Declaration of the Chief Points of Christian Religion, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
How eueryevery man may with profit apply this uniuerſal doctrine to himſelfe.
IT is moſt euidēt, that they, which teach that mans ſaluation either in part or wholly, dependeth and is grounded in works, deſtroy the foundation of the Goſpel of GOD 1. And contrariwiſe, Iuſtification by faith is vnprofitable, if it bee ſeperat from election.they that teach iuſtification freely by faith, ground on a ſure foundation; but ſo, that they build vponupon that eternal counſell of God, whereupon Chriſt himſelfe 2, and the Apoſtle Paul folowing Chriſts ſteppes, groundeth his doctrine 3. For ſeeing perſeuerance in faith is requiſite to ſaluation 4, to what purpoſe ſhall ſaith ſerue me, except I be ſure of the gift of perſeuerance? nor we need not fear, leaſt this doctrine make vsus negligent, or diſſolute: for this peace of conſcience whereof wee ſpeak 5, ought to be diſtinct and ſeparat frō fooliſh ſecuritie: and he that is the ſonne of God, ſeeing hee is mooued and gouerned by the ſpirit of God 9, vvill neuer through the conſideration of Gods benefit take occaſion of negligence and Peace of cō ſcience dependeth on predeſtination.diſſolution. Then if by this doctrine we had but this one commoditie, that wee might learn to aſſure & cofirme our faith againſt all brunts that might happen, it is manifeſt that they which ſpeak againſt & reſiſt this article of religion, either through their wickednes, or elſe through their ignorance, or ſome fooliſh blind zeale (which hapneth, when men will me…ſure God according to the capacity of their own wits) ſubuert & deſtroy the principall ground & foundation of our ſaluation. And in very deed, though ſome (as I muſt cōfeſſe) do it not purpoſely: yet doe they open notwithſtanding, the dore to al ſuperſtition & impiety. As for thē ▪ which nowadaies maliciouſly oppugne the truth, I beſeech the lord, euen from my hart, either to turne their mindes (if ſo be they appertaine to the elect) or elſe to ſend them a moſt ſpeedy deſtruction, that by their owne example they may confirme and eſtabliſh that doctrine, which ſo maliciouſly they reſiſt. Theſe other I will deſire moſt inſtantly, and require them in the name of God, that they would better aduiſe themſelues what they doe.
Now, to touch briefly how this doctrine may bee applied, let vsus marke that all the works of God, euen the leaſt of all, are ſuch, that man cannot iudge of them, but in two ſorts: that is, either whē they are done; or elſe, by foreſeeing them to come to paſſe by the diſpoſition of the ſecond and manifeſt cauſes, whoſe effects hauehave been diligently, and by long vſe obſerued, as men accuſtome in naturall things to do: wherin, notwithſtanding men are wonderfully blind. In this matter then, which is moſt obſcure of all others, it is no maruel if mans wit be driuen into this ſtraight, that it can not otherwiſe vnderſtand, but by this meanes, what is determined as touching him ſelfe in this ſecret counſell of God. But becauſe theſe are moſt high myſteries, & therfore 1. Cor. 2. d.ſtand in the obſeruation of thoſe cauſes which paſſe all naturall things, wee muſt needs ſeeke farther, & come to Gods word: which foraſmuch as without all compariſon, it is more certain, then mans comectures: ſo it can beſt directvs heerein and aſſure vsus.
