which they had determined. These things are confirmed by the apostle in the seventh of Romans, and in the fifth of Galatians. Therefore, indeed, our free will, (liberum arbitrium) is weak, because of the remains of the old Adam, and of natural (agnatæ) human depravity abiding in us to the end of life. In the mean while, as the powers of the flesh, and the remains of the old man, are not so efficacious that they should entirely extinguish the operation of the Spirit; on this account believers are called free (liberi:) but so that they acknowledge infirmity, and can glory nothing concerning their free will. For certainly that ought always to be present before the minds of the faithful, which blessed Augustine so often inculcates, from the apostle : "What hast thou that thou hast not received? and, if thou hast received it, why dost thou glory, as though thou hadst not received it?" To this it must be added, that the thing does not immediately come to pass which we have determined. For the events of things are placed in the hands of God. Whence Paul prays to the Lord, to prosper his journey. And even on this account our free will is feeble.-But no one denies that, in externals, the regenerate and the unregenerate have free will. For man both has this constitution in common with the animals, to whom he is not inferior, that he should will some things, and not will other things. Thus he is able to speak or to be silent; to go out of his house or to remain at home. Though even here also the power of God is to be observed, which effected, that Balaam could not reach that which he willed; neither could Zacharias, coming out of the temple, speak as he willed.-In this concern we condemn the Manichæans, who deny that to man (when) good, the beginning of evil was from free will; We condemú also the Pelagians, who say, that man (when) evil has sufficiently free will for the performance of the good commandment. Both are convicted by the holy scripture, which saith to those, "God made man upright; and to these,"If the Son shall make you free, then are ye free indeed."

ARTICLE X.- -Concerning the Predestination of God, and the Election of the Saints.

• God from eternity predestinated or elected, freely and of bis mere grace, without any respect of man, the saints whom he willeth to save in Christ, according to that of the apostle: "God chose us in him, before the foundations of the world were laid." And again, "Who saved us, and called us with a holy calling

not according to our works, but according to his purpose and grace, which was given unto us through Christ Jesus, before eternal times; but is now made manifest by the appearance of our Saviour Jesus Christ." Therefore not without a medium, though not for any merit of ours, but in Christ, and because of Christ, God elected us: so that those same persons who now are grafted into Christ by faith are also the elect: but the reprobate are those who are without Christ, according to that of the apostle : "Try your own selves, whether ye be in the faith. Do ye not know your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" Finally, the saints are elected in Christ, by God, unto a certain end, which also the apostle expounds, and says: "He hath elected us in him, that we should be holy and unblameable before him in love: Who predestinated us, that he might adopt us for children by Jesus Christ unto himself; that the glory of his grace may be praised." And, though God knows who are his own, and somewhere mention is made of the fewness of the elect; yet good hope is to be entertained concerning all, neither is any one rashly to be numbered among the reprobate. Paul certainly says to the Philippians, "I give thanks for you all," (he speaks concerning the whole church at Philippi,)"that ye have come into the fellowship of the gospel: being persuaded that he who hath begun a good work in you will perform it: as it is just, that I should think this of you all."* And, when our Lord was asked, "Are they who are saved few?" the Lord did not answer or say, that fewer or more would be saved; but he exhorts rather that every one should "strive to enter in at the strait gate." As if he had said: It does not belong to you to inquire over curiously concerning these things, but rather earnestly to endeavour to enter heaven by the right way. Therefore indeed we do not approve the impious words of certain persons, who say, Few are elected, and as I do not know whether I be in the number of these few persons, I will not withhold indulgence from my inclination (genium meum non fraudabor). Others say: if I am predestinated or elected of God, nothing can hinder me of salvation which is already certainly determined; whatever I may devise (designavero). But, if I am of the number of the reprobate, no faith or repentance will

12 Cor. xiii. 5. 2 Eph. i. 4-6. 3 Phil. i. 3-7.

Luke xiii. 23-28.

The word implies devising some new scheme, particularly of mischiefer wickedness.

See Ter. Adelph. I. ii. 1.6, 7.

