This Confessions page is for Calvinist, non-Calvinist, and Arminian lovers of history to read for themselves what the followers of Arminius believed on various theological and ecclesiological doctrines.
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The Remonstrance
(1610)
(1610)
The following Five Articles of the Remonstrants (lit. Protesters: the successors and followers of Arminius), which were historically the foundation for the Calvinist’s opposition -- which also gave rise to the TULIP acronym -- were constructed by Jan Uytenbogaert shortly after the death of Arminius, and collectively are known as The Remonstrance of 1610.
The Opinion of the Remonstrants regarding the Second Article, which Deals with the Universality of the Merit of the Death of Christ [Corresponding with the "L" of the TULIP].
The views of the Remonstrants regarding Perseverance are ambivalent in this confession. However, in the Opinions of the Remonstrants, 1618, which follows the Remonstrance of 1610, they were convinced that a true believer could forfeit his salvation by turning from belief to unbelief in Christ.
The original version of the Remonstrance was much longer, and was signed by 44 pastors. It was subsequently handed to the states of Holland and Westfriesland in this abbreviated form. The Remonstrance leaned heavily upon Arminius's Verklaring (a comprehensive statement describing the nature and structure of his theology) delivered the year prior. Positively constructed, they are a denial of Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, and Irresistible Grace.
The original version of the Remonstrance was much longer, and was signed by 44 pastors. It was subsequently handed to the states of Holland and Westfriesland in this abbreviated form. The Remonstrance leaned heavily upon Arminius's Verklaring (a comprehensive statement describing the nature and structure of his theology) delivered the year prior. Positively constructed, they are a denial of Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, and Irresistible Grace.
ARTICLE I.
That God, by an eternal, unchangeable purpose in Jesus Christ, His Son, before the foundation of the world, hath determined, out of the fallen, sinful race of men, to save in Christ, for Christ’s sake, and through Christ, those who, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, shall believe on this His Son Jesus, and shall persevere in this faith and obedience of faith, through this grace, even to the end; and, on the other hand, to leave the incorrigible and unbelieving in sin and under wrath, and to condemn them as alienate from Christ, according to the word of the Gospel in John 3:36: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him,” and according to other passages of Scripture also.
ARTICLE II.
That, agreeably thereto, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, died for all men and for every man, so that He has obtained for them all, by His death on the cross, redemption, and the forgiveness of sins; yet that no one actually enjoys this forgiveness of sins, except the believer, according to the word of the Gospel of John 3:16: “God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life”; and in the First Epistle of John 2:2: “And He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
ARTICLE III.
That man has not saving grace of himself, nor of the energy of his free-will, inasmuch as he, in the state of apostasy and sin, can of and by himself neither think, will, nor do anything that is truly good (such as saving faith eminently is); but that it is needful that he be born again of God in Christ [a form of prevenient grace, not regeneration proper, as we think today], through His Holy Spirit, and renewed in understanding, inclination, or will, and all his powers, in order that he may rightly understand, think, will, and effect what is truly good, according to the word of Christ, John 15:6: “Without Me ye can do nothing.”
ARTICLE IV.
That this grace of God is the beginning, continuance, and accomplishment of any good, even to this extent, that the regenerate man himself, without that prevenient or assisting, awakening, following, and co-operative grace, can neither think, will, nor do good, nor withstand any temptations to evil; so that all good deeds or movements that can be conceived must be ascribed to the grace of God in Christ. But, as respects the mode of the operation of this grace, it is not irresistible, inasmuch as it is written concerning many that they have resisted the Holy Spirit, — Acts 7:51, and elsewhere in many places.
ARTICLE V.
That those who are incorporated into Christ by a true faith, and have thereby become partakers of His life-giving Spirit, have thereby full power to strive against Satan, sin, the world, and their own flesh, and to win the victory, it being well understood that it is ever through the assisting grace of the Holy Spirit; and that Jesus Christ assists them through His Spirit in all temptations, extends to them his hand; and if only they are ready for the conflict, and desire His help, and are not inactive, keeps them from falling, so that they, by no craft or power of Satan, can be misled, nor plucked out of Christ’s hands, according to the word of Christ, John 10:28: “Neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.”
But whether they are capable, through negligence, of forsaking again the first beginnings of their life in Christ, of again returning to this present evil world, of turning away from the holy doctrine which was delivered them, of losing a good conscience, of becoming devoid of grace, that must be more particularly determined out of the Holy Scriptures before we ourselves can teach it with the full persuasion of our minds. [By 1618, the Remonstrants made a firm position that a true believer could fall away from the faith and be lost, as is demonstrated below.]
The Opinions of the Remonstrants
(1618)
The Opinion of the Remonstrants regarding the First Article, Dealing with the Decree of Predestination [Corresponding with the "U" of the TULIP].
1. God has not decided to elect anyone to eternal life, or to reject anyone from the same, prior to the decree to create him, without any consideration of preceding obedience or disobedience, according to His good pleasure, for the demonstration of the glory of His mercy and justice, or of His absolute power and dominion.
2. Since the decree of God concerning both the salvation and perdition of each man is not a decree of the end absolutely intended, it follows that neither are such means subordinated to that same decree by which the elect and the reprobate are efficaciously and inevitably led to their final destination.
3. Therefore God has not with this plan created in the one Adam all men in a state of rectitude, has not ordained the fall and the permission of it, has not withdrawn from Adam the grace which was necessary and sufficient, has not brought it about that the Gospel is preached and that men are externally called, does not confer on them any gifts of the Holy Spirit by means of which He leads some of them to life, but deprives others of the benefit of life, Christ, the Mediator, is not solely the executor of election, but also the foundation of that same decree of election: the reason why some are efficaciously called, justified, persevere in faith, and are glorified is not that they have been absolutely [i.e. unconditionally] elected to eternal life. That others are left in the fall, that Christ is not given to them, that they are either not called at all or not efficaciously called, these are not the reasons why they are absolutely rejected from eternal salvation.
4. God has not decreed to leave the greatest part of men in the fall, excluded from every hope of salvation, apart from intervening actual sins.
5. God has ordained that Christ should be a propitiation for the sins of the whole world, and by virtue of that decree He has determined to justify and to save those who believe in Him, and to provide for men means necessary and sufficient for faith in such a way as He knows to be in harmony with His wisdom and justice. But He has by no means determined, by virtue of an absolute decree, to give Christ the Mediator solely to the elect, and through an efficacious calling to bestow faith upon, justify, preserve in the faith and glorify them alone.
6. No one is rejected from life nor from the means sufficient for it by an absolute antecedent decree, so that the merit of Christ, calling, and all the gifts of the Spirit can be profitable to salvation for all, and truly are, unless they themselves by the abuse of these gifts pervert them to their own perdition; but to unbelief, to impiety, and to sins, a means and causes of damnation, no one is predestined.
7. The election of particular persons is decisive, out of consideration of faith in Jesus Christ and of perseverance; not, however, apart from a consideration of faith and perseverance in the true faith, as a condition prerequisite for electing.
8. Rejection from eternal life is made on the basis of a consideration of antecedent unbelief and perseverance in unbelief; not, however, apart from a consideration of antecedent unbelief and perseverance in unbelief.
9. All the children of believers are sanctified in Christ, so that no one of them who leaves this life before the use of reason will perish. By no means, however, are to be considered among the number of the reprobate certain children of believers who leave this life in infancy before they have committed any actual sin in their own persons, so that neither the holy bath of baptism nor the prayers of the church for them in any way be profitable for their salvation.
10. No children of believers who have been baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, living in the state of infancy, are reckoned among the reprobate by an absolute decree.
The Opinion of the Remonstrants regarding the Second Article, which Deals with the Universality of the Merit of the Death of Christ [Corresponding with the "L" of the TULIP].
1. The price of redemption which Christ offered to God the Father is not only in itself and by itself sufficient for the redemption of the whole human race but has also been paid for all men and for every man, according to the decree, will, and the grace of God the Father; therefore no one is absolutely excluded from participation in the fruits of Christ’s death by an absolute and antecedent decree of God.
2. Christ has, by the merit of his death, so reconciled God the Father to the whole human race that the Father, on account of that merit, without giving up His righteousness and truth, has been able and has willed to make and confirm a new covenant of grace with sinners and men liable to damnation.
3. Though Christ has merited reconciliation with God and remission of sins for all men and for every man, yet no one, according to the pact of the new and gracious covenant, becomes a true partaker of the benefits obtained by the death of Christ in any other way than by faith; nor are sins forgiven to sinning men before they actually and truly believe in Christ.
4. Only those are obliged to believe that Christ died for them for whom Christ has died. The reprobates, however, as they are called, for whom Christ has not died, are not obligated to such faith, nor can they be justly condemned on account of the contrary refusal to believe this. In fact, if there should be such reprobates, they would be obliged to believe that Christ has not died for them.
The Opinion of the Remonstrants regarding the Third and Fourth Articles, concerning the Grace of God and the Conversion of Man [Corresponding with the "T" and "I" of the TULIP].
1. Man does not have saving faith of himself, nor out of the powers of his free will, since in the state of sin he is able of himself and by himself neither to think, will, or do any good (which would indeed to be saving good, the most prominent of which is saving faith). It is necessary therefore that by God in Christ through His Holy Spirit he be regenerated and renewed in intellect, affections, will, and in all his powers, so that he might be able to understand, reflect upon, will and carry out the good things which pertain to salvation ["regeneration" here refers to the enabling grace of God, not regeneration proper, as one may think of it in modern terms].
2. We hold, however, that the grace of God is not only the beginning but also the progression and the completion of every good, so much so that even the regenerate himself is unable to think, will, or do the good, or to resist any temptations to evil, apart from that preceding or prevenient, awakening, following and cooperating grace. Hence all good works and actions which anyone by cogitation is able to comprehend are to be ascribed to the grace of God.
3. Yet we do not believe that all zeal, care, and diligence applied to the obtaining of salvation before faith itself and the Spirit of renewal are vain and ineffectual, indeed, rather harmful to man than useful and fruitful. On the contrary, we hold that to hear the Word of God, to be sorry for sins committed, to desire saving grace and the Spirit of renewal (none of which things man is able to do without grace) are not only not harmful and useless, but rather most useful and most necessary for the obtaining of faith and of the Spirit of renewal.
4. The will in the fallen state, before calling, does not have the power and the freedom to will any saving good. And therefore we deny that the freedom to will saving good as well as evil is present to the will in every state.
5. The efficacious grace by which anyone is converted is not irresistible; and though God so influences the will by the word and the internal operation of His Spirit that He both confers the strength to believe or supernatural powers, and actually causes man to believe, yet man is able of himself to despise that grace and not to believe, and therefore to perish through his own fault.
6. Although according to the most free will of God the disparity of divine grace is very great, nevertheless, the Holy Spirit confers, or is ready to confer, as much grace to all men and to each man to whom the Word of God is preached as is sufficient for promoting the conversion of men in its steps. Therefore sufficient grace for faith and conversion falls to the lot not only of those whom God is said to will to save according to the decree of absolute election, but also of those who are not actually converted.
7. Man is able through the grace of the Holy Spirit to do more good than he actually does, and to avoid more evil than he actually avoids; and we do not believe that God simply does not will that man should do more good than he does and avoid more evil than he does avoid, and that God has decreed precisely from eternity that both should so happen.
8. Whomever God calls to salvation, he calls seriously, that is, with a sincere and completely un-hypocritical intention and will to save; nor do we assent to the opinion of those who hold that God calls certain ones externally whom He does not will to call internally, that is, as truly converted, even before the grace of calling has been rejected.
9. There is not in God a secret will which so contradicts the will of the same revealed in the Word that according to it (that is, the secret will) He does not will the conversion and salvation of the greatest part of those whom He seriously calls and invites by the Word of the Gospel and by His revealed will; and we do not here, as some say, acknowledge in God a holy simulation, or a double person.
10. Nor do we believe that God calls the reprobate, as they are called, to these ends: that He should the more harden them, or take away excuse, or punish them the more severely, or display their inability; nor, however, that they should be converted, should believe, and should be saved.
11. It is not true that all things, not only good but also bad, necessarily occur, from the power and efficacy of the secret will or decree of God, and that indeed those who sin, out of consideration of the decree of God, are not able to sin; that God wills to determine and to bring about the sins of men, their insane, foolish, and cruel works, and the sacrilegious blasphemy of His name, in fact, to move the tongues of men to blasphemy, and so on.
12. To us the following is false and horrible: that God impels men to sins which He openly prohibits; that those who sin do not act contrary to the will of God properly named; that what is unrighteous (that is, what is contrary to the will of God properly named); that what is unrighteous (that is, what is contrary to His precept) is in agreement with the will of God; indeed, that it is truly a capital crime to do the will of God.
The Opinion of the Remonstrants with Respect to the Fifth Article, which Concerns Perseverance [Corresponding with the "P" of the TULIP].
1. The perseverance of believers in the faith is not an effect of the absolute decree by which God is said to have chosen singular persons defined by no condition of obedience.
2. God provides true believers with as much grace and supernatural powers as He judges, according to His infinite wisdom, to be sufficient for persevering and for overcoming the temptations of the devil, the flesh, and the world; it is never charged to God’s account that they do not persevere.
3. True believers can fall from true faith and can fall into such sins as cannot be consistent with true and justifying faith; not only is it possible for this to happen, but it even happens frequently.
4. True believers are able to fall through their own fault into shameful and atrocious deeds, to persevere and to die in them; and therefore finally to fall and to perish.
5. Nevertheless we do not believe that true believers, though they may sometimes fall into grave sins which are vexing to their consciences, immediately fall out of every hope of repentance; but we acknowledge that it can happen that God, according to the multitude of His mercies, may recall them through His grace to repentance; in fact, we believe that this happens not infrequently, although we cannot be persuaded that this will certainly and indubitably happen.
6. The following dogmas, therefore, which by public writings are being scattered among the people, we reject with our whole mind and heart as harmful to piety and good morals: namely,
1) True believers are not able to sin deliberately, but only out of ignorance and weakness.2) True believers through no sins can fall out of the grace of God.3) A thousand sins, even all the sins of the whole world, are not able to render election invalid.4) To believers and to the elect no sins, however great and grave they can be, are imputed; but all present and future sins have already been remitted.5) True believers, having fallen into destructive heresies, into grave and most atrocious sins, like adultery and homicide, on account of which the church, after the justification of Christ, is compelled to testify that it is not able to tolerate them in its external communion and that they will have no part in the kingdom of Christ unless they are converted, nevertheless are not able to fall from faith totally and finally.
7. A true believer, as for the present time he can be certain about his faith and the integrity of his conscience, and thus also concerning his salvation and the saving benevolence of God toward him, for that time can be and ought to be certain; and on this point we reject the pontifical opinion.
8. A true believer can and ought indeed to be certain for the future that he is able, by diligent watchfulness, through prayers, and through other holy exercises, to persevere in true faith, and he ought also to be certain that divine grace for persevering will never be lacking.
