The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 21
¶The. xxi. Chapiter. Of the eternall Election, wherby God hath predestinate some to saluation, and other some to destruction.
BUt nowe whereas the couenant of life is not egally preached to al men, and with them to whome it is preched it doth not eyther egally or continually finde like place: in this diuersitie the wonderous deapth of the iudgement of God appeareth. For neyther is it any dout but that this diuersitie also serueth the free choise of Gods eternall election. If it be euident that it is wrought by the will of God that saluation is frely offred to some, & other some are debarred from cōmyng to it: here by & by arise great and hard questions which can not otherwise be discussed, thā if the godly myndes hauehave that certainly stablished whiche they ought to holde cōcerning election and Predestination. This is (as many think) a combersome question: because they thynke nothing to be lesse reasonable than of the cōmon multitude of men some to be fore ordeined to saluation, other some to destruction. But how they wrongfully encombre themselues, shall afterwarde be euident by the framyng of the mater together. Beside that in the very same darknesse which maketh men afrayde, not onelyonly the profytablenesse of this doctrine but also the moste swete fruite sheweth foorth it selfe. We shall neuer be clerely persuaded as we ought to be, that our saluation floweth out of the fountain of the free merciemercy of God, till his eternall election be knowen to vsus, which by this comparison bryghtly setteth foorth the grace of God, that he dothe not without difference adopt all into the hope of saluation, but geueth to some that which he denieth to other. Now muche the ignorance of this principle diminisheth of the glorie of God, howe much it withdraweth from true humilitie, it is playne to see. But Paul denieth that that whiche is so necessarie to be knowen, is possible to be knowen, vnlesse God leauyng alltogether the respect of workes do chose them whom he hath determined with himselfe. In this tyme (sayth he) the remnantes were saued according to free election. If by Grace, then not of workes: forasmuche as Grace should then not be grace.Rom. xi.v. If of woorkes, then not of Grace: forasmuche as worke should now not be woorke. If we must be broughte backe to the begynnyng of election, that it maye be certaine that saluation cometh to vsus from no otherwhere than from the mere liberalitie of God: they whiche will hauehave this principle quenched, do niggardly so much as in them lieth darken yt which ought gloriously and with full mouthe to hauehave ben publyshed, and they plucke vp the very roote of humilitie. Paule, where the saluation of the remnant of the people is ascribed to free election, clerely testifieth that onelyonly then it is knowen that God dothe by his mere good pleasure saue whom he will, and not render rewarde which can not be done. They whiche shutt the gates, that none may be bolde to come to the tasting of this doctrine, do no lesse wrong to mē than to God: because neither shal any other thyng suffice to humble vsus as we ought to be, neither shall we otherwise feele from our hart how muche we are bounde to God. Neither yet is there any otherwhere the vpholdyng stay of sounde affiance, as Christe himselfe teacheth, which to deliuer vsus from all feare, & to make vsus vnuanquishable among so many dangers, ambushes, and deadly battells, promiseth that whatsoeuer he hath receiued of his Father to keepe,Iohn. ….xxv. shall be safe. Wherof we gather that they shall with continual tremblyng be miserable, whosoeuer they be that knowe not themselues to be the propre possession of God: and therfore that they do very yll prouide bothe for themselues and for all the faithfull, which in beyng blynde at these thre profites which we hauehave touched, woulde wishe the whole fundation of our saluation to be quite taken from among vsus. Moreouer hereby the Chirch appeareth vntounto vsus,Serm. in cant. 76. whiche otherwise (as Bernard rightly teacheth) were not possible to be founde, nor to be knowen among creatures: because bothe waies in meruailous wise it lieth hidden within the bosome of blessed Predestination, and within the Masse of miserable damnation. But ere I entre into the matter it selfe, I must before hand in two sortes speake to two sortes of men. That the entrentyng of predestination, wheras of it selfe it is somwhat combersome, is made very doutfull yea and dangerous, the curiousnesse of men is the cause: which ran by no stoppes be restrained from wandring into forbidden compasses, and climbyng vp an hye: which, if it may, will leaue to God no secrete which it will not searche and turne ouer. Into this boldnesse and importunacie forasmuch as we commonly se many to runne headlong, and among those that are otherwise not euell men: here is fit occasion to warne them what is in this behalfe the due measure of theyr duetie. First therfore let them remembre, that when they enquire vponupon Predestination, they pearce into the secrete closets of the wisedome of God: wherinto if any man doo carelesly and boldly breake in, he shall bothe not atteyne wherwith to satisfie his curiousnesse, and he shal entre into a mase wherof he shall fynde no way to get out again. For neither is it mete that man shoulde freely search those thynges which God hath willed to be hidden in himselfe, and to turne ouer from very eternitie the height of wisedome, which he willed to be honored and not to be conceiued, that by it also he mought be meruailous vntounto vsus. Those secretes of his will whiche he hath determined to be opened vntounto vsus, he hath disclosed in his worde: and he hath determined, so farre as he forsawe to pertayne to vsus and to be profitable for vsus.
