De Aeterna Mentis
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A concise teaching concerning the eternal approbation and disapprobation of the Divine Mind, and in behalf of the nature of a matter so difficult made plain.
By Robert Rollock
Printed by Robert Walde-Grave, Typographer of the King.
Year of our Lord 1593
(Translation 2003, A. Magni. Except for typing errors of chapter/verse references, which have been corrected, the 1593 Latin edition has been translated verbatim. Used by Permission.)
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God from eternity either is approving or disapproving something. Approbation in general, either is alone, and without a decree, or is with a decree.

Approbation without a decree is when God simply approves of something, and is not decreeing it to be elected or followed. Approbation without a decree, is of everything good of itself, which nevertheless at no time ever comes into being: of this sort are the reprobate's conversion, faith and salvation; which indeed God is simply approving, but not decreeing to be: even He is decreeing these not to be, as we will see in the doctrine of disapprobation. Concerning approbation without a decree,see

Deut.5:29,"O if there were of them a heart within those: to fear me and to observe all my precepts all days, so that it might be well with them and with the sons of them into all ages";

1 Timothy 2:4,"Who, however, will have all men to be saved, to come to the recognition of the truth.";

1 Timothy 4:10,"Who is the preserver of all men, verily especially the believers."

The approbation of God with a decree, is when, even choosing something, he is decreeing and also concluding it. The Divine will's election follows this. However, the joint decree is two-fold.

First, by which God is deciding something to be. Under this decree are falling - as here I will be silent concerning the properties of all actions and of the qualities both good and evil - are falling, I say, all good things of themselves, which in this world are being done. A certain species of this decree, is the predestination of the special creatures to eternal life. Concerning this decree see

Exodus 33:19: he said,"I will make that all my goodness may pass before your face: and I will cry out by the name Jehovah before your face; but I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy of whom I will be merciful."

Acts 13:48:"And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed."

The second decree is, by which God decrees not indeed simply to happen but to permit something to happen. Under this decree falls things evil of themselves, but "per accidens" good, that is, good in some respect, howsover they are happening in the world.A certain species of this decree is the predestination of the special creatures to eternal death.About this decree see

Exodus 4:21,"Then Jehovah declared to Moses :Since you are starting out and are returning to Egypt, see that all those miracles which I have put in your hands, you may do before Pharoah: but I will harden his heart, so that he will not send out this people."

Acts 14:16:"[During] whatsoever ages have been brought to pass, he has set all the nations by their own ways of themselves to proceed."

But the things which are happening from both these decrees of God are called "ekousiai" or "voluntary acts": for even what are done by the decree of divine permission are ekousia and voluntary in a certain manner, in as much as, doubtless, they are happening not without any decree. A deed which is done by simple approval, that is, by this approval which is without a decree, is not called voluntary, even for this sole reason, because, clearly, no act exists from this approbation which is simple and without a decree; but voluntariness is a certain quality, of some act. Therefore it is manifest voluntariness is not from simple approval, [ but rather ] from the contraries, since nothing is affirmed involuntary from simple disapprobation, as we will afterwards see.

With regard to God, nothing, which comes into being or happens, is called involuntary or against the will ; for "involuntary" properly is, not indeed, what is violating a particular express law, or, the will, as they say, revealed, but what is violating the decree of God, or, the will, as they say, not revealed, and it happens against the divine decree, either simple, [or] so called, permissive. And that involuntary properly is what is violating the decree is apparent from

Acts 2:23, "Him, I say, by the definitive counsel and providence of God having been delivered, you have taken with hands having been desecrated, having fastened to the cross, you have slain;":

Acts 4:28,"So that they might do whatsoever your hand and your counsel previously had appointed to be done."

In which passages the Spirit of God opposes the opinion of men about the crucifixion of Christ, as though, it having been involuntary with respect to God, affirming nothing to have been done by the Jews, except what was permitted already, formerly, by the Divine Decree. Whereupon, since nothing is able to result against any decree of God, (on the account of which we have in Isaiah 14:27, "For Jehovah," he said, "has entered a counsel, and who shall annul it? And his hand having been spread out and who may turn it back?") without doubt, with respect to God, nothing [ that happens ] can be said to be an involuntary deed.