But we do not see how he can be certain that he will never afterwards be remiss in his duty but that he will persevere in faith and in those works of piety and love which are fitting for a believer in this school of Christian warfare; neither do we deem it necessary that concerning this thing a believer should be certain.*
But we do not see how he can be certain that he will never afterwards be remiss in his duty but that he will persevere in faith and in those works of piety and love which are fitting for a believer in this school of Christian warfare; neither do we deem it necessary that concerning this thing a believer should be certain.*
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* Peter Y. DeJong, Crisis in the Reformed Churches: Essays in Commemoration of the Great Synod of Dordt, 1618-1619 (Grand Rapids: Reformed Fellowship, Inc., 1968), pages 220ff. Translation of Latin text by Dr. Anthony A. Hoekema, former professor of Systematic Theology at Calvin Theological Seminary.
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The Arminian Confession
(1621)
The Arminian Confession of 1621 comprises several theological affirmations of the Remonstrants, the followers of Arminius, and was penned by Simon Episcopius, Arminius’s successor and friend.
The following is taken from the Princeton Theological Monograph Series, The Arminian Confession of 1621, translated and edited by Mark A. Ellis, which can be purchased here, and which Introduction can be read by PDF here. The order in which the articles appear on this site are not the order originally given in their Confession.
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ON THE PROMISES OF GOD THAT ARE PERFORMED IN THIS LIFE TO THOSE THAT ARE ALREADY CONVERTED AND ARE BELIEVERS, THAT IS, ELECTION TO GLORY, ADOPTION, JUSTIFICATION, SANCTIFICATION, AND SEALING
1. Concerning men who are sinners but already efficaciously called by divine grace and converted to faith in Jesus Christ, and who by the aid of the same grace through true faith order their life according to the commandments of Jesus Christ, God (Rom. 8:28; Eph. 1:3) wills and wants [them] to be occupied with two kinds of saving acts, those which indeed pertain to this life, and the others [which pertain] to the future.
2. Five acts pertain to this life, two of which are prior, election to glory, and adoption. . . . By the first they are already converted, and truly believe (Mark 13:20; Rom. 8:19; James 2:5), separated from the multitude of those who perish and exempted from the damned (as their present estate), separated just as God’s own flock. By the other they are taken into the family of God (John 1:12; Rom. 8:17; Gal. 3:26; 4:5-7) and hence into the right of heavenly inheritance into which they will enter in due time. Thus they are placed among those who will be saved, or among those whom God will in no way punish, but will forgive their sins by grace through Christ. Nevertheless, adoption throughout Scripture usually denotes the very redemption itself of our bodies or the blessed resurrection (Luke 6:36; Rom. 8:23; 1 John 3:1), because the fulfillment and consummation of it will certainly appear.
3. These are directly connected with three other acts, justification, sanctification, and finally, the unique act of sealing by the Holy Spirit. Justification is a merciful, gracious and indeed full remission of all guilt before God to truly repenting and believing sinners, through and because of Jesus Christ (Ps. 32:1; Luke 18:13-14; Acts 10:43; 13:38-39; Rom. 3:24; Heb. 8:12), apprehended by true faith (Rom. 4:3; 5:1), indeed, even more, the liberal and bountiful imputation of faith for righteousness. For indeed in the judgment of God we cannot obtain to it except by the pure grace of God and only by faith in Jesus Christ (Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:4; Titus 3:4) — but nevertheless a living one, operating through love — without any merit of our own works. And this is the meaning of that article of the creed, when we say, “I believe in the remission of sins.”
4. Sanctification specifically called — for in some places in the Holy Scriptures it is sometimes accepted for regeneration or conversion, or effectual calling, or finally for any spiritual cleansing, even if only external (Acts 20:32; 26:18; 1 Cor. 1:2; 6:11; 2 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 2:1; 1 Pet. 1:2) — is a certain, more complete, continually increasing separation of the sons of God from this impure world, being partly a richer and fuller enlightening of true believers in the knowledge of divine truth and the careful performance of their duty by faith (John 2:20, 27; 7:17-18; Heb. 6:4; 10:10, 14), which even God often effects in many and admirable manners, in part through stimulation to a sharper and deeper abiding hatred of sin and zeal for holiness and true godliness (1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Tim. 2:21) and their establishment in this zeal, so that the will of the truly believing man is rendered more prone and inclined, indeed more cheerful to daily virtue, and these obstacles or hindrances which otherwise he usually meets with in his zeal for piety and virtue, He either does not permit them to be thrown before him or He diligently removes the object and courageously and cheerfully overcomes them.
5. Sealing by the Holy Spirit is a more solid and strong confirmation in a true confidence and hope of the heavenly glory and the certainty of divine grace (Rom. 5:5; 8:15-16; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; 5:5) by which believers are rendered more and more certain of their adoption, justification and glorification, as if by a deposit or pledge, and if they keep themselves in it, they may be preserved even to the end in a sense of the grace of God (1 Cor. 1:8-9; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30; Phil. 1:6-7) and in true faith against all kinds of temptations, being granted total, final perseverance.
6. And God is occupied with these kinds of gracious acts towards all those, and only those (although unequally and in different measure) who truly believe and repent. We find three kinds or orders of these in the Scriptures:
1 Those who can be called novices (Matt. 13:20; Luke 8:12-13, 24; 1 Cor. 3:1; Gal. 1:6; Rev. 2; 3), and who are recently converted to the faith, who together with a sincere assent bring indeed a serious and deliberate will to obey the divine will. But when persecution, afflictions and other dangerous temptations arise which [this kind] is not able to resist, it immediately grows weak once again, and utterly dies.
2 Those who remain constant for some time in the true faith (Matt. 10:17; 24:9; 1 Thess. 3:3; 1 Tim. 1:19; 4:1; Heb. 6:4; 10:31; 2 Pet. 2:19; 3:17-18) and in a certain holy purpose and demonstrate for a while the truth of their faith by good and holy works, but finally, whether by the enticements of the world, the flesh or Satan, or conquered and broken by some violent tyranny, they defect and desert from the faith.
3 Those who either without any defection or interruption continually persevere to the end in that godly purpose and in holy works (Matt. 10:22; 24:13; Luke 22:32; 2 Cor. 1:7-8; 7:10; 2 Tim. 2:25-26), or who have fallen again or even often departed, having once again lapsed or fallen, again are led to serious repentance and so being restored by the grace of God they finally persevere.
Therefore the two former orders of believers are indeed truly elected, adopted, and justified, but not absolutely, but only for a time, namely, as far and as long as they are and remain such. But the third and last sort alone are finally and thoroughly such, that is, according to that which we read in the gospel [Matt. 13]: he who perseveres to the end will be saved.
7. For these are divine acts, sometimes continuous, sometimes interrupted, that is, for as long and as often as the requisite conditions (that is, the faith and holiness of the covenant) continue to be present within us. But they are interrupted when we no longer stand in our covenant, or when such acts are committed by us which can in no way be consistent with true faith and a good conscience, according to Ezekiel, “If the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and does iniquity, according to all the iniquities which the wicked do, will he do it and live? All the righteousness which he has done will not be remembered because of his transgressions by which he has transgressed. And because of his sins which he sinned, I say, he shall die” (Ezek. 18:24; Rom. 11:12; 1 Cor. 9:17; 10:10; Col. 1:21, 23; Heb. 3:6, 14; 10:25-26; Rev. 2:10; 3:11-12). This is in keeping with many other sacred testimonies and examples of the same kind. (pp. 110-13)
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ON THE SACRED SCRIPTURE, ITS AUTHORITY, PERFECTION, AND PERSPICUITY
1. Whoever desires to duly honor God, and certainly and undoubtedly obtain eternal salvation, before all else it is necessary that he believe that God is (Heb. 13:6), and that He is a generous rewarder of those who seek Him. Therefore, he must conform himself to the rule and square which was given and prescribed by the true God Himself (Matt. 7:21; Gal. 6:16), the supreme legislator, and stand firm upon the promise of eternal life through undoubting faith.
2. That God is (John 1:18; Heb. 13:6), and that He has spoken to the fathers through the prophets many times and in many ways, and that He has finally in the last times most fully declared and manifested His final will through His only-begotten Son (Deut. 29; Acts 2:22; 1 Thess. 1:5; Heb. 2:3-4; 1 John 2:1, 3), has been attested by so many and so great proofs, prodigious signs, mighty works, distributions of the Holy Spirit, and other wonderful effects, and the certain predictions of events, and the testimonies of men worthy of belief, that no more certain, solid or perfect reason for faith can be given, or justly desired.
OLD TESTAMENT CANON
3. The entire declaration of the divine will pertaining to religion is contained in the books of the Old and New Testaments, and indeed authentically only in those which are called canonical. And there is no just reason to doubt that they were written and endorsed by those men who were inspired (2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21), instructed and directed by the Spirit of God. Those in the Old Testament (Luke 16:29; 24:27, 45-47; Acts 17:2-3; 24:14; 16:22-23; Rom. 1:2) are the five books of Moses, the book of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, the two books of Samuel, two of the Kings, two of the Chronicles . . ., Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. Likewise Job, the Psalms of David, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, the four major Prophets, namely, Isaiah, Jeremiah, with his Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel; the twelve minor Prophets, namely, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.
NEW TESTAMENT CANON
4. In the New Testament are the four Evangelists (Luke 1:1-3; John 19:35; 20:31; Acts 1:1), Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; the Acts of the apostles, the Epistles of Paul (1 Thess. 2:2; Heb. 3:17; 2 Pet. 3:15-16), namely, Romans, the former and latter to the Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, two to the Thessalonians, two to Timothy, to Titus, to Philemon; also the Epistle to the Hebrews, one Epistle of James, two of Peter (2 Pet. 3:1; 1 John 1:1-4), of John three, of Jude one: lastly the Revelation (Rev. 1:2; 22:18-19).
5. That all these books, and without any exceptions for the majority, were written or approved by inspired men, has been recognized in the certain and evident testimonies and documents, and was so clearly proven, that nothing more can be justly or reasonably desired. For even if there were doubts about a few of them, that is, whether they were written or approved by those who are said to be their authors, nevertheless after the matter has been explored and the truth sought, it has been abundantly proven that they were truly written or approved by inspired men of infallible authority and whose credibility was undoubted by all believers.
APOCRYPHA / DEUTEROCANONICALS
6. Besides these books called the Old Testament, there are also others which for a long time have been held in esteem by many, commonly called the Apocrypha. Although they are not valid for confirming doctrines of faith, still they are useful (some more, some less), and are usually read in the church for the perfecting of faith and life; such are Tobit, Judith, Baruch, Wisdom [of Solomon], Ecclesiastes [or the Wisdom of Jesus Son of Sirach], third and fourth of Esdras [or 1 and 2 Esdras], the three Books of Maccabees, and some additions to Esther and Daniel [including The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Jews, Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon], which are commonly known [the Remonstrants excluded the Prayer of Manasseh, Psalm 151 and 4 Maccabees from the list].
DOCTRINE OF INSPIRATION
7. That the doctrine contained in the books of the New Testament (by which also the truth and dignity of the Old Testament is abundantly established and confirmed) is completely true and divine, is not only proven by being written or approved by those inspired men whom we named before, and delivered to the church, nor from its being confirmed and established by various and innumerable miracles (Acts 5:11, 13-15; 10:37-39; Heb. 2:3-4), and by deeds, signs and wonders exceeding all human and angelic wisdom and power, and even more by the glorious resurrection from the dead of its first author (Acts 2:14; 5:29-32), our Lord Jesus Christ, and His exaltation asserted by many irrefutable testimonies and documents.
But primarily because it contains commandments more perfect (Matt. 5:6-8), just and holy than anyone could have contrived, and such excellent promises (2 Cor. 7:1; Heb. 8:6; 2 Pet. 1:4) that neither a human or angelic mind could conceive of anything more worthy of God. It adds no small weight to the admirability and efficacy of its doctrine (Acts 5:14; 19:11; Rom. 10:18; 1 Cor. 2:3-4; 2 Cor. 3; 4:2-5; Col. 1:6, 23) that such an unaccommodating enemy of the flesh was [written] by so few apostles, simple, weak men, free not only from the crime of forgery, but also unworthy of suspicion, with no protection of worldly eloquence, no renown from writs of human authority; without force, without arms, only by the persuasion of reasons and arguments and the demonstration of the Spirit, likewise men armed merely with innocence, holiness of life and patience.
In the shortest time and in all places (although opposed by the whole satanic kingdom and almost the whole world) it was amazingly disseminated, and so spread itself wherever one might turn, so that innumerable myriads of men, of all ranks, classes and conditions, not only of ignorant men, but also not a few of the most learned and wise, leaving their ancient and rites and religions into which they were born and educated, without any hope of any earthly advantage (indeed with a certain expectation of cross, dishonor, and all dangers) most persistently adhered to it. Thus all other religions, although everywhere supported by human protection, faded at the rising of its refulgence [splendor], Judaism alone excepted because it was of God.
DOCTRINE OF AUTHORITY
8. Even if the primitive church which was in the time of the apostles, could most truly, most certainly know and undoubtedly did know that these books were written or at least approved by the apostles (Luke 1:12; Col. 4:16; 1 Thess. 5:27; 2 Thess. 3:17), and almost hand-delivered the knowledge of this matter to us and left it as a trust, nevertheless we do not hold these books to be true and inspired because the primitive church has decreed them true by its unbreakable judgment, or that they contain in them inspired meanings, and has by its infallible authority decreed that they be held as such.
For first, it was not necessary that the church by its judgment should define and by its authority establish that those books which were written or approved by the apostles were true and inspired. For both before and after all such manner of judgment, this was altogether certain and undoubted by all Christians, both in general and particular, precisely in that as soon as any one of them knew that anything was written or approved by the apostles (Acts 2:41; Eph. 2:20; 1 Thess. 2:13), he could and ought to have known that it was true and inspired. He had no need for any other judgment or decision in the case.
Consequently, neither indeed could such a judgment of the church suffice, when indeed the church is not something that has such authority to make the judgment itself, unless first one was certain and convinced that those books by which the authority of the church is said to be bestowed, were true and divine. And it cannot be known or established for certain that any church is the true church of Christ (John 10:3, 4, 27; Rom. 10:14-17; 1 Pet. 1:23-25; 2:1-3), and unless whatever is contained in these books is already previously certain and beyond doubt.
Because it is through that faith which the church embraces as wholly true that she herself finally holds that she is a true church. For if truly the primitive church itself did not receive such an authority from the apostles, certainly much less is it to be believed that any church received it, much less ought we to believe that it belongs to any other church which succeeded that church, or any church today.
DOCTRINE OF PERFECTION
9. Therefore, the doctrine contained in these canonical books is of itself altogether authentic and indeed of divine authority (Isa. 1:2-3; Heb. 1:2), and unquestionable, and by reason of the infallible veracity of God, entirely deserves undoubted faith, and by virtue of its . . . absolute and supreme power, most humble obedience from us. Any other doctrine or tradition (Deut. 4:2; 12:32; 2 Tim. 3:15; 2 Pet. 1:21), however, lacks this privilege of supreme and divine revelation, and so cannot by any right have equality with that authority, much less that which either decrees something else (whether contrary or different) and that by a usurped authority (Matt. 15:9; 16:6; Gal. 1:8-9), or at least commands it to be declared otherwise than is on record in writing in these books, or being declared to be believed, upon the pain and peril of the loss of salvation, since God can neither contradict Himself, and no authority, either human or angelic, ought to be equaled to the divine.
