The Church of Englands Antithesis to Arminianism, Part 4
Articles of Religion agreed vponupon by the Archbishops, and Bishops, and the rest of the Cleargie of Ireland, in the Conuocation holden at Dublin, in the yeere of our Lord God. 1615.
11 GOd from all eternitie did by his vnchangeable counsell ordaine whatsoeuer in time should come to passe. Yet so, as thereby no violence is offred to the wills of the reasonable creatures, and neither the libertie nor the contingencie of the second causes is taken away, but established rather.
12 By the same eternall counsell God hath predestinated some vntounto life,Articles of Lambheth. 1. 3. and reprobated some vntounto death, of both which there is a certaine number, knowen only to God, which can neither be increased nor diminished.
13 Predestination to life, is the euerlasting purpose of God, whereby, before the foundations of the world were layed, he hath constantly decreed in his secret counsell to deliuer from curse and damnation, those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankinde, and to bring them by Christ vntounto euerlasting saluation, as vessels made to honor.
14 The cause mouing God to predestinate vntounto life,Articles of Lambheth. 2. is not the foreseeing of faith, or perseuerance, or good workes, or of any thing which is in the person predestinated, but onelyonly the good pleasure of God himselfe. For all things being ordained for the manifestation of his glory, and his glory being to appeare both in the works of his Mercy and of his Iustice: It seemed good to his heauenly wisedomee to choose out a*Articles of Lambheth. 1. … certaine number towards whom he would extend his vndeserued mercy, leauing the rest to be spectacles of his iustice.
15 Such as are predestinated vntounto life, be called according vntounto Gods purpose (his spirit working in due season) and through grace they obey the calling, they be iustified freely, they be made sonnes of God by adoption, they be made like the image of his onelyonly begotten Son Iesus Christ, they walke religiously in good workes, and at length by Gods mercy they attaine to euerlasting felicitie.*Articles of Lambheth. … But such as are not predestinated to saluation, shall finally be condemned for their sinnes.
16 The godly consideration of Predestination and our election in Christ, is full of sweete, pleasant, and vnspeakeable comfort to godly persons, and such as feele in themselues the working of the spirit of Christ, mortifying the workes of the flesh, and their earthly members, and drawing vp their mindes to high and heauenly things: as well because it doth greatly confirme and establish their faith of eternall saluation to be enjoyed through Christ, as because it doth feruently kindle their louelove towards God: and on the contrary side, for curious and carnall persons, lacking the spirit of Christ, to hauehave continually before their eies the sentence of Gods predestination, is very dangerous.
22 By one man sinne entred into the world, and death by sinne, and so death went ouer all men, for as much as all hauehave sinned.
23 Originall sinne standeth not in the imitation of Adam (as the Pelagians dreame) but is the fault and corruption of the nature of eueryevery person that naturally is ingendered and propagated from Adam: whereby it commeth to passe that man is depriued of originall righteousnes, and by nature is bent vntounto sinne. And therefore in eueryevery person borne into the world, it deserueth Gods wrath and damnation.
25 The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such,Articles of Lambeth. 9. that he cannot turne, and prepare himselfe by his owne naturall strength and good workes, to faith, and calling vponupon God. Wherefore we hauehave no power to doe good workes, pleasing and acceptable vntounto God, without the grace of God preuenting vsus, that we may hauehave a good will, and working with vsus when we hauehave that good will.
26 Workes done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his spirit are not pleasing vntounto God, for as much as they spring not of faith in Iesus Christ, neither doe they make men meete to receiue grace, or (as the Schoole Authors say) deserue grace of congruitie: yea rather, for that they are not done in such sort as God hath willed, and commanded them to be done, we doubt not but they are sinfull.
31 They are to bee condemned, that presume to say, that eueryevery man shall bee saued by the Law, or Sect which he professeth, so that he bee diligent to frame his life according to that Law, and the light of nature. For holy Scripture doeth set out vntounto vsus onelyonly the name of Iesus Christ, whereby men must be saued.
32 None can come vntounto Christ,Articles of Lambeth. 7. 8. 9. vnlesse it bee giuen vntounto him, and vnlesse the Father draw him. And all men are not so drawne by the Father, that they may come vntounto the Sonne. Neither is there such a sufficient measure of Grace vouchsafed vntounto eueryevery man, whereby he is enabled to come vntounto euerlasting life.
33 All Gods Elect, are in their time inseperably vnited vntounto Christ, by the effect all, and vitall influence of the holy Ghost, deriued from him, as from the head, vntounto eueryevery true member of his mysticall body. And being thus made one with Christ, they are truely regenerated, and made partal…ers of him, and a… his benefits.
37 By iustifying …aith wee vnderstand not onelyonly the common beliefe of the Articles of Christian Religion, and a perswasion of the trueth of Gods word in generall: but also a particular application of the gracious promises of the Gospell, to the comfort of our owne Soules; whereby we lay hold on Christ, with all his benefits, hauing an earnest trust and confidence in God, that hee will be mercifull vntounto vsus for his onelyonly Sonnes sake.*Articles of Lambheth. 6. So that a true beleeuer may bee certaine, by the assurance of faith, of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes, and of his euerlasting saluation by Christ.
38*Articles of Lambeth. 5. A true liuely iustifying faith, and the sanctifying spirit of God is not extinguished, nor vanisheth away in the regenerate, either finally or totally.