We are come (sayth Augustine) into the way of Faithe, let vsus stedfastly holde it.Homili… Ioh. …5. I…h. viii.xxvi. It bringeth into the Kynges chamber, in whiche all the treasures of knowlege and wisedome are hidden. For, the Lorde himselfe Christ did not enuie his excellent and moste chosen disciples, when he said, I hauehave many thynges to be sayde to you, but ye can not beare them nowe. We must walke, we must profit, we must encreasce, that our hartes may be able to conceiue those thynges which now we can not cō ceiue. If the last day find vsus profityng, there we shal learne that whiche here we coulde not. If this thought be of force with vsus, that the worde of the Lorde is the onelyonly way, that may leade vsus to searche whatsoeuer is lawfull to be learned of him: that it is the only light, which may geue vsus light to see whatsoeuer we ought to see of hym: it shall easily holde backe and restraine vsus from all rashenesse. For we shall knowe that so soone as we be gone out of the boundes of the worde, we runne oute of the waie, and in darkenesse, in which race we must needes oftentymes stray, slippe, and stumble. First therfore let this be before our eyes, that to couet any other knowlege of Predestination than that whiche is set foorth by the woorde of God, is a poynt of no lesse madnesse than if a man hauehave a will to go by an vnpassable waie, or to se in darknesse. Neither lett vsus be ashamed, to be ignorant of somewhat in it wherein there is some learned ignorance. But rather lett vsus willyngly absteine from the serchyng of that Knowlege, wherof the excessyue couetyng is both foolishe and p…rillous, yea and deadly. But if the wantonnesse of witt prouoke vsus, it shalbe profitable alwaye to sett this agaynst it, whereby it may be beaten backe, that as to much of honey is not good, so the serchyng of glorie dothe not turne vntounto glorie to the curious.Pro. xxv.xxvii. For there is good cause why we shoulde be frayed away from that boldnesse, whiche can do nothing but throwe vsus downe headlong into ruine.
There be other which when they hauehave a will to remedy this euell, doo commaunde all mention of Predestination to bee in a maner buried, at the least they teache men to flee from eueryevery maner of questionyng therof as from a rocke. Although the moderation of these men bee herein worthily to be praysed, that they iudge that mysteries shoulde be tasted of with suche sobrietie: yet because they descende to muche beneath the meane, they little preuaile with the witte of manne, whiche doothe not lyghtly suffre it selfe to be restrained. Therfore, that in this behalf also we maie kepe a right ende, we must returne to the worde of the Lorde, in whiche we hauehave a sure rule of vnderstanding. For, the Scripture is the schoole of the Holy ghoste, in whiche as nothyng is lefte out which is bothe necessarie & profitable to be knowen, so nothyng is taught but that whiche is behouefull to learne. Whatsoeuer therfore is vttered in the Scripture concernyng Predestination, we muste beware that we debarre not the faithfull from it, least we should seme either enuiously to defraude them of the benefite of their God, or to blame and accuse the Holy ghoste who hath published those thynges, whyche it is in any wyse profitable to be suppressed. Let vsus (I say) geue leaue to a christian man, to open his mynde and his eares to all the sayenges of God whiche are directed to hym, so that it be doone with this temperance, that so soone as the Lorde hath closed his holy mouth, he may also forclose to himselfe all the way to enquire further. This shall be the beste boūde of sobrietie, if not only in learnyng we alway follow ye Lord goyng before vsus,Pro. xxv.ii. but also whē he maketh an ende of teaching, we ceasse to will to learne. Neither is the danger which they feare of so greate importance, that we ought therfore to turne awaye our myndes from the oracles of God. Notable is the sayeng of Salomon, that the glorie of God is to concele a word. But sithe bothe godlinesse and common reason teacheth that this is not generally meant of eueryevery thyng, we muste seke a difference, least brutishe ignorance shoulde please vsus vnderunder color of modestie and sobrietie.Deu. xxix▪xxix. That difference is in fewe woordes playnly sett out by Moses: To the Lord our God (sayth he) belong his secretes: b…t to vsus and to our children he hath disclosed these thynges. For we see how he commendeth to the people the studie of the doctrine of the law, onelyonly by reason of the decree of God, because it pleased God to publish it▪ and howe he withholdeth the people within those boūdes, by this only reason because it is not lawfull for mortall men to thrust themselues into the secretes of God.
