At least one other of John Wesley's philosophical issues with Calvinism's understanding of predestination is worthy of consideration: the God of Calvinism - in determining to damn great numbers of men and women and children from before the foundation of the world - makes Satan redundant.
If Calvinistic predestination is true, Wesley explains, "one might say to our Adversary the Devil":
"Thou Fool, why dost thou roar about any longer? Thy lying in Wait for Souls is as needless and useless as our Preaching. Hearest thou not, that GOD hath taken thy Work out of thy Hands? And that he doth it much more effectually? Thou, with all thy Principalities and Powers, canst only so assault, that we may resist thee: But he can irresistibly destroy both Body and Soul in Hell! Thou canst only entice; but his unchangeable Decree, to leave Thousands of Souls in Death, compels them to continue in Sin, 'till they drop into everlasting Burnings. Thou temptest. He forceth us to be damn'd. For we cannot resist his Will. Thou Fool, why goest thou about any longer, seeking whom thou mayest devour? Hearest thou not, that GOD is the devouring Lion, the Destroyer of Souls, the Murderer of Men?"
He's got a point, right?
Wesley here illustrates one of the most useful roles of philosophical arguments in theology: revealing how a systematic can neatly tie individual prooftexts together while failing to account for vast swaths of Scripture.
What is Satan's role in Calvinism?
Tempter? Humans are already totally depraved and unable to do any good.
Deceiver? Everything that happens is decreed by God.
Accuser? God's mind is already made up - these few are going to heaven and all others are going to hell.
In Calvinism, the Devil is redundant.
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