be the meaning of this Position That there is no election of Infants that is to say of infants one before another as if al were promiscuously saved neither truely hath that supposition any good ground nor this being granted will the foresaid position follow For the circumstance of age is impertinent and hath no operation to the establishing or takeing away of Gods election Suppose therefore all infants to be saved not one being rejected yet because Election and praeterition looke upon the common heape not the age they are segregated though not out of the number of infants yet out of the whole lump of sinfull mankind Which segregation is no lesse then a true election The riches of the goodnesse of God have beene poured forth upon the first beginnings of some infants in whom neither the precedent nor the future piety was the motiue for Gods choosing them Infants having no wils no actions of their own are segregated not without the judgement of God Some being taken as heyres some are let passe as debtors God helps those infants whom hee will though they neither will nor runne whom hee hath chosen before the foundation of the world in Christ. THE EIGHTH ERRONEOVS OPINION THat the good will of God by which out of many possible conditions he hath decreed to choose faith onely and to accept it for the condition of bestowing salvation is that only or chiefe good pleasure of God whereof the Scripture speakes and out of which all singular persons are chosen WEE doe not deny but that there is such a good pleasure of God layed open in the Gospell by which hee hath decreed to choose faith as a condition for conferring salvation that is by which hee would have the actual obtaining of salvation especially of those which are of ripe yeares to depend upon the condition of foregoing faith And this is the ioyfull and saving message to bee published to all Nations in the name of Christ. But this is not the very decree of Election properly taken and so much is set forth by the Apostle Paul 1 For that decree is Active ordaining some particular persons to saluation not disposing in things or of the connexion of things in order to salvation and it is confined to the creatures themselves not unto qualities Ephes. 1.4 He hath chosen vs to wit Men Rom. 8. Those whom he hath predestinated that is to say Men Mat. 20. Few are chosen That is few Men. 2 But the quality it selfe of faith is not in this sense called Elected but prescribed to the Elect and given and prepared from eternity For it is one of the chiefe spirituall blessings all which the chosen receive in Christ Ephes. 1.2 3 Lastly it is not rightly affirmed that particular men are elected out of this good pleasure by which faith onely is ordained as the condition of bestowing salvation For to be elected is to bee destinated to life eternall others being ouerpassed But in the foresaid decree no person is chosen no one person passed by but all are alike called and designed to salvation by one and the same condition In God the disposing of future things by his unfallible and unchangeable foreknowledge is no other thing then to predestinate II. OF REPROBATION THE FIRST ORTHODOXALL POSITION REprobation properly called or not-electing is the eternall decree of God by which out of his most free will he hath decreed not so farre to take pitie of some persons falne in Adam as to rescue them effectually through Christ out of the state of misery and without faile to bring them to blisse THe proper act of Reprobation as it is opposed to Election we thinke to be no other then the denying of the same glory and the same grace which are prepared for the sonnes of God by Election But glory and effectuall grace are prepared for them in the decree of Election and with this very intent that it should be effectuall that is that by such grace the sonnes of God might without faile come to the foresaid glory Such grace and glory to be prepared for Reprobates we deny This non-election we avow to be grounded vpon the most free will of God Rom. 9.11 That the purpose of God according to election might stand not of workes but of him that calleth It was said Iacob have I loved but Esau have I hated That is I have not so loved him as that through grace I should certainly bring him to glory And v. 18. He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth Againe vers 21. Hath not the Potter power over the clay of the same lumpe to make one vessell unto honor and another unto dishonor And Ioh. 10.26 ye beleeve not because ye are not of my sheepe Moreover the glory of Heaven is due to none but is the free gift of God Ro. 6.23 Therfore God according to his most free will can choose whom he will to glory and overpasse whom he will and that without any aspersiō of iniustice or hard dealing since that in the bestowing of freegifts there is no place left for injustice Neither is it any inclemēcy or cruelty to deny that to any man which is no way due unto him especially whē in the persō presented unto there is found the highest demerit or desert of punishment which is so farre from expecting free gifts that it cannot choose but call for most just judgements of which sort is the whole state of mankinde represented to God when hee was to choose or refuse whom he would among them And what is here said of