10. Because such divine authority as this belongs to these books alone, it is therefore necessary that controversies and all debates pertaining to religion be examined by them alone (Isa. 8:20; Acts 17:11), as touchstones and firm and unmovable rules, and to be disputed from them only, and so leave them to be decided by God and Jesus Christ alone as the one supreme and infallible judge (Matt. 23:8; John 4:12). For it must not be supposed that God wanted in the least that they should be decided by any judicial or authoritative right, by some visible judge, and one ordinarily speaking in the church, since it has pleased Him to leave us, not forced judgment, but a rule in His Word so direct or even directed (Ps. 19:8-9; 119:105; Luke 16:29).
But He nowhere indicated that there ought to be an infallible judge always speaking in the church, nor has He designated in His Word who that would perpetually be. But He has expressly commanded all and every one alike to examine His laws (Deut. 6:6-7; 11:8), or judgments and statutes, to test the spirits (1 John 4:1), whether they be from God, indeed to test everything (1 Thess. 5:21), and retain that which is good, since He has promised His grace and Holy Spirit (Prov. 2:2-4; 3:13) to those who search His laws (Acts 17:11; 2 Pet. 1:19), and seek to understand them. And He has singularly commended and praised those who have searched the Scriptures, and examined controversies of faith by them, indeed, who have diligently judged those things by the square and rule of Scripture, which was spoken by the apostles themselves.
11. Therefore those who wantonly bestow, or allow to be bestowed, the unquestionable authority to peremptorily judge debates and controversies concerning faith or religion, whether all or some, either to some certain church, or synod of the learned, or to any human society, or to any single person, who also may be ungodly and profane, as to a visible and speaking judge (Isa. 8:20), and who want to hold and bind consciences by this decision, they are not supported by firm reason, still less by any divine authority. Indeed, they are to be understood as acting equally against both the one and the other. Beyond this, on this account they greatly undermined and wholly diminish the Christian duty of searching the Scriptures, testing the spirits, examining all things (Ps. 119:33; Matt. 7:7-8; Eph. 1:16; James 1:5), etc., which is both necessary and useful for the prayers of the godly and understanding the Scriptures.
12. Therefore, on account of this most weighty and most just cause, we do not suffer ourselves in controversies of religion or sacred concerns to be pressed by the bare authorities of men, such as the glosses and opinions of those called the “fathers,” the determinations of councils or synods, articles of confessions, the opinions of theologians, or the conclusions of universities, much less with ancient practices, or with the splendor and number or multitude of men of the same opinion, or lastly by some long-observed rule, etc. For neither ought we to attend to what this or that teacher of the church or assembly of teachers [has said], however famous for their learning or holiness, nor this or that synod or particular church, but what he who is before all and who alone can neither deceive nor be deceived, our Lord Jesus Christ, has said and prescribed in His word.
13. Nor is this astonishing, for in these books is perfectly contained a full and more than sufficient revelation of all the mysteries of faith, especially those which are simply necessary for each and every man to know, believe, hope, and do in order to obtain eternal salvation (2 Tim. 3:15-16; 1 Pet. 1:23-25; 2 Pet. 1:19-21), so that there is not one article, not even the least, required for a right understanding of faith, or a life pleasing to God, and absolutely necessary to be held by any Christian, which is not abundantly contained in them (Matt. 5:6-7; Rom. 10:9; Gal. 5:6; Heb. 5:9; 1 John 5:1). However, for things necessary to salvation we only understand those things without which it would be utterly impossible for any man either to obey the commandments of Jesus Christ rightly and as he ought, or firmly confide in His divine promises, and are such that they cannot be denied, unknown or called in question without a man’s manifest guilt.
DOCTRINE OF PERSPICUITY
14. Furthermore the clarity and understability of these books (Ps. 19:8; 119:105; 130; 2 Cor. 3:14-15; 4:3-4; 2 Pet. 1:19), although they are obscure enough in some places (especially to the unlearned and less exercised) is so great, especially in meanings necessary to be understood for salvation, that all readers, not only the learned, but also the ignorant (who are gifted with common sense and judgment), as much as is sufficient may be able to follow their meaning, if they do not permit themselves to be blinded by prejudice, vain confidence, or other corrupt affections, but piously and carefully search the Scripture (Luke 16:29; John 5:39-40; 1 Thess. 5:20; 2 Pet. 1:19) (which we believe is not only permitted for all, though untaught, ignorant or lay people, but also commanded and enjoined by God), and study to become familiar with the very phrases of Scripture, and which were most clear and meaningful in the time and language in which these books were written.
We say that such [people] as these, truly honest, teachable and fearing God from the heart (Ps. 25:12, 14; John 7:17; 8:47), are able to perceive everything which pertains to true faith and godliness, not only those things which are necessary, but also the very reason of their necessity, namely, they really do easily perceive that they are necessary and for what purpose.
15. But because there are very many even among Christians who either do not read these books at all (John 3:18-19; 5:29-30; 12:39-40) or not with sufficient attention, nor consider what they read with care and judgment, or do not frequently and piously ask for divine aid, as is proper, or else being drenched with prejudice, confidence, hatred, envy, ambition, or other depraved feelings (2 Cor. 3:14; 2 Pet. 3:16), are busy in the reading of these books, and then next, because not rarely even in these books themselves they meet with some antique matter or phrase from the time period of the Scriptures (Acts 8:30-31; 18:24-25).
And likewise tropes and figurative speech, which in the present time produce for us some obscurity and difficulty, and which are such, that unless one be solidly instructed in all these, or bring with him to the interpretational process a very teachable, honest mind, and not bring emotions, they may easily be twisted to a wrong meaning, indeed to [one that is] perverse and prejudicial to salvation. From this emerges but just one reason (lest we deal with many others now) why the interpretation and explication of the Scriptures may usefully be allowed its place in the church, and indeed always ought to be (1 Cor. 12:7-8; 14; 1 Thess. 5:20-21).
DOCTRINE OF INTERPRETATION
16. But the best interpretation of Scripture is that which most faithfully expresses the native and literal sense thereof, or at least comes nearest to it. Obviously, it alone is the true and living Word of God (Heb. 4:12-13; 1 Pet. 1:23-25; James 1:18-21), and by it, just as by incorruptible seed, we are reborn to the hope of eternal life. We call, however, the native and literal sense not so much that which the words properly taken bear (as indeed most often occurs), but that which, even if not favorable to a rigid understanding of the words, yet is most agreeable to right reason, and the very mind and intention of the one who uttered the words, whether it was enunciated properly or figuratively. Because this can and ought to be discerned from the scope and occasion of whatever passage (Matt. 4:4-5; 22:19; 2 Cor. 3:13-15; 2 Pet. 1:20-21), likewise the subject matter, the things which precede and follow, likewise from comparison with similar passages, and from palpable absurdities likely to result from it and other arguments of that kind, or from the judgment of such things.
17. But to desire to beg an exposition from some other source, namely, from any creed of human fabrication or analogy of faith received in this or that place, or any public confession of churches (which we also warned before in our Preface, which we never would want at any time to be separated from this our declaration) or from the decrees or councils, or of this or that father, though even the most or greatest part of them, is very uncertain and often dangerous.
18. And yet do we not therefore easily despise the pious, probable or ancient received interpretations of others, especially the Greek or Latin Fathers. Much less do we proudly or arrogantly reject their unanimous consent. But we do eventually, and then modestly, recede from them if we discover in our conscience that they convey something alien to the true meaning of Scripture, or contrary to it. Nor do we think that by this reasoning to subject them to some injury, since not only every [one] of them individually, but also the greater part of them jointly, indeed all of them taken together, may err in much. For they themselves voluntarily admit this with one accord, and eloquently prohibit that their writings be simply believed, but desire that in the end they be tested by us to what degree they agree with the Sacred Scriptures, and to the contrary, that we freely reject them to the degree that they disagree with the same. (pp. 35-44)
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ON THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S WILL, REVEALED IN THE NEW COVENANT
1. Further, the will of God (Jer. 31:31; Heb. 8:9; 9:15; 10:15), comprehended in the gracious covenant which our greatest prophet, the only begotten Son of God, clearly and fully revealed to us in His Gospel, is embraced in two principle heads. First, those things which God for His part decreed to do in us or about us through His Son Jesus Christ, that we may be made partakers of that eternal salvation offered by Him. Second, those things which He wholly wills to be done by us through His own grace, if we really want to obtain eternal salvation.
2. Those things which God decreed to do for His part in order to provide our salvation, are principally two.
1. He decreed for the honor of His beloved Son to choose for Himself sons through Him to salvation and life eternal, to adopt, justify, seal with His Holy Spirit and finally to glorify all those and only those truly believing in His name, or obeying His gospel, and persevering in faith and obedience until death (John 3:16; 6:29; Rom. 8:28; Eph. 1:3-4; 2 Tim. 1:9; Heb. 3:6, 14), and to the contrary, to reprobate unbelievers and the impenitent from life and salvation and to damn them perpetually (Matt. 25:41; John 3:18).
2. He has decreed through His same Son, to confer to all that are called, although miserable sinners, such efficacious grace through which they may really believe in Christ the Savior, obey His gospel and be freed from the dominion and guilt of sin, indeed also through which they may really believe, obey and be freed, unless by a new defiance and rebellion they reject the grace offered by God (Acts 3:26; 5:31; 26:16; 2 Cor. 5:18-20; 6:1; Titus 2:11; 2 Pet. 1:3-4).
3. The first decree is the decree of predestination to salvation or election to glory, by which is established the true necessity and at the same time the usefulness of our faith and obedience for obtaining salvation and glory. But to dogmatically establish some other anterior, prior decree by which certain individual people were peremptorily [absolutely, unconditionally] elected by name to glory and all others were reprobated to eternal torture is indeed to deny the true nature of this decree, to invert right order, to take away the merit of Jesus Christ, to obscure the glory of divine goodness, righteousness and wisdom, and indeed utterly to subvert the true power and efficacy of the whole sacred ministry, and thus of all religion.
4. The second decree is the decree of calling to faith or election to grace, by which is established the necessity and at the same time the usefulness of divine grace (Rom. 10:14; 2 Tim. 1:9-10; Titus 2:11-12), or of the means necessary for us to yield faith and obedience to Jesus Christ according to the will of God, revealed in His Gospel.
Because truly we ought first to be sure about that will of God which He wants us to yield to Him, than of the grace necessary for fulfilling that will, of the glory promised to be conferred to those performing the divine will. It is for this that we shall treat them all henceforth in the same order in which they have been proposed. (pp. 74-75)
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ON PRAYER AND THANKSGIVING, AND ESPECIALLY THE LORD’S PRAYER
1. But because the whole life of believers (just as we said before) and especially their obedience of faith which they constantly render to Jesus Christ, is daily exposed to various dangers, temptations and assaults of Satan, the flesh, and the world, and liable to not a few necessities, Jesus Christ has willed (Matt. 7:7; 26:4; Luke 18:1), lest in such difficult conflict they should faint or despair, that each and every believer should appeal to His perpetual grace and power, in His name alone (John 14:13; 16:23), with untiringly and undivided [faith] (Matt. 11:24; James 1:5-6), and that always and without ceasing (Rom. 12:12; 1 Thess. 5:17), especially in grave temptations and adversities.
And they should continually give thanks for the benefits received (Ps. 102; 103; 104; Phil. 4:6; Col. 3:17; 4:2; 1 Tim. 2:1), testifying in this manner that they owe to God, as the greatest and first author, their whole happiness, and that by His aid alone and free benefit, they are able to perform, indeed really do perform, whatever are necessary to be done or performed for obtaining it. From this appear the two principal parts or kinds of divine worship. First, prayer, strictly and properly called, or the imploring of divine power for good consequences or the averting of evil ones, then thanksgiving for benefits received and celebration of the divine name.
2. God commends both parts or kinds to us everywhere in His Word (Ps. 50:14-15; 91:14-15; 145:18-19), but especially Jesus Christ in the New Testament, while anywhere, whether in public or private, as the matter or occasion offers, He commands both be exercised in spirit and truth. And indeed what touches prayer or invocation, Jesus Christ has not just commanded it in words (Matt. 7:7; Luke 11:9), but also has commended it by His own example (Matt. 14:13; 16:39; Luke 21:41).
And so He also has prescribed the manner and correct form of exercising it (Matt. 6:9; Luke 18:2), according to which our petitions (whether they be uttered for ourselves or for others) ought to be perpetually conformed as to infallible and indubitable rules, if done in a manner according to the will of God (1 John 3:22; 5:14) — exactly as accompanied with a due disposition of those who pray, according to both our inward and outer man . . . with true repentance for sins formerly committed (Ps. 32:2; 51; 1 John 1:5), firm trust (Eph. 1:18; 2:12; Heb. 4:16; 10:22) in the grace of God acquired by Christ (1 Pet. 3:12; 1 John 3:21-22), a sincere zeal for holiness and especially for brotherly love (Matt. 5:23-24; 6:14; Mark 11:25); likewise, serious attention (Luke 18:1, 10), devout submission (Luke 18:1; Rom. 12:12; 1 Thess. 5:17), and finally, with an untiring attention in prayer — shall most certainly be clearly heard by God.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
3. This formula of prayer is called the Lord’s Prayer from its author, our Lord Jesus Christ. It has three principle parts: the preface, the narration, and the conclusion, although the latter is completely lacking in Luke (Matt. 6:9; Luke 11:2-4), although this by itself does not pertain to the substance of it.
OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE THY NAME
4. In the preface is taught who ought to be perpetually invoked by us and with what heart and manner, namely, “our Heavenly Father,” or “who is in heaven,” that is, to whom we are compelled to speak with a humble yet son-like affection, who is obviously not only by nature most high and powerful or the greatest good — and now not dwelling as in the past, in the tabernacle of Moses (Ex. 40:34) or in the temple of Solomon beneath the cherubim (1 Kings 8:12), but gloriously dwelling only in the highest heavens themselves (Acts 7:43, 49), in the truest seat of eternity and immortality, and almost a citadel (James 1:17), from where all good things flow to us — but who presents Himself as merciful and kind to all (1 Tim. 2:4; 4:10), and really has fatherly affections toward all His believing ones (Job 14:13; Ps. 103: 1-2; Rom. 8:15), as those whom He always graciously loves in Christ.
For thus they all and only were written down for sons and heirs of His celestial glory and immortality (Gal. 4:6; Rom. 8:17). Thus He easily can and freely wills to grant us everything necessary for salvation (Luke 11:10; James 1:5). Therefore, in return, we safely can and ought to trust in Him with highest reverence and brotherly affection (Rom. 12:10; 2 Pet. 1:7), and that indeed as we have been joined together as one by the chain of brotherly love by the same Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:18; 3:11), our only patron and mediator.
