If they persevere,” &c., and which suspend his wrath and utter desertion upon their sinning and Forsaking of God. Upon these premises whereas we expressed this condition, “Therefore in God there is no eternal decree of absolute Predestination and absolute non-predestination, Preterition or negative Reprobation,” he started aside from the question, and infers, “That God forsakes or rejects from salvation no man in time and in deed till he” have first in time and deed “cast off God.” Upon the truth of which conclusion, we shall not much stand with him.

But to answer more clearly to the point in hand; We must first consider that mere or purely conditional decrees or conditional volitions agree not with the perfection of the Divine nature. Volitiones pure conditionales sunt aliena a’ sapientia & prudential Dei. Volumtas Dei conditoinata dici potest, non quia actu feratur in objectum sub conditione, sed quia ex illa, voluntate qua praesens est alia oriretur, si condito ia objecto poneretur.  These speeches therefore above-cited out of Scripture do not imply a Conditional will in God suspended for any moment of time, and then post purificatam conditionem, becoming an absolute and Effectual will, as the like conditional propositions do in us, who have neither knowledge whether the condition will be certainly performed or no, nor yet power in ourselves to work the condition whereupon the future act of our will was suspended. But in God, who knows eternally what every man will do or not do, and who in himself has an absolute power and freedom to make men do any good whereunto he makes a promise of reward, and do leave them to their own defective Free-will in doing those things for which he has threatened desertion and destruction, these conditional decrees or volitions must be far otherwise conceived; namely, not purely but mixtly conditionalia, that is, grounded in some absolute revealed decree of God to the performance whereof he has tied himself. For example; It is an absolute decree of the Divine will published in the Gospel, “That whosoever repenteth, believeth, persevereth, shall be saved:” From hence is derived that mixed conditional decree, “If Cain, if Judas, if any other repent and believe, they shall be saved. Now such mixed conditional decrees carry no contradiction to the absolute decrees of Election and Non-election or Reprobation. For who sees not that these two propositions may well stand together, “I will that if Judas repent and believe he shall have remission and salvation;” “I will not give unto Judas the gift of repentance, of faith, and of eternal life”?  The former conditional proposition contains all which this Author can truly collect from the testimonies alleged; and the latter does as truly infer that absolute Reprobation for which we contend. For the  absolute decree of God resolving not to give faith, repentance, and eternal life unto Judas, that is which we understand by the word Reprobation: is this is never abrogated by any conditional promise founded in any universal absolute decree of God.  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), 176-177. [Some spelling modernized.]

7) For the positive act [of predamnation to condemnation], which this Author describes to be a “pre-ordination unto hell-torments;” those who comprise them both under this one word Reprobation, do notwithstanding make this act or decree respective unto sin, as we have already shown. As for those of our Church in this controversy, whether Predestination and Non-predestination be grounded upon the prime absolute will of God, or upon his prescience of good and bad acts to be performed by men, they do and must understand by the word Reprobation, not the decree of damnation of particular persons, but only the absolute decree of not-preparing for them that effectual grace qua certisime liberarentur, and of leaving them to such means of grace under which by their own default infallibiliter ruun ad interitum voluntariam. Thus our English Divines in their suffrage have described it, and thus the reverent and judicious Bishop of Norwich conceived it, when he made both Remonstrants or Arminians, and Contra-remonstrants or Puritans (as he termed them) to err out of the true middle way which the Church of England holds in opposition to them both. In Election he makes this the error of the Remonstrants, “That they ground the Absolute decree of men’s particular Election upon the prescience of their faith and perseverance” (as this Author does) where that reverend Prelate holds with the Church of England, and Saint Augustine, Electio non invenit fideles, sed facit. As for the errors of the Puritans about Predestination or Election, he reduces them to these heads, “the excluding of the conditional decree or evangelical promise, the disordering of the decree of Predestination by bring it in before the fall and the decree of Christ’s incarnation. 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), 199-200. [Some spelling modernized.]

8) There is an eternal, absolute, immutable decree, revealed unto us in God’s word, “That whosoever believes in the Son of God, and leads a sober, just and godly life, shall be saved; and whosoever does not truly believe, but leads a lewd, unjust and wicked shall be damned. It is not the alteration of God’s decrees which men’s actions must aim at, but the obtaining of happiness and escaping wretchedness according to the tenor of his decrees. And herein no man’s action can be vain or fruitless. For God does not by the absolute decree of election absolutely determine to save Peter, whether he believe or not believe, repent or not repent; and therefore Peter’s faith and repentance are not in vain and idle actions. Neither does he by the absolute decree of Non-election or negative Reprobation absolutely determine to damn Judas, whether he believe or not believe, repent or not repent (such absolute decrees are the absolute mistakings of the Remonstrants); and therefore such good actions had not been vain and fruitless. We may truly say to every man in the world, elected or not-elected, as God himself spake to Cain [Gen. 4.7.], “If thou d well, shalt thou not be accepted?” Yes questionless: for “to every man that does good, shall be glory” &c., [Rom. 2.] No man shall be damned quia ab aeerno non electus ant reprobatus, sed quia in tempore infidelis & impius. 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), 331-332. [Some spelling modernized.]

