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A01181 Articles agreed on in the nationall synode of the Reformed Churches of France, held at Charenton neere Paris, in the moneth of September, 1623 Which the same ordaineth to be inuiolably kept in all the churches and vniversities of that realme.; Articles arrestez au Synode national. English Eglises réformées de France. Synode national (1623 : Charenton-le-Pont) 1623 (1623) STC 11295; ESTC S117189 22,438 38

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the infallible fruits of Election pointed out in the word of God Such as are a true Faith in Iesus Christ a filiall feare of God sorrow according to God hunger and thirste after righteousnesse c. XIII From the assurance and inward apprehension of this Election the children of God take occasion daily more and more to humble themselues before God to adore the bottomlesse depth of his mercies to purifie themselues and also most ardently to loue him on their parts who so exceedingly first loued them So far are they from waxing more idle or carnally negligent and catelesse of keeping Gods Commandements through this doctrine of Election and the meditation thereof which indeed by the iust iudgement of God commeth vsually to passe in those who either rashly presuming on or idly and wantonly prating of the Grace of Election will not walke in the wayes of the Elect. XIIII Now as this doctrine of Diuine Election according to the most wise counsell of God hath beene preached by the Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe and the Apostles aswell vnder the old as vnder the new Testament and afterwards recorded in the holy Scriptures So ought it also euen at this day be proposed in the Church of God whereunto it was specially appointed with the spirit of discretion religiously and holily in time and place omitting all curious search of the wayes of the Lord All onely to the glory of Gods holy Name and the liuely consolation of his people XV. Moreouer the holy Scripture doth further set foorth and recommend this eternall and free grace of our Election when besides it witnesseth how that all men are not chosen but that there are some Non-Elect or such as in the eternall Election of God were passed ouer and left out to weete they whom God according to his most free most iust vnblameable and vnchangeable good pleasure decreed to leaue in the common misery whereinto through their owne fault they had plunged themselues and not to giue them sauing grace nor the grace of Conuersion but hauing abandoned them in their owne wayes and through iust iudgement finally to condemne and punish them eternally not onely because of their infidelitie but also for all their other sinnes to the manifestation of his owne iustice And this loe is the Decree of Reprobation which makes not in any wise God the authour of Sinne the bare thought whereof were blasphemie but shewes him to be a dreadfull vnblameable and rust Iudge and auenger of sinne XVI Those which as yet feele not in themselues effectually a liuely Faith in Iesus Christ or an assured confidence of heart peace of conscience an earnest care of filiall obedience and a glorying in God through Iesus Christ and yet notwithstanding vse the meanes whereby God hath promised to effect these things in vs They I say ought not to be dishartened when they heare of Reprobation nor to range themselues among the Reprobate but rather they ought to goe forward carefully in the vse of these meanes and feruently desire and long after the houre of more abundant grace and expect it with all reuerence and humilitie Muchlesse ought such be terrified with the doctrine of Reprobation who though they desire to turne seriously to God and to please him onely and to be deliuered from this body of death yet for all that cannot as yet make such progresse in the way of godlinesse and faith as they faine would Seeing God who is mercifull hath promised that he will not quench the smoaking flaxe nor bruise the broken reed But worthily and of good reason may this doctrine be terrible to those who casting God and the Sauiour Iesus Christ behind their backes haue wholy enthralled themselues to the cares of this world and the lusts of the flesh as long as they so continue and turne not vnto God XVII In regarde wee are to iudge of Gods will by his word which testifieth that the children of the faithfull are holy not verily by nature but by the benefit of the couenant of grace wherein they are comprised with their father and mother Those Parents which feare God ought not to doubt of the Election and saluation of their children whom God calles out of this life in their infancie XVIII If any one murmure against this Grace of free Election and against the seueritie of iust Reprobation we oppose him with the words of the Apostle Rom. 9.20 O man who art thou that contestest with God and with those of our Sauiour Matth. 20.15 Is it not lawfull for mee to dee what I will with mine owne goods But for our selues who religiously adore these mysteries we cry out with the Apostle Rom. 11.33.34.35.36 O the depth of the riches and of the wisedome and of the knowledge of God! how his iudgements are incomprehensible and his wayes impossible to be found For who is he that hath knowne the thought of the Lord or who hath beene his counseller or who hath first giuen vnto him and it shall be repayed him againe For of him and by him and for him are all things To him be glorie for euermore Amen A reiection of Errours The true doctrine of Election and Reprobation being expounded the Synode reiecteth the errours of those I. WHo teach that the will of God to saue those that will beleeue and perseuere in Faith and in the obedience of Faith is the whole and entire Decree of Election to Saluation and that there is nothing else reuealed in the word of God touching this Decree For these men deceiue the simple and manifestly contradict the holy Scripture which testifie not onely that God will saue those which will beleeue but also that from all Eternitie hee hath chosen certaine persons to giue to them in his appointed time rather then to others Faith in Iesus Christ and perseuerance as it is written Iohn 17.6 I haue manifested thy Name to the men which thou hast giuen me Againe Actes 13.48 All they that were ordained to life Euerlasting beleeued And Ephesians 1.4 Hee hath chosen vs before the foundation of the world to th' end we should be holy II. Who teach that the Election of God to Eternall life is of diuers sorts the one generall and indefinite the other particular and definite And this latter againe either Incomplete Revocable not Peremptorie but conditionall or compleate irrevocable Peremptorie and absolute Also that Election to faith is one and Election to Saluation another so as there may be an Election to iustifying Faith without a peremptorie Election to Saluation For this is nothing else but an inuention of mans braine forg'd without the Scriptures which corrupts the doctrine of Election and breakes asunder the golden chaine of our Saluation Ro. 8.29 Whō God hath predestinated those he hath also called and whom he hath called those he hath also iustified whom he hath iustified those he hath also glorified III. Who teach that the good pleasure and purpose of God whereof the Scriptures make mention in