5. The narration contains six petitions, of which the three former immediately and properly consider the glory of God (John 14:13; 1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17; 1 Pet. 4:11), and the three following greatly consider our advantage and salvation. Although both aim at the same mark by mutual relation and certain consequence, since the glory of God cannot be disjoined from salvation (Ps. 50:14-15; 34:16; 91), and the latter ought totally be referred to the former.
6. And so in the first petition we are commanded to pray, that “the name of God may be sanctified,” that is, that the glory of the divine goodness, wisdom and power (Ps. 96; 97; 99; Isa. 6:3; 42:8; 48:11; Ezek. 20:41; 28:21), especially as revealed in the gospel, might every where be correctly rightly known and worthily celebrated, and therefore that God would assist us and others with His aid by which both they and all other mortals (Rom. 10:6, 9; Eph. 3:10; 5:19-20; Col. 3:16-17; 2 Thess. 1:11-12; Rev. 4:8-9; 9:12-13), incited by our example and encouragement, abandon all idols or profane deities and goddesses, and above all, that as if with one mouth, we may praise and extol the one true God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in words, deeds, hymns, prayers, writings, constantly singing with heart and voice, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; to Him be praise, honor and blessing forever and ever, Amen.”
THY KINGDOM COME
7. The second petition is that “the kingdom may come,” that is, that through a true and full knowledge of the Christian religion (Matt. 1:2; John 1:17-18; 3:16-17; Col. 1:6), which as yet was then tenuous and sparing and coming from afar, more and more would direct our hearts to a solid sanctifying of His divine name, and that He would be willing to grant to many others His grace by which they may deliver themselves to be ruled by Him (Ps. 122:1; Isa. 2:3; Micah 4:1), or voluntarily subject themselves to His laws and commandments, so that more and more each day we may be both fit and suitable for the kingdom of heaven (1 Cor. 15:24), most fully possessed by blessed immortality.
THY WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
8. The third is that “the will of God be done in earth as in heaven,” that is, that God would grant His grace to us and to other mortals (Phil. 2:13-14; 1 Thess. 5:23-24; 2 Thess. 1:11), that we might every one do His will, now already expressed in His commandments, as promptly and cheerfully as the holy angels in heaven are accustomed to perform it (Daniel 7:10; Matt. 18:10; Heb. 1:14). Then, that we may patiently bear those evils that come to us which God either allows, suffers, wills, or arranges (Heb. 10:36; 12:7; 1 Pet. 3:17; 4:12), and without any murmuring we turn them to our spiritual advantage or proficiency in faith and obedience, and further on to our salvation.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD
9. The fourth is that “He would give us this day our daily bread,” that is, that He would deign to grant us all things which are necessary for us to pass this life without any true want [lack] or weakness of body (Matt. 5:25, 31; Phil. 4:11-13; 1 Tim. 6:8), and to the contrary, that it be passed in peace and tranquility, and to attend upon, and (with a serious cheerfulness of mind and spirits) diligently to apply ourselves, and to mind those things that are most sacred and holy. And those things which He has already given and kindly conveyed, He would always bless further, that being sustained by their support as by a staff (Lev. 26:26), we may be better occupied with sanctifying His divine name (Luke 10:41-42), propagating His kingdom and executing His will, and without any distraction from godliness.
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES, AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US
10. The fifth is that “He would forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors,” that is, that in Christ He would graciously pardon us all our sins (Matt. 6:14-15; 18:21, 35; Luke 7:47; 18:13; Rom. 4:7), committed either through error or infirmity, or principally through wickedness and malice, just as we also pardon from the heart and are always ready to pardon all injuries and offenses (Col. 3:12-13; 1 Pet. 4:8; 1 John 1:7, 9; 2:7, 9) — and that for this reason alone, because He so wills and commands it — all those who at any time wound us.
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL
11. The sixth is that “He would not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” that is, that He would never permit us to be oppressed too much by grave and lasting temptations (Mark 6:41; 2 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 3:10), much less defeated, or to be tested beyond our strength (1 Cor. 10:13), but that He would always strengthen and sustain us by His Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:2; Eph. 3:16-18; 6:11; 1 Thess. 3:2; Heb. 13:20-21; 1 Pet. 5:10) according to His singular power and also fatherly love, especially in grave afflictions, arduous dangers and calamities, and other evils of that kind, through which Satan tries to utterly destroy us, and turn us from God, lest perhaps being too pressed by them, we choose something contrary to His divine will and harmful to our salvation or a good conscience.
And finally, that always together with the temptation He would will to grant a happy outcome (1 Cor. 10:13; 1 Pet. 5:8-10; 1 John 5:18), that we would be able to suffer it and so finally be gloriously freed from all the snares and enticements and all the fraud and power of Satan, indeed that we may be rendered immune from all danger of eternal perdition.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY FOREVER
12. The conclusion has a threefold foundation or reason why we should dare to ask or pray to God about those things which we have already spoken. Because indeed His is the kingdom, that is, because He only is absolute king and Lord of all (Ps. 145:11-13; 146:10; 2 Pet. 3:4; Rev. 12:10), and liable to no one, and who has command and right in all, and therefore even over Satan himself, although god and prince of this world.
Likewise, because His is the power (Ps. 115:3; Mark 14:36; Rev. 12:7-8), that is, because He alone is able to do (namely, give, take away, send, avert, permit or impede) whatever He wills, and that according to His own will and good pleasure, and therefore is He one against whom Satan, with the entire world, cannot prevail in order to destroy us. And finally, because “His is the glory,” that is, because He is the only one to whom we ought to ascribe whatever good we either wish and desire (1 Cor. 6:20; 10:30-31; Col. 3:17; 1 Pet. 4:11; Rev. 10:5-6) or already have and possess and to whose alone glory, as to its final purpose, our whole good is always to overflow.
AMEN
13. But because pious worshipers of God are certainly persuaded of the hearing of their prayers which they pour out according to the will of God (Ps. 89:52; 1 Cor. 14:16; 1 John 3:22; 5:14-15), and because they wish and very much desire that the everlasting glory of the divine name and their own salvation may be promoted more and more by the same, for this [purpose] is subjoined the word “Amen,” which in part contains a certain affirmation of the things proposed and in part a pious wish and religious vow of the believing soul.
THANKSGIVING
14. The other part or kind of prayer widely accepted is thanksgiving (Eph. 5:10; Phil. 4:6; 1 Thess. 5:15, 18; 2 Thess. 1:3; 2:13; 1 Tim. 2:1), by which we give thanks to God for benefits already received through Jesus Christ, whether pertaining to this or the future life, and whether in public or private, especially in His church. And we testify and declare a thankful and mindful soul (Ps. 116:1; 2 Cor. 9:11; 11; Col. 1:12-13; 3:16-17), first by a singular zeal and exercise of holiness, then by praises, psalms, hymns, love and other godly deeds, doing our duty to the glory of God and the advantage of our neighbor, in quality and quantity, first of our own abilities and then of the benefits received. (pp. 96-101)
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ON THE SIN AND MISERY OF MAN
1. Both these works of the divine goodness about which we spoke, namely creation and providence, are followed by the special work of grace and mercy (Rom. 3:20; 5:12; 6:20), when sin itself was granted a certain occasion, and that which followed the sin, the just punishment or the penal or miserable condition of man, from which believers are freely delivered by Christ, concerning which things we will pursue later in order.
2. Sin was brought into the world on this account. God gave to the man, being created with such faculties as we have said, a law of not eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, placed in the middle of the garden, under the pain of eternal death and various other miseries (Gen. 2:17). That law was broken, however, by Adam, together with his wife, who was seduced by Satan and deceived by his false persuasions (Gen. 3:1; Rom. 5:12; 2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:13-14). It was broken, I say, not so much by a spontaneous will, but by a truly free one. Because he was not forced either by any outward violent impulse or some secret and hidden determination or necessity (whether proceeding from God, or the devil) to will to pluck or eat the forbidden fruit (Gen. 2:1; Ex. 7:29; Rom. 5:18-19). Nor did he fall into sin through any subtraction or negation of some divine virtue or action necessary for avoiding sin (which some amateurishly call permission or an efficacious permissive decree).
Finally, he was not impelled or moved to transgression by God through any command, order or instinct, however, secret or hidden (namely, that God might have an opportunity of exercising His forbearing mercy, and punitive justice), as some perversely teach. For God would truly, properly and especially, in fact solely, be the author of sin. Indeed, such a transgression would not be a true sin, neither could the man by that sin be truly guilty or justly miserable.
Furthermore, God was not seeking from this an opportunity of exercising His true mercy or true justice. But the man committed this sin by the pure liberty of his will, immune to any internal or external necessity. On God’s part, only His permission entered in, and on the devil’s, only his persuasion, which the man could easily have resisted and not given ear, and the external beauty and grace of the fruit going before and enticing.
3. Through this transgression the man was made liable to eternal death and multiple miseries from the power of the divine threat (Gen. 2:17; 3:16, 21; Rom. 5:12; Rev. 2:7; 21:14) and was stripped of that primeval happiness which he received in creation. Thus he was ejected from that most delightful garden (a type of the heavenly paradise) in which he otherwise happily conversed with God, and was perpetually barred from the tree of life, which was a symbol of blessed immortality.
4. Because Adam was the stock and root of the whole human race (Acts 17:26; Rom. 5:12; Heb. 7:10), he therefore involved and implicated not only himself, but also all his posterity (as if they were contained in his loins and went forth from him by natural generation) in the same death and misery with himself, so that all men without any discrimination, only our Lord Jesus Christ excepted, are by this one sin of Adam deprived of that primeval happiness, and destitute of true righteousness necessary for achieving eternal life, and consequently are now born subject to . . . eternal death . . . and manifold miseries.
And this is customarily and vulgarly called original sin, concerning which it must also be held that the most kind God, in His beloved Son Jesus Christ, just as a second and new Adam, has prepared for all a remedy for this general evil which we derived from Adam. So even from this [original sin] sufficiently appears the hurtful error of those who are accustomed to lay a foundation for the decree of absolute reprobation in this sin.
5. Besides this sin are the proper or actual sins of each and every man, which also really multiply our guilt before God and obscure our mind concerning spiritual matters. Indeed little by little they blind [us], and finally deprave our will more and more by the habit of sinning (Gen. 6:5; 8:21; Jer. 13:23; John 8:24; Rom. 7:14; Eph. 4:17-19; 2 Pet. 2:19).
6. Of this manner of sins there are various species and degrees, as may be understood from their various objects, subjects, causes, modes, effects and circumstances, namely, one of commission, another of omission (Luke 12:47; James 4), one of the flesh, another of the spirit (2 Cor. 7:1); one from ignorance (Luke 23:34; Acts 3:17; 1 Tim. 1:13), another from sudden passion or infirmity (1 Sam. 25:13, 21; Matt. 26:70; Gal. 6:1), and another originating from resolute malice (Num. 15:30; 2 Sam. 11:15; Ps. 19:14; Matt. 16:14-15); one against conscience, another not against conscience (Ps. 19:13; Luke 12:47); one reigning, another not reigning (Rom. 6:12); one to death, another not to death (1 John 5:16); one against the Holy Spirit, another not against the Holy Spirit (Matt. 12:31; Mark 3:29; Luke 12:10), etc.
It must always be held concerning them that there are some actual sins of which it is either expressly written or not obscurely indicated that he who does them cannot share in the kingdom of heaven and eternal life, such as all the works of the flesh which are described in Galatians 5, 1 Corinthians 6 and Ephesians 5, Titus 3 and others, and those that are similar to them, whether they are accompanied with contempt of God and a manifest abuse of right reason, or whether they are at least such are not the least becoming for one who desires eternal and heavenly good. Such are the love of the world, and worldly things, anxious and perpetual cares and concerns about getting them, possessing and retaining them, etc.
For truly there are others which deserve to be called lighter slips rather than crimes, for which, in consequence of the gracious covenant of God and His fatherly kindness (Matt. 6:31-32; John 2:15), a man is not excluded from the hope of eternal life, although he is not entirely set free from some of them if he does not knowingly and foreseeingly cast this difficulty of freeing himself from them upon himself, or by any other means whatever of continuing in them, but that he falls into them only through thoughtlessness, frailty, lack of attention, or some sudden passion, whether it arises from some natural temperament, or evil practice, or some unexplained chance, etc.
Therefore acts here are almost always accurately to be distinguished from habits and, in that respect, manifest imperfections and frailties from those acts committed against the express and ready dictate of natural reason or supernatural revelation, and accompanied with an open transgression or some commandment and injury of our neighbor (especially according to the sense of the New Testament).
7. Various punishments are ordained by God for the diverse quantity and quality of sins (Gen. 3:16; Deut. 27; 28; Rom. 5:12; 6:23), namely, first of condemnation, then of sense, whether temporal or eternal; finally, whether bodily or spiritual, etc.
8. For that twofold power and efficacy of sin of which mention was made above (indeed damnation or eternal death, and the servitude of sin, or captivity under the practice of sin), most clearly appeared long ago, in that God did not plainly and fully reveal His saving grace (Mark 11:27; Eph. 3:9-11; 2 Tim. 1:9-10; Titus 2:11; James 1:18), destined before the ages for sinners, but revealed it only from afar, obscurely and almost as if through a Lattice, namely, under a general promise of His grace and favor, under the type (Gen. 10:1; 17:7) and shadow (Col. 2:17; Heb. 11:16; 10:1; 1 John 2:17) of corporal things.
For even if in the Old Testament they were not entirely lacking those who believed in God by the assistance of that divine grace and by faith walked blamelessly and sincerely before Him; and by a life ordered according to the will of God, shook off the dominion of sin, and by that living faith also were truly justified or absolved from the guilt of their sins, and granted the reward of eternal life, as is clear in the examples of Abel, Enoch, and Abraham the father of all who believe, etc. (Gen. 4:4, 7; 5:24; Heb. 11).
Yet most were burdened by sin and overwhelmed with the weight of their misery. For in the beginning, when there was as yet no written law received, still the dictates of natural reason, paternal traditions and some other God-ordained divine and angelic revelations and apparitions did thrive among men. Sin was not only in the world, but also so exerted its power, that all flesh (with few excepted, who were just and by faith walked before God in holiness, Gen. 5:24; 6:9; Acts 11:3) corrupted his way, and every imagination of man was only evil from childhood (Gen. 6:5, 11-12; 8:21). By this, the guilt of sin was so increased at that time that a universal flood was brought upon the world of the ungodly (2 Pet. 2:5).
9. Then, after the flood, sin was not only not washed away, but rather like leaven, diffused and spread throughout the whole human race (Gen. 12:1-2; Josh. 24:1-2) so that all peoples, nations and regions thoroughly polluted themselves with idolatry and other foul and abominable sins. In the greatest and most ample communities there hardly existed ten righteous men (Gen. 18:32).