It can be said, I admit, with God not [ simply ] approving or disapproving something to happen, namely what happens against his express command: truly that is not expressly involuntary with respect to God, which is not approved by his own command, while it can happen, it is even necessary, that that itself may happen from the permissive decree of God [ His secret will ], which otherwise is admitted to be against the commandment [ His revealed will ].

So far concerning the eternal approbation of God, now about the disapprobation must be spoken of.Disapprobation in general either is alone and without a decree, or is with a decree. Disapprobation without a decree is when God simply is disapproving something, he is not also decreeing to reject or shun it. Disapprobation without a decree is of things evil of themselves, which for some reason are permitted to happen, nevertheless they are simply disapproved, as are the evils of sin, the obstinancy and ruin of the reprobates, which God simply disapproves, nevertheless, in some respect He is permitting to happen, to wit, because they serve His glory. Concerning disapprobation without a decree, see

Eze. 18:23,"Can it be that I am at all pleased by the death of the reprobate, says the Lord Jehovah; and not that he should turn from his ways, so that he may live?"

Romans 9:22,"What if he is truly willing to exhibit his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much tenderness the vessels of wrath, having been joined together to destruction?"

Disapprobation is with a decree, even when he is decreeing and concluding something to be rejected. Rejection by the Divine Will will follow this. This decree is two-fold, just as the decree originating from divine approbation was two-fold.

First is the decree by which he is deciding anything simply should not be done. Under this decree falls things good of themselves, notwithstanding evil by some reckoning, because, undoubtedly, they are not serving the glory of God, of which types are the salvation, faith and conversion of the reprobate. Also, this negative decree coincides with the affirmative permissive, for by one and the same operation he decides to permit, for example, the hardening of the reprobate, and that the conversion of the same shall never be. Concerning this simply prohibiting decree, see,

1 Kings 12:15;"When, therefore, the king had not listened to the people ( and it was from Jehovah, so that his word may be performed which he had spoken through Ahijah; )"

and 2 Chronicles 10:15;

also Joshua 11:20,"For from Jehovah it was that they hardened their hearts to attack Israel with war, so that He might sacrifice those for the slaughter, in order that a favor might not be done to them, but in order that they might destroy those, as Jehovah had commanded Moses."

John 12:39,40,"Therefore, they could not believe, because....he blinded their eyes."

Secondly is the decree by which he is deciding not to permit anything evil to be done by evil means. Under this decree falls evil things which in no way, that is to say, neither simply, nor in any respect, are being approved and permitted, as are the hardening and damnation of the chosen.

Also, this negative decree is coincident with the affirmative, by which He decides anything to happen, for example, the conversion and salvation of the chosen. For He decrees by one and the same operation, both the salvation and conversion of the elect to happen, and to not permit [ it ] to happen by an evil mean. See

Genesis 20:6,"Then he said to them in a dream, 'Moreover by this I know with integrity of your heart you had done this, and moreover I contained you not to sin against me; therefore, I permitted you not to touch her ';"

Matthew 7:18,"A good tree is not able to bear evil fruits, neither a rotten tree to bear good fruits;"

also, Matthew 24:24,"For False Christs and False Prophets shall arise, and they will bring forth great signs and miracles; so that thus they might seduce ( if it were possible to be done ) even the elect ones."

Each latter decree is prohibitive, and conversely responds to each former affirmative decree, which originate from divine approbation: for the negative decree, by which God decrees a good thing not to happen, on the other hand responds to the affirmative decree, by which He decides a good thing to happen. Contrarily, the negative decree by which God decrees not to permit evil to happen, conversely responds to the affirmative decree, by which God decides evil to happen. It is to be noted, however, regarding the decree prohibiting the permission of evil, or by which evil is decreed not to be permitted to happen by an evil mean: by the designation of evil it must be understood as evil in any way considered, either simply, and in so far as it is evil, or relatively, and in a particular respect evil.