God doth not effectually aide mans wil to be converted before the wil of man mooue and determinate it selfe For the Ancient Church condemned this doctrine in the Pelagians long agoe by the Apostle Rom. 9.16 It is neither of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God who sheweth mercy and 1. Cor. 4.7 Who puts a difference betwixt thee and another and what hast thou that thou hast not received Againe Phil. 2.13 It is God which produceth in vs with efficacie both to wil to performe according to his good pleasure CHAP. IIII. Of the perseverance of the Saints The first Article THose whome God according to his purpose and decree calls to the communion of his Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ and regenerates by his holy Spirit he delivers from the dominion and thraldome of Sinne but not altogether from the flesh and body of Sinne during this life II. Whence it is that we see dayly so many sins of Infirmity and that the best workes of the Saints haue their blemishes Which continually furnishes them with matter of humbling themselues before God of having recourse to Iesus Christ crucified of mortifying the flesh more and more by the Spirit of prayer and by holy exercises of piety of sighing after and vehemently desiring full perfection vntill being disimpestred of this body of sinne they reigne in heaven with the Lambe of God III. By reason of these reliques of sin dwelling in vs and the temptation of Satan and the world those which are converted could not persist in this grace if they were left to their owne strength But God is faithfull who mercifully confirmes them in the grace which he hath once given them and mightily conserues them to the end IIII. Now albeit this power of God fortifying and conserving the truely faithfull in his Grace be too great to be overcome of the flesh yet they that are cōverted are not alway so conducted and mooved by God but that they may by their own fault turne aside in some particular actions from the conduct of Grace be seduced by the lusts of the flesh to obey them VVherefore it behoveth they watch alwaies and pray that they be not ledd into temptation which if they do not they not only may be carryed away of the flesh the world and of Sathan into sinnes yea grievous and feareful finnes but some times they are so carried away by the iust permission of God As the dolefull fals of David Peter and other holy persons mentioned in the Scripture doe sufficiently prooue V. Meane-while by such sinnes they grievously offend God make themselues guilty of death grieue the holy spirit interrupt the course of the exercise of faith most fearefully wound their consciences loose for a while the sense of Grace vntill Gods fatherly visage shine vpon them a new when by earnest repentance they returne againe into the right way VI. For God who is rich in mercy according to the vnchāgeable purpose of Election withdrawes not vtterly the Holie Spirit from those that are his no not in their grievous fals nor suffers them to fall so farre as to loose the grace of adoption and the state of justification or to commit the sin vnto death or that against the Holy Ghost and so being vtterly forsaken of him to cast themselues headlong into everlasting perdition VII For in these fals God first conserues in them this his immortal seed whereby they are regenerated that it be not lost or wholy reiected Then he renewes them truely and effectually by his VVord and Spirit to the end that they repent and be grieved at heart and according to God for their sins that with a contrite and broken heart they desire and obtaine remission in the bloud of the Mediatour by saith that they feele againe the grace of God reconcil'd vnto them that they adore his mercies and faithfulnes that for the future they more carefully worke out their salvation with feare and trembling VIII So then it is not by their merits nor strength but by the free mercy of God that they doe not wholy loose faith and grace nor continue and perish finally in their fals which not only might easily come to passe but would also doubtlesse in respect of themselues but in respect of God it cannot possibly be forasmuch as his counsaile cannot change nor his promise faile nor the calling according to purpose be revoked nor the merit intercession and preservation of Iesus Christ be annulled nor the seale of the holy spirit be made vaine or abolished IX Touching this preservation of the Elect vnto salvation the perseverance of the truely faithfull in faith the faithfull themselues may be and are assured according to the measure of faith whereby they belieue for most certaine that they are and ever shall continue true liuely members of the church and that they haue the remission of all their sins and life everlasting X. And therefore this certainety growes not from any particular revelation over and aboue beside the word but proceeds from faith in Gods promises which hee hath most abundantly revealed in his word for our consolation from the testimonie of the holy spirit who beares witnes with our spirit that we are the children of God heires Rom. 8.16.17 Finally from an earnest and holy study of a good conscience and of good workes And if the elect of God were destitute in the present world of this solid consolation that they shall obtaine the victorie and of this infallible earnest of eternall glory they were then of all men most miserable XI Meane while the scripture testifieth that the faithfull during this life are to fight against divers doubts of the flesh and that then when they are afflicted with grievous temptations they doe not alway feele in themselues this ful consolation of faith and this certainety of perseverance but God the father of all consolation suffers thē not to be tempted beyond their strength but with the temptation giveth such an issue that they are able to abide it 1. Cor. 10.13 And by the holy spirit doth againe awaken in them the certainety of perseverance XII Now so farre is it that this certainety of perseverance should make the truely faithfull prowd and plunge them into carnall securitie that rather it is the true roote of humilitie of filiall reverence of true piety of patience in all conflicts combats of ardent praiers of constancie vnder the crosse and in the confession of the truth and lastly of solid ioy in God so that the consideration of this benefit is to them a spurre to incite them vnto a serious and continual exercise of thankfulnesse and good works as appeareth by the testimonies of the Scripture and by the examples of the Saints XIII Also when the assurance of perseverance begins to reviue in them that are raised from some fall it begets not in them a carelesnesse or neglect of piety but rather a farre greater care heedfully to obserue