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of man before God, contrary to the consent of the universal church. 1

5. Who teach, 'That all men are taken into a 'state of reconciliation and the grace of the co'venant; so that no one on account of original ، sin is liable to damnation, or to be damned; but "that all are exempt from the condemnation of ، this sin. For this opinion opposes the scripture, affirming, that " By nature we are the children “ of wrath." 2

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، We of good reason and right, say with divine Paul, That we are justified by faith alone," or "by faith without the "works of the law." But properly speaking, we by no means ' understand, that faith by itself, or of itself, justifies us; seeing it is that which becomes indeed as an instrument, by which we ' apprehend Christ our righteousness. Christ therefore himself ' is our righteousness, who imputes unto us all his own merits; but faith is an instrument, by which we are joined to him in the society or communion of all his goods, and are retained in it insomuch that all these, having been made our's are " more than sufficient for us for our absolution from sins.' Belgic Confession, Art. xxii.

2 See on the third article of the Rejection of Errors concerning divine Predestination. ، Original sin,. . . the fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam,. . . in every person born into this world, de، serveth God's wrath and damnation.. . . And, although there is ⚫ no condemnation for them that believe and are baptized; yet 'the apostle doth confess, that concupiscence and lust hath of ⚫ itself the nature of sin.' Art. ix. Church of England.

'We believe, that by the disobedience of Adam the sin which I they call original, (originis), hath been spread abroad, and 'poured out upon the whole human race. But original sin is

، the corruption of the whole nature, and hereditary vice, by ' which even infants themselves in the mother's womb are polluted : and which, as a certain noxious root, shoots forth ' (progerminat) every kind of sins in man; and is so base and ' execrable before God, that it is sufficient for the condemnation

6. Who employ the distinction of impetration and application, that they may instil this opinion into the unwary and inexperienced, That God, as far as pertained to him, willed to confer equally upon all men the benefits which were acquired by the death of Christ; and that some rather than others (præ aliis) should be partakers of the remission of sins and eternal life, this discrimination depended on their free will, applying to themselves the grace indiscriminately offered; not from an especial gift of mercy operating effectually in them, that they, rather than others, should apply to themselves this grace. For these, while they pretend that they propose this distinction in a wholesome sense, endeavour to give the people a taste of the pernicious poison of Pelagianism. 1

of the whole human race.

Neither is it to be believed that it

is entirely extinguished, or pulled up by the roots, in baptisın; 'seeing that from it, as a from a corrupt fountain, perpetual 'streams and rivulets continually arise and flow forth; though 'to the children of God it does not avail, nor is imputed to their ' condemnation, but is remitted to them by the pure grace and 'mercy of God; not that they should fall asleep confiding in this remission; but that, by the sense of this corruption, it should excite the more frequent groans (gemitus) in the 'faithful; and that they should more ardently desire to be freed 'from this body of death. Hence we condemn the error of the Pelagians, who assert that original sin is nothing but imitation. Phil. ii. 13. John xv. 5. Psalm li. 7. Rom. iii. 10. Gen. vi. 3. 'John iii. 6. Rom. v. 14. Eph. ii. 5. Rom. vii. 18-24.' Belgic Confession, Art. xv.

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1 Cor. xv. 10. Eph. ii. 3-6. Tit. iii. 4—6. Art. x. of the Church of England, on Free Will.

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'We believe, that the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts imparts unto us true faith, that we may attain to the true know

ledge of this so great a mystery; which faith embraces Jesus

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Christ, with all his merits, and claims it to itself, as made its

8. For this was the most free counsel, and gracious will and intention of God the Father, that the life-giving and saving efficacy of the most precious death of his own Son should exert itself in all the elect, in order to give them alone justifying faith, and thereby to lead them to eternal life: that is, God willed that Christ, through the blood of the cross, (by which he confirmed the new covenant,) should, out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, efficaciously redeem all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation, and given to him by the Father; that he should confer on them the gift of faith; (which, as well as other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, he obtained for them by his death;) that he should cleanse them by his own blood from all sins, both original and actual, committed after as well as before faith; that he should preserve them faithfully to the end; and at length present them glorious before himself without any spot and blemish.1

9. This counsel, having proceeded from eternal love to the elect, has, from the beginning of the world to this present time, (the gates of hell in vain striving against it,) been mightily fulfilled, and will henceforth also be fulfilled: so that indeed the elect may in their time be gathered together in one, and that there may always be some church of believers founded in the blood of Christ, who counsel, according to his gratuitous goodness by Jesus Christ our Lord, he elected, without any respect to their works: but JUST, in leaving others in that their own fall and perdition, into 'which they had cast themselves headlong.' Belgic Confession, Article xvi.

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John vi. 37-40, 44, 65. Eph. v. 25-27. 1 Pet. i. 2—5. Rev. v. 9, 10.

may constantly love the Saviour, who for her, as a bridegroom for his bride, gave up his soul upon the cross; and perseveringly worship him, and celebrate him here and to all eternity.

BY THE TRANSLATOR.

These nine articles are thus abbreviated by Tilenus, and the abbreviation adopted by Heylin, and in the Refutation of Calvinism.'

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'ART. II. Of the Merit and Effect of Christ's Death.

"That Jesus Christ hath not suffered death, but 'for those elect only having neither had any 'intent nor commandment of his Faher, to make 'satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.'1

REJECTION OF ERRORS UNDER THE SECOND HEAD.

The orthodox doctrine having been explained, the Synod rejects the errors of those,

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1. Who teach, 'That God the Father destined 'his own Son unto the death of the cross, without ' a certain and definite counsel of saving any one by name, (or particularly, nominatim,)2 so that ' its own recessity, utility, and meritoriousness (dignitas) might stand unimpaired (sarta tecta) 'to the benefit obtained (impetrationi) by the 'death of Christ, and be perfect in its measures, (numeris,) complete and entire, even if the ob

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1 See Art. 4, 5, above.

2 Rev. xiii. 8. xvii. 8. xx. 15.

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'tained redemption had never, in the fact, been applied to any individual.' For this assertion is contumelious to the wisdom of God and the merit of Jesus Christ, and is contrary to scripture : as the Saviour says, "I lay down my life for the sheep, and I know them:" John x. 15. 27 : and the prophet Isaiah concerning the Saviour; "When he shall give himself a sacrifice for sin, " he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, "and the will of JEHOVAH shall prosper in his "hand." Is. liii. 10. And, finally, it overturns the article of faith by which we believe the church.'1 2. Who teach, That this was not the end of the death of Christ, that he might, in very deed, 'confirm the new covenant of grace through his 'blood; but only that he might, acquire a bare right to the Father of entering again into some ' covenant with men, either of grace or of works.' For this contradicts the scripture, which teaches, that "Christ is become the Surety and Mediator "of a better covenant." Heb. vii. 22. And "A "testament is at length ratified in those that are "dead." Heb. ix. 15, 17.2

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3. Who teach, 'That Christ, by his satisfaction, 'did not with certainty (certo) merit salvation itself, ' and faith by which this satisfaction of Christ may 'be effectually applied unto salvation; but only that 'he acquired to the Father power, and a plenary will, of acting anew with men, and of prescribing

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For in this case there might possibly have been no“ church "of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." Acts xx. 28.

2 Isa. xlii. 6. xlix. 8. Dan. ix. 27. Matt. xxvi. 28. Mark xiv. 24. Gr. Heb. ix. 13-23. xiii. 20.

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