Prophane men (I graunt) do in the mater of Predestination sodenly catche hold of somewhat which they may carpe, or cauill, or barke, or scoffe at. But if their waywardnesse doo fray vsus away from it, the chefe articles of the faith must be kept secrete, of whiche there is almost none which thei or such as thei be do leaue vntouched with blasphemie. A frowarde wytt will no lesse prowdly outrage when he heareth that in the essence of God there are three persones, than if he heare that God forsawe what shoulde becomme of man when he created hym. Neyther will they absteyne from laughyng, when they shall vnderstande that there is lyttell more than fiue thousande yeares passed sins the creation of the worlde: for they wyll aske why the power of God was so long idell and asleape. Fynally there can be nothyng brought foorthe, whych they will not scoffe at. For the restrainynge of these sacrileges, must we holde our peace of the Godhead of the Sonne, and of the Holy ghost? or must we passe ouer in silence the creation of the worlde? Yea but the truthe of God is bothe in this behalfe and eueryevery where mighti…r than that it neede to feare the euell speakyng of the wicked:Cap. …. v… que ad 10. as Augustine strongly maynteineth in his worke of the good of Perseuerance. For we see that the false Apostles coulde not by defamyng and sclanderyng the true Doctrine of Paule, make hym to bee ashamed of it. But whereas they say that this whole disputation is perillous also for godly myndes,De bono perseuer. cap. 14. because it maketh against exhortatiōs, because it shaketh faith because it troubleth the hart it self: this is vaine Augustine sticketh not to confesse that for these causes he was wonte to be blamed, for that he did to freely preache Predestination: but, as he had in readinesse wherwithall, he largely confuteth them. But we, because many and diuers absurdities are thrust into this place, had rather to reserue eueryevery one to be wyped away in place fitt for it. OnelyOnly this I desire generally to obteyne of them, that those thynges which the Lorde hath layed vp in secrete, we may not searche: those thynges which he hath brought openly abroade, me may not neglect: least either on the one part we be condemned of vayne curiositie, or on the other parte, of vnthankfulnesse. For,Lib. … de Gen. ad. lite…. this also is very wel sayd of Augustine, that we may safely folow the Scripture, whiche as with a motherly pace goeth stoupyngly, least it shoulde forsake our weakenesse. But who so are so ware and so fearfull that they would hauehave Predestination to be buried, least it shoulde trouble weake soules: with what color, I beseche you, wyll they couer theyr arrogance, when they indirectlye accuse God of foolishe vnaduisednesse, as though he foresaw not the danger, which thei think themselues to hauehave wisely mett with? Who soeuer therfore trauaileth to bryng the doctrine of Predestination into mislikyng, he openly saith euyl of God: as though somwhat had vnaduisedly slipped from him which is hurtful to the Chirche.
