§ 113. PREDESTINATION. 663
Helvetic Confession (1566), and the Anglican Articles (1571, Art. XVII.) indorse merely the positive part of the free election of believers, and are wisely silent concerning the decree of reprobation and preterition ; leaving this to theological science and private opinion.^ It is noteworthy that Calvin himself omitted the doctrine of predestination in his own catechism. Some minor Reformed Confessions, as that of Brandenburg, expressly declare that God sincerely wishes the salvation of all men, and is not the author of sin and damnation.
NOTES.
AUTHORITATIVE STATEMENTS OF THE CALVINISTIC DOC- TRINE OF A DOUBLE PREDESTINATION.
I. Calvin's Aeticuli de Pr^destinatione.
Calvin gave a condensed statement of his system in the following articles, which were first published by the Strassburg editors, in 1870, from his autograph in the University library of Geneva : —
\_Ex autographo Calvini Bihl. Genev., Cod. 145, fol. 100.~\
"Ante creatum prinium hominem statuerat Deus ceterno consilio quid de toto genere humano fieri vellet.
" Hoc arcano Dei consilio factum est ut Adam ah integro naturae suce statu deficeret ac sua defectione traheret omnes sues posteros in reatum ceternce mortis.
"^6 hoc eodem decreto pendet discrimen inter electos et reprobos : quia alios sibi adoptavit in salutem, alios ceterno exitio destinavit.
" Tametsi justce Dei vindictce vasa sunt reprobi, rursum electi vasa misericordice, causa tamen discriminis non alia in Deo qucerenda est quam mera eius voluntas, qucE summa est justitice regula.
" Tametsi electi fide percipiunt adoptionis gratiam, non tamen pendet electio a fide, sed tempore et ordine prior est.
1 The Second Helvetic Confession (chs. VIII. and IX.) uses the term reprobate (ad6KifMos, reprobus), but says nothing of a decree of reprobation. Reprobate is descriptive of moral character, and means not approved, unfit, Rom. 1:28; 1 Cor. 9:27; 2 Cor. 13:5-7; 2 Tim. 3:8; Tit. 1:16. The plural reprobates is an inaccurate rendering of the A. V. in 2 Cor. 13 : 6, 7, and 2 Tim. 3 : 8, and suggests the idea of a class of persons. The R. V. correctly has reprobate, since the Greek word is an adjective, not a noun.
564 THE REFOUMATION IX FRENCH SWITZERLAND.
"Sicut initium et perseverantia Jidei a gratuita Dei eleclionefluit, ila non alii vere illuminantur in Jidem, nee alii spiritu regenerationis donantur, nisi quos Deus elegit : reprobos vera vel in sua ccecitate manere necesse est, vel excidere a parte Jidei, si qua in ilUsfnent.
" Tametsi in Christo eligimur, ordine tamen illud prius est ut nos Dominiis in suis censeat, qua in ut facial Christi membra.
" Tametsi Dei voluntas summa et prima est rerum omnium causa, et Deus diaholum et impios omnes suo arbitrio subiectos habet, Deus tamen neque peccuti causa I'ocari potest, neque mali autor, neque iilli culpa obnoxius est.
« Tametsi Deus peccato vere infensus est et damnat quidquid est iniustitice in hominibus, quia illi displicet, non tamen nuda eius permissione tantum, sed nutu quoque et arcano decreto gubernantur omnia hominum facta.
" Tametsi diabolus et reprobi Dei ministri sunt et organa, et arcana eius Judicia exsequuntur, Deus tamen incomprehensibili modo sic in illis et per illos operatur ut nihil ex eorum vitio labis contrahat, quia illorum malitia iuste recteque utitur in bonumfnem, licet modus scepe nobis sit absconditus.
"Inscite vet calumniose faciunt qui Deum fieri dicunt autorem peccati, si omnia eo volente et ordinante fiant : quia inter manifestam hominnm pravitatem et arcana Dei iudicia non distinguunt."
II. The Lambeth Articles.
In full agreement with Calvin are the Lambeth Articles, 1595. Thej were intended to be an obligatory appendix to tiie Thirty-nine Articles which, in Art. XVII., present only the positive side of the doctrineof predestination, and ignore reprobation. They were prepared by Dr. Whitaker, Professor of Divinity in Cambridge, and approved by Dr. Whitgift, Archbisliop of Canterbury, Dr. Hutton, Archbishop of York, and a number of prelates convened at Lambeth Palace, London; also by Hooker (with a slight modification; see Hooker's iroiis, ed. by Keble, II. 752 sq.). But they were not sanctioned by Queen Elizabeth, who was displeased that a Lambeth Synod was called without her authority, nor by James I., and gradually lost their power during the Arminian reaction under the Stuarts. They are as follows : —
"1. God from eternity hath predestinated certain men unto life; certain men he hath reprobated.
"2. The moving or efficient cause of predestination unto life is not the foresight of faith, or of perseverance, or of good works, or of anything that is in tlie person predestinated, but only the good will and pleasure of God.
" 3. Tiiere is predetermined a certain number of the predestinate, which can neither be augmented nor diminished.
"4. Tliose wlio are not predestinated to salvation shall be necessarily damned for their sins.
"5. A true, living, and justifying faith, and the Spirit of God justifying [sanctifying] is not extinguished, falleth not away ; it vanisheth not away in the elect, either finally or totally.
"'6. A man truly faithful, that is, such a one who is endued with a justifying faith, is certain, with the full assurance of faith, of the remission of his sins and of his everlasting salvation bv Christ.