Finally, when God passed by other nations, He chose some certain men to Himself from the mob of idolaters and sinners (Deut. 7:6-7; 9:4-6; Ps. 147:19-20; Acts 14:16), and out of His special grace established with their posterity a written law of many and various commandments (moral, ceremonial, political) as a burdensome and insupportable yoke and garrison (Acts 15:10; Gal. 3:23), that they might be better restrained from sinning (Gal. 3:24), and compelled to do their duty, also consecrated it with most severe threats and multiplied promises (Lev. 26:3; Deut. 27:15; 28). In fact, He constantly provided messages of His gracious will and pleasure to be repeated and pressed upon them by the prophets and His other servants (2 Chron. 36:15; Isa. 61:1; 62:6; Acts 7:51-53) for the ample impeding of transgressions.
Nevertheless, sin conquered, its dominion was by no means destroyed by that law, the guilt was not removed by the blood of bulls and goats (Rom. 3:19-20; 5:20; 7:8; 11:32; Heb. 7:18-19; 7:20; 10:4) and other sacrifices of that kind. But sin increased more and more, stimulated by the law like an embedded thorn, and the guilt of death and condemnation were so aggravated that the whole world was shut up under sin and liable to condemnation.
10. It was from this that the highest necessity and also advantage of divine grace, prepared for us in Christ the Savior before the ages, clearly appeared. For without it we could neither shake off the miserable yoke of sin, nor do anything truly good in all religion, nor finally ever escape eternal death or any true punishment of sin (Acts 4:12; 13:38-39; Rom. 6:14; 7:1; 8:1; Gal. 3:24). Much less could we at any time obtain eternal salvation without it or through ourselves. (pp. 63-69)
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ON THE BENEFITS AND PROMISES OF GOD, PRINCIPALLY OF ELECTION TO GRACE, OR CALLING TO FAITH
1. But that man may not just perform the commandments of God thus far explained, but also willingly want to perform them from the mind, God willed for His part to do everything necessary for effecting both in man (Jer. 31:32-34, Heb. 8:8ff, Ez. 11:19 & 36:22, 2 Cor. 7:1, 2 Pet. 1:3-4, 1 John 3, Col. 1:4-5, 1 Pet. 1:3-4), that is, He determined to confer such grace to sinful man by which he might be suitable and apt to render everything which is required of him in the gospel, and even more, to promise such good things to him, whose excellence and beauty might far exceed the capacity of human understanding, and that the desire and certain hope of this might kindle and inflame the will of man to render obedience in acts to Him. Indeed, God habitually both makes known and bestows all these benefits to us by His Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:10, 12:3ff, 1 John 2:20, 27, Rom. 5:5, 8-9).
2. Therefore, in the first place, when God calls sinners to Himself through the gospel and seriously commands faith and obedience either under the promise of eternal life, or to the contrary, under the threat of eternal death, He not only bestows necessary but also sufficient grace for sinners to render faith and obedience (Matt. 11:20, John 5:34, 40 & 6:44-45, 2 Pet. 1:2-3). This calling is sometimes called election in Scriptures, namely, to grace as the means of salvation, very different from election to glory or to salvation itself (1 Cor. 1:26, 2 Tim. 1:9, 1 Pet. 2:9); more on this below. This calling, however, is effected and executed by the preaching of the gospel (Matt. 28:18, John 5:34, Rom. 10:14-15, 2 Cor. 3:5-6), together with the power of the Spirit, and that certainly with a gracious and serious intention to save and so to bring to faith all those who are called (1 Tim. 2:4ff., Titus 2:11, 1 Pet. 1:23, 25), whether they really believe and are saved or not, and so obstinately refuse to believe and be saved.
3. For there is one calling that is effective (Rom. 8:28-29, 1 Cor. 1:24, 26), so called because it attains its saving effect from the event rather than from the sole intention of God. Indeed, it [is] not administered by some special and hidden wisdom of God from an absolute intention of saving, so as to fruitfully unite with the will of the one who is called, nor so that by it the will of the one who is called is so efficaciously determined to believe through an irresistible power or some omnipotent force (Acts 2:4, 13, 48, Rom. 6:17, 1 Thess. 2:13) (which is nothing less than creation, or raising from the dead) that he could not but believe and obey, but because it is not resisted by the one who is now called and sufficiently prepared by God, nor is a barrier placed against divine grace which otherwise was able to be placed by him.
Indeed there is another which is sufficient, but nevertheless ineffective (Prov. 1:24-25, Ez. 12:1, Is. 5:1ff., Matt. 23:37, Luke 7:30, John 5:40, Acts 7:5 & 13:46, 2 Thess. 3:1-2, contrary to the Canons of the Synod of Dort, chs. 3 & 4.), namely, which on man’s part is without saving effect and through the will and avoidable fault of man alone it is unfruitful, or does not attain its desired and due effect.
4. The former, when either joined with its saving effect or already constituted by its exercised act, is sometimes called in Scripture conversion (Acts 3:19, 26, 1 Thess. 1:9), regeneration (John 3:5ff., Ja. 1:18), a spiritual rising from the dead (Eph. 2:6) and a new creation (Gal. 4:19, 2 Cor. 5:17, Eph. 2:10), clearly because by it we are efficaciously turned from a corrupt style of living (Titus 2:11-12) to live justly, soberly and godly (Rom. 6:2ff.), and are raised on a heavenly account from a death of sin or a deadly custom of sinning to a spiritual life or holy way of living. And finally, being reformed by the spiritual effectiveness of the Word according to the image first of the teaching and then of the life of Christ, it is as if we were born again (Rom. 6:17) and made new creatures through repentance and true faith (Eph. 2:24, Col. 3:10).
5. Man therefore does not have saving faith from himself (Matt. 11:17, 13:11, & 16:17ff.), nor is he regenerated or converted by the powers of his own free will, seeing that in the state of sin he cannot of himself or by himself either think or will or do anything that is good enough to be saved (Matt. 7:17 & 12:34, John 6:44-45, 65 & 3:5) (of which first of all is conversion and saving faith), but it is necessary that he be regenerated and totally renewed [a prevenient grace or enablement] by God, in Christ, through the word of the gospel joined with the power of the Holy Spirit (Phil. 1:5-6 & 2:13, Eph. 2:1ff., Ja. 1:17-18, 1 Pet. 1:23), namely, in his understanding, affections, will and all his strengths, that he may be able to understand, meditate on, will and finish correctly these things that are savingly good.
6. We think therefore that the grace of God is the beginning (Eph. 2:5, 18, Titus 2:11-13 & 3:4-5, Phil. 1:6), progress (John 15:5, 1 Cor. 1:4ff.) and completion of all good (1 Thess. 5:23-24, Eph. 6:13), so that not even a regenerate man himself can, without this preceding or preventing [prevenient], exciting, following and cooperating grace, think, will, or finish any good thing to be saved (Matt. 26:41, 1 Cor. 10:13, 2:4ff.), much less resist any attractions and temptations to evil. Thus faith, conversion, and all good works, and all godly and saving actions which are able to be thought, are to be ascribed solidly to the grace of God in Christ as their principal and primary cause.
7. Yet a man may despise and reject the grace of God (Ez. 12:2, Prov. 1:24-25, Matt. 13:19 & 23:27, Acts 7:51 & 13:46) and resist its operation, so that when he is divinely called to faith and obedience, he is able to render himself unfit to believe and obey the divine will, and that by his own true and conquerable fault, either by secure carelessness (Matt. 13:19), or blind prejudice (John 7:3-5, 51), or thoughtless zeal (2 Cor. 3:13, Rom. 10:2-3), or an inordinate love of the world (Luke 14:18) or of himself (John 5:44), or other inciting causes of that kind.
For such an irresistible grace or force, which, as to its effectiveness, is no less than creation, nor generation properly called, nor raising from the dead (and causes the very act of faith and obedience in such a way that, being granted, a man cannot not believe or obey) certainly cannot be but ineptly and foolishly applied where free obedience is seriously commanded, and that under the promise of vast reward if performed and the threat of the gravest punishment if neglected. For in vain He commands this obedience and requires it of another, and without cause promises to reward the obedience, who Himself alone both ought and wills to cause the very act of obedience by such a force as cannot be resisted. And it is silly and irrational to reward someone as truly obedient in whom this very obedience was caused through such an alien power.
And finally, punishment, especially eternal, is unjustly and cruelly inflicted on him as disobedient by whom this obedience was not performed solely through the absence of that irresistible and truly necessary grace, who really is not disobedient. We cannot here state how everywhere in the Scriptures it is affirmed of some, that they resisted the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 4:4, 2 Thess. 3:2, 2 Tim. 3:2ff, 1 John 5:4ff.), that they judged, or rather made themselves unworthy of eternal life (Acts 7:51), that they made void the counsel of God concerning themselves (Acts 13:46); that they would not hear (Luke 7:30), come (Prov. 1:24-25), obey (John 5:40), that they closed their ears (Acts 7:39) and hardened their hearts (Zech. 7:11-13, Jer. 5:3), etc.
And of others, that they promptly and freely believed (Acts 28:24, Heb. 3:12-13 & 4:2, Ps. 95:7-8), that they obeyed the truth and the faith, that they showed themselves attentive and teachable, that were attentive to the evangelical doctrine (Acts 2:41, 13:47, 6:7 & 17:11, Rom. 6:17, 1 Pet. 1:22), that received the Word of God with cheerfulness, and that they were more generous in this than those who rejected the same, and finally, lastly, that obeyed the truth, or the Gospel, from the heart, etc. To attribute all this to those who in no way can either believe or obey, or cannot believe and obey when they are called, is very certainly foolish, and plainly ridiculous.
8. And even if there truly is the greatest disparity of grace (Rom. 12:6ff, 1 Pet. 4:10), clearly according to the most free dispensation of the divine will, still the Holy Spirit confers such grace to all (Matt. 11:21, Titus 3:4ff., 1 Pet. 1:23 & 2:9, Ja. 1:18, 2 Cor. 3:6, Heb. 4:12), both in general and in particular, to whom the Word of faith is ordinarily preached, as is sufficient for begetting faith in them, and for gradually carrying on their saving conversion.
And therefore sufficient grace for faith and conversion not only comes to those who actually believe and are converted, but also to those who do not believe and are not really converted (Is. 62:2, Ez. 18:11, Prov. 1:24ff., Matt. 23:37, Luke 8:12). For whoever God calls to faith and salvation, He calls them seriously (Titus 2:11-12, 2 Tim. 1:9, 2 Cor. 5:20 & 6:1ff., Is. 5:2ff., Ps. 85:13-14, John 5:34 & 10:10), that is, not only by an external show, or in words alone (that is, when his serious commandments and promises are declared to those that are called in general) but also with a sincere and unfeigned intention of saving them and the will of converting them. Thus He never willed any prior decree of absolute reprobation or undeserved blinding or hardening concerning them [a denial of both supra- and infralapsarianism]. (pp. 105-110)
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ON THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD, OR HIS PRESERVATION AND GOVERNMENT OF THINGS
1. Creation is immediately followed by the actual providence of God, which in the interim also extends itself to the work of redemption, first to all ages, then the works and things which are or will be in this world (Ps. 36:6-7; 94:7; 104; 105; 106; 107; Prov. 16:7, 9, 33; Isa. 45:6; Amos 2:6). For this is nothing else than a serious and continual inspection, care and control of the entire universe, but especially of man (for whose good, to the glory of God, all things were composed), or the preservation and sustenance of all creatures, namely, of things and persons, likewise the governing and directing of our actions and of all events (whether they be good or evil) which happen in time by whatever manner to His creatures, but especially to men and most of all to the godly. And this was instituted according to the most exact rule of divine wisdom, justice and equality.
DEGREES OF GOD’S PROVIDENCE
2. This therefore is partly general (Matt. 6:26; 10:29-30) with respect to all creatures, partly special (1 Cor. 9:9; 1 Tim. 4:10) with respect to angels and men, but most certainly with respect to godly and holy people. By His general providence God cares for and rules all things, whoever and wherever they are, but in different ways and various degrees of action, and that for His own eternal good pleasure and truly admirable wisdom (Ps. 10; 12). For He not only conserves their natures or properties and powers, but also uses them according to His will, either for the good or punishment of man, especially seen by God denying, removing, transferring, agitating, stopping, repressing, controlling, multiplying, lessening, stretching, or remitting them, etc., either as [an act of] goodness or grace or mercy and longsuffering, or to the contrary, by His revenge or wrath and severity.
The special providence of God about angels, so far indeed as is revealed to us in the Scriptures, was already sufficiently shown concerning their creation (Gen. 28:12; 32:1-2; 48:16; Ex. 14:19; 23:20-21; 2 Kings 16; 17; 19:35; Ps. 91:12; Matt. 18:20; Luke 22:43; Heb. 1:14). For God uses their service first to manifest His own glory, then to govern all parts of the world; and their excellent wisdom, power, swiftness, number or multitude, etc., certainly that they might instruct, attend, observe, guard [and] console men, or even also to punish them as He judges it by His own glory, or the salvation of His people.
Concerning men, however, or rather about the free and especially religious operations of men, it moves in various manners. For first He limits and circumscribes the liberty of their will by legislation, that man cannot either will or do whatever he wants without sin (Ex. 20:1; Deut. 20; Ps. 19; Gal. 3:19), and principally for this end, that he may not will nor do except that which is right and just, and this so that, just like a living image, he might reflect his creator, and always remain subject to Him. Then, in order that man might willingly and cheerfully render that obedience, God consecrates a law which He makes with him by notable and great promises and threats (Ex. 19:9; Deut. 27; 28; Ps. 81:14; Isa. 48:18; Ezek. 18:30; Acts 2:22; 10:38; 2 Cor. 5:11; 2 Pet. 1:3-4; 1 John 3:5; Rev. 3:18).
And that He may the more and better elicit and seek the same, He employs various persuasions, exhortations, entreaties, signs, mighty works, etc. with regard to man. He always incites, stimulates, helps and strengthens him, as far indeed as is sufficient, that man might really obey Him and persevere in obedience to the end. Thirdly, his obedience and actions obediently rendered, with singular care [God] observes, approves and delights in them and always faithfully holds them in memory as worthy of the promised gracious reward, and as such continually sets them before His eyes (Ps. 10:17; 18:20; 33:18; Mal. 3:16-17; Rom. 12:1-2; Heb. 13:15).
GOD HATES SIN AND HAS NOT FOREORDAINED SIN
3. Concerning disobedience or sin (Ps. 5:5-6; 11:5-6 81:15; Zech. 8:17; Acts 14:16), in the first place, although He has greatest hatred for it yet He knowingly and willingly permits it, but not with such permission, that being granted, disobedience cannot but follow. For thus disobedience would as necessarily follow from God’s permission as an effect from its cause and God would be altogether the author of sin. Indeed sin would no longer be considered sin, much less worthy of eternal punishment. But being granted, man may become actually disobedient (yet not unpunished) if He indeed so wills. For true permission requires not just that the power of the will be free in itself, but also that the use of the power be free with the power of contrary choices, or that it remain immune to all necessity, internal as well as external.