The Scripturne then witneſſeth 7, that all thoſe that God hath, according to his counſell, predeſtinate, to be adopted his children throgh Ieſus Chriſt, are alſo called in their time appointed, yea & ſo effectually, that they hear the voice of him that calleth, and belieue it 8: ſo that beeing iuſtified and ſanctified in Ieſus Chriſt, they are alſo glorified. Wilt thou then, How a man may hauehave aſſurance of his election.whatſoeuer thou art, be aſſured of predeſtination, and ſo in order of thy ſaluation, which thou lookeſt for, againſt all the aſſaults of Satan? aſſured I ſay, not by doubtful coniectures, or our owne fantaſie, but by arguments, and concluſions, no leſſe true and certaine 9. then if thou were aſcended, into … and had heard of Gods owne mouth his eternall decree and purpoſe? Beware thou begin not at that moſt high degree: for ſo thou ſhouldeſt not be able to ſuſtaine the moſt ſhining light of Gods maieſtie. Begin therefore beneath at the loweſt order, and when thou ſhalt heare the voice of God 10, ſound in thine eares, and in thy hart, which calleth thee to Chriſt the onelyonly Mediator, conſider by little and little, & try diligently 11; if thou be iuſtified & ſanctified in Chriſt through faith: for theſe two bee the effects or fruites, whereby the faith is known, which is their cauſe. As for this thou ſhalt partly By what ſignes faith is known.know by the ſpirit of adoption, which cryeth within thee Abba Father 12: and partly by the vertue and effect of the ſame ſpirit, which is wrought in thee. As if thou fall, and ſo declare indeede, that although ſinne dwell in thee, yet it doth no more raigne in thee 13. For is not the holy Ghoſt hee, that cauſeth vsus not to let ſlip the bridle, and giuegive libertie willinglie to our naughtie and vile concupiſcences 14, as they are accuſtomed, whoſe eyes the prince of this world blindeth 15? or elſe who mooueth vsus to pray, when we are The effects of the holy Ghoſt in the elect.cold, and ſlothfull? who ſtirreth vp in vsus thoſe vnſpeakable gronings 16? Who is he that when wee hauehave ſinned (yea and ſometimes willingly and wittingly) ingendreth in vsus an hate of the ſin committed: and not for the feare of puniſhment, which vvee hauehave therefore deſerued, but becauſe wee hauehave offended our moſt mercifull father 17?
Who is hee, I ſay, that teſtifieth vntounto vsus that our ſighings are heard, and alſo moueth vsus to call daily God, our God, and our father, euen at that time when we hauehave treſpaſſed againſt him 18? Is it not that ſpirit, which is freely giuen vntounto vsus as a gift, for a ſure and certaine pledge of our adoption 19? Wherfore, The aſſurāce of the vocatiō is knowē by faith, and ſo by the vocation the election.if wee can gather by theſe effects, that wee hauehave faith, it followeth that wee are called and drawen effectually. And againe, by this vocation, which we hauehave declared properly to belong to the children of God, that is euidently proued, which we tooke in hand to ſhewe, that is, for aſmuch as we were predeſtinat by the eternall counſell and decree of God (the which he had determined in himſelfe) to be adopted in his Sonne, therefore wee were giuen to him: whereof the concluſion followeth, that ſith by the moſt conſtant will of God 20, which onelyonly is grounded on it ſelfe, and dependeth on none other thing, wee are The confidence to perſeuere & to be ſaued, is ſure and certaine.predeſtniate, & no man can take vsus out of the hands of the Sonne: alſo ſeeing that to continue and perſeuere in the faith is neceſſary, it followeth I ſay, that the hope of our perſeuerance is certaine, and ſo conſequently our ſaluation: ſo that to doubt any more of it, is euill and wicked 21. So farre then it is againſt reaſon to ſay that this doctrine maketh men negligent or diſſolute, that contrariwiſe, this alone doth open vsus the way, to ſearch out and vnderſtand, by the power of the holy ghoſt▪ Gods deepe ſecrets, as the Apoſtle plainly teacheth 22, to the end that when we knowe thē (albeit we know thē here in this world but after a ſort 23, ſo that we muſt daily fight with the ſpirituall armor againſt diſtruſt 24,) wee may learne to behaue our ſelues not idlelie, but rather to perſeuere valiantly 25, to ſerue and honor God, to louelove him, to fear him, to call vpō him, that daily more and more as ſaith S. Peter, aſmuch as in vsus lieth, wee may make our vocation and election certaine 26.