Predestination, wherby God adopteth some into the hope of life, & iudgeth some to eternall death, no man that would be accompted godly dare simply denie: But they wrappe it vp with many cauillations, specially they which make foreknowlege the cause of it. We in dede doo say that they be bothe in God, but we say that the one is wrongfullye made subiecte to the other. When we geue foreknowlege to God, we meane that all thynges alway hauehave ben and perpetually dooe remayne vnderunder his eies, so that to his knowlege there is nothyng to come or pas…e, but all thynges are present, and so present that he dothe not imagine onelyonly by conceyued formes (as those thynges are presente to vsus, whereof our mynde holdeth fast the remembrance) but he truely beholdeth and seeth them as sett before hym. And this foreknowlege extendeth to the whole compasse of the worlde and to all creatures. Predestination we call the eternall decree of God, whereby he hadde it determyned with hymselfe what he willed to become of eueryevery man. For all are not created to like estate: but to some, eternall life, and to some, eternall damnation is foreappointed. Therfore as eueryevery man is created to the one or other ende, so we say that he is predestinate either to lyfe or to death. But this predestination God hath not onelyonly testified in eueryevery seuerall persone, but hath shewed an example therof in the whole issue of Abraham, wherby myght playnly appeare that it lyeth in his will what shall be the estate of eueryevery nation. When the Hyest diuided the nations, and seuered the children of Adam,Deuter. xxxii.viii. his parte was the people of Israell, the corde of his inheritance. The separation is before the eyes of all men: in the persone of Abraham as in a drye stocke one people is peculiarly chosen, all other beyng refused: but the cause appereth not, sauyng that Moses, to cutte of all occasion of gloryeng from posteritie, teacheth that they excell onelyonly by the free louelove of God. For he assigneth this to be the cause of their deliuerance,Deu. iiii.xxxvii. for that God loued the Fathers, and chose their seede after them. More playnely in an other chapiter: He was pleased in you to choose you, not because you passed other nations in number,Deu. vii.viii. but because he loued you. The same admonition is often repeted with hym, Beholde, to the Lorde thy God belongeth the heauen,Deu. x.xiiii. the earth, and whatsoeuer thyngs are in it: and he hath pleased hymselfe onelyonly in your Fathers, and hath loued them, and hath chosen you their sede. Agayne in an other place sanctificatiō is comaunded them,Deu xxiii v. because they are chosen to be a peculiar people. And agayne in an other place, LoueLove is affirmed to be ye cause of protection. Whych also the faithfull doo declare with one voyce, sayeng: He hath chosen for vsus our inheritaunce,Psa. xlvii v. the glorie of Iacob, whome he hath loued. For they do all impute to free louelove all the gyftes wherewith they were garnished of God: not onelyonly because they knewe that they themselues had obteined them by no deseruynges, but also that euen the holy Patriarch was not endued with suche vertue, that he coulde purchase to hymselfe and his posteritie so greate a prerogatiue of honor. And, the more stronglye to treade downe all pride, he vpbrayded them that they hauehave deserued no And, the more strongly to treade downe all pride, he vpbrayded them yt they hauehave deserued no such thing, forasmuch as they are a stubborne & hard necked people.Deu. ix.v… And oftentimes the Prophetes do hatefully and as by way of reproche cast the Iewes in the teethe with this election, because they had fowly departed from it. Whatsoeuer it be, nowe lett them come fourth which wil binde the election of God either to ye worthinesse of men, or to the merites of works. When they see one nation to be preferred before al other, and when they heare that God was led with no respect to be more fauourably bent to a fewe and vnnoble, yea and …rowarde and disobedient men: wil they quarel with hym, because hys will was to shewe suche an example of merciemercy? But they shall neither with their pratling voices hinder his worke, nor with throwing stones of tauntes into heauē shall hitt or hurt his righteounesse, but rather they shall fall backe vponupon their owne heds. Moreouer the Israelites are called backe to thys principle of the free couenant, when either thankes are to be geuen to God, or their hope to be raised vp against the time to come. He made vsus, and not we our selues (saith the Prophet) his people and the shepe of his pastures. The negatiue is not superfluous, which is added to exclude vsus, that they may knowe that of all the good thinges wherwith they excell, God is not onelyonly the author, but fetched the cause therof from himselfe, because there was nothing