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 inuiolaby kept in all the CHVRCHES and VNIVERSITIES of that REALME AT OXFORD Printed by IOHN LICHFIELD and IAMES SHORT Printers to the famous VNIVERSITIE 1623. CHAP. I. Of Predestination Election and Reprobation The I. Article FOrasmuch as all men sinned in Adam and made themselues culpable of Malediction and euerlasting death God had done no wrong to any man though he should haue left all mankinde in Sinne and Malediction and condemned them for the said Sinne according to the wordes of the Apostle Rom. 3.19.22 The whole world is culpable before God All haue sinned and are wholly destitute of the glory of God And Rom. 6.23 The wages of Sinne is death II. But herein is the loue of God manifested that hee hath sent his onely Sonne into the world to the end that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life 1. Iohn 4.9 and Iohn 3.16 III. Now to bring men to Faith God graciously sendeth foorth messengers of these glad tidings to whom he will and when hee will by whose ministrie men are called to Repentance and Faith in Iesus Christ crucified For how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard and how shall they heare without a Preacher and how shall they Preach except they be sent Rom. 10 14.15 IIII. They which beleeue not this Gospel the wrath of God abides on them but they which receiue it and embrace the Sauiour Iesus with a true and liuely Faith are deliuered by him from the wrath of God and from perdition and are made partakers of life euerlasting V. The cause and blame of this incredulitie as likewise of all other sinnes is not any wise in God but in man but Faith in Iesus Christ and saluation thereby is the free gift of God as it is written Ephes 2.8 You are saued by Grace through Faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God Againe Phil. 1.29 It hath beene freely giuen vnto you to beleeue in Christ VI. And whereas God in his appointed time giues Faith to some and giues it not vnto others that proceedes from his eternall Decree For vnto God are his wayes knowen from euerlasting Acts 15.18 And hee doth all things according to the counsell of his owne will Ephes 1.11 According to which Decree he softeneth by Grace the hearts of the Elect how hard soeuer they be and bowes them to beleeue but in iust iudgement leaues them which are not Elected in their malice and hardnesse And herein especially is discouered the profound mercifull and alike iust distinction betwixt men that were equally lost or the Decree of Election and Reprobation reueiled in the word of God which as the peruerse impure and presumptuous wrest vnto their owne perdition so it yeeldeth vnspeakeable comfort to holy and religious soules VII Election is the vnchangeble purpose of God whereby according to the most free good pleasure of his will amongst all mankinde fallen by its owne fault from its first integritie into sinne and perdition hee hath of meere grace chosen in Christ Iesus to saluation before the beginning of the world a certaine number of men not better nor more worthy then others but such as together with them lay weltring in one and the selfe same miserie The which Iesus Christ God hath also from all eternitie made the Mediatour and head of all the Elect and the ground as it were and foundation of their saluation And accordingly hath decreed to giue them to Christ for to saue them and to call them and draw them effectually by his word and spirit to the communion of him or hath decreed to giue them true faith in him to iustifie to sanctifie and hauing mightily kept them in the communion of his Sonne finally to glorifie them for the demonstration of his mercy and for the praise of the riches of the glory of his grace as it is written Ephes 1.4.5 God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world to the end we should be holy and vnblameable before him in loue hauing Predestinated vs for to adopt vs to himselfe by Iesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he hath made vs acceptable in his welbeloued And Rom. 8.29 Whom he hath Predestinated those he hath also called and whom he hath called those he hath also iustified and whom he hath iustified those he hath also glorified VIII This Election is not of diuers sorts but one onely and the fame of all that shall be saued in the old and new Testament forasmuch as the Scripture mentioneth but one good pleasure purpose and counsell of the will of God whereby hee hath Elected vs from all Eternitie as vnto Grace so vnto Glorie as to Saluation so to the way of Saluation which he hath prepared to the intent we should walke in it IX Neither was this Election made in respect of Faith foreseene or the obedience of Faith holinesse or any other good qualitie or disposition as a cause or condition required beforehand in the man that should bee Elected but rather it was to giue Faith and the obedience of Faith holinesse c. And therefore Election is the fountaine of all sauing good whence flow Faith holinesse and the rest of sauing graces in a word life euerlasting it selfe as the fruites and effects thereof according to the words of the Apostle Ephesians 1.4 He hath chosen vs not because we were â—ut to the end we should be holy and vnblameable before him in loue X. The cause of this free Election is onely the good pleasure of God which consisteth not in this that he hath chosen for the condition of saluation certaine qualities or actions of men among all those which are possible but in this that hee hath taken to himselfe for a peculiar heritage some certaine persons out of the common multitude of sinners as it is written Rom. 9.11.12.13 Before the children were yet borne and or ere they had done either good or euill c. it was said vnto her to weete Rebecca The elder shall serue the younger as it is written I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau And Actes 13.48 All they which were ordained to eternall life beleeued XI And as God himselfe is most wise vnchangeable knowing all things and almightie so the Election which hee hath once made cannot be either interrupted or changed or reuoked or annulled nor the Elect either reiected or their number diminished XII The Elect are in their due times ascertained of this their eternall and vnchangeable election to saluation albeit by degrees and in a different measure and that not by any curious sounding of the secrets and depths of God but by obseruing in themselues with a spirituall ioy and an holy kinde of gladnesse
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
