The Church of Englands Antithesis to Arminianism, Part 3
The nine Assertions, or Articles of Lambheth composed and agreed vponupon at Lambheth-House on the 20. day of Nouember, in the yeere of our Lord, 1595. by Iohn Archbishop of Canterbury, Richard Bishop of London, Richard elect Bishop of Bangor, Doctor Tyndall Deane of Elie, Doctor Whitaker professor of Diuinitie in Cambridge, and sundry other Reuerend and learned Diuines there present: with the concurrent approbation of the right Reuerend and learned Prelate, Mathew Archbishop of …ork…: for the determining of certaine Arminian points of Controuersie that then arose in the Vniuersitie of Cambridge.
1 DEus ab Aeterno Praedestinauit quosdam ad vitam; quosdam Reprobauit ad Mortem.
1 GOD from Eternitie hath Praedestinated certaine men vntounto Life;Articles of Ireland. 12. 14 certaine men he hath Reprobated vntounto Death,
2 Causa mouens aut efficiens Praedestinationis ad Vitam, non est praeuisio Fidei, aut perseuerantiae, aut bonorum operum, aut ullius rei quae insit in personis Praedestinatis, sed sola voluntas beneplaciti Dei.
2 The moouing,Articles of Ireland. 14. or efficient cause of Predestination vntounto Life, is not the foresight of Faith, or of perseuerance, or of good-workes, or of any thing that is in the persons Predestinated, but onelyonly the good will and pleasure of God
3 Praedestinatorum praefinitus & certus est numerus, qui nec augeri, nec minui possit.
3 There is a pre-determined,Articles of Ireland. 12. 14. and certaine number of the Predestinate, which can neither be augmented nor diminished.
4 Qui non sunt Praedestinati ad Salutem, necessario propter peccata sua damnabuntur.
4 Those who are not Predestinated to Saluation,Articles of Ireland. 15. shall be necessarily Damned for their sinnes.
5 Vera, viva, & iustificans Fides, & Spiritus Dei iustificantis, non extinguitur, non excidit, non euanescit in Electis, aut finaliter, aut totaliter.
5 A true,Articles of Ireland. 38. liuing, and iustifying Faith, and the Spirit of God iustifying, is not extinguished, it falleth not away, it vanisheth not away in the Elect, either finally, or totally.
6 Homo vere Fidelis, id est, Fide iustificante praeditus, certus est plerophoria Fider, de Remissione peccatorum suorum, & salute sempiterna sua per Christum.
6 A man truely Faithfull,Articles of Ireland. 37. that is, such …one who is endued with a iustifying Faith, is certaine with the full assurance of Faith, of the Remission of his Sinnes, and of his Euerlasting Saluation by Christ.
7 Gratia salutaris non tribuitur, non communicatur, non conceditur vniuersis hominibus, qua seruari possint, si velint.
7 Sauing grace is not giuen,Articles of Ireland. 32. is not Communicated, is not granted to all men, by which they may be saued if they will.
8 Nemo potest venire ad Christum, nisi datum ei fuerit, & nisi Pater eum traxerit: & omnes homines non trahuntur a Patre vt veniant ad Filium.
8 No man can come vntounto Christ,Article of Ireland. Artic…. 32 vnlesse it shall be giuen vntounto him, and vnlesse the Father shall draw him: and all men are not drawn by the Father, that they may come to the Sonne.
9 Non est po…itum in arbitrio, aut po…estate vniusc…iusque hominis, servari.
It is not in the Will,Articles of Ireland. A…tic. 25. 32. or Power of eueryevery one, to be saued.
