8

t

"Furthermore, we must receive God's promises in such wise as they be generally set forth to us in holy Scripture; and, in our doings, that will of God is to be followed, which we have expressly declared unto us in the word of God."

The doctrine of Predestination has been the subject of the most perplexing controversy that has ever occurred amongst men. The controversy upon this subject commenced in the early part of the fifth century. It was carried on, with much warmth and acrimony, by Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, who first asserted the leading tenets of the Predestinarians, in opposition to the heretical opinions advanced by Pelagius. Predestination is affirmed to be the decree of God, by which, from all eternity, he has unchangeably appointed whatever comes to pass, and has particularly foreordained certain individuals of human beings to everlasting happiness, and certain individuals to everlasting misery. The former of these are called the elect, and the latter the reprobate.

The doctrine of absolute Election and Reprobation was maintained by those who are called Supralapsarians. That God selected a certain

s John iii. 16. 1 Tim. ii. 4. 6.

t Luke x. 25, 26, 27, 28. Burnet, on the Articles. Bennet's Essay on the Articles. Tomline's Elem. of Christian Theol. Art. 17.

number of men, whom he passed over as unworthy of his regard and attention, was the doctrine of the Sublapsarians. But Election is not the effect of any irreversible decree; it is so called, because they embraced the Gospel readily, by which they became elect or precious to God. It would be needless to make our "calling and election sure," were they irreversible.

u

"God has chosen us before the foundation of the world." This is the true Scripture notion of Predestination: not that God absolutely and unconditionally predestinated particular persons to Salvation; but that, by an act of grace and mercy, he predestinated or appointed from the foundation of the world the person by whom, and the method in which, and the conditions in compliance with which, sinners might obtain forgiveness from him. This Predestination is not according to our works, however moral they may be, much less according to our ceremonial works; but is what proceeds merely from his goodness and mercy. God determined to create men reasonable Beings; he endowed them with the freedom of their will; and whatever is left to their choice must be conditional, and cannot have been, absolutely and immutably, from all eternity, de

u Eph. i. 4. 2 Tim. i. 9.

creed. At the same time he foresaw which way the inclination of man would direct him. He foresaw, that they would fall; but, in mercy and compassion, he predestinated to eternal salvation, those who should believe, and continue in the Faith. Predestination to Salvation is, in the Scriptures, uniformly offered to all men upon the conditions of Faith and Repentance. No one is predestinated to destruction, but by his own fault.

The Truth of this Article is clear from the passages of Scripture, to which the Reader is referred. It may be well to stop here, and to repress our vain curiosity; and to be satisfied with the divine promises, as they are proposed in the Sacred Writings; and which it becomes us to embrace. Predestination, rightly considered, can never mean that God decrees one part of mankind to everlasting happiness, and another to endless misery, according to his will and pleasure. With respect to Faith in Christ, "a faith that worketh by love," it is "a doctrine sweet and comfortable;" but, absolutely considered, leads to self-security or desperation, with regard either to faith or a good life. A doctrine so erroneous as absolute Predestination, our Church utterly condemns.

This Article is also the seventeenth of those of 1552. There is only some verbal difference :

the word "to" in the first line was in that Article

66

unto;" the words "in Christ" were added after "chosen;" "God by" were added after " sons of;" the word "his" only-begotten was "the" in the former Article; and, in the last clause, after "Furthermore" were inserted, " though the decrees of Predestination be unknown to us, yet" we must receive, &c., but here omitted.

ARTICLE XVIII.

OF OBTAINING ETERNAL SALVATION ONLY BY THE NAME OF CHRIST.

THE eighteenth Article treats of obtaining Salvation, only by the name of Christ; and that no man shall be saved by that rule of conduct or denomination of Religion, which he may assiduously pursue, as far as his peculiar principles, and

the light of nature teach.

X

There is but one way

of Salvation, which the Holy Scripture sets before us, in the "Name of Jesus Christ."

* Gal. i. 8, 9.

Cyprian.

y Is. lxiii. 3. Acts iv. 12. 1 Cor. iii. 11.-i. 31. Rom. iii. 37. Eph. ii. 9. Ignatius ad Trallenses. Barnabas Ep. c. 12. Testim. ad Quirin. 1. 3. c. 3. Sherlock, on Judgment, c. 6. son, on the Creed, Art. 9. Prideaux Fasc. Cont. c. 4. Q. 7.

Pear

Christian obedience deduced from the love of God in the heart, or the renewal of the spirit of our minds, must necessarily spring from a true and lively Faith. Every Christian is under the strongest obligation to believe and obey the Gospel. Upon these conditions only, Salvation is promised.

This was also the eighteenth Article of 1552. It was intituled, "Everlasting Salvation to be obtained only in the name of Christ."

After this Article was the nineteenth of 1552, which was omitted in 1562. It was as follows, and intituled, "All men are bound to keep the precepts of the Moral Law.”—“ Although the Law given from God by Moses, as touching Ceremonies and Rites, do not bind Christian men, nor the Civil Precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any Commonwealth; yet notwithstanding, no Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the Commandments, which are called Moral. Wherefore, they are not to be heard which teach that the Holy Scriptures were given to none but the weak, and brag continually of the Spirit; by which they do pretend, that all, whatsoever they preach, is suggested to them, though manifestly contrary to the Holy Scripture."

P