John Davenant (1572–1641) on Different Senses of God’s Will

That God wills the good of men in bestowing any good gifts or graces upon them, needed no proof at all: We have always willingly granted this proposition. Yet for the true understanding thereof it must be observed, That when we say, This is God’s will, This is God’s aim or intent, these words have not always the same signification. This Author [Hoard] by confounding the divers meaning of these and the like words doth strangely entangle himself through his whole discourse. First therefore; any thing is said to be according to God’s will, which considered in itself is according to the goodness and pureness of the Divine nature. This is a perpetual and necessary volition in God, quâ Deo placet omne bonum. And this simplex complacentia towards all good actions of men, or events unto men, is possible circa creaturas omnes etiam nunquam futuras: For there is no goodness imaginable, which has not an agreement with the good will of God, which we call amorem simplicis complacentiae. Satis constat hujusmodi complacentiam Dei versari circa poenitentiam, gratiam & gloriam possibilem Judae aut cujus libet damnati [Ruiz. disp. 19. pag. 214]. But this is not it which we now speak of. 2. Secondly, God is said to will, desire, or aim-at that good, for the obtaining whereof he affords fitting means, though withal he wills that it shall be in the liberty of the creature to hinder & frustrate those means, & though he have absolutely decreed to permit the creature to abuse them unto his own destruction. This is that which usually is termed by Divines voluntas antecedens, voluntas conditionata, voluntas simplicis complacentiae. And thus God is said to aim-at or to will and desire the conversion, justification and salvation of those who never shall be converted, justified, or saved. Neither must we think that by these men God’s omnipotent will is crossed, because his voluntas simplicis complacentiae is not fulfilled. For the absolute will of God was, that in such persons their own free-will might hinder the good effect of his gifts and graces, which he was absolutely resolved to permit for some greater good. Lastly, there is a will in God which strictly and most properly is called voluntas beneplaciti or his absolute will, which is not only a liking of the good willed unto the creature, and an ordering of fit means whereby the creature (if his own free-will hinder not) may attain it; but a merciful decree of so ordering the means and the very will of the creature, that it shall infallibly and infrustrately obtain the good end whereunto such means were accommodated. … We grant therefore, that in the second acception of the word will God truly wills, likes, desires the repentance, faith, perseverance, and salvation of all to whom the Gospel is preached and Christ offered. But in the last and most proper acception, God wills the perseverance and salvation only of his Elect, in whom he never ceases working till the happy effect be produced.

Our Divines at Dort granted a true and serious will in God according to the second acception of the word will, but not according to the last. Which will simplicis complacentiae may stand with absolute Reprobation.

John Davenant, Animadversions Written By the Right Reverend Father in God, John Lord Bishop of Sarisbury, upon a Treatise intitled, Gods love to Mankind (London: Printed by John Partridge, 1641), 305–307; italics original; some English updated.

John Davenant, Animadversions Written By the Right Reverend Father in God, John Lord Bishop of Sarisbury, upon a Treatise intitled, Gods love to Mankind (Cambridge: Printed by Roger Daniel […], 1641), 390–93; italics original; some English updated.

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