6.23 The wages of sinne is death II. Who teach that spirituall gifts or good habitudes and vertues such as are goodnesse holynesse righteousnesse could haue no place in mans will when he was first created by consequent that they could not be lost in the fall For this directly thwarteth the description of the image of God which the Apostle maketh Ephes 4.24 Where he describes it by righteousnesse and holynesse which vertues certainely haue their seats in the will III. VVho teach that spirituall gifts were not separated from the will of man in the spirituall death since that in it selfe was never corrupted but hindered only by darknes of the vnaerstanding and vnrulinesse of the affections which hinderances being removed the will is able to make vse of its libertie which to it is naturall that is it is of it selfe able either to will and choose or not to will and choose any good proposed vnto it This is new and erroneous tending to nothing but to exalt the power of free will contrary to the saying of the Prophet Ieremy 17.9 The heart is wily and desperately evill aboue all things And that of the Apostle Ephes 2.3 Among whom children of * In the French it is by mistake of the Printer children of Religion Rebellion we all conversed once in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of our thoughts IIII. VVho teach that a man not regenerate is not totally properly in Sin or destitute of all power concerning spirituall good but that he can hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and life and can offer vnto God the sacrifice of a contrite and broken spirit such as may be acceptable vnto him For these things contrary the plaine testimonies of Scripture Ephe. 2.1.5 Ye were dead in your trespasses and sinnes And Gen. 6.4 8.21 Every imagination of the thoughts of the heart of men is nothing else but evill at all times Adde hereto that to hunger and thirst after life and to be delivered from misery to offer vnto God the sacrifice of a broken spirit is proper to the regenerate Psal 51.19 And of those that are called happy Mat. 5.6 V. VVho teach that a corrupt and naturall man may so well vse common Grace whereby they vnderstand the light of Nature or the gifts which remaine in him after the fall that by the good vsage thereof he may by degrees and little by little obtaine greater grace to wit Evangelicall and saving grace yea salvation it selfe And that by this meanes God for his part sheweth himselfe ready to reveale Iesus Christ to all forasmuch as he affordeth vnto all sufficiently and efficaciously the meanes necessary to the Revelation of Iesus Christ and to faith and repentance For that this is false besides the experience of al times the Scripture witnesseth Psal 147.19.20 He declareth his words to Iacob and his statutes ordinances to Israell he hath not done so to all nations and therefore they know not his ordinances Act. 14.16 In times past God suffered all nations to walke in their owne waies Act. 16.6.7 It was forbidden them to wit Paul and his companions by the holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia comming therefore to Mysia they assayed to goe into Bithynia but the spirit of Iesus permitted them not VI. VVho teach that in the true conversion of a man it cannot be that God should poure into his will new qualities habits or gifts Therefore the faith by which we are first converted and from which we are named faithfull is not a qualitie or gift infused by God but only a bare action of man And that it cannot otherwise be called a gift then in regard alone of the power which a man hath to attaine therevnto For these things contradict the holy Scriptures which testifie That God sheddes in our hearts new qualities of faith obedience and the feeling of his loue Ier. 34.33 I will put my law within them and will write it in their heart Es 44.3 I will poure forth waters vpon him that is a thirst and rivers vpon the dry ground I will poure forth my spirit vpon thy posterity Rom. 5.5 The loue of God is shedd in our hearts by the holy spirit which is giuen vnto vs. They are also repugnant to the perpetuall practise of the Church that prayes on this manner Ierem. 31.18 Convert me O Lord and I shall be converted VII VVho teach that the Grace whereby we are converted vnto God is nothing else but a sweete perswasiō or as others expound it that the most noble maner of working in the conversion of a man and the most agreeable to the nature of man is that which is effected by perswasions And that nothing hinders but that the Grace which they tearme Moral that is to say which is wrought by perswasiue reasons may make a carnall man spiritual yea that God makes the will to consent no otherwise saue only by this kind of perswasion and that herein consisteth the whole efficacie of the divine operation whereby he su mounteth the operation of Satan inasmuch as God promiseth eternall good Satan onely temporall For this is pure Pelagianisme and contrary to all Scripture the which beside this kinde of operation in the conversion of a man acknowledgeth another over aboue to wit that of the Holy Spirit much more effectuall and divine as in the 36. chap. of Ezechiel ver 26. I wil giue you a new heart and will giue a new spirit in the midst of you and vvill take away the heart of stone and will giue an heart of flesh c. VIII Who teach that in the regeneration of a man God imployeth not his almighty power in such sort as that he mightily and infallibly benas the will to belieue and to bee converted but that notwithstanding all the operations of Grace which God vseth to the conversion of man man may resist God and the holy Spirit even then when God purposeth and would regenerate him that oftentimes man resisteth in deed effect so as he vtterly hindereth his owne regeneration yea that it resteth in his power to be or not to be regenerated For this is nothing else but to take away from God the efficacie of his Grace in our Conversion and to subiect the action of God almighty to the wil of man and that contrarie to the Apostles who teach Ephes 1.19 That wee belieue according to the efficacie of the power of his might And 2. Thess 1.11 That God fulfilleth in vs al the good pleasure of his goodnes and the worke of faith Mightily Againe 2. Pet. 1.3 That his Divine power hath given vs all whatsoever appertaineth to life and godlinesse IX Who teach that Grace and Freewill are causes that worke each their severall part and both concurre togither in the first point of conversion that Grace as a cause hath no precedence in order before the efficiencie or motion of the wil id est that