Second, the actions that flow from disobedience according to His infinite wisdom, He variously directs either to this or that object, and to some certain end, to whom and what He pleases (Gen. 45:3; 50:20-21; Ps. 124; 125; Prov. 16:9; 21:1; Ezek. 21:20-22; 1 Cor. 10:13; 2 Cor. 4:8-9; 2 Pet. 2:9). Man himself often knows nothing about it nor suspects any such thing, indeed sometimes against his [man's] will. And He so determines them, that they do not always happen when the devil and wicked men would want them to be, neither are so many, nor so grievous, nor last so long, as they would desire.
Third, being done, He punishes or forgives as seems good to Himself (Ex. 34:9; Ps. 11:6; Nahum 1:2-3; Rom. 9:18). But He never decrees that evil actions should happen, nor does He approve or love them (James 1:13). Neither does He ever properly order or command them, nor cause or seek them, nor incite or compel them, nor does He Himself administer it so that He could punish and revenge it. But He always seriously hates and refuses them, and for this reason also, in holiness, He prohibits and forbids them and in the end severely punishes sinners for them, especially the rebellious and obstinate (Ps. 5:5; Ezek. 14:14; Rom. 1:25; 2:5; 2 Thess. 2:10-11).
GOD’S WORK OF PROVIDENCE
4. The method of this providence varies, first in quantity, then in quality. Regarding quantity, because first it does not primarily nor equally extend its care and affection to all objects. For it attends first to men and then other animals (Matt. 6:26-27; 1 Cor. 9:9), and among men, to the godly more than the ungodly (Ps. 33:18; 105:5; 1 Pet. 5:7), and among those that are excellent, that is, those who excel above others in virtues, or ministries, or divine gifts (2 Chron. 16:22; Ps. 73:1; 91:11-12; Zech. 2:8; Matt. 4:6; Acts 18:10), whether in the church or the republic, who belong to that saying of the Apostle, “Does God not care for the oxen [1 Cor. 9:9]?”
Secondly, He delights in and favors more internal actions which are morally good in themselves, than of just any persons (Gen. 4:7; Prov. 16:7; Jer. 7:3; John 14:22-23; 15:14; 16:27; Heb. 11:5-6). For not because some person pleases Him is He pleased about such actions. But to the contrary, because He is pleased with these actions, therefore He is pleased about the person.
Third, He often employs greater patience, longsuffering and tolerance with people not yet doing their duty, whether because of crass ignorance due to the corruption of the times [in which] they labor, or because of a sinful habit, perhaps more profoundly rooted, which is difficult to put off, than with who are illuminated and resist against an enlightened conscience either constantly or repeatedly, or frequently relapse (Acts 17:30; 1 Tim. 1:13; Heb. 6:4; 10:26-28; 2 Pet. 2:20-21; Rev. 2; 3).
Fourth, concerning the truly godly and those already doing their duty, He ordinarily employs greater affection, pleasure, zeal and care about them than others (Ps. 5:11-12; 18:20; Matt. 13:12; 25:19; 1 Cor. 1:7; Phil. 1:6; Rev. 3:9-10). Whence also He affords them more and greater assistances of grace, gifts of His Holy Spirit and means of salvation than to others. Indeed when they fall through infirmity He is accustomed to bear them with greater tolerance and patience and more ardent zeal than the rest.
Fifth and finally, about those who plainly do not do their duty, and are guilty of prolonged defiance and rebellion, He almost employs greater hatred and wrath towards them than towards any other sinners, namely, not rarely sending upon them heavier curses, sometimes even by blinding, hardening or delivering them to the efficacy of error, to their own corrupt desires and to a reprobate mind (which can neither commend what is right, nor justly commend itself to any other), indeed to the power of Satan himself who powerfully works in the sons of defiance (Ex. 7; 8; Lev. 16:14; Ps. 5:5; 109:17; Isa. 6:9; John 12:40; Rom. 2:25; Eph. 2:2; 4:17-19; 2 Thess. 2:11). Lastly, sometimes He magnificently displays of His just wrath and terrible power in them by punishing them exemplarily and openly, just as in the theatre of the world in broad daylight and in the sight of others (Ex. 9:16; Isa. 14:4; Daniel 4:28-29; Acts 12:23).
GOD’S QUALITY OF PROVIDENCE
5. It varies in quality, because, first, concerning some objects, either in effecting or impeding or controlling them, God uses His absolute and irresistible omnipotence; concerning others He uses concourse and assistance, truly accommodated to things, almost tempered to our own nature (2 Chron. 10:27-28; Isa. 10:5-7; 46:10; Acts 7:51). Second, some things He works immediately by Himself, some things mediately by angels, men or other creatures. Third, some things He accomplishes by an almost physical action. Some He executes by an ethical or moral one. And both are done according to the natures and faculties implanted in things through creation, rarely above, but never against. Finally, He optimally administers all things, that is, almost always consistent to His own nature and the nature of things.
GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER ALL: DETERMINISM IS REJECTED
6. Therefore, although divine providence always intervenes in all human deeds, words and thoughts (Prov. 16:4; 21:1), and through it God manages all outward actions and events of all things according to His will alone, still, by it He never takes away the natural contingency of things and the innate liberty of the human will, once given long ago in creation, but ordinarily He leaves the natures of things safe (Deut. 30:15; 1 Chron. 21:10; Isa. 1:19; Acts 5:4; 1 Cor. 7:32; 2 Cor. 2:11; 9:7). And thus it concurs with the will of man in acting that He permits it also to act according to its own nature and freely performs its part, and therefore does not at any time impose on it the absolute necessity of doing well, much less of doing evil.
7. Therefore nothing happens anywhere in the entire world rashly or by chance, that is, God either not knowing, or ignoring, or idly observing it, much less looking on, still less altogether reluctantly even unwillingly and not even willing to permit it. For truly there is nothing either good or evil which is fatally or not contingently done by man or by absolute necessity, that is, God either violently compelling their wills to this or that, by offering some irresistible power, some absolute and always efficacious decree (whether you will call it effective or permissive, as some foolishly say), or some other way of acting.
CHANCE AND DETERMINISM ARE A FARCE DUE TO GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY
8. Therefore, through the true providence of God wisely and righteously governing all things in a holy manner, no place is ever left in the world either for the blind fortune and brute rashness of the Epicureans, nor for the unyielding, fatal necessity of the Stoics, Manicheans, or Predestinarians. These two rocks, extremely prejudicial and dangerous indeed in this subject, are especially to be avoided. Furthermore, those who are truly godly, being rightly informed about all these things and patient in whatever adversity, will always give thanks to God in prosperity, and in addition, in the future they will freely and continuously place their greatest hope in God, their most faithful Father (Job 1:21; 2:10; Ps. 18; 116:12-13; Matt. 6:25; 2 Tim. 4:17-18). (pp. 58-63)
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ON THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD OF GOD, AND ORDERS OF MINISTERS
1. And this indeed is the divine will which is necessary for us to discharge, consisting of such most holy commandments and so excellent promises that they must be made known to miserable mortals and be always set before their eyes. He who has great mercy for the human race wanted that it not so much be only tacitly pressed to them by private reading of the Sacred Scripture (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 10:41; Rom. 10:14-15; 2 Cor. 5:19-20; 2 Tim. 4:2), but also that it should be everywhere proclaimed through open and public preaching, and daily and openly as it were implanted and inculcated into them.
2. And that it might be done rightly, first was necessary a solemn and immediate election or separation, then the sending and dispatching of certain men, to attend to this service, and indeed conjoined with infallible instruction and a certain irresistible authority or spiritual power (Acts 1:8; 10:41; 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11). For this [reason], in the beginning the Lord Jesus designated certain extraordinary ambassadors as His eminent and special ministers (Mark 16:15; Acts 2:1; 2 Cor. 12:13; Heb. 2:3-4) and furnished them with all the gifts and virtues of the Holy Spirit necessary for the discharge of their mission (Acts 13:1; 16:6-7).
And thus He so continually ruled, governed, strengthened and confirmed them (Acts 14:21; 15:36; 19:8; Eph. 4:12), that they not only many times openly and publicly declared this divine will and solidly established and confirmed the same by all kinds of signs and miracles, but also everywhere gathered to themselves congregations of godly men, among whom they preached His will, that as far as possible, it might perpetually flourish and be preserved whole and protected, namely, for the continual edification of all who were called to true and saving faith in Jesus Christ.
3. And indeed these first and principle heralds were the apostles (Matt. 10:1; 28:19-20; 1 Cor. 12:28), who used the authority (1 C or. 5:3; 2 Cor. 10:1-2; 13:10; 2 Thess. 3:6, 14) which they had immediately received from the Lord Jesus as much for teaching and gathering churches as in governing and protecting them, which was obviously irrefutable (1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Thess. 2:19; 2 Tim. 3:14) . . . and to which all believers were absolutely bound to obey and bear. And to these indeed were joined first prophets and evangelists (Acts 15:32; 21:8; 1 Cor. 22:28; Eph. 4:11-12), then teachers and pastors, and others like them, who did their best and devoted themselves either to the gathering of new churches or assemblies, or later to the nourishing, feeding and further instructing of these already gathered through the apostles.
4. But when such foundations and first beginnings had now been laid by them, lest by their absence or death these congregations were again scattered and dispersed and so this divine and saving doctrine should disappear little by little, they everywhere in those places where congregations were already gathered, appointed them their successors: bishops, elders and deacons (Acts 14:23; 20:28; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 4:16; 5:17; Heb. 13:7, 17), by whose labors and zeal those congregations might continually be preserved, and as much as possible, multiplied in number. And they were expressly commanded that what was always done in all places afterwards should be done in all congregations, giving an accurate description of what kind of persons they ought to be who were later to be put in charge among them (1 Tim. 3:1; Titus 1:5).
5. And they therefore indeed designated bishops and elders (Acts 20:28; 2 Tim. 2:24-25; 4:2, 5; Titus 1:9; 2:5, 17), that by preaching the gospel, teaching saving truth, refuting opposing errors and likewise exhorting, comforting, reproving, correcting, ruling and finally by their example shining before the others, etc., they would preserve those churches already planted, and in a continual succession, propagate more off the same by their strength (1 Tim. 4:12; Titus 2:7; 1 Pet. 5:3). And [they designated] deacons (Acts 6:1; 1 Tim. 3:9), that after they had first been tested, they might diligently be occupied with gathering and distributing alms, and in godly concern and care of the poor in those congregations. From this was born the perpetual necessity and multiple usefulness of the whole ministry of the church.
6. However, after the time of the apostles, those first heralds of the gospel and founders of the church, when the doctrine of the gospel had already been sufficiently proposed and in the judgment of God abundantly confirmed, and finally, clearly committed to writing, the immediate sending of ministers ceased and with it the infallible instruction and the unquestionable assistance of the Holy Spirit. Consequently, the irresistible power or infallible authority in teaching and ruling no longer has any place.
The apostles themselves wanted to testify about this, when they gave to the bishops and elders a sure and perpetual rule of doctrine and left a form of discipline, according to which they were later to teach and rule the churches (Acts 15:24; 1 Cor. 14:27-28; 2 Tim. 3:10, 14; Titus 1:5). They expressly commanded and seriously charged them that they should carefully retain the . . . pattern of sound words which they had heard from them (2 Tim. 1:13-14), and that they might hold and remember the faithful doctrine which they had learned (Titus 1:9). And from this they called “anathema” those who brought a doctrine different than that which they themselves had given (Gal. 1:8-9), and at the same time, enjoined the churches that they should not admit any other doctrine except that which they had admitted from the apostles, even if it were brought by an angel from heaven (Rom. 16:17).
7. Since, however, it is the duty of all bishops and elders to teach and rule the churches (2 Tim. 1:13) according to that form proposed by the apostles (1 Pet. 5:2-3), it appears sufficiently manifest that they are not permitted by any divine right to any command and authority (Matt. 20:25; 23:8) properly called over one another. And yet concerning this we do not utterly disallow, much less proudly reject, those degrees of teachers and rulers who were appointed long ago in various churches of Christ, and obtained it throughout, for preserving the cause of order and decorum . . . for preferring good order. For indeed God is not the author of confusion but order (1 Cor. 14:33, 40; 1 Tim. 3:15). In the end, they were not to degenerate into tyranny and make a showing of some worldly dignity and power, rather than of spiritual ministry, and the modesty and moderation of disciples of Christ.
8. But if anyone abuses this order as a pretext for pride and arrogance, and in particular, if any by these steps does not hesitate to ascend so high so as arrogantly to assume to himself not only the supreme right of determining matters of religion and deciding all controversies of faith, but also to seize lordship over the Lord’s possession and his fellow-servants (Matt. 24:49; Luke 12:42; 2 Cor. 11:20; Gal. 4:29; 2 Thess. 2:4; 2 Pet. 2:1; 3 John 1:9; Rev. 11:7; 13), indeed over kings, and princes; indeed further, whether directly or indirectly, oppressive power (that is, the power of external arms, or supported by the secular arm) for judging others, indeed punishing with sword and death those who cannot out of conscience defer to him this authority (or who hesitates to subscribe to his dogmas, decrees and statutes), although in all other respects they are good and loyal subjects of the republic. If any, we say, usurp such power in the church of Christ, through pretense or anything similar, or at least verbally attribute it to himself, or permit it to be attributed by others, truly he appears to us to withdraw very far from the office of a true bishop. (pp. 117-21)
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ON THE SACRAMENTS AND OTHER SACRED RITES
1. When we speak of the sacraments, we understand the outward ceremonies of the church, or those sacred and solemn rites, by which as by covenantal signs and visible seals (Rom. 4:11; 1 Cor. 10:1-3, 16; 12:13) God not only represents and sketches out His gracious benefits to us, especially those promised in the covenant of the gospel, but also in a certain way exhibits and seals them to us. And in response we openly and publicly declare and testify that we embrace all the promises of God with a true, firm and obedient faith (Rom. 2:25-26; 6:3-4; 1 Cor. 10:16; 11:25), and that we will always celebrate His grace and benefits.
2. If we speak properly and accurately, there are only two rites of this manner in the New Testament: baptism and the sacred supper. Of them, the first corresponds as a good analogy to the seal of circumcision (Gen. 17:10; 1 Sam. 17:36), which was a seal under the Old Testament of sacred initiation or a certain ingressing into the people of God (Exodus 12:26; Lev. 23:5). The other corresponds to the eating of the Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 10:14-22), which was a rite of solemn blessing or public thanksgiving to God, as a symbol for the redemption of the Israelite people, openly praising and celebrating their liberation from Egypt.
BAPTISM
3. Baptism is the first public and sacred rite of the New Testament, by which all who belonged to the covenant were engrafted into the church by the solemn washing with water without distinction of age or gender, and initiated into the worship of God.
For this, they were immersed (Matt. 3:21; 28:19; Mark 16:16; John 3:15; 4:1; Acts 2:4; 8:12, 36-38; 10:47) or washed in water in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, that by a symbolic sign and sacred token, they were confirmed concerning the gracious will of God toward them, that just as the filth of their bodies is washed away by water, so they themselves were purged within by the blood and Spirit of Christ (if they do not make this gracious covenant void through their own fault), and most fully delivered from the guilt of all their sins, and finally were granted the glorious immortality and eternal happiness of the sons of God.