Moreouer, how ſhall hee ſtand ſure and conſtant againſt ſo many grieuous tentations, both within & without, and againſt ſo many aſſaults of fortune (as the world doth tearm it) that is not wel reſolued in this point, which is moſt true? that is, that god according to his good vvill, doth all things whatſoeuer they be, & what inſtruments and meanes ſoeuer hee vſeth in working of the ſame, for the commoditio of his elect 27. Of the which number he is, that findeth himſelfe in The election onelyonly doth comfort vsus in all afflictions.this danger and trouble 28. As touching the other point, which concerneth reprobation, becauſe no man can cal to mind the determinat purpoſe of election, but at the ſame inſtant the contrary wil come to remembrance (beſides that in the holy ſcripture theſe two are oftentimes ioyned together) it muſt The doctrine of reprobation ought not to be ſuppreſſed.needs he, that ſuch as eſteem this part curious, or vnprofitable, and therfore not to be talked of, doe great iniury to the ſpirit of God. Therefore this part is to bee wayed and conſidered; but with ſuch Reprobation muſt be wiſely conſidered.modeſtie, that the height of Gods iudgements may at all times bridle our curious fanfies: in ſuch ſort, that we doe It may not be applyed particularly.not apply it particularly to any man, nor to any certain company. For in this ſort alſo it differeth from election, becauſe election (as hath beene ſaid) is reuealed to vsus by the ſpirit of God with in our ſelues, not in others, whoſe harts we cannot know. And reprobation is euer hid from men, except it bee diſcloſed by God, contrarie to the cōmon courſe of things. For who can tell, if God hauehave determined to ſhew mercy at the laſt houſe of death to him which hath ſpent all his life paſt lowdly and wickedly 29? But this truſt ought not to encourage any man to maintaine, and continue in his ſinne and vngodlineſs. For I ſpeake of thoſe things which vvee ought to conſider in others: for the examples of ſuch merciemercy of GOD, are very rare, neither any man that is vviſe, vvill promiſe to himſelfe through a vaine ſecurity and truſt, that thing which is not in his owne power 30.
It is therefore ſufficient if we can vnderſtand generally that there bee veſſels prepared to perdition 31: the which ſeeing God doth not reueale vntounto vsus who they are, we ought both in example of life and prayer diligently indeuour to win and recouer to We muſt labor to win all men.their ſaluation, yea euen very ſuch of whom by ſeeing their horrible vices we almoſt deſpaire 32. And if wee obſerue this order, wee ſhall receiue great fruit of this doctrine. For firſt, by the knowledge The doctrin of reprobation maketh men hūble.heerof, we ſhal learn humbly to ſubmit our ſelues to the maieſtie of God, ſo that the more we ſhall feare and reuerēce him, the more we ought to labour to confirme in our It maketh the grace of God to be better knowen of the elect.ſelues the teſtimonie of our election in Chriſt 33.
Furthermore, when wee ſhall diligently conſider the difference, which through the merciemercy of God is betwixt men, which are all alike ſubiect to the ſelfe ſame curſe & malediction, it cannot bee, but we muſt acknowledge & imbrace more earneſtly, the ſingular goodneſſe of God, then if wee did make this grace common to all men indifferently, or elſe referred the cauſe of the inequality of this grace to men 34.
Beſides this, whē we know that faith is a ſpeciall gift of God, ſhall wee not receiue it more willingly when it is offered, and be more careful to hauehave the ſame to increaſe, then if wee ſhould imagine It bringeth a godly care(as ſome doe) that it is in eueryevery mans povver to turne and repent when hee vvill; becauſe (they ſay) the Lord vvould that all men ſhould bee ſaued, and will not the death of a ſinner.
Finally, when wee ſee the doctrine of the Goſpell not onelyonly deſpiſed of all the world, but alſo cruelly perſecuted: and vvhen vvee ſee ſo great falſhood and rebellion amongſt men, what thing then can better confirme It doth cō firme vsus againſt all offences.and fortifie vsus, then to bee aſſured that nothing chaunceth by fortune: that GOD knoweth his 35, and that they vvhichwhich commit theſe thinges (except the Lord GOD turne their hearts) are thoſe which are deſtinate, not by chaunce, but by the ſure and eternall counſel of GOD, to be as it vvere a glaſſe, wherein the anger & power of God doth appeare? Truth it is, that theſe things can neuer bee ſo commodiouſly and perfectly treated of, that mans reaſon and wit cannot find out ſome thing to reply alwaies to the contrary; yea and ſo kindleth with deſire of contradiction, that it is ready to bring an action againſt God, and to accuſe and blame him, as chiefe author of all things. But let the Diuell roare and diſcontent him ſelfe, and the wicked kick and winſe: yet their owne conſcience ſhall The reprobate reſiſt againſt God in vaine.reproue & condemne them 36: when as ours, being confirmed in the truth, by the grace & merciemercy of our God, ſhall deliuer & freevs 37, in the day of Chriſt. To whom with the Father, and the holy Ghoſt, praiſe, glory, and honour be giuen for euer.
SO BE IT.