drink Wine, and if I abftain from it becaufe of its ill effects; and take no care to banifh from my Heart Pride and Difobedience, which make me fall into Schifm and Herefy. If I commit Murder, and avoid Fornication; if I give Alms to to the Poor, and wrong the Widow and Fatherlefs, I am very far from Holiness. As the works of the Flesh are Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, Lafcivioufnefs, Idolatry, Witchcraft, Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath - Strife, Seditions, Herefies, Envyings Murders, Drunkenness, Revilings and fuch like. So the fruit of the Spirit, (or Ho linefs) is Love, Foy, Peace, long Suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meek-: nefs, Temperance, in a word, the practice of all Vertues and Commandments of God, Gal. 5. 19. Whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, be is guilty of all, Jam. 2. 10. and St. Peter bids us to lay afide all Malice, all Guile and Hypocrifies, and Envies, and Evil Speakings, 1 Pet. 2. 1. The Devil cares but little whether you be chaft, provided you be Proud or Seditious, e whether you be he all es not at. Meek, provided you commit Adultery

ditieux. Il ne fe met pas en peine que nous foyons pacifiques, pourveuque nous commettions l'Adultere, ou la Fornication. Il fçait bien que, fans la pratique de toutes les vertus, & fans Pobfervace de tous les commandements, nous ne ferons jamais fauvez. Si tu veux être fauvé, dit J. Chrift à ce jeune homme qui luy demandoit ce qu'il devoit faire pour obtenir le faluteternel, garde

les commandements.

CHAP. XIX.

De la Predeftinatian & Repro-
bation.

Alvin & fes Sectateurs, qui font dif

C perfez en pluffieurs lieux de la ter

re, mais particulierement en France, Angleterre, Allemagne, Geneve, & aux environs, croyènt, maintiennent & publient cette Doctrine, fçavoir que Dieu par fon decret eternel & immu

able

or Fornication. He knows that without the Practice of all Vertues and Commandments you shall never be faved. if thou wilt be faved, faith Chrift to the Young Man that asked him what he ought to do to obtain Eternal Life, keep the Commandments.

CHAP. XIX:

Of Predeftination and Reproba

C

tion...

Alvin and thofe of his Sect that are fpred in feveral places of the World, as France, England, Holland, Germany, Geneva, and round about, believe, maintain, and publish this Doctrine, viz. that God did by his Eternal and immutable decree elect a fmell number of Men to be faved, and leave the reft in Damnation without any refpect of their Faith or Infidelity, good or bad Actions, without any o ther reafon but because it is his Will and

EF

able a chofi un petit nombre de perfonnes pour être fauvéz & a laiffé le refte dans la damnation, fans avoir au. cun égard à leur foy ou infidelité, à leur bonnes ou mauvaises Actions, & fans aucune autre raison que fon bon plaifir. Je fçay bien que Calvin a beaucoup travaillé à la vigne du feigneur ; je fçay qu'il a reformé l'Eglife qui etoit corrompue dans fes moeurs & dans fa Doctrine, & qu'il étoit Sçavant & zelé pour le falut des ames: neantmoins tout fçavant qu'il fuft, il a eu fes erreurs; & il ne faut pas s'en etonner, il etoit hom me, & il n'ya que Dieu feul qui ne peut errer: Mais afinqu'on ne dife pas que j'impofe a Calvin, voicy fes propres paroles.

Nous difons que dieu a unefois decreté par fon confeil eternel & immuable les quels il vouloit prendre à falut,& les quels il vouloit devouer à perdition. Nous difons que ce confeil quant aux eleus, eft fondé en fa mifericorde fans aucun égard de dignité bumaine. Aucontraire que l'entrée de vie eft forclofe à tous ceux qu'il veut livrer à damnation, & que cela fefait par fon jugement occulte, & incomprehenfible, combi

en

and Pleafure. I know that Calvin took great pains in the Lords Vineyard; 'tis certain that he reformed the Church, which was corrupted both in its mannersand Doctrine, and that he was very Learned and Zealous for the Salvation of the Souls of Men; yet though he was very Learned, he had his Er rors, and we muft not wonder at it, he was a Man, and God only cannot Err. And to the end that no Body might fay that I wrong Calvin, here are his own words.

We fay that God by Eternal and unchangeable Counfel bath once appointed whom in time to come he would take to Salvation, and on the other fide whom be would condemn to deftruction. This Courfe as touching the Elect we fay to be grounded upon bis free Mercy, without any refpect of the worthiness of Man. But whom be appointed to Damnation, to them, by his just indeed and irreprehenfible, but alfo incomprehenfible judgment, the entry of Life is foreclofed, Inftitut. 1. 3. Ç. 21. S. 7. 12 -all these things, which we bave faid, are nors without controversy among many, specially the free Election of the Faithful, which yet cannot be weakened for the

com