the bestowing of glory is likewise to bee understood of the giving effectuall grace Behold mercy and judgement mercy in Election judgement upon those that are hardened They which doe not pertaine to the most certaine and happy number of the predestinated are dismissed and left to their owne free will c. They which by Gods deepe judgement are not severed by the predestination of grace from the lumpe of perdition to them are not applyed Gods promises or workings through which they might beleeve if they should heare or see such things THE SECOND POSITION THis not electing or over-passing doth not presuppose in the man overpassed any qualitie or other condition then that which is in the elect and which is common to the whole corrupted heape GOd choosing out of his mercy doth find every elect person in the corrupted heape overwhelmed in the same misery with the rest and by his present condition subject to death Rom. 9.15 I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and ver 23. That he may make knowne the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had prepared to glory Also ver 22. God willing to shew his wrath and make knowne his power c. So equall objects and persons of the same condition being propounded why God should free some and not all why these rather then them hee
does not fetch the reason out of any disparity among them but onely out of Gods free pleasure to show forth here his rich glory there his just wrath when he makes these such as they were not vessels of mercy those such as they very neere were vessels of wrath A type hereof is represented unto us Ezek. 1.16 where the naturall impurity of all men is set downe v 4. and the goodnesse of God choosing v 6. When thou wast in thy blood I said unto thee live yea I said unto thee others being left in their impurity He which is freed let him love Gods grace hee which is not freed let him acknowledge his owne debt although all men out of the same masse of perdition and damnation according to the hardnesse of their heart doe treasure up for themselves wrath as much as in them lyes God notwithstanding through his mercifull goodnesse does bring from that state some to repentance others according to his just judgment be does not bring Grace doth find some whom it may adopt among the most wicked at their last end when many which seeme lesse guilty have no part in this gift THE THIRD POSITION WHen God affordeth his saving Gospel to save Nations hee doth not this out of consideration of speciall worth in them And when hee denies this benefit to others there is alwaies a concomitant unworthinesse in them to whom it is denied But the meere will of God is the onely cause why to these he will not show that mercy which out of his good pleasure he vouchsafed to others no lesse unworthy thereof DEut. 9.4 Say not in thine heart for my righteousnesse the Lord hath brought mee in to possesse this land when for the wickedness of those Nations he hath driven them out from before thee and v. 5. That he might performe the word that he sware unto thy Fathers Vpon the like motives God alwayes finds in all places why he should not giue his Gospel to be preached or why hee should take it away being once given But where hee affordeth it to a people it is not for their righteousnesse or lesse wickednesse then is otherwhere found as if it were out of a kinde of congruity or desert but for his good pleasure and freedome of his spirit which blowes where it listeth and as long as it will If we will ascribe this to the merits of mens wills that grace should bee said to passe by the bad and choose the good the state of many innumerable Nations will confute us to whom for so many ages the light of heavenly doctrine hath not shined Neither can we say that their posterity were better men of whom it was written The Gentiles which sate in darkenesse have seene a great light THE FOVRTH POSITION TO some of those to whom the Gospel hath shined although they bee indued with many gifts of grace yet of their owne accord and withall infallibly they by Gods permission fall into those sinnes in which being forsaken and so remaining till death they make themselves liable to just damnation WE doe not deny but these though being not elected yet receive many effects of grace such as reckoned up Heb. 6.4 Illumination tast of the heavenly gift of the good word and of the powers of the world to come All which they turne to their owne greater destruction being left to their owne wills and not being founded upon Christ according to the decree of Election Rom. 11.7 The election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded He that falls away from Christ and ends his life being an alien from grace shall bee damned for his last sinnes And because his Apostacy could not be hidden from Gods foreknowledge nor frustrate the same without doubt God never chose such a man be never predestinated him yea hee never set apart from eternall death him who was to perish Some receive the grace of God but for a time they persevere not they forsake God and are forsaken of him for they are left to their owne freewill THE FIFT POSITION GOd damnes none or destinates to damnation except in consideration of sinne 1 GOd dispenseth the gifts of grace to his free will Matt. 20. 