Declaration of the Chief Points of Christian Religion, Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Of the eternall counſell of God hid in himſelfe, the vvhichwhich afterwards, is known by the effects thereof.
GOd, whoſe iudgements no man can comprehend, The counſell, purpoſe and will of God, is the fountaine & originall of all cauſes.whoſe waies cannot be found out, and whoſe vvill I ought to ſtoppe all mens mouthes 2, according to the determinate & vnchangable purpoſe of his wil, by the vertue vvhereof all things are made 3, yea euē thoſe things which are euill and execrable (not in that they bee wrought by his diuine coū ſell, but foraſmuch as they proceede of the Prince of the a…re, & that ſpirit, which worketh in the children 4 of diſobedience) hath determined 5 from before all beginning with himſelfe, to create all things, in their time, for his glory, & 6 namely men: whō he hath made after two ſorts, cleane contrary one to the other. Whereof hee maketh the one ſort (which it pleaſed him to chuſe by his ſecret will and purpoſe) partakers of his glory through his merciemercy 7, and theſe vvee call according to the word of God, the veſſells of honour, Veſſels of honour.the elect, the children of promiſe, and predeſtinat to ſaluation 8: and the others, whom likewiſe it pleaſed him to ordain to damnation (that hee might ſhew foorth his wrath and power, to be glorified alſo in them) wee doe call the veſſels of diſhonour Veſſels of dishonour.and wrath, the reprobat, and caſt off from all good works 9.
This election or predeſtination Our electiō is hid in the ſecret purpoſe of God.to euerlaſting life, being conſidered in the will of God (that is to ſay, this ſelfe ſame determination, or purpoſe to elect) is the firſt fountaine and chiefe originall of the ſaluation of Gods children: neither is it thereon grounded, as ſome ſay, becauſe God did foreſee their faith, or good workes: but onelyonly of his owne good will 10, from whence afterwards the election the faith & the good workes ſpring foorth. Therefore when the Scripture will confirme the children of God in fu…l and perfit hope it doeth not ſtay in alledging the teſtimones of the ſecond cauſes, that is to ſay, in the fruites of faith, nor in the ſecond cauſes themſelues, as faith, & calling by the Goſpell, neither yet ſometimes in Chriſt himſelfe, in whom notwithſtanding we are, as in our head, elected and adopted, but aſcendeth higher, euen vntounto Reprobation is hid in the ſecret purpoſe of God.that eternall purpoſe vvhichwhich GOD hath determined onelyonly in himſelfe. 11.
Likewiſe when mention is made of the damnation of the reprobate, although the whole fault thereof bee in themſelues yet notwithſtanding, ſomtimes when need requireth, the ſcripture to make more manifeſt by this compariſon the great power of God, his patience, and the riches of his glory towards the veſſels of mercy 13, leadeth vsus vntounto this high ſecret, which by order is the firſt cauſe of their damnation: of the which ſecret, no other cauſe is known to mē, The ſecret purpoſe to elect or reproue, onelyonly appertaineth to God, but the cauſes of election and reprobation are manifeſt in the Scriptures.but onelyonly his iuſt will, which wee muſt with all reuerence obey, as cōming from him who is onelyonly iuſt, and cannot by any meanes, nor of any man, in any ſort be comprehended 14. For we muſt put difference betwixt the purpoſe or ordinance of reprobation, and reprobation it ſelfe. Becauſe God vvould that the ſecret of this his purpoſe, ſhould be kept cloſe frō vsus: & again we hauehave the cauſes of reprobation, & damnation which depēdeth therof, expreſſed in Gods word, that is to ſay, corruption, lack of faith, and iniquitie, which as they be neceſſarie, ſo are they alſo voluntary in the veſſels made to dishonour 15: like as on the other part, when wee deſcribe orderly the cauſes of the ſaluation of the elect, wee put difference betwixt the purpoſe of electing, which God hath determined in himſelfe, and the election which is appointed in Chriſt, in ſuch ſort, that this his purpoſe or ordināce, doth not onelyonly goe before election in the degree of cauſes, but alſo before all other things that follow the ſame 16.