For the hardening and damnation of the Elect in every manner and in every respect He is prohibiting by His own decree: by which the prohibitive decree of permission differs from the affirmative permissive decree, when the affirmative permissive decree is the permission of evil, not in so far as it is evil, but in so far as it respects any good end, and in so far as it is good in any certain manner. From this which we have said, we see that evil qua evil is not in any respect good, but insofar as it is considered only evil and in its very nature, does not originate from the decree of permission. It is assuredly, I declare, that which is in other respects evil, from the decree of permission, verily, not insofar as it is evil, but that it has some reckoning of good.

In fact we said that the decree of permission originates from the approbation of God in some manner; from which it follows that if evil qua evil were originating from the decree of permission, even from some approbation of God itself it would be originating necessarily ;which is false. For God, such is his inviolable holiness, is not able to approve evil qua evil, or, which is the same, simply approved evil.

Objection: Therefore evil qua evil happens against God's will, if he is not even permitting it.

Response: It does not follow; for in order that some deed may happen against the will, as we said, it is necessary it happen against a certain decree of God. But when evil qua evil happens, it does not happen against any decree; therefore it does not happen with God not willing, or it is not involuntary with regard to God.

Moreover, whereas evil qua evil may not happen against the decree of God, whatsoever that may be that happens, even from this it is evident, that if any prohibitive decree of his existed, that is, determining that it would not be permitted to happen, clearly it is utterly not possible to happen: for example, if a decree prohibitive of the destruction of Judas would have been, certainly Judas would not have been damned. Because of which evil exists the prohibitive decree is not permitting? That necessarily never may happen. For example: There was a prohibitive decree from eternity that the damnation of Peter not be permitted; hence the fact that that was not able to happen.

Finis.