help me; as the determination of God cannot be altered: therefore instructions and admonitions are useless. For against this fighteth that of the apostle: "The servant of the Lord ought to be prompt for teaching, instructing those who oppose themselves; if at any time God may give them repentance, to acknowledge the truth; that they may recover themselves from the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him at his will." Also Augustine, concerning the good of perseverance, in the fourteenth and following chapters, shews that each ought to be preached ; both the grace of free election and predestination, and admonitions, and salutary doctrines. We blame those, therefore, who inquire out of Christ, (extra Christum) whether they were elected from eternity! or what God had determined concerning them before all eternity. For the preaching of the gospel should be heard, and believed in; and it should be considered as undoubted, that if thou believest and art in Christ, thou art elect: for the Father hath opened to us, in Christ, the eternal sentence of his predestination; as I have lately expounded from the apostle. It is therefore to be taught and considered before all things, how great love of the Father towards us hath been revealed to us in Christ: that is to be heard which the Lord himself daily preaches to us in the gospel; how he calls, and says, "Come unto me all ye that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh 173 you.' "So God loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son for the world; that every one who believeth should not perish, but should have eternal life." Likewise, "It is not the will of your Father, that one of these little ones should perish." Christ therefore is the mirror in which we must contemplate our election. We shall have sufficiently perspicuous and firm evidence, that we are written in the book of life, if we have fellowship with Christ, and he, by true faith, is ours, and we are his. Let it comfort us in the temptation of predestination, than which scarcely any is more dangerous, that the promises of God are universal to believers: because he saith, "Ask and it shall be given you;" Every one that asketh receiveth :' that finally we pray with the universal church, " Our Father, who

5

'2 Tim. ii. 24-26.

22 Tim. i. 1. This seems to refer to something not found in the article, but which had lately been published by the person who composed 4 John iii. 16.

this article.

3 Matt. xi. 28-30.

Matt. xviii. 14.

⚫ Matt. vii. 7,

8.

Luke xi. 9, 10.

"art in the heavens;" that by baptism we are grafted into the body of Christ; that in the church, we feed on his flesh and blood frequently unto life eternal. Strengthened by these things, we are commanded to "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling," according to the precept of Paul.'

The other articles in this confession have nothing in them, relative to doctrine, so peculiar as to render it needful to adduce them and, indeed, it is on the subjects thus far stated, that an idea prevails, of some very horrid and dismaying sentiments existing in any formulary or confession, which Calvin or Beza was at all concerned in framing or sanctioning. Yet, in fact, except the word reprobate, this confession is at least as distant from any thing of the kind as our Articles, from the ninth to the eighteenth inclusive. If any person should feel surprise, on finding that in this confession, in which beyond doubt Calvin or his friends at least concurred, nothing more is found of those higher and more offensive points of Calvinism, of which instances have been adduced from Calvin's works, especially his Institutes, I would wish him to consider three things. First, Calvin wrote his Institutes early in life. The first edition was dedicated to Francis I. of France, A. D. 1536, when Calvin was little more than twenty-seven years of age: and, though he might afterwards, in more mature years, be convinced that some things had been stated in a manner more exposed to objection than it was needful they should be; yet, as no position had been satisfactorily answered, and he was not to the end of life convinced that any one was false; he might deem it proper to let a book, which had gained so extensive celebrity, continue without material alteration. Many things in the state of affairs at that time might seem to render this expedient. Secondly, it is evident, that he did not think all, which constituted the creed of any individual author, needful to be inserted in a public confession, in which a large number of divines, from divers regions, were to concur. Each of these might have, and probably had, some opinions which were his own, but which, in order to a public concurrence in the confession, he must consent to exclude; else nothing homogeneous or consistent could be produced. And, doubtless he would think, at least in his old age, that many doctrines are true, and

useful to those who can receive them, which, in what is to be proposed to nations at large, are not appropriate or salutary, but the contrary. The same reasoning holds equally good respecting the compilers of our Articles, Liturgy, and Homilies. So far from concluding a priori, that they were less Calvinistic in their private works than they appear to be in these public authorized writings, the contrary might far more reasonably have been expected and it is indeed most certainly the case. Thirdly, Something, at the first compiling of this confession, was to be prepared, which, though containing the grand outline of evangelical doctrine, might be presented to the general council; and afterwards, which should approve itself to the several princes of the empire and the adjacent regions; so as to secure their attachment and support, or, at least, not needlessly to excite their opposition. This might be, and no doubt was, more the case in respect of the Helvetian Confession, than in that of our English Articles and Homilies: yet still, even as to these so public, and, as no doubt it was expected, so permanent writings, many things would by wise men be thought improper for insertion, which the very same persons would publish, without hesitation, as their own private sentiments.-But perhaps the Gallic confession may be thought more the work of Calvin than the Helvetian: Ishall therefore add a few extracts from it; for in some respects this opinion may be well grounded.

II.

FROM THE CONFESSION OF FAITH OF THE GALLIC CHURCHES, A. D. 1561; TRANSLATED INTO LATIN, 1566. (THIS WAS TWO YEARS AFTER CALVIN'S DEATH.)

ARTICLE VII.

'We believe that God, (the three persons co-operating,) by his own incomprehensible power, wisdom, and goodness, created all things universally; that is, not only the heaven and the earth, and all things contained in them, but even invisible spirits; of whom some fell headlong into destruction, and others persevered in obedience. Therefore we say, that the fornier, as they have been depraved by their own malice, are the perpetual enemies of all good, and of the whole church; and the latter having been preserved by the mere grace of God, are the ministers of his glory, and of the salvation of his elect.'