15. It is not lawfull for me to doe what I will with mine owne Yet hee never appoints the evill of punishment but upon the fore-seene guilt of men Rom. 3. 9. The Iewes and Greekes are all under sinne v. 19. That every mouth may be stopped and all the world guiltie before God Rom. 2. 9. Tribulation and anguish be unto the soule of every man that worketh evill 2 Moreover damnation is an act of vindicative justice and therefore it must necessarily presuppose a precedent fault A man that is not predestinated perisheth by voluntary not by constrained infidelity The predestination of God hath neither excited perswaded nor forced the falls of those which perish nor the untowardnesse of wicked men nor the wicked desires of sinners but God hath fore-ordained his owne judgement by which hee will render to every one according to that he hath done Erroneous Opinions THE FIRST THat the decree by which God from all eternitie and that irrevocably hath purposed out of lapsed mankinde to leave none but the impenitent and incredulous in sinne and under the wrath of God as being aliens from Christ is the whole andentire decree of Reprobation 1 THis we deny for the reasons alledged by us against the first erroneous position of Election 2 Besides in this decree there is not contained the speciall will of God not to take pitie of whom he will in which the decree of reprobation as it is opposed to Election is formally contained 3 Adde to this that if this decree were granted it might come to pass that God might passed by none but that all might hee chosen and brought to eternall life THE SECOND THat Reprobation from salvation is not of one kinde onely but is either indefinite and generall or else definite and particular and that this is also diverse either incomplete revocable mutable or else complete irrevocable immutable REprobation which is the negation of Election doth set downe to us the immutable will of God by which he hath decreed not to take pitie of that person whom he passeth by so farre forth as to bestow upon him eternall life Now this will of God doth not admit any change at all Esa. 46.10 My counsell shall stand Malach. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not Hereto may be added what wee have formerly set downe at the fourth orthodoxall position and at the fourth erroneous position concerning Election All the children of adoption before the foundation of the world were chosen In which election what man soever was not foreknowne in Christ shall not by any meanes be joyned unto him THE THIRD THat no man after Adams fall was overpassed by the meere will of God but all reprobation of particular persons was made upon consideration of their
THE COLLEGIAT SVFFRAGE OF THE DIVINES OF GREAT BRITAINE CONCERNING THE FIVE ARTICLES CONTROVERTED IN the Low Countries Which Suffrage was by them delivered in the Synod of Dort March 6. Anno 1619. Being their vote or voice foregoing the joint and publique judgment of that Synod LONDON Printed for Robert Milbourne and are to be sold at his Shop in Pauls Churchyard at the signe of the Greyhound 1629. The five Articles controverted in the Low-Countries and discussed in the Synod of Dort 1. Concerning Gods Predestination 2. Of Christs death and mans Redemption thereby 3. Of Freewill in the state of corruption 4. Of conversion unto God and the manner thereof 5. Of the Perseverance of the Saints THE SVFFRAGE OF THE DIVINES OF GREAT BRITAINE CONCERNING THE FIRST ARTICLE That is of Election That is of Reprobation First of Election Orthodoxall which wee lay downe and confirme First of Election Erroneous which wee reiect and confute The Positions Orthodoxall which wee lay downe and confirme The Positions Erroneous which wee reiect and confute THE FIRST ORTHODOXALL POSITION THe decree of Election or predestination unto salvation is the effectuall will of God by which according to his good pleasure for demonstration of his mercy he purposed the salvation of man being fallen and prepared for him such meanes by which he would effectually and vnfallibly bring the Elect to the selfe same end THE EXPOSITION AND CONFIRMATION OF THE POSITION WE call this Decree of Election an effectuall will of God because it respects not meerely and onely a way set downe and leading to life leaving man so ordained in the power of his owne free will after such manner as Adam was ordained to happinesse but it doth respect and fore-appoint the very issue of this Ordinance For this will is conjoyned with the power of God Esa. 14.24 The Lord of hosts hath sworne saying Surely as I have thought so shall it come to passe and as I have purposed so shall it stand Psal. 113. Whatsoever the Lord would that did hee in heaven and in earth upon which place see St. Austin Enchirid. c. 75. Rom. 8.30 Whom hee hath predestinated those he glorified Iohn 6.39 This is the Fathers will that sent mee that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing And vers 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me We acknowledge no other moving cause of this will besides the meere good pleasure of God Rom. 1.18 He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy Ephes. 