Furthermore, we must receive God's promises in fuch wife, as they be generally fet forth to us in Holy Scripture: and in our doings, that will of God is to be followed, which we have exprefly declared unto us in the word of God.

For the right understanding of this Article, I intreat the Reader seriously to confider the Twenty first Chapter of the Third Part of Mr. Plaifere's Appello Evangelium, p. 334, &c. which when he has done, he may perufe what follows.

The Doctrin of Predeftination has fill'd many Volumes of Controverfy; and the English Patrons of the feveral Schemes or Hypothefes have endevor'd to fhew, that the Church of England does in this Article, either plainly maintain, or at least not contradict, their respective Opinions.

Now that the Doctrin of our Church is in fome Places utterly irreconcilable with the abfolute and irrespective Predeftination of both the Supralapfarians and Sublapfarians, is to me indifputably clear. For, First, The Church prays to God, just before a Child is baptiz'd, that it may receive the fulness of his Grace, and ever remain in the Number of his faithful and elect Children; and after 'tis baptiz'd, fhe thanks God, that 'tis regenerated with his Holy Spirit. And yet furely all Children that are baptiz'd, are not fav'd. Wherefore, in our Church's Judgment, fome Persons that had receiv'd the fulness of God's Grace, and were Elect, and regenerated with the Spirit, do afterwards fall away. Secondly, In the Burial Office, we pray God, that he would not fuffer us in our laft Hour for any Pains of Death to fall from him. This Petition is to be faid by the Elect, if there be any fuch amongst us. 'Tis poffible therefore, in the Judgment of our Church, for those that are Elect,

not

not barely to fall from God, but even to fall from him in their last Hour, that is, totally and finally.

as

Now thefe Particulars, not to mention others, do in my Opinion destroy all abfolute Predeftination; infomuch, that could I think abfolute Predeftination true (whether in the Supralapfarian or Sublapfarian Way) I could not fubfcribe to the Ufe of the Liturgy. Wherefore, tho' I do by no means cenfure fuch abfolute Predeftinarians, think the foregoing Particulars confiftent with their Notions, and do conform accordingly: yet I muft own, I do not fee how I could get over thofe Difficulties, were I perfuaded of the Truth of their Notions. And confequently I muft, till I receive greater Light, believe that our Church condemns thofe Notions, by injoining and afferting fuch things as are irreconcilable to them.

But then, with respect to this Seventeenth Article, I do not determin, whether our Church does condemn abfolute Predeftination, or no. If those who maintain it, think themselves able to reconcile this Article to their Doctrin, I am satisfied: tho' I must add, that I will not be bound to do the fame. As for conditionate Predeftination (if she does not affert or favor it, yet) that the Church does not in this Article condemn it, Mr. Plaifere has demonstrated, in the Chapter before mentioned, beyond all poffibility of Contradiction.

And indeed, 'tis to me a most astonishing thing, that the Patrons of abfolute Predeftination are able to perfuade themselves, as they very frequently and confidently maintain, that conditionate Predeftination is condemned in this Article by our Church. For every body that understands their Notions, must be forc'd to fee, one would think, that there is not one Syllable in this Article, but

1

what

what the Patrons of conditionate Predestination moft heartily approve and teach. 'Twould be endless to enumerate all the Authorities, by which this might be made appear. Let it therefore fuffice, that the only Part wherein any Difficulty can be pretended, is the Firtt Paragraph; and that Arminius himself (not to mention others his profefs'd Followers) does manifeftly affert every Branch of it, as appears from his own Words quoted in the (a) Margin, which the Reader may eafily com

pare

(a) Atque hactenus quidem, cum eas fententias declaraverim, quæ circa Articulum de Prædeftinatione in Ecclefiis noftris, atque etiam in Academia Leidenft inculcantur, atque a me improbantur: fimul vero etiam rationes meas produxerim, cur eo modo de illis judicem; deinceps meam ipfius fententiam in medium. proferam: quæ talis eft, ut ego quidem arbitrer eam verbo Dei quam maxime conformem effe.

Primum & abfolutum Dei decretum, de homine peccatore fervando, effe, quo decrevit Filium fuum Jefum Chriftum ponere in Mediatorem, Redemptorem, Salvatorem, Sacerdotem & Regem; qui peccatum morte fua aboleat, amiffam falutem obedientia fua impetret, & virtute fua communicet.

Secundum præcifum & abfolutum Dei decretum effe, quo decrevit refipifcentes & credentes in gratiam recipere, eofque perfeverantes ad finem uíque, falvos facere in Chrifto, propter Chriftum, & per Chriftum; impœnitentes vero & infideles in peccato & fub ira derelinquere, atque damnare tanquam alienos a Chrifto.

Tertium Dei decretum eft, quo decrevit media ad refipifcentiam & fidem neceffaria fufficienter & efficaciter adminiftrare. Hanc adminiftrationem inftitui juxta fapientiam Dei, qua fcit, quid mifericordiam & feveritatem fuam deceat, itemque juxta juftitiam ejus, per quam paratus eft fapientiæ fuæ præfcriptum fequi atque executioni mandare.