GOTTSCHALK OF ORBAIS APPRECIATION PAGE
	“Item in libris De civitate dei: Quid dabit eis quos praedestinavit ad vitam qui haec dedit eis quos praedestinavit ad mortem?”(Augustine's "De civitate Dei" Book 22 Chapter 24) from Gottschalk of Orbais' "Confessio brevior" in Lambot, D.C. ed.,"Oeuvres théologiques et grammaticales de Godescalc d’Orbais. Textes en majeure partie inedits." Louvain:Spicilegium Sacrum Lovaniense,1945. pg.52-54 “Nicolaus pontifex Romanus de gratia Dei et libero arbitrio , de veritate geminae praedestinationis et sanguine Christi ut pro credentibus omnibus fusus sit, fideliter confirmat et catholice decernit.” Waitz,G.(ed.), Annales Bertiniani, Hannover, Hahn, 1883. p.53 as qtd. in Gustavsson, Louise Reinecke, "Gottschalk Reconsidered : A Study of His Thought as It Bears on His Notion of Predestination", Ph.D. Dissertation: Yale University, 1964. pp.55,56
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De Aeterna Mentis ******************************************** A concise teaching concerning the eternal approbation and disapprobation of the Divine Mind, and in behalf of the nature of a matter so difficult made plain. By Robert Rollock Printed by Robert Walde-Grave, Typographer of the King. Year of our Lord 1593 (Translation 2003, A. Magni. Except for typing errors of chapter/verse references, which have been corrected, the 1593 Latin edition has been translated verbatim. Used by Permission.) ******************************************** God from eternity either is approving or disapproving something. Approbation in general, either is alone, and without a decree, or is with a decree. Approbation without a decree is when God simply approves of something, and is not decreeing it to be elected or followed. Approbation without a decree, is of everything good of itself, which nevertheless at no time ever comes into being: of this sort are the reprobate's conversion, faith and salvation; which indeed God is simply approving, but not decreeing to be: even He is decreeing these not to be, as we will see in the doctrine of disapprobation. Concerning approbation without a decree,see Deut.5:29,"O if there were of them a heart within those: to fear me and to observe all my precepts all days, so that it might be well with them and with the sons of them into all ages"; 1 Timothy 2:4,"Who, however, will have all men to be saved, to come to the recognition of the truth."; 1 Timothy 4:10,"Who is the preserver of all men, verily especially the believers." The approbation of God with a decree, is when, even choosing something, he is decreeing and also concluding it. The Divine will's election follows this. However, the joint decree is two-fold. First, by which God is deciding something to be. Under this decree are falling - as here I will be silent concerning the properties of all actions and of the qualities both good and evil - are falling, I say, all good things of themselves, which in this world are being done. A certain species of this decree, is the predestination of the special creatures to eternal life. Concerning this decree see Exodus 33:19: he said,"I will make that all my goodness may pass before your face: and I will cry out by the name Jehovah before your face; but I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy of whom I will be merciful." Acts 13:48:"And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." The second decree is, by which God decrees not indeed simply to happen but to permit something to happen. Under this decree falls things evil of themselves, but "per accidens" good, that is, good in some respect, howsover they are happening in the world.A certain species of this decree is the predestination of the special creatures to eternal death.About this decree see Exodus 4:21,"Then Jehovah declared to Moses :Since you are starting out and are returning to Egypt, see that all those miracles which I have put in your hands, you may do before Pharoah: but I will harden his heart, so that he will not send out this people." Acts 14:16:"[During] whatsoever ages have been brought to pass, he has set all the nations by their own ways of themselves to proceed." But the things which are happening from both these decrees of God are called "ekousiai" or "voluntary acts": for even what are done by the decree of divine permission are ekousia and voluntary in a certain manner, in as much as, doubtless, they are happening not without any decree. A deed which is done by simple approval, that is, by this approval which is without a decree, is not called voluntary, even for this sole reason, because, clearly, no act exists from this approbation which is simple and without a decree; but voluntariness is a certain quality, of some act. Therefore it is manifest voluntariness is not from simple approval, [ but rather ] from the contraries, since nothing is affirmed involuntary from simple disapprobation, as we will afterwards see. With regard to God, nothing, which comes into being or happens, is called involuntary or against the will ; for "involuntary" properly is, not indeed, what is violating a particular express law, or, the will, as they say, revealed, but what is violating the decree of God, or, the will, as they say, not revealed, and it happens against the divine decree, either simple, [or] so called, permissive. And that involuntary properly is what is violating the decree is apparent from Acts 2:23, "Him, I say, by the definitive counsel and providence of God having been delivered, you have taken with hands having been desecrated, having fastened to the cross, you have slain;": Acts 4:28,"So that they might do whatsoever your hand and your counsel previously had appointed to be done." In which passages the Spirit of God opposes the opinion of men about the crucifixion of Christ, as though, it having been involuntary with respect to God, affirming nothing to have been done by the Jews, except what was permitted already, formerly, by the Divine Decree. Whereupon, since nothing is able to result against any decree of God, (on the account of which we have in Isaiah 14:27, "For Jehovah," he said, "has entered a counsel, and who shall annul it? And his hand having been spread out and who may turn it back?") without doubt, with respect to God, nothing [ that happens ] can be said to be an involuntary deed. It can be said, I admit, with God not [ simply ] approving or disapproving something to happen, namely what happens against his express command: truly that is not expressly involuntary with respect to God, which is not approved by his own command, while it can happen, it is even necessary, that that itself may happen from the permissive decree of God [ His secret will ], which otherwise is