1.11 Being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things according to the counsell of his owne will Rom. 9.11 Before the children were borne when they had done neither good nor evill that the purpose of God according to Election might stand But God doth deale with certaine men after this especiall manner for manifestation of his owne mercy Rom. 9.23 That God might make knowne the riches of his glory toward the vessels of mercy Yea and to them considered in the state of Adams fall namely for the freeing them out of the masse of perdition Eph. 1.4 In him to with Christ he hath chosen vs. 1 Tim. 1.15 Christ came to save sinners Finally lest Gods working in time should vary from his eternall purpose hee who did effectually destinate the elect unto salvation doth also afford them meanes agreeable to this foresaid intention that is to say those meanes which God knew would without faile bring them to salvation 2. Tim. 1.9 Hee hath saved us with an holy calling 2 Thess. 2.13 God hath chosen you unto salvation in the sanctification of the Spirit and beleefe of the truth to which he hath also called you by our Gospell Ephes. 1.4 He hath chosen us that we might be holy and without blame Mat. 13.11 To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven Out of which testimonies of Scripture it is evident that God by his foregoing decree of Election hath subordained all these things to wit the knowledge of the Gospell Vocation Faith Iustification Sanctification and Perseverance for the obtaining of the fore-determined salvation Out of many sayings of the Fathers wee gather a few When he predestinated us he foresaw his owne worke who maketh us both holy and without blame When God determineth to save a man no will of man resisteth God for to will or to nill is so far forth in the power of him that wils or nils that it can neither hinder the wil of God nor yet surpass his power He doth so teach them who are called according to his purpose bestowing at once both to know what they are to performe and also to performe what they know Although a great part of mankinde doe either reject or sleight the grace of the Saviour yet the elect and those which are foreknowne and so differenced from the many are reckoned for a certaine speciall collective body so that out of the whole world another entire world may seeme to be freed There is a portion of mankinde which is promoted by the meanes of faith enspired from God to high and eternall salvation by speciall graces THE SECOND POSITION CHrist is the head and foundation of the Elect so that all saving graces prepared in the decree of Election are bestowed upon the elect onely for Christ through Christ and in Christ. GOD in the eternall Election of particular men by one and the selfe same act both doth assigne Christ their head and also doth appoint them according to his good pleasure the members of Christ out of which purpose even before their vocation which is afterward performed in time God doth behold them as given unto Christ and chosen in him and accepted of himselfe Ephes. 1.3 He hath blessed us in all spirituall benediction in Christ. v. 4. He hath chosen us in him v. 7. In whom we have redemption and remission of sinnes v. 13. In him we are sealed Whatsoever is intended to the Elect from all eternity is as we may so say shut up in the will of God neither is it immediately imparted unto us but for Christ in Christ and by Christ. Coloss. 2.3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge v. 7. Wee are rooted and built up in him v. 10. Ye are complete in him Lastly he is the fountaine from which all the streames of saving grace doe flow to us Iohn 1.16 Of his fulnesse have all we received grace for grace 2 Tim. 1.9 He hath called us with an holy calling according to his purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Iesus before the world beganne As he was predestinated that one that he might be our head so we being many are predestinated that we might be his members God calls many predestinated his sonnes that hee might make them the members of his owne predestinated onely Sonne After the fall of man God would have it an act of his meere grace
unbeleevers not yet washed in the blood of Christ nor the guilt of any whatsoever degree but such a guilt as for which the hostile anger and vengeance of God lieth heavily upon the guiltie person Whosoever is justified by a true faith can never afterward bee guiltie after this manner We may therefore say that the effect of justification is for a time suspended by the entercourse of such a particular sin because the person by reason of this new guilt needeth a particular absolution But wee cannot say that the state of justification is dissolved forasmuch as the same person doth not fall from the generall pardon of his forecommitted sins nor is deprived of that speciall intercession which our Saviour hath promised to all the faithfull nor of the free love of God his Father The same case holds in adoption For God never adopted to himselfe a Sonne in Christ whom afterwards he either must or would dis-inherit and cast out of his familie The children of God may indeed sinne and that very grievously but the providence and mercie of God will not suffer them so farre to sin as that they should thereby be bereft of their heavenly home and Father The servant abideth not in the house for ever but the sonne abideth for ever For as Saint Ambrose speakes God doth