And at the same time, they for their part were obligated (Rom. 6:3-4; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27; 1 Pet. 3:21) openly to declare that they constantly look to God alone and the Lord Jesus Christ, their only mediator, priest and king, for all their salvation, and to reflect on Him from the soul, and casting off all the filthiness and iniquities of sins to desire to obey through the power of the Holy Spirit for their whole life.
THE LORD’S SUPPER
4. The Holy Supper is the other sacred rite of the New Testament, instituted by Jesus Christ the night in which He was betrayed, for a eucharistic celebration and solemn commemoration of His death by which believers (Matt. 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 10:16-17; 11:23-25), after they have examined themselves and truly proved themselves to be in true faith, eat the sacred bread publicly broken in the congregation, and at the same time drink the wine publicly poured, and that to declare with solemn thanksgiving the Lord’s bloody death, a death for us, undergone for us (just as our bodies are sustained by food and drink, or bread and wine, so our hearts are fed and nourished in the hope of eternal life).
In return, they testify publicly before God and the church of their enlivening and spiritual communion with the body of Christ crucified, and His shed blood (or with Jesus Christ Himself, who was crucified and died for us) and all the benefits acquired through His death and at the same time their mutual charity for one another.
5. Certainly the following can be easily seen from those things which are read throughout Scripture concerning this whole sacred rite and the things signified by them (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:24), and which the articles of faith (concerning the truly human body of Christ and His true ascension into heaven and exaltation, Acts 1:9-11; 3:21; Heb. 8:4, etc.) themselves suggest to us, and finally what right reason itself dictates.
1. There is no change of substance made of the signs into the things signified (Matt. 26:27; 1 Cor. 10:16; 11:24), namely, of the bread and wine into the body and blood of the Lord.2. Neither is there any local conjunction or bodily inclusion, or some physical bond.
3. Far be it that under this pretext one of the signs (namely, the use of the chalice or sacred cup) be taken away from believers, and
4. that the true and life-giving or expiatory sacrifice of Jesus Christ, now long since offered once for our sins by Christ Himself (Heb. 7:27-28; 9:25-28; 10:10-14, 18), our only high priest, is to be believed to be really repeated or daily performed again, and finally,
5. that the symbols themselves are to be adored and worshiped by us, and for this same purpose, either publicly displayed in temples, or enclosed in coffers, or carried about in processions, etc.
OTHER SACRED BUT UNNECESSARY RITES
6. Besides these there are also other sacred rites, generally so called, which even if they are not necessarily and perpetually kept by believers from some expressed commandment of Christ, yet for the cause of good order or external discipline, have now long since been generally observed by the apostles and their disciples, and may be even observed freely now without the least ungodliness and superstition, and indeed profitably.
For example, laying on of hands for various reasons, such as in ordaining ministers (Acts 6:6; 13:3; 1 Tim. 1:14; 2 Tim. 1:6), in examining and confirming new converts or learners (Acts 8:17; 19:5-6; Heb. 6:2), in the public reception or reconciliation of penitents (1 Tim. 5:22), who had fallen grievously before, likewise in the solemn joining of marriage and the blessing of the couple in the congregation of the church, etc. Such a case is far removed from either vain superstition, or an absolutely necessary opinion regarding divine worship, etc.
On the contrary, they are justifiable for order, decency and public edification, and finally that true liberty (Rom. 14:1-13) and Christian charity may always be preserved in such things (and also a true ἐκκλησία [church, congregation, called out ones] and mutual toleration between those who disagree), and the peace of the church not be rashly disturbed for the sake of such outward and unnecessary rites.
7. At this point we may make reference to those ecclesiastical or liturgical observations which are not required in themselves, but without which the external and public congregations of believers can hardly be without, such as public order and methods of churches, reading, praying (1 Cor. 11:2; 14:1-40; 16:1), singing, prophesying, gathering alms, and kneeling in prayer (Matt. 27:39; Mark 14:34-35; Luke 22:41; Acts 20:36; 21:5; Eph. 3:4), etc.
Likewise [there are] public fasts (Acts 12:12; 13:2; 14:23) and solemn days of supplication or prayers, and other external things of that kind, in themselves mere ritual, but still godly exercises, not indeed divinely prescribed in kind (much less deserving the grace of God or eternal life) but yet profitably serving for the outward discipline of the church (1 Cor. 11:16; 14:33, 40), or of decent conduct, indeed also for a certain stirring or warming pious devotion in our minds, and therefore not lightly to be condemned for themselves, nor, where they are publicly received, rashly abrogated to the scandal of the godly.
8. For in all these things, as in all of sacred worship and the whole external governing of the church, this only is to be sought, that all things in the house of the Lord be done decently (1 Cor. 14:33, 40) and in order, and always serves (1 Cor. 14:26) for the edification of all, especially the weak (Rom. 14:13, 15, 19, 21; 15:12) which are none the less zealous for godliness, but not cast a snare upon anyone (1 Cor. 6:12; 10:23-24, 29), or infringe Christian liberty (Gal. 5:1; Col. 2:8, 16, 18, 20), or finally offer any scandal to the weak (Rom. 4:13; 1 Cor. 8:13).
For the better and easier achieving of this end, there must be an exact regard for externals, and acceptance, order (Rom. 12:17; Phil. 4:8), honor and decorum, likewise of diverse places, times, and other circumstances. In particular, the authority of the Christian magistrate, wherever it exists, must always be obeyed in such things for the public tranquility of the church. (pp. 124-28)
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ON THE WORSHIP AND VENERATION OF JESUS CHRIST, THE ONLY MEDIATOR, AND THE INVOCATION OF THE SAINTS
1. Thus far we have principally deliberated the knowledge and worship of God alone. Now follows this part the knowledge and worship of Jesus Christ proper, in that He is mediator. For eternal life itself is expressly said to consist in the knowledge and from the worship that follows (John 17:3). For to Jesus Christ, as the only mediator of the New Testament, “is given all power in heaven and earth, and all judgment (Matt. 28:18), or universal control, given by the Father Himself (John 5:22-23; 3:35; 17:2), that all men honor Him, just as they also honor the Father. And authority was given to Him to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man (John 5:17).
Therefore also God crowned Him with glory and honor (Heb. 2:7-8), and put all things under His feet, and “made Him the head of His church over all” etc. (Eph. 1:21-22). In truth, “He gave Him a name above every name, that at the name of [or belonging to] Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” etc. (Phil. 2:9-11). This majesty was reasonably and properly conferred on Him by God the Father, especially for our consolation, and is to be acknowledged with religious and thankful souls and continually announced by us to the glory of God and Christ Himself (Acts 2:36; 5:32; 1 Cor. 15:27; 1 Pet. 1:21; 3:22; Rev. 1:5; 3:11).
2. Therefore he who religiously worships Jesus Christ in a holy manner, in as much as He is our mediator with God (1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1-2) (especially from the time He was exalted, Phil. 2:9, and placed on the throne at the right hand of the Father, Heb. 1:3; 7:26; 8:1; Rev. 3:21), that is, he that adores (John 5:23; Phil. 2:10-11; Heb. 1:6), invokes, places his hope and trust in Him (Acts 7:59; 9:13-14; 1 Cor. 1:2), and humbly gives thanks and blesses Him (John 14:1; 1 Thess. 3:5) for the salvation purchased on his part for us (Rev. 5:8-9, 12-13), acts according to the most certain will of God.
For he who does not acknowledge His prescribed majesty and glory and so refuses to render to Him this worship and veneration he makes no light injury to God and Christ, especially if he reproaches it, or rather, defames it, under the name of idolatry or false worship and superstition.
3. Truly we think it utter illicit and ungrateful to God to worship religiously any others apart from this one mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5), whether angels or men (Col. 2:18; Rev. 19:10; 22:9), whether living or dead, especially concerning the dead however holy (whether they were really holy or only so in our opinion), that is, to adore them more than is civil or invocate [invoke] them as our patrons and advocates with God, or consecrate temples, altars, feasts to them, offer sacrifices, utter vows to them, or trust in either their merits and power or their grace and favor with God, etc.
For the Holy Scriptures everywhere affirm that [the dead] do not know our concerns (2 Kings 22:20; Job 3:11-13; 41:21; Ecc. 9:5; Isa. 38:19; 63:16; Heb. 4:10; Rev. 14:13) or have the least interest in those things that occur under the sun. Yet we rightly think that their memory is to be kept in a holy manner, their virtues celebrate with deserved praise and put forth to us and others to imitate. Yet far be it from us that we should condemn or reproach in any way the mutual intercession of believers who are still alive for one another before God (Rom. 15:30; 2 Cor. 1:11; Ephl. 6:18-19; Col. 4:3; 2 Thess. 3:2; Heb. 13:18). (pp. 103-05)
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ON THE PROMISES OF GOD PERTAINING TO THE LIFE TO COME, OR THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, AND ETERNAL LIFE
1. The divine acts pertaining to the future life are the resurrection from death (1 Cor. 15) (instead a sudden change of our mortal nature) and glorification, or the granting of heavenly glory and life eternal (Matt. 25:31), according to the two last articles of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe the resurrection of the flesh, and eternal life.”
2. This resurrection will happen at the second and glorious coming of Jesus Christ for the judgment of all (Matt. 16:27; 25:31), that is, when He will call all the dead to life (Rev. 20:12-13), first both the just and the unjust (Acts 24:15), and then those who remain alive (Rom. 14:9-12), at the judgment seat of His Father. There the just reward or appropriate penalty will be assigned according to the quality and quantity of their works which they have done in the body (Matt. 25:1; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Thess. 1:7), whether good or bad.
For at that time, He will awaken out of the dust of the earth His faithful and holy ones who were indeed dead (2 Cor. 5:4; Phil. 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:16) to an eternal and blessed life, and give to them alone a glorious and incorruptible body. But those whom He finds alive and surviving will be changed suddenly and almost in a moment, and with the others blessed with immortality (1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4:16).
3. This manner of awakening and partial alteration will be immediately followed by that blessed glorification which is the completion of all the other acts, in which the Lord Jesus (Matt. 24:30-31; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; 1 John 1:3) (after He descends from heaven with a shout of encouragement, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God to the aforementioned judgment) receives those who have awakened by the angels through His power to be with Him in the air, and most powerfully transfers them from the universal corruption and total destruction of the whole world (2 Thess. 1:8; 2 Pet. 3:10-11) (being then entirely in flames) into the eternal and glorious habitations of heaven (Heb. 2:5; 2 Pet. 3:15; Rev. 21:1) (which in Scripture are called the new heavens, the new earth and the future world) and will perpetually give them unspeakable glory and joy to enjoy together with Himself, with God, and with His holy angels (Matt. 25:21, 23; Luke 22:29-30; John 12:26; Rev. 3:12, 21; 14:13; 21:23; 22:5). (pp. 114-15)
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ON CHURCH DISCIPLINE
1. Because no society, however well established and shaped by good laws, can long subsist unless it is governed by a certain reason and discipline, through which those who belong to it may be continually kept to their duty, hence it is that in the visible church of God, which is the household (Eph. 2:19-21; 1 Tim. 2:15), family (Luke 12:40), city (Heb. 12:22; Rev. 21:2-3) and kingdom of God (Luke 1:32-33), we think it first most profitable and the most just that such a discipline as we prescribed by our Lord (Matt. 28:20) and King should flourish and be exercised.
2. For this consists in fraternal and mutual regard, in reproof and correction of those (Matt. 18:15; 1 Cor. 5) who have fallen into any sin known to us, and especially into any enormous crime, that they may repent quickly and return to being honest men. Or, if having been admonished several times they still obstinately go on and refuse to repent, [it consists] in avoiding them and withdrawing ourselves from fraternal relations (1 Thess. 5:14; 2 Thess. 3:6, 14, 15; 1 Tim. 5:19-20) with them as those who have now rendered themselves unworthy of the pleasant name of “brothers,” or of those who invoke the most holy name of Christ and profess themselves as most holy learners of godliness. And all this is to this end, that the religion of Christ and His church may not be maligned and receive some detriment by their partnership, but rather that the health of all the members of the church may be carefully sought.
3. And this discipline includes both pastors and leaders of churches as well as the sheep themselves or hearers. Concerning pastors (Acts 20:28; Rom. 12:6-8; Col. 4:17; 1 Pet. 5:1-3) and leaders, they must profitably conduct their office in the church, whether in ministering, teaching and ruling the church, or themselves, or their families, without generating scandal.
For example, in teaching (1 Tim. 1:3-4; 4:7, 12; 5:17-18; 6:3; 2 Tim. 1:13-14; 2:14; 3:20; 4:1-2; Titus 3:8; 1 Pet. 4:10-11; 3 John 1:9-10), they must not demand those things which are forbidden by the laws of Jesus Christ, or forbid what they command, or allow what is prohibited, or require things which are free and indifferent, or strive too sharply obstinately for things unnecessary or of no great use and disturb the church with factions and to tear it in pieces.
In their teaching, they must maintain that method which is fitting for serious teachers of godliness, and which does not foment contentions, quarrels and strifes rather than promoting spiritual edification, and more for the cooling of pious zeal than inflaming. In governing themselves (1 Tim. 3:2; 5:17; Titus 1:6), they must be blameless, husbands of one wife, vigilant, temperate, grave, well-ordered, hospitable, moderate, just and impartial, and free from drunkenness, anger, the love of money, fighting, hypocrisy and avarice. In governing their own family (1 Tim. 3:4-5; Titus 1:6), they must keep their children in subjection, with all honesty. And finally, in ministering (Acts 6:3; Rom. 13:7-8; 1 Tim. 3:8, 12), they must faithfully, cheerfully and prudently manage those things that are committed to them.
4. Concerning the sheep (1 Cor. 4:18-19; 2 Cor. 13:1; Gal. 3:1) or hearers, they must not carelessly neglect or knowingly and willfully disregard those things which are divine commands, or commit acts which are not agreeable to the commands of Jesus Christ. In matters otherwise indifferent (Rom. 14; 1 Cor. 11:1; 14), they must not disturb the public order and peace of the church and consequently do things which are prejudicial both to their own salvation and the edification of their neighbor.
5. Otherwise, this discipline must be exercised with all charity [love] (Matt. 18:15; Gal. 6:1), prudence and discretion, according to diverse qualities and various reasons, whether of persons and sins, to the greatest profit both of the sinners themselves, or of all others, and that, by certain steps indicated in the Word of God. And first indeed there must be had a just regard of persons. Older men (1 Tim. 5:1) are not to be rebuked, but entreated as fathers, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, etc. But one must have a special regard for those people who are constituted in authority, and public office. Accusations are not to be easily admitted charges against elders (2 Tim. 5:19-20), but if they have sinned (that is, they are plainly discovered to have sinned) they are to be rebuked before all, that the rest may fear. One must also have similar regard for magistrates (Rom. 13:7; 1 Pet. 1:17), and all who are set in high places.