admitted to be against the commandment [ His revealed will ]. So far concerning the eternal approbation of God, now about the disapprobation must be spoken of.Disapprobation in general either is alone and without a decree, or is with a decree. Disapprobation without a decree is when God simply is disapproving something, he is not also decreeing to reject or shun it. Disapprobation without a decree is of things evil of themselves, which for some reason are permitted to happen, nevertheless they are simply disapproved, as are the evils of sin, the obstinancy and ruin of the reprobates, which God simply disapproves, nevertheless, in some respect He is permitting to happen, to wit, because they serve His glory. Concerning disapprobation without a decree, see Eze. 18:23,"Can it be that I am at all pleased by the death of the reprobate, says the Lord Jehovah; and not that he should turn from his ways, so that he may live?" Romans 9:22,"What if he is truly willing to exhibit his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much tenderness the vessels of wrath, having been joined together to destruction?" Disapprobation is with a decree, even when he is decreeing and concluding something to be rejected. Rejection by the Divine Will will follow this. This decree is two-fold, just as the decree originating from divine approbation was two-fold. First is the decree by which he is deciding anything simply should not be done. Under this decree falls things good of themselves, notwithstanding evil by some reckoning, because, undoubtedly, they are not serving the glory of God, of which types are the salvation, faith and conversion of the reprobate. Also, this negative decree coincides with the affirmative permissive, for by one and the same operation he decides to permit, for example, the hardening of the reprobate, and that the conversion of the same shall never be. Concerning this simply prohibiting decree, see, 1 Kings 12:15;"When, therefore, the king had not listened to the people ( and it was from Jehovah, so that his word may be performed which he had spoken through Ahijah; )" and 2 Chronicles 10:15; also Joshua 11:20,"For from Jehovah it was that they hardened their hearts to attack Israel with war, so that He might sacrifice those for the slaughter, in order that a favor might not be done to them, but in order that they might destroy those, as Jehovah had commanded Moses." John 12:39,40,"Therefore, they could not believe, because....he blinded their eyes." Secondly is the decree by which he is deciding not to permit anything evil to be done by evil means. Under this decree falls evil things which in no way, that is to say, neither simply, nor in any respect, are being approved and permitted, as are the hardening and damnation of the chosen. Also, this negative decree is coincident with the affirmative, by which He decides anything to happen, for example, the conversion and salvation of the chosen. For He decrees by one and the same operation, both the salvation and conversion of the elect to happen, and to not permit [ it ] to happen by an evil mean. See Genesis 20:6,"Then he said to them in a dream, 'Moreover by this I know with integrity of your heart you had done this, and moreover I contained you not to sin against me; therefore, I permitted you not to touch her ';" Matthew 7:18,"A good tree is not able to bear evil fruits, neither a rotten tree to bear good fruits;" also, Matthew 24:24,"For False Christs and False Prophets shall arise, and they will bring forth great signs and miracles; so that thus they might seduce ( if it were possible to be done ) even the elect ones." Each latter decree is prohibitive, and conversely responds to each former affirmative decree, which originate from divine approbation: for the negative decree, by which God decrees a good thing not to happen, on the other hand responds to the affirmative decree, by which He decides a good thing to happen. Contrarily, the negative decree by which God decrees not to permit evil to happen, conversely responds to the affirmative decree, by which God decides evil to happen. It is to be noted, however, regarding the decree prohibiting the permission of evil, or by which evil is decreed not to be permitted to happen by an evil mean: by the designation of evil it must be understood as evil in any way considered, either simply, and in so far as it is evil, or relatively, and in a particular respect evil. For the hardening and damnation of the Elect in every manner and in every respect He is prohibiting by His own decree: by which the prohibitive decree of permission differs from the affirmative permissive decree, when the affirmative permissive decree is the permission of evil, not in so far as it is evil, but in so far as it respects any good end, and in so far as it is good in any certain manner. From this which we have said, we see that evil qua evil is not in any respect good, but insofar as it is considered only evil and in its very nature, does not originate from the decree of permission. It is assuredly, I declare, that which is in other respects evil, from the decree of permission, verily, not insofar as it is evil, but that it has some reckoning of good. In fact we said that the decree of permission originates from the approbation of God in some manner; from which it follows that if evil qua evil were originating from the decree of permission, even from some approbation of God itself it would be originating necessarily ;which is false. For God, such is his inviolable holiness, is not able to approve evil qua evil, or, which is the same, simply approved evil. Objection: Therefore evil qua evil happens against God's will, if he is not even permitting it. Response: It does not follow; for in order that some deed may happen against the will, as we said, it is necessary it happen against a certain decree of God. But when evil qua evil happens, it does not happen against any decree; therefore it does not happen with God not willing, or it is not involuntary with regard to God. Moreover, whereas evil qua evil may not happen against the decree of God, whatsoever that may be that happens, even from this it is evident, that if any prohibitive decree of his existed, that is, determining that it would not be permitted to happen, clearly it is utterly not possible to happen: for example, if a decree prohibitive of the destruction of Judas would have been, certainly Judas would not have been damned. Because of which evil exists the prohibitive decree is not permitting? That necessarily never may happen. For example: There was a prohibitive decree from eternity that the damnation of Peter not be permitted; hence the fact that that was not able to happen. Finis.