the doctrine of Election consisteth not in this that God hath chosen certaine persons rather then others but in this that of all possible conditions among which also are the workes of the Law or out of the number of all things God hath chosen the acte of Faith though meane in it selfe and the imperfect obedience of Faith for the condition of Saluation and that of Grace he would vouchsafe to accept it for perfect obedience and iudge it worthy to bee rewarded with euerlasting life For by this dangerous errour the good pleasure of God and the merite of Iesus Christ is eneruated and men are turned through vnprofitable questions from the trueth of free Iustification and from the simplicitie of the Scriptures And that sentence of the Apostle accused of falsehood 2. Tim. 1.9 God hath called vs by an holy calling not according to workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen to vs in Iesus Christ before all times IIII. Who teach That in Election to Faith this condition is formerly required that a man vse well the light of Nature and be a good or honest man humble and disposed to eternall life as if Election did after a sort depend on these things For this sauours of Pelagius his opinion and too too openly taxes the Aposte of falshood when he saith Ephes 2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9 We all heretofore liued in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of our owne thoughts and were by nature children of wrath aswell as others But God who is rich in mercie through his great loue wherewith hee loued vs even at the time when we were dead in our trespasses hath quickened vs together with Christ by the Grace of whom ye are saued and hath raised vs vp together and hath made vs sit together in heauenly places in Iesus Christ to the end he might shew in the ages to come the abundantly excellent riches of his Grace by his kindnes towards vs in Iesus Christ For yee are saued through Grace by Faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God Not by workes to the intent none should glorifie himselfe V. Who teach That the Incomplete and not peremptorie Election of particular persons to Saluation supposeth a foresight of Faith Connersion Holinesse and Godlinesse begun or continued for a time but that the complete and peremptorie Election supposes a fore-sight of the finall perseuerance of Faith Conuersion Holinesse and Godlinesse And that herein lyeth that free and Euangelicall dignitie in respect whereof he which is Elect is more worthy then he which is not Elect And by consequent that Faith and the obedience of Faith Holinesse Godlinesse and perseuerance are not fruits or effects of an vnchangeable election to glory but conditions and causes without which no Election can be made the which conditions or causes are formerly required and foreseene as if they were already fulfilled in them that are to be compleatly Elected Which doctrine vtterly crosteth the whole Scripture which in diuers places beateth both into our eares and hearts such and the like sentences Rom. 9.12 Election is not by workes but by him which calleth Actes 13.48 All they which were ordained to eternall life belieued Ephes 1.4 He hath Elected vs in himselfe to the end we should be holy Iohn 15.16 You haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Rom. 11.6 If it be by grace then it it no more by workes 1. Iohn 4.10 Herein is loue not that wee loued God but that hee loued vs and hath sent his Sonne VI. Who teach That euery Election to Saluation is not vnchangeable but that some Elect notwithstanding whatsoeuer decree of God may and doe perish euerlastingly By which grosse errour they make God mutable and ouerthrow the consolation of the saithfull touching the stedfastnesse of their Election and contradict the holy Scriptures which teach Mat. 24.24 That the Elect cannot be seduced Ioh 6.39 That Christ looseth not those that are giuen vnto him of his Father Rom. 8.29 That those whom God hath Predestinated called iustified those he doth also glorifie VII Who teach That during this life there is no fruit nor sense nor certaintie of an vnchangeable Election to glorie except is be such as may be grounded on a condition mutable and contingent For besides that it is an absurditie to call that a certaintie which is vncertaine it is also repugnant to the experience of the Saints who reioyce with the Apostle at the sense and seeling of their Election while they celebrate this blessing of God who with the Disciples Reioyce according to Iesus Christ his admonition that their names are written in heauen Luk. 10.20 Briefly who oppose the sense of their Election to the fierie darts of the diuels temptations demanding who shall bring in any accusation against the Elect of God Rom. 8.32 VIII Who teach That God did not of his owne meere and iust will decree to leaue any one in the fall of Adam and the common estate of sinne and condemnation or to passe by them in the communication of grace necessary to faith and conuersion For this remaines firme Rom. 9.18 Hee hath mercy on whom he will haue mercy and hardeneth whom he will Againe Mat. 13.11 To you it is giuen to know the secrets of the kingdome of heauen but to them it is not giuen Againe Mat. 11.25.26 I thanke thee O Father Lord of heauen and earth that thou hast hid those things from the wise and vnderstanding and hast reuetled them to little children It is so O Father forasmuch as such was thy good pleasure IX Who teach That the cause wherefore God sends the Gospel to one Nation rather then to another is not onely and meerely the good pleasure of God but because one Nation is better and more worthy then another vnto which the Gospel is not communicated For Moses gaine-sayeth it speaking thus to the people of Israel Deut. 10.14.15 Behold the heauens and the heauen of heauens belong vnto the Lord thy God the earth also and all that is in it But the Lord hath taken pleasure in thy fathers onely for to loue them and hath chosen their posteritie after them to vvit you from among all people as appeareth this day And Iesus Christ Mat. 11.21 Woe vnto thee Corazin vvoe vnto thee Bethsaida For if in Tyre and Sidon those mightie workes had beene done which haue beene done in the midst of you they had long since repented in sackcloth and ashes CHAP. II. Of the death of Jesus Christ and mans Redemption thereby The I. Article GOd is not onely most mercifull but also most iust And his iustice requireth according as he hath revealed himselfe in his word that our sinnes committed against his infinite Maiestie should be punished not only with temporall but also with eternall paines both in body soule the which paines we cannot escape vnlesse there be satisfaction made to the iustice of God II. Now because it was not
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
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