The Church of Englands Antithesis to Arminianism, Part 8
Certaine questions and answeres touching the doctrine of Predestination: Printed by ROBERT BARKER Anno 1607. and bound vp, and sold with our English Bibles.
Question. WHy doe men so much vary in matters of Religion?
Answere. Because all hauehave not the like measure of knowledge, neither doe all beleeue the Gospell of Christ.
Qu. What is the reason thereof?
An. 77Because they only beleeue the Gospel and doctrine of Christ, which are11 ordained vntounto eternall life.
Qu. Are not all ordained to eternall life?
An. 11Some are33 vessels of wrath ordained vntounto destruction, as others are vessels of mercy prepared to glory.
Qu. How standeth it with Gods Iustice, that some are appointed to damnation?
An. 33Very wel: because all men hauehave in themselues sinne, which deserueth no lesse: and therfore22 the mercy of God is wonderfull in that he vouchsafeth to saue some of that sinnefull race, and to bring them to the knowledge of the truth.
Qu. If Gods ordinance and determination must of necessitie take effect, then what neede any man to care? for hee that liueth well, must needs be damned, if hee be thereunto ordained: and he that liueth ill must needes bee saued, if hee bee thereunto appointed.
Ans. Not so:66 for it is not possible, that either the elect should alwaies be without care to do wel,44 or that the reprobate should hauehave any will thereunto. For to hauehave either good will or good worke, is a testimony of the Spirit of God,77 which is giuen to the Elect onelyonly, whereby faith is so wrought in them, that being graft into Christ, they grow in holinesse to that glory, whereunto they are appointed. Neither are they so vaine as once to thinke that they may doe as they list themselues, because they are predestinate vntounto saluation: but rather they endeauour to walke in such good workes as God in Christ Iesus hath ordained them vntounto, and prepared for them to be occupied in, to their owne comfort, stay and assurance, and to his glory.
Qu. But how shall I knowe my selfe to bee one of those whom God hath ordained to life aeternall.
Ans. By the motions of spirituall life, which belongeth 77onelyonly to the children of God: by the which that life is perceiued, euen as the life of this body is discerned by the sense and motions thereof.
Qu. What meane you by the motions of spirituall life?
Ans. I meane remorse of conscience, ioyned with the loathing of sinne, and louelove of righteousnesse: the hand of Faith reaching vntounto life eternall in Christ, the Conscience comforted in distresse, and raised vp to confidence in God by the worke of his Spirit: a thankefull remembrance of Gods benefits receiued, and the vsing of all aduersities as occasion of amendment sent from GOD.
Qu. Cannot such perish as at some time or other feele these motions within themselues?
Ans. 77It is not possible that they should: for as Gods purpose is not changeable, so hee repenteth not of the gifts and graces of his adoption: neither doeth hee cast off those whom he hath once receiued.
Qu. Why then should we pray by the example of Dauid, that he cast vsus not from his Face, and that he take not his holy Spirit from vsus?
Ans. In so praying, wee make protestation of the weakenesse of flesh, which mooueth vsus to doubt: yet should not wee hauehave courage to aske, if we were not assured that God will giuegive according to his purpose and promise, that which we require.
Qu. Doe the Children of God feele the motions aforesaid alwayes alike?
Ans. No truely: for God sometime to prooue his, seemeth to leaue them in such sort, that the flesh ouermatcheth the Spirit, whereof ariseth trouble of conscience for the time: yet the spirit of adoption is77 neuer taken from them, that hauehave once receiued it: else might they perish. But as in many diseases of the body, the powers of the bodily life are letted: So in some assaults the motions of spirituall life are not perceiued, because they lie hidden in our manifold infirmities, as the fire couered with ashes. Yet as after sickenesse commeth health, and after cloudes the Sunne shi…eth cleare: so the powers of spirituall life will more or lesse be felt and percieued in the children of God.
Qu. What if I neuer feele these motions in my selfe, shall I despaire, and thinke my selfe a castaway?
An. God forbid:66 for God calleth his, at what time he seeth good: and the instruments whereby he vsually calleth, hauehave not the like effect at all times: yet is it not good to neglect the meanes whereby God hath determined to worke the Saluation of his. For as waxe is not melted without heate, nor clay hardened but by meanes thereof; so God vseth meanes both to draw those vntounto himselfe, whom he hath appointed vntounto Saluation, and also to bewray the wickednesse of them whom hee iustly condemneth.
Qu. By what meanes vseth God to draw men to himselfe, that they may be saued?
Ans. By the preaching of his word, and the ministring of his Sacraments thereunto annexed, &c.
These Questions and Answers concerning Predestination, which are full and punctuall to our purpose, were alwayes Printed at the ende of the olde Testament, and bound vp and sold Cum Priuilegio, with this Authorized Translation of the Bible, till the yeare 1614. since which no Bibles of this sort were printed. Wee may therefore vse it as a pregnant testimony, and punctuall declaration of the Doctrine of our Church, in the particular points of Controuersie hereafter mentioned.
The Synod of Dort held in the yeares of our Lord, 1618. 1619. at Dort in the Netherlands.
I meane not to recite the seuerall Articles and Conclusions of this late famous Synod, conuented by the pious care and prouidence of our late Soueraigne King Iames, at which the eminentest Protestant Diuines of most Reformed Churches were assembled, and among the rest siue selected English Diuines; to wit, Dr. Carlton, late Bishop of Chichester; Dr. Dauenat, now Bishop of Salisbury; Dr. Belcanquell, Deane of Rochester; Dr. Samuel Ward, publike Diuinity Professor in the Vniversity of Cambridge; and Doctor Thomas Goade; who not onelyonly as Priuate men, but as representatiue persons of the Church of England, subscribed the seuerall Articles and Conclusions there resolued: witnesse Theologorum magnae Britanniae Sententia, in the Acts of the Synod at large: The little English Synod of Dort, and Dr. Ward his Suffragium Britannorum, to which I shall referre you with a bare quotation, they being obuious to mens hands, and tedious to transcribe.