not make void the gift of adoption To conclude the seed of regeneration with those fundamentall gifts without which the spirituall life cannot subsist are preserved in safetie This is hence evident because that the same holy Spirit who doth infuse this seed into the hearts of the regenerate doth imprint into the same seed a certaine heavenly and incorruptible vertue and doth perpetually cherish and keepe the same Iohn 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a Well of water springing up unto everlasting life 1 Iohn 3.5 Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sinne because hee is borne of God This seed of life remaining in them it is altogether impossible that the gifts of lively faith charitie should be quite extinguished Hence Gregory rightly sayes In holy mens hearts the Spirit alwayes abides according to some vertues or graces according to others he comes to depart and departs to returne but in the hearts of his Elect he remaineth in those vertues without which eternall life is not attained THE SEVENTH POSITION THat the regenerate doe not altogether fall from faith holinesse and adoption proceeds not from themselves nor from their owne will but from Gods speciall love divine operation and from Christs intercession and custody IT is certaine that if God would deale with us upon strict termes he might most justly for our ungratitude untowardnesse withdraw from us his fatherly favour and gifts of saving grace But for as much as even by the determination of the Schoolemen sinne doth not take away grace efficiently that is by certaine expulsion but by way of demerit that is deservingly surely unlesse it can bee proved that God deales with his according to their deserts it will not follow that upon the committing of a grievous sinne they lose faith or fall away from the state of justification and adoption For that which in regard of our ill desert might justly be done is by the mercie of God and by Christs intercession and the operation of the holie Ghost hindred from being done No creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Not the Devill for God shall bruise him under our feet Not the world for Christ hath overcome the world And he doth so worke in all his that they also at length overcome through faith Lastly not those things from whence is our greatest danger our own weaknesse the inclination and pronenesse of our owne free will to wickednesse for the goodnesse of God is alwaies shewed in this weaknesse of the faithfull and through the intercession of Christ for them is obtained that they shall not fall off from their faith Luke 22.32 I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not Iohn 17.20 Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall beleeve on me through their word We doe not therefore fetch this perseverance of the faithfull in their faith and Gods grace from their owne free will but from Christ that frees them The Lord shall deliver me from every evill worke and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdome 2 Tim. 4.18 To this purpose are those words of Saint Augustine We live safer if wee trust all to God and doe not commit our selves partly to God and partly to our selves As God workes that we come to him so he works also that we depart not from him THE EIGHTH POSITION THe perseverance therefore of holy men is the free gift of God and is derived unto us out of the decree of election THis conclusion ariseth out of those things which are said before but that it may more manifestly appeare we will adde somewhat more First that it is the free gift of God is proved out of the words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 4.7 What hast thou that thou didst not receive Now if thou didst receive why dost thou glorie as if thou hadst not received If any thing can give a just cause to men of glorying surely this that they have persevered in good unto the end then when they could at their owne pleasure not have made use of those meanes which in themselves were sufficient for perseverance Either therefore this doth betide the faithfull by way of speciall gift or they have something which they have not received in which they may greatly glorie But wee affirme on the contrarie whether by perseverance be understood either that power which doth propp and hold up the faithfull or the stabilitie it selfe and the unconquered firmenesse of their faith or lastly the very act of persevering that there is none of these which is not the gift of God Touching that power by which the will is stayed up that it may persevere the Remonstrants easily grant that it is the onely grace of GOD which doth arme a man with this strength to persevere Touching the stability and firmenesse which is considered as the manner or adjunct of true faith this also is to bee numbred among the gifts of God For he which doth give the thing it selfe to wit faith doth also give the manner of the thing to wit the stability and firmenesse of the same faith 2 Thes. 3.3 The Lord is faithfull who shall establish you 1 Cor. 1.7.8 Yee come behinde in no gift waiting for the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ who shall confirme you unto the end that ye may be blamelesse Out of which words it is manifest that faith is the gift of God as well in the