that it cannot, with truth, be said of any
event--it may or may not occur; and that all actual results, by
whatever means obtained, are expressions of the design, or decree
of God. Arminianism teaches on the contrary, that God has not
ordained whatsoever comes to pass--that some things he has
preordained; that other things he has not, but has, nevertheless,
approved and commanded them, leaving it to the free agency of the
creature to fulfil his requisitions; that other things, he not
only has not foreordained, but, has condemned and prohibited
them, and yet permits or suffers them to be, in preference to
that violent interference with free agency which would be
necessary to their forcible prevention.

Dr. Fairchild tells us that "this distinction between a decree to
_effect_ and a decree to _permit_ has been adopted by Predestinarian
divines in all ages."

Yes, in all ages Predestinarian divines have been compelled to
abandon and contradict their creed in the progress, and for the
purpose, of its defence. But Calvin himself formally discards and
protests against this distinction. He says respecting it: "A
question of greater difficulty arises from other passages, where
God is said to incline or draw according to his own pleasure,
Satan himself and all the reprobate. For the carnal understanding
scarcely comprehends how he, acting by their means, contracts no
defilement from their criminality, and even in operations common
to himself and them, is free from every fault, and yet righteously
condemns those whose ministry he uses. Hence was invented the
distinction between _doing_ and _permitting_; because to many
persons this has appeared an inexplicable difficulty, that Satan
and all the impious are subject to the power and government of God,
so that he directs their malice to whatever end he pleases, and uses
their crimes for the execution of his judgments. The modesty of
those who are alarmed at the appearance of absurdity, might perhaps
be excusable, if they did not attempt to vindicate the Divine
justice by a pretence utterly destitute of any foundation in truth.
They consider it absurd that a man should be blinded by the will
and command of God, and afterwards be punished for his blindness.
They therefore evade the difficulty, by alleging that it happens
only by the permission of God, and not by the will of God; but God
himself, by the most unequivocal declarations, rejects this
subterfuge."

But Calvin protest