Calvin On Secret Providence

irst article is against nature, and against Scripture. Of nature they allege thus. Every animal naturally loves its offspring; now this nature is from God; from which it follows that God loves his offspring. For he would never make animals love their offspring, if he himself likewise did not love his. And this they prove hy the following argument. The Lord hath said, " Shall I cause to bring forth, and shall I not bring forth," (Is. Ixvi. 9.) Hence by a parity of reason, they deduce the argument, God makes animals love their offspring; therefore he himself loves his offspring. But all men are the offspring of God; for God is the Father of Adam, from whom all men are sprung: therefore he loves all men. But to create in order to destroy,is not the part of love, but nf hatred. Therefore he created no man for destruction. Besides creation is a work of love, not of haired ; consequently in love, not in hatred, God created all men. Moreover, there is no beast so savage, (not to speak of man,) as to design the misery of it's young, in their production. How much less God ? Were he not worse than even a wolf? Christ argues thus; " If ye being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more God? Your adversaries also argue thus: If Calvin though wicked, would yet be unwilling to beget a son for misery, how much less God ? These and such like things they speak concerning nature. Of Scripture on the other hand, they speak thus: GoJ saw...