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A51603 Truths in a true light, or, A pastoral letter to the reformed Protestants in Barbados vindicating the Non-Conformists from the misrepresentations commonly made of them, in that island and other places : and demonstrating that they are indeed the truest and soundest part of the Church of England / from Francis Mackemie. Mackemie, Francis. 1699 (1699) Wing M308; ESTC R31151 20,261 41

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confess I have oft heard how some upon all occasions have bitterly run at the Doctrine of Predestination as if none maintained such a Doctrine but we And a Minister of your Island called it A damnable Doctrine and I now justly wonder to receive such a Character of Predestination from some that it is contrary to the word of God and a great discouragement to Piety Therefore I am now to produce the received and approved Doctrine of the Church of England concerning Predestination since the Reformation to this Day and shall begin with the 39 Articles agreed upon in a Convocation held at London 1552 in the Reign of Edw 6 and requently renewed ratifyed in the following Reigns and continued the established Doctrine of the Church to this day which Dissenters with some allowed exceptions subscribe as their own Doctrine as a legal qualification for our Liberty I wish you would read and consider again the 17th Article Viz. Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly decreed by his Counsel secret to us to deliver from curse damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ Jesus out of mankind and to bring them by Christ to everlasting Salvation as vessels made to honour wherefore they that be endued with so Excellent a benefit of God be called according to Gods purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through Grace obey the calling they be Justifyed freely they be made Sons of God by Adoption they be made like the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk religiously in good works and at length by Gods mercy they attain to everlasting felicity As the Godly consideration of Predestination and our Election in Christ is full of sweet pleasant and unspeakable comfort to Godly persons and such as feel in themselves the workings of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the works of the flesh and their earthly members and drawing up their mind to high heavenly things as well because it doth establish and confirm their Faith of eternal Salvation to be enjoyed through Christ as because it doth frequently kindle their Love towards God so for curious and carnal persons lacking the Spirit of Christ to have continually before their eyes the sentence of Gods Predestination is a most dangerous downfall whereby the Devil doth thrust them either to desperation or into wretchlessness of most unclean living no less perilous than desperation Furthermore we must receive Gods promises in such wise as they be generally set forth to us in the holy Scriptures and and in our doings that will of God is to be followed which we have expressly declared to us in the word of God And as to the sense of this Article take it from the Learned of the Church of England Dr. Whitaker in his Cygne a Cantio pag. 16 17. Dr. Bridges stiles this The chiefest Article of the Church in Doctrine Mr Thomas Rogers in his Analysis bound up formerly with the Articles Dr. Thysins in his Commentary on Lambeth Articles sully explain this Article raise these conclusions from it 1. That there is a Predestination of certain men to eternal Life a preterition predestination or Reprobation of certain men unto Death 2. That this Predestination is no manifest no open Decree into the grounds causes of which every mean capacity may dive but a hidden purpose counsel or decree of God which is kept secret from us 3. That this Predestination to life is from Eternity 4. That it is altogether immutable and unchangeable as God himself This is the established Doctrine which all the Clergy of the Church of England subscribe or assent unto at Ordination The next demonstration and discovery of the Doctrine of the Church in this point is from the Lambeth Articles agreed upon at Lambeth House by John Arch-bishop of Canterbury Richard Bishop of London Richard Bishop of Bangor D● Tindall Dean of Elie Dr. Whitaker professor of Divinity at Cambridge with several learned Divines of the Church with the approbation of Matthew Arch-Bishop of York composed at first in Latin and sent to the University of Cambridge to prevent and crush some Arminian Controversies that were beginning to be raised there yet I shall give you in English Four of Nine that relate to Predestination never yet impeached or rejected by the Church as inconsistent with the 39 Articles but inserted in the Ireland Articles and allowed of in the conference at Hampton Court 1. God from eternity hath Predestinated certain men unto Life certain men he hath Predestinated or reprobated unto Death 2. The moving and efficient cause of Predestination unto Life is not the fore sight of Faith or Perseverance or good works or of any thing in the persons Predestinated but only in the good will and pleasure of God 3. There is a Predestinate number of Predestinate which can neither be augmented nor diminished 4. Those who are not Predestinated unto Salvation are necessarily damned for their Sins This is more plain and particular than any thing I have heard taught by Presbyterians and yet it is the Doctrine of the Church of England The next Testimony from that Church for Predestination is the Articles of Ireland agreed upon by the Arch-Bishops Bishops and the Clergy of that Kingdom in a Convocation held at Düblin 1615. seeing they were English Divines and a part of the English Church under one King they were received approved and licensed by the Government as agreeable to the 39. Articles and also those of Lambeth therefore I shall record out of them what concerns Predestination or the Decrees of God Art 11 God from all eternity did by his unchangeable Counsel ordain whatsoever in time should come to pass yet so as thereby no violence is offered to the wills of the reasonable Creatures and neither the Liberty nor Contingency of Second causes is taken away but established rather 12. By the same eternal Counsel God hath Predestinated some unto Life and Reprobated some unto Death of both which there is a certain number known only to God which can neither he encreased nor diminished 13. Predestination unto Life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly decreed in his Secret Counsel to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind and to bring them by Christ to everlasting Salvation as vessels made unto honour 14. The cause moving God to Predestinate is not the fore-seeing of Faith or Perseverance or Good Works or of any thing in the persons Predestinated but only the good pleasure of God himself for all things being ordained for the manifestation of his Glory and his Glory being to appear both in the works of his Mercy Justice it seemed good unto his heavenly wisdom to choose out a certain number toward whom he would extend his undeserved Mercy leaving the