Hinc fequi quartum Decretum, quo decrevit fingulares & certas quafdam perfonas falvare & damnare. Atque hoc decretum præfcientiæ Dei innititur, qua ab æterno fcivit, quinam juxta ejufcemodi adminiftrationem mediorum ad converfionem & fidem idoneorum, ex præveniente ipfius gratia credituri

erant,

pare with the aforesaid First Paragraph: and by

fuch

erant, & ex fubfequente gratia perfeveraturi; quive vero etiam non erant credituri & perfeveraturi. Declaratio Senten. p. 119. inter illius opera, Lugd. Bat. 1629.

I. Decretum hoc Prædeftinationem vocamus; Græce g opropor a verbo geopí, quod fignificat, determinare, conftituere, difcernere aliquid anteaquam illud agas. Secundum hanc generalem notionem Prædeftinatio Deo tributa erit Decretum ejus de omnium rerum Gubernatione, quam Providentiam appellare folent Theologi. Minus generali notione confiderari folet, quatenus in genere circa creaturas rationales fervandas vel damnandas fpectatur, puta Angelos, & homines. Strictius de hominum Prædeftinatione fumitur, & tunc etiam dupliciter ufurpari confuevit: alias enim ad utrofque tum electos tum reprobos accommodatur; alias ad folos Electos reftringitur, & tunc oppofitam habet Reprobationem. Nos hoc poftremo fignificatu, quo illam ubique fere Scriptura ufurpat, de Prædeftinatione agemus.

II. Prædeftinatio itaque, ad rem quod attinet ipfam, eft Decretum Beneplaciti Dei in Chrifto, quo apud fe ab æterno statuit fideles, quos fide donare decrevit, juftificare, adoptare, & vita æterna donare ad laudem gloriofæ gratiæ fuæ.

III. Genus Prædeftinationis Decretum ponimus, quod reTHY & COURRY TOU dinar i Scriptura appellat; & Decretum non Legale, fecundum quod dicitur, qui fecerit ea homo vivet in illis: fed Evangelicum, cujus Hic eft Sermo; Hæc eft voluntas Dei, ut omnis qui videt Filium, & credit in illum, habeat vitam æternam; & propterea Decretum hoc eft peremptorium & irrevocabile, quia Evangelio continetur totius confilii Dei de falute noftra extrema patefactio.

IV. Caufa eft Deus fecundum beneplacitum feu benevolum affectum voluntatis fuæ, quo motus in fe & apud fe decretum illud fecit. Hoc Beneplacitum non modo excludit omnem caufam, quam ab homine fumere potuit, aut fumere fingi potuit: verum etiam amolitur quicquid in homine vel ab homine erat, quod Deum jufte permovere poterat, ne Decretum illud gratiofum faceret.

V. Decreti illius Fundamentum ponimus Jefum Chriftum, Mediatorem Dei & hominum, in quo Patri bene eft complacitum, in quo Deus mundum fibi reconciliavit, non imputans ipfis peccata illorum, quem Deus peccatum fecit, ut nos effemus juftitia Dei in illo: per hunc debuit juftitia fæculorum adduci,

adoptio

fuch Comparison he cannot but observe an exact Har

adoptio acquiri, Spiritus gratiæ & fidei impetrari, vita æterna comparari, omnifque benedictionum fpiritualium plenitudo præparari: quorum communicatio prædeftinatione erat decernenda. Hic etiam caput conftitutus eft a Deo omnium illorum, qui iftorum bonorum communionem funt divina Prædeftinatione accepturi.

VI. Decreto ifti æternitatem tribuimus, quia Deus nihil in tempore facit, quod ab æterno facere non decreverit. Nota enim funt Domino Deo noftro omnia opera fua ab ævo, & elegit nos in Chrifto antequam jacerentur fundamenta mundi: fecus Deo mutatio impingitur.

VII. Objectum feu materiam Prædeftinationis duplicem ponimus: cum res divinas, tum perfonas quibus illarum communicatio eft hoc decreto prædeftinata. Res illæ ab Apoftolo generali vocabulo Benedictionum Spiritualium appellantur: quales funt in hac vita Juftificatio, Adoptio in filios, Spiritus gratiæ & Adoptionis; denique poft hanc vitam, vica æterna: quæ omnia gratiæ & gloriæ nominibus comprehendi folent & enunciari in fcholis Theologorum. Perfonas circumfcribimus voce fidelium, quæ peccatum præfupponit: nam in Chriftum non credit nifi peccator, & qui fe peccatorem agnofcit. Inde benedictionum illarum plentitudo, earumque facta in Chrifto præparatio, non nifi peccatoribus neceffaria erat. Fideles autem dicimus non qui tales propriis meritis aut viribus erant futuri fed qui Dei beneficio gratuito & peculiarii n Chriftum eran credituri.

VIII. Forma eft ipfa bonorum iftorum fidelibus decreta communicatio, fideliumque in mente Dei præexiftens & præordinata ad Chriftum caput iftorum relatio & ordinatio: cuju fructum percipiunt ex reali & actuali cum Chrifto capite fuo unione, hic gratiofum per unionis inchoationem & provectionem, in futura vita gloriofum per unionis perfectam confummationem.

IX. Finis Prædeftinationis eft laus gloriofæ gratiæ Dei; quum enim gratia feu gratuítus Dei amor in Chrifto Prædeftinationis caufa fit, æquum eft ut illi eidem omnis iftius actus gloria cedat.

X. Hoc autem Prædeftinationis Decretum eft fecundum eleAtionem, ut inquit Apoftolus, quæ Electio cum neceffario inferat Reprobationem, hinc Prædeftinationi contraria opponitur. Repro

H