This blog will chart the use of Calvin’s doctrine and teaching on predestination from its beginning in the Institutes through to its application at the time when Methodism was developing its distinctiveness apart from the Church of England. Calvin mentions predestination in several places in the Institutes as he explores and deepens his understanding of the subject, in Book 3 chapter 21 section 5 he writes “No one dares simply deny predestination by which God adopts some to hope of life and sentences others to eternal death” and a little later in the same section “We call predestination God’s eternal decree, by which he determined with himself what he willed to become of each man. For all are not created in equal condition; rather eternal life is foreordained for some eternal damnation for others.” Calvin always emphasises that it belongs to God’s power “to rule and direct everything by His hand” (Institutes 2, 27, 1).
This power is manifest within human beings such that “the covenant of life is not preached equally among all men and amongst those to whom it is preached it does not gain the same acceptance either constantly or in equal degree. In this diversity the wonderful depth of God’s judgment is made known to us” (Institutes 3, 21,1). The decision rests with God and God alone. Some will be predestined to life, others will not, it is not the decision of humans but God.
One of the first objectors to Calvin’s doctrine was Bolsec who argued the doctrine made God the author of evil, made God a tyrant, man a puppet of God and rendered human beings able to earn salvation from God leading to a Pelagian Church, focussed on works. Calvin refuted Bolsec and after this Bolsec was expelled from Geneva in 1551. Bolsec’s behaviour may have caused interest from the Church and State authorities in Geneva aside from his doctrinal deviations (his sexual preferences and activities had become notorious). But the question remained for the Church, could individuals who were part of the reprobate improve their situation by performing good works. Calvin’s teaching insisted that only God knows the destiny of human beings, (following St. Augustine), who is elected to new life in Christ and who is not elected, (reprobated), is known to God only.
The Church of England, when it was formed, followed the idea that some are elected to life and no-one knows the will of God with regard to the rest, detailed and upheld in the thirty nine articles (article 17). This is single predestination. Other denominations became concerned with the identity of the reprobate and followed the idea that some were chosen for life, others condemned and part of the reprobate. This attracted the term “double predestination.”
Centuries later the dispute that split John Wesley and George Whitfield was centred on predestination. The argument revolved around the extent to which an individual was chosen by God for eternal salvation or eternal damnation. Did God choose people for salvation or damnation from the start of their lives or did they have the free will to respond to God? Whitfield held the first view, Wesley upheld the second. This leads to a further question that is key to the matter: if God chooses the people He wishes to save (the elect) than did Christ die only for them or for all humanity? If Christ died only for the elect then they may not need to lead a holy life, some might contend, leading others to make the allegation of antinomianism (becoming lawless). Whitfield went to North America where he pursued preaching double predestination whilst Wesley began to develop the doctrines and ecclesiology that would shape Methodism and turn to a view that God would save all people (a position already elaborated by the theologian Jacob Arminius (1560-1609)).
Even today predestination is a subject that exercises many people and if applied to the Covid-19 situation raises deep questions, are some predestined to get the virus? What is the status of those who remain clear in God’s sight?