in them worthie of so greate honor. Also he biddeth them to be contented with the mere good pleasure of God, in these words,Ps. cv.vi The sede of Abraham are his seruantes: the children of Iacob, his elect. And after that he hath rehearsed the continuall benefites of God as frutes of the election, at length he concludeth, that he dealt so liberally because he remembred hys couenant. With which doctrine agreeth the song of the whole Chirche,Ps. xliiii.iiii. Thy right hande and the light of thy countenance gaue the lande to our Fathers, because thou wast pleased in them. But it is to be noted, that where mē tion is made of the land, it is a visible signe of the secret seuering wherin the adoption is conteined. To the same thankefulnesse Dauid in an other place exhorteth the people,Ps. xxxiii xii. sayeng. Blessed is the nation whoes God the Lorde is, the people whiche he hath chosen for an inheritance to himselfe. And Samuell encourageth them to good hope, sayeng, The Lorde wyll not forsake you,i. Samu. xx.xxii. for hys owne great names sake, because it pleased him to create you for a people to himselfe. Likewise Dauid when his faith is assailed, armeth himselfe to fight, sayeng, Blessed is he whome thou haste chosen,Ps. lxv.v. he shal dwel in thy courtes. But forasmuche as the election hidden in GOD was stablished as well by the first deliuerance as by the seconde,Esa. xiiii i. and other meane benefites: in Esaie the worde of Electing is transferred to this. God shal hauehave merciemercy on Iacob, and he shall yet choose out of Israell: because he signifieng the tyme to come, sayeth that the gathering together of the remnante of the people which he semed to hauehave forsaken, shalbe a signe of the stable and stedfaste election, whiche ones semed to hauehave ben fallen awaye. When also it is sayed in an other place, I hauehave chosen thee and hauehave not caste thee awaye:Esa. xii.ix. he setteth oute the continuall course of the notable liberalitie of hys fatherly good wyll. And yet more playnly the Aungell sayeth in zacharie,zach. ii. xii GOD shall yet choose Ierusalem: as though in hardly chasting it, he had reiected it: or a… though the exile were an interrupting of the election: which yet remaineth inuiolable, although the signes therof do not alway appeare.
There is to be added a seconde degree more narowly restrained, or in which was seen a more special grace of God: when of the same kinred of Abraham God refused some, and other some by nourishing them in the Chirche he shewed that he reteined among his childrē. Ismael had at the beginning obteined egall degree with his brother Isaac, because the spirituall couenante had ben no lesse sealed in hym by the signe of Circumcision. He is cutt of: and then, Esay: at the last an innumerable multitude and almost Israell. In Isaac was the sede called: the same calling endured in Iacob. A lyke example God shewed in reiecting Saule: whiche thing is also gloriously sett fourth in ye Psalme, He hath putt backe the tribe of Ioseph,Psalme. lxxviii.lxix. and the tribe of Ephraim he hath not chosen, but he hath chosen the tribe of Iuda. Which the holy historie diuerse times repeteth, that the wonderfull secret of the grace maye the better appeare in this change. Ismaell, Esau, and suche other, (I graunt) fell from the adoption by their owne faulte and gyltynesse: because there was a condition adioyned, that they should faythfully kepe the couenant of God, whiche they falsly brake. But this was yet a singular benefit of God, that he vouchesaued to preferre them aboue the other Gētiles:Psa. xlvii xx. as it is sayd in the Psalme, He hath not so done to other nations, nor hath opened hys iugementes to them. But here I hauehave not without cause sayd that there be twoo degrees to be noted: because nowe in the choosing of the whole nation GOD shewed that he is in his owne mere liberalitie bounde to no lawes: but he is free, so that egall portion of grace is not to be required at hys hande: the vnequalitie wherof sheweth that it is truely of free gifte. Therefore Malachie amplifieth the vnthankfulnesse of Israell, because they being not onelyonly chosen out of all mankinde, but also seuered out of a holy house to be a peculiar people, doo vnfaythfully and wickedly despise GOD so beneficiall a Father.Mal. i.ii. Was not Esau the brother of Iacob? (sayth he) and yet Iacob I loued, but Esau I hated. For, GOD taketh it for confessed, that when eyther of them was borne of a holy Father, and successor of the couenant, finally a braunch of the holy roote: nowe the childrē of Iacob were more than commonly bonde, which were taken into that dignitie. But whē, Esau the first begotten being refused, their Father which was by nature inferior was made ye heyre, he proueth them doblely vnthankfull, and complayneth that they were not holden wyth that doble bonde.