These Articles of Lambheth how eueraCorninus Responsio ad Notas Bo…er manni part 2. cap. 24 p. 5…1. to 5…6. who writ…s these Articles at large, and not on…ly slights them thus, but likewise m…reports the ca…riage of them So doth Bertius too: De Aposia… Sanctar…. F…t. D…d. 2. Mr. Mounta…u…s. Apo…ale. pag. 29. 36 71. 72. some may chance to slight them as the Resolutions of some priuate m…n: yet they were vnanimously composed and approued by both our Right Reuerend and Learned Archbishops, Whitgift, and Hu…ton; by the Bishops of London, and Bangor; and by sundry other of our most eminent Diuines; and that not rashly or vnadvisedly, but vponupon serious debate and mature deliberation: and being afterwards sent to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge for the allaying of some Arminian Controuersies there raysed by master Barret, (whose publique Recantation I hauehave heere inserted) and abetted by one Peter Baro a Frenchman, Lady Margarets Professor in that Vniuersitie:bS… Conferen… Hampton Court. pag 40… 41 Th…si…bre…is & dilu… Explic… &c. Ha…drenics. 16. 3 … D dicatoria. Fratri…us Belois & Peti… Baronis censura, &c. Ib. 1513. … l Lect … Dr. Wa…d his …oncio ad Clerum …oudini 1627 p 45. & Master Iohn Brown in his Appendix to the life & Ra…g… of Qu Elizabeth 1628. who a…irme al this. they were there receiued with such an vnanimous approbation of the whole Vniuersitie: that those Arminian Tenents were foorthwith abandoned; and Baro forced to forsake his place: since whose departure to this present, the Diuinitie Professors of this our Famous Vniuersitie hauehave constantly adhered to these Conclusions, as the vndoubted Doctrine of the Church of England. What respect the Reformed Churches abroad hauehave giuen to these Articles, or Assertions, Let famous Thysius, who hath twice published them Hardrouici 1613. and quoted the Fathers to them; together with learned Bogerman President of the late famous Synod of Dort, in his 107. and 108. Notes vponupon the second part of Grotius. Fran…ke…: 1614. p. 183. 184. testifie: who both recite and repute them, as the receiued and vndoubted Doctrine of the Church of England. What approbation they hauehave had with vsus at home; their vnanimous approbation by the Vniuersitie of Cambridge at first; their insertion into the Articles of Ireland, agreed vponupon by the Archbishops, and Bishops, and the rest of the Clergie of Ireland, in their Conuocation hol…en at Dublin 1615. where all, or most of them, are recited verbatim, as any man may see that will compare them: The mentioning of them in the*Pag. 24. 39… 40. 41. Conference at Hampton Court: where his Maiestie of blessed memory, was moued to insert them into the Book… of Articles; and vnderstanding not what these Assertions of Lambheth were, was informed: that by reason of some Controuersies arising in Cambridge about certaine points of Diuinitie, my Lords Grace of Canterbury assembled some Diuines of especiall note to set downe their opinions, which they drew into nine Assertions, and so sent them vntounto the Vniuersitie for the appeasing of those quarrels. Their honourable recitall by the late Reuerend and learned Bishop of Chichester, Doctor Carlton, in his Examination of Master Mountagues Appeale, Edition 2. cap. 2. pag. 8. 9. 10. By learned Doctor Benefield, De Per…euerantia Sanctorum: lib. 1. cap. 15. p. 162. to 167. By Ma…er Francis Rouse in his Doctrine of King Iames, p. … … Mr. Iohn Browne in his Appendix to the Life of Queene Elizabeth, where they are likewise Printe…. By Mr. Thomas Vicars in his Pusillies Grex: Oxo…iae. 1627 p. 31. By Abdias Asheton, in Vita Gulielmi Whitakeri. Cantabrigiae 1599. p. 43. who all repute and deeme them, the Orthodox and vndoubted Doctrine of the Church of England. All these recited Euidences, I say, doe abundantly confirme, the truth, the honour, and Orthodox Authority of these Articles or Assertions; which were neuer yet impeached by any Orthodox English Diuine, as different from o… 39. Articles, or varying from the receiued Doctrines of our Church. And therfore (especially since the Articles of Ireland thus approue them) we may safely embrace them, as the vndoubted and anciently receiued Doctrines of our English Church.