Declaration of the Chief Points of Christian Religion, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
After vvhat ſort almightie God doth execute, & effectually declare his counſell, touching reprobation.
BY theſe things whereof we hauehave now ſpoken, it The old Adam is the foundation of that reprobation which mans iudgement can attaine vntounto.may eaſily appeare, hovv God maketh them to goe to their owne place 1, whom he created to that end that hee might bee glorified in their iuſt condemnation. For as Chriſt the ſecond heauenly Adam, is the foundation, and very ſubſtance, and effect, of the elects ſaluation: ſo alſo the firſt earthly Adam, becauſe hee fell, is the firſt author of the hate, and ſo conſequently of the damnation of the reprobate 2. For when God, mooued vvith thoſe cauſes which he only knoweth, had determined to create them to this end, to ſhew forth in them his iuſt wrath, and power 3, likewiſe he did orderly diſpoſe the cauſes, & meanes, whereby it might come to paſſe, that the whole cauſe of their damnation, might be of themſelues, as hath been declared before in the third Chap. When man then was fallen willingly into that miſerable eſtate wherof wee hauehave ſpoken in the chap. before: God who hateth iuſtly the reprobate, becauſe they are corrupt: in The iudgemēt of God toward infants that are reprobate.part of thē hee doth execute his iuſt wrath ſo ſoon as they are borne 4: and towards the reſt that be of age, whom he reſerueth to a more ſharpe How reprobatiō is firſt manifeſted. No calling to the Goſpell.iudgement, hee obſerueth two waies clean contrary one to the other. For as concerning ſome he ſheweth them not ſo much fauour, as once to heare of Ieſus Chriſt, in whom onelyonly is ſaluation 5, but ſuffereth them to walk in their owne waies 6, and run head long to their perdition.
And as for the teſtimonies that God hath left to them of his diuinitie 7, ſerue them to no other vſe, but to make them without all excuſe 8, and yet through their owne default, ſeeing their ignorance, and ſack of capacitie, is the iuſt puniſhment of that corruption, wherein they are borne.
And ſurely, as touching that, that they can attaine vntounto in knowing GOD, by their light, or rather naturall darknes (albeit they neuer failed in the way, but ſo continued 9) yet were it not in no wiſe ſufficient for their ſaluation. For it is neceſſarie for vsus that ſhall be ſaued, that we knowe God, not onelyonly as GOD, but as our Father in Chriſt 10: the which myſterie, fleſh and bloud doth not reueale 11, but the Son himſelfe, to them whom his Father hath giuen him 12. As concerning others, their fall is more terrible 13. For hee An vnprofitable calling or of none effect.cauſeth them to heare by preaching the outward word of the Goſpel 14; but becauſe they are not of the number of the elect, beeing called, they heare not 15, and foraſmuch as they are not able to receiue the ſpirit of truth 16, therefore they cannot belieue, becauſe it is not giuen vntounto them 17, vvherefore, when they are called to the feaſt, they refuſe to come. So that the word of life is follie vntounto them, & an offence 18, and finally the ſauour of death to their deſtruction.
There are yet others, vvhoſe harts almighty God openeth to receiue and belieue the things that they heare: but this is with that generall faith, whereby the diuels belieue and tremble 20.
To conclude, they which are moſt miſerable of all, thoſe climbe a degree higher, that their fall might bee more grieuous: for they are raiſed ſo high by ſome gift of grace, that they are a little mooued with ſome taſte of the heauenly gift 21: ſo that for the time they ſeeme to hauehave receiued the ſeed, and to be planted in the Church of God 22, and alſo ſhew the way of ſaluation to others 23. But this is plaine, that the ſpirit of adoption, which we hauehave ſaid to be onelyonly proper vntounto them which are neuer caſt forth 24, but are written in the ſecret of Gods people 25 is neuer cōmunicated to thē for were they of the elect they ſhould remaine ſtil with the elect 26 All theſe therefore (becauſe of neceſſitie, & yet willingly, as they vvhichwhich are vnderunder the ſlauerie of ſin 27, return to their vomit 28, and fall away from faith 29) are plucked vp by the roots, to be caſt into the fire 30. I meane, they are forſaken of God 31, who according to his will (the which no man can reſiſt 32, and yet for all that becauſe of their corruption & wickedneſſe 33) hardeneth thē 34, maketh their hearts fatte, ſtoppeth their eares, and blindeth them 35: and to bring this to paſſe, he vſeth partly their owne vile cōcupiſcences, to the which he hath giuen them vp to be ruled, and led by 36: and partly the ſpirit of lyes, who keepeth them wrapt in his ſnares 37, by reaſon of their corruption, from the which as out of a fountaine, iſſueth a continuall flowing riuer of infidelitie, ignorance, and iniquitie: whereby it followeth, that hauing as it vvere made a ſhippe-wrack of their faith, can by no meanes eſcape the day which is appointed for their deſtruction, that God may bee glorified in their iuſt condemnation.