Althoughe it be allredy sufficiently euidente, that GOD doth by hys secrete counsell freely chose whome he wyll, reiecting other, yet hys free election is hetherto but halfe shewed, tyll we come to all particular persones, to whome GOD not onelyonly offereth saluation, but so assigneth it, that the certaintie of the effect thereof is not in suspense or doutefull. For, these are accompted in that onelyonly sede, whereof Paule maketh mention. For althoughe the adoption was left in the hande of Abraham, yet because many of his posteritie were cutt of as rotten members: that the election maye be effectuall and truely stedfast, we must nedes ascende to the hed, in whō the heauenly Father hath bounde together his electe one with one other, and hath knit them to hymselfe with a knott impossible to be loosed. So in the adoption of y• kinred of Abraham, shined the liberall fauor of God, which he denied to other men: yet in the members of Christe, appeareth a muche more excellente strength of grace, because they being graffed into their hed doe neuer fall awaye from saluation. Therefore Paule doth fittly reason out of the place of Malachie which I euen nowe alleged: that where God with making a couenant of eternal life calleth any people to hymselfe, there is in parte a speciall manner of election, that he doth not choose all effectually with common grace. Whereas it is sayed, I hauehave loued Iacob, this perteineth to the whole issue of the Patriarch, which the Prophete there setteth in comparisō against the posteritie of Esau. Yet this withstandeth not but that in the persone of one man was sete fourth to vsus an example of the election whiche can not slippe away but muste come to the marke that it tendeth to. These Paule doth not vainely note to be called remnantes: because experience teacheth that of a greate multitude many slide and vanishe away, so that oftentimes there remaineth but a small portion. But why the generall election of a people is not alway fyrme and stedfast, there is a reason offring it selfe in redinesse: because with whome GOD couenanteth, he doeth not by and by geue to them the Spirite of regeneration, by the power whereof they maye continue in the couenante to the ende: but the outwarde changing without the inwarde effectualnesse of grace, which might be of force to holde them in, is a certayne meane thyng betwene the forsaking of whole mankinde, and the election of a small nomber of the godly. The whole people of Israell was called the inheritance of GOD, of whome yet there were many strangers. But because GOD had not for nothing made couenant with them that he woulde bee their Father and redemer, he rather hath respecte to hys owne free fauor than to the vnfaythfull falling away of many: by whom also hys truthe was not abolished: because where he reserued any remnante, it appeared that hys calling was without repentance. For whereas GOD did from tyme to tyme choose vntounto hymselfe a Chirche rather out of the children of Abraham, than out of the prophane nations, he had regarde to hys couenante, which beyng broken of the whole multitude he restrayned to a fewe, that it shoulde not vtterly fall awaye. Fynally the common adoption of the sede of Abraham was a certayne visible image of a greater benefite, whiche God hath vouchesaued to graunt to fewe out of many. Thys is the reason why Paule so diligently putteth difference betwene the children of Abraham according to the fleshe, and hys spirituall children which were called after the example of Isaac. Not that it was a vayne and vnfrutefull thing simply to be the chylde of Abraham (whiche mighte not be sayd without dishonor of the couenante) but because the vnchangeable counsell of GOD, wherby he hath predestinate whom he would, is by it selfe effectual only to this later sort vntounto saluatiō. But I warne the reders y• they bring not a foreconceiued iugement on either side, til it appeare by the places of Scripture broughte fourth what is to be thoughte. That therefore which the Scripture clerely sheweth, we saye that God by eternall and vnchangeable counsel hath ones appointed whom in tyme to come he would take to saluatiō, and on the other syde whō he would condemne to destruction. Thys counsel as touching the elect, we say to be groūded vponupon his free merciemercy without any respect of the worthinesse of man: but whom he appointeth to damnatiō, to them by hys iugement which is in dede iust and irreprehensible but also incōprehensible, y• entrie of lyfe is forclosed. Now in the elect we set vocation, to be the testimonie of Election: & then iustification to be an other signe of the manifest shewing of it, til they come to glorie wherin is the fulfilling of it. But as by vocatiō and election God maketh his elect: so by shutting out y• reprobate eyther from the knowlege of hys name or from the sanctification of his Spirite, he doth as it were by these markes open what iugemēt abideth for them. I wil here passe ouer many fayned inuentions, which foolish mē hauehave forged to ouerthrowe predestination. For they nede no confutation, which so sone as they are brought fourth doe largely bewraye their owne falsnesse. I wil tarry only vponupon those, which either are in controuersie amōg the learned, or which may bryng any hardinesse to the simple, or which vngodlinesse with faire seming showe pretendeth, to scoffe at the righteousnesse of God.