Dissertation:

1) Now as to the latter of these, It is also certain and directly connected with it, That any man whatsoever, through the benefit of the death of Christ, may claim to himself this right, that if he should believe, immediately all his sins are blotted out, and he is adopted as an heir of eternal life. For although on account of the want of fulfillment of the condition many cannot actually claim these promised blessings, yet there is no human being to whom they would not abound by virtue of the death of Christ, if the condition were fulfilled by him. This conditional decree of God, established by the death of Christ and revealed in the Gospel, from which we understand that God, by virtue of the passion of Christ, has obliged himself to give remission of sins and eternal life to every one that believes, and from which an universal right has arisen, not to certain persons in particular, but to any individual of the  human race, to obtain mission of sins under the aforesaid condition, is abundantly sufficient for this purpose, that it may be truly asserted that Christ suffered for all men. Nor is this conditional decree confirmed by the death of  Christ and extended to all men, a thing of no value because the infallible fulfillment of the condition depends upon another secret decree; since that secret decree inasmuch as it relates to this or the other individual, is altogether unknown to us, and therefore not to be declared to any one by name; but this conditional decree, which comprehends the whole human race, is to be announced to every individual as the most solid foundation of our evangelical doctrine, according to that declaration of the Apostle (Romans x, 8, 9, 11,) This is the word of faith which we preach, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed. This benefit by virtue of the death of Christ is set before, and to be procured by all men, under the condition of faith; and in that respect Christ is affirmed to have died for all men.  John Davenant, A Dissertation on the Death of Christ,  427-428.

[Note: My working theory is that this language of “conditional decree” was misunderstood by certain opponents of Amyraut and thus interpreted as a conditioned effectual decree, and this in spite of Amyraut’s own attempts to clarify and vindicate himself from this charge. Amyraut clearly asserted that by this language, he spoke only of the revealed will. What we see here is Davenant using the same language yet explicitly as expressive of the revealed and legislative will. What is also interesting is that Davenant does appear to distance himself from the Zanchian-Bucer language (later picked up by Twisse) of conditional election and conditional predestination; though for different reasons I am sure.]

Credit to Terry for #2.

[The following extract from Amyraut should be read in the light of Twisse’s own discourse on conditional predestination which in turn was based on Bucer’s use of this idea.]

Amyraut:

From what we have deduced above, it is easy to gather that one must carefully distinguish predestination to salvation from predestination to faith, which is the means and the condition by the fulfillment of which we attain it, to the effect that while the one is absolute, as it is said, and does not depend upon any condition, the other can only take place with respect to its effect under the presupposition of this preliminary condition. This is not ordinarily done, however, so that this term ‘predestination’ is taken, as it is commonly held among those who are well instructed in the word of God and who do not wish to defer too much to the will of man, a s simply referring to salvation as being an inevitable outcome, as if it was an absolute decree and did not depend upon any condition. And so indeed the Apostle St. Paul takes this term in this signification when he says that those ‘whom God has foreknown, he has predestined them to be conformed to the image of his Son.’ ( Rom 8: 28) Now salvation and the image of Christ as we have shown above are one and the same thing. And it is clear that the Apostle speaks in this place, not of all men equally and in general but of those whom God ‘has foreknown,’ that is foreseen in the fullness of his mercy and separated from the others fort his inestimable prerogative of faith. But the reason for this is that predestination to salvation being conditional and regarding the whole human race equally and the human race being equally corrupted by sin and incapable of accomplishing the condition upon which salvation depends, it happens necessarily, not by any fault of predestination itself but through the hardness of the heart and the stubbornness of the human spirit, that this first predestination is frustrated for those who have no part in the second. The term ‘predestination’ therefore having I know not what emphasis and seemingly properly reserved for counsels which come to effect rather than for those in which unbelief and the absence of some condition prevent their fulfillment, the Holy Scripture on the one hand does not customarily call ‘predestined’ those who not having been elect & to faith render this other predestination useless with respect to themselves, and on the other speaks of those who are elected to faith as if they have been absolutely predestined to salvation because of the indubitable fulfillment of the preliminary condition. And thus it mixes, as if there was only a single counsel with respect t o them, the conditional predestination to salvation with the absolute election to faith, since in what concerns them, although the one is conditional, it is nevertheless also as certain as if it were absolute because of the infallible and absolute certainty of the fulfillment, of the other on which it depends. And it is forth is very reason that the same Scripture which teaches us so eloquently that Christ died universally for all the world, speaks sometimes in such manner that it seems to approach saying that he died for the small number elected to faith only, as if he had suffered only for those who feel the fruit of his death and not for those whose own unbelief renders this death frustrated. But because it is necessary to diligently distinguish between those ways of speaking which are born in consideration of the outcomes alone and those arising from consideration of the counsels themselves, and because we are here treating the counsels of Cod in all their mystery, it is necessary for us to be on guard against confounding the predestination to salvation, which depends upon the condition which God requires absolutely of all, with the election to faith, according to which God has ordained to himself fulfill this condition in only certain ones.

Moyse Amyraut, Brief Treatise on Predestination and its Dependent Principles, trans., by Richard Lum Richard. Th.D. diss, 1986,  81-82.