6. In truth, an accurate understanding of the diversity of sins is of principle importance. For if the sin is secret (Matt. 18:15) or yet not publicly known, only a private admonition is needed, and that sometimes repeated, summoning accomplices or witnesses if useful. But if the crime is truly public (1 Thess. 5:14; 2 Thess. 3:6, 15), that is, not just a grave sin, but also perpetuated to the public scandal of the church itself, or if otherwise all private admonitions be obstinately rejected (Matt. 18:16), then an admonition is to be made before all, or in the assembly of presbyters (1 Cor. 5:3-4; 1 Tim. 5:20), that the perpetrator may be ashamed and that by his example others may be deterred from sinning.
But if he adds notorious obstinacy of sinning and contempt of all admonitions to the enormous weight of sin, so that no amendment of life follows (Matt. 18:17; 1 Cor. 5:11; 2 Thess. 3:6, 14), then all familiar or brotherly consorting with the offender is to be avoided (if perhaps for this reason shame may be instilled in him and he himself may be brought back to saving repentance), adding, if extreme necessity require it, an expressed and serious declaration of the church that as long as they remain impenitent they are not worthy for the kingdom of heaven, as one that knowingly and foreseeingly perseveres in a manifest crime or work of the flesh. But the peace and communion with the church must always be promptly restored to those who have been shunned or excluded from brotherly communion, after probable testimony of repentance (2 Cor. 2:7-11; 7:8-12), especially if they seriously desire it.
7. But from this shunning about which we have spoken, they who are either obligated and bound by some divine and indissoluble contract, such as couples (Matt. 19:5; 1 Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22), or by law of nature (Eph. 6:1-2), such as children, or the necessity of duty, such as servants or maids (Eph. 6:4-5; Titus 2:9-10; Philem. 1:10; 1 Pet. 2:18-19), are exempted as far as domestic customs of life, whether reciprocally, or merely one to the other.
8. Further, this discipline is not that manner of action which is exercised by the church with carnal power (1 Cor. 5:10-11; 2 Cor. 10:3-5), or worldly authority, or some coercive power, but it is only the church’s own voluntary withdrawal (Matt. 16-18; 2 Thess. 3:6, ,14; Titus 3:10-11; 3 John 1:10-11) or separation from him with whom they may no longer live as with a disciple of Jesus Christ. Thus the leaders of the church must exclude and separate the said person from themselves, or sever and separate themselves from him, together with their people (and that by the command of Jesus Christ Himself, their Lord), and cannot nor will not converse with him [any more] than as with a gentile and a publican (Matt. 18:17), or with any public and profane sinner, so long indeed as he remains unrepentant.
9. Those who exercise this discipline not only with a carnal power and coercive and capital punishments (especially under the pretext of heresy, so vulgarly called), claim for themselves a power of threatening indeed utterly alien and illegitimate (Matt. 13:28-30; Luke 9:55; Gal. 4:29), and in fact truly oppress liberty of consciences and preaching (1 Cor. 14; 1 Thess. 5:20-21), and change that healing remedy wisely instituted by our Savior for correcting sinners into a most deadly poison. And that which was destined for their salvation, they twist to their overthrow and destruction. But concerning those who in some way sponsor the killing of heretics or similar tyranny or persecution for the sake of conscience (2 Cor. 10:3; 13:10; Eph. 6:11), we judge that they are utterly foreign to the most gentle Spirit of Christ, and also fight against heresies with inept and preposterous weapons and consequently bind themselves to a most grave sin before God. (pp. 129-33)
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ON THE DIVINE THREATS AND PUNISHMENTS OF THE WICKED PERTAINING BOTH TO THIS LIFE AND THE LIFE TO COME: REPROBATION, HARDENING, BLINDING, AND ETERNAL DEATH AND DAMNATION
1. Concerning the wicked and unbelievers, or those who are unwilling to believe and repent (Matt. 10:14-15; 11:20; Luke 19:41; Rom. 2:2; 1 Thess. 2:15-16), and who, although they have been long and much called, warned, reproved, chastised, etc., nevertheless still continue to disobey the gospel, God wills to employ the action completely to the contrary, and no less severe than just and holy, with which He threatened them in His Word, pertaining in part to this life and in part to the future.
2. The acts pertaining to this life are reprobation and desertion, likewise blinding and hardening and other temporal punishments of this kind, of which the first is the just casting away of wicked men, that is, when God will no longer desire to have them for His people (Matt. 8:12; 11:2, 20) and therefore rightly withdraws from them the often-spurned grace of His Holy Spirit (Matt. 10:14; Luke 13:24; 17:22; John 12:35; Acts 2:5; 14:16).
Indeed He sometimes refuses to confer upon them those outward means which He usually employs for the salvation of His people, namely, leaving them in their own darkness and sins, without true pastors, godly teachers or counselors and diligent searchers of truth.
3. Then follows blinding and hardening (Isa. 6:6; Matt. 13:14-15; John 12:40; Acts 28:26), namely, when these sinners, now being deprived of the light of heavenly truth, by God’s permission and just judgment are profoundly involved in gross ignorance and errors (Rom. 9:18; 11:8) and seduced in surprising and diverse manners. And when they are given up to their own impure lusts (Rom. 1:24, 26), or permitted their filthy affections, or are exposed on every side to the temptations, delusions and snares of Satan (2 Cor. 4:4; 2 Thess. 2:11-12), or likewise, when their wicked counsels, pursuits and deeds are allowed to flow with some happy success, and they themselves sin with impunity (Deut. 32:14, 19; Ps. 10:4; 71:4; Jer. 44:17-18), and finally, are cast before them, and their consciences in the meanwhile are not moved to some sad remorse or serious sorrow for their sins, etc. (Isa. 63:16-17; Rom. 11:8; Eph. 4:19), all such things indeed, and very many more of the same, profane men often turn to their own destruction.
From this there grows more and more a strange blindness of mind, an enduring hardness of soul and filthy zeal for sinning, and finally a dense, thick darkness, that is, some brutish ignorance of God, and secure profanity of life totally seizes and possesses them. And sometimes indeed those acts are followed by some exemplary and public punishment of these men in this life, occurring before the eyes of all (Ex. 9:16; Acts 12:21; 5:5; [Rom. 1:18-28] 1 Cor. 10:5; 2 Pet. 2:5-6; Jude 1:4-5).
4. The penal acts pertaining to the future life are most usually contained in the words of divine wrath and vengeance, likewise of judgment and condemnations (Mark 2:29; Rom. 2:5; 2 Thess. 1:5; 2 Pet. 2:9; 3:7; Jude 1:7) by which God will not only irrevocably deprive the wicked and unbelievers (Rom. 5:16; 8:1) of immortal glory (Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:41-46), but will also inflict hellish torments and eternal punishments. That indeed will be openly done in the last day, when He will throw them, together with the devil and his angels, into everlasting fire where they will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, expelled from the face of God and His glorious power (Matt. 25:41; 2 Thess. 1:9; Jude 1:7).
5. And these things being thus finished, then the new world will appear (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1; 22:1), in which justice dwells, and where Jesus Christ will restore the kingdom to His God and Father, that God from then on may be all in all (1 Cor. 15:24; Rev. 2; 3). (pp. 115-17)
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ON THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST, AND ITS MARKS
1. Furthermore [having just codified what the Remonstrant Church believes concerning the ministry of God's word and orders of ministers, they continue], those congregations which are gathered as it were into one body either by the public labor of these ministers or otherwise by the word of the gospel preached, read or heard in whatever way (whose members, each and every one, obtain a certain mutual communion with one another and a spiritual communion with their one and only true head, our Lord Jesus Christ), as they really are, so also are they rightly called the Church of Jesus Christ (Matt. 16:18; 18:17; Acts 20:28). We speak concerning both, namely, the Church and its communion, in the Apostles Creed: “I believe in the holy Catholic [i.e., Universal] Church, the communion of saints.”
2. For this Church is nothing else but an assembly of men called by the gospel (Rom. 10:10, 14; Eph. 5:23), and believing on Jesus Christ, or at least professing with their mouth His saving name and doctrine, although some more and others less, whether sincerely and purely, or firmly and constantly, believe on Christ or at least outwardly in words and rites profess Christ.
3. For the Church, while it battles on earth, is customarily considered in a two-fold manner according to the Scriptures. First, as an assembly of the truly godly and believing (Gal. 6:10; Eph. 5:23; 1 Pet. 1:22-23), who they embrace with the mind and hold it with their whole heart the saving doctrine of Jesus Christ, which they confess with their mouth and build their lives according to it. This assembly is visible and certainly known only to God (Rom. 2:28-29; 8:17; 10:9; 1 Cor. 4:5; Rev. 2:23), but invisible to us, since true faith and piety, which lie hidden within the heart, none but God can behold, the only searcher of the hearts and inward parts.
4. But to hold the saving doctrine of Jesus Christ is not necessarily all that which is contained in the doctrine of Christ in whatever manner (Rom. 14:1; 15:1; Phil. 3:15-16), so as to have such perfect knowledge as to never err or hesitate in absolutely any article of faith, sacred history or meaning of Holy Scripture, but to hold properly all that without which the commandments of faith and obedience cannot be rightly kept (1 Cor. 7:19; Gal. 1:6; 6:15), so the forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation cannot be obtained from God.
Therefore we believe that all those churches which consent to the belief and profession of necessary truth ought to be held as churches of Jesus Christ, even if, in the interim, they dissent in many other things and not lightly deviate from the truth.
5. Secondly, the church is considered as a visible multitude publicly professing the faith and doctrine of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:4; 5:11; 8:1; 14:32), even if they do not truly believe in Him [for there are always tares among the wheat], as long as the outward oral confession and other indications of that kind of faith is of itself sufficiently known, and so is visible to use even if sometimes it appears less evident or splendid.
6. Again, both may be considered either as catholic or universal (Rom. 10-13; 1 Cor. 1:2; 12:12; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:23-24), which being diffused throughout the whole world, contains all congregations together which either truly believe or at least profess faith, or as local or individual church which is gathered in a certain location in smaller groups (Rom. 1:7; 16:1, 4-5; 1 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:2), for instance, at Corinth, in Galatia, at Ephesus, etc. Whether universal or local, both may not only err in doctrine, but also fall away from the true faith and its profession. Indeed it often really does fall away from the same (the catholic Church in the meantime remaining safe and whole) (Rev. 2-3).
Nor indeed does any divine promise exist by which a certain particular church or congregation is promised the uncorrupted profession of true doctrine and a continual succession in it, or continual assistance of the Holy Spirit and an uninterrupted and uniform duration of orthodox faith (and that to be always clearly seen). Indeed both examples and prophecies of the falling away of many are obvious everywhere throughout the Holy Scriptures (Acts 10:29-30; 1 Thess. 2:3-4; 4:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-2; 2 Pet. 2:1).
7. Again, the marks which are certain and least fallible, which clearly indicate to us and make visible a Church or Christian assembly which is already gathered by the preaching of the Word, may be reduced to one in general, that is, the profession of that sacred and saving doctrine delivered by Jesus Christ (Matt. 10:32-33; John 10:4; 5:27; 12:42-43; 13:34-35; 14:21), in conjunction with at least the external observing of the commandments of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:41-42; 4:32; Rom. 10:9; 1 Tim. 3:15).
For while true faith which partakes of the saving doctrine of Jesus Christ constitutes the more inward form and almost the soul of the true and invisible Church of Jesus Christ, it is certainly true that the profession of that true and saving faith alone, of which we have spoken, makes the same visible to us.
8. But it is altogether vain and foolish to painstakingly seek or show to others the other marks through which they who are plainly ignorant of what may be the true Church of Christ, or of that doctrine of salvation in the true Church may certainly and undoubtedly arrive at the truth itself. For to proceed so is neither necessary or useful, nor possible that it could be rightly done. But far be it that the marks of a true church would be localized in such things which the world and carnal reason is accustomed to value so greatly, namely, antiquity, majority, consent, succession or persons, external splendor or congregations, or worldly happiness, etc., in which many recently boast in vain.
9. Furthermore, the duty of those who belong to this visible Church does not just consist in every individual professing with their mouth and life in this saving doctrine of Christ for themselves (Mark 8:38; Rom. 10:9), but also in believers being united and joined together among themselves (Matt. 18:16; Acts 2:41-42; 1 Cor. 11:20; 16:1), whether they be many or few, in their doing those things which ordinarily cannot be completed except by a group, which renders such groups more illustrious and visible.
10. The other duties, aside from the hearing of the Word preached and the profession of faith already mentioned, are primarily two: the use of the sacraments, as they are called (Acts 2:4; 8:12; 20:7), and the exercise of Christian discipline (Matt. 18:17; 1 Cor. 5:4; 1 Tim. 5:1-2, 20), about which more immediately follows. (pp. 121-24)
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ON THE WORK OF REDEMPTION, AND THE PERSON AND OFFICES OF JESUS CHRIST
1. Wherefore it seemed good to the most merciful God, in the end of the age (1 Cor. 10:11; Gal. 4:4) or in the fullness of time, to begin and properly execute that most excellent work which He had foreknown or proposed in Himself (Eph. 1:9-10; 1 Pet. 1:20) before the foundation of the world, and [which] in passing ages He had indicated under various figures, shadows and types (Heb. 9:11-15) (almost as in a rude sketch), that it might be seen at a distance and obscurely known by mortals, namely, the work of Redemption (Rom. 5:12; 8:3; 2 Cor. 5:15; Eph. 1:1) or a New Creation, by which He would deliver man, made liable to eternal death and condemnation and lying under the miserable bondage of sin, restore him to the hope of an eternal and immortal life and supply sufficient, indeed super-abundant, powers for shaking off the dominion of sin and obeying the will of God with a whole heart.
2. God accomplished this work through His unique only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 11:27; John 1:18; 3:16; 8:26; Acts 4:11; 10:43; Gal. 4:4; Titus 2:11-12), whom He manifestly sent into the world, not only that He might by Him most openly declare to us and in various ways confirm His most merciful will concerning His freely bestowing eternal life upon sinners who seriously repent and truly believe, but also indeed, that as far as it is in Him, He might gradually lead us to that desired end through His most holy obedience and the efficacious operation of His Holy Spirit.
Furthermore, the entire knowledge about the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, as far indeed as is necessary for salvation, is chiefly contained in two parts. For it pertains partly to the person and partly to the office. In respect of His person, Jesus Christ is true and eternal God (John 1:1; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; 1 John 5:20), and at the same time, true and perfectly just man (Matt. 16:16; Rom. 1:3; 1 Cor. 10:21-22; 1 Tim. 2:5-6), in one and the same person. For as the natural, only begotten, and proper Son of God (Luke 2:31; John 1:14; 3:18; Rom. 1:3-4; 8:32; Gal. 4:4; Heb. 4:14), [seen] in 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:22; 3:18, in the fullness of time, through the operation of the Holy Spirit, He was made a man true and complete and born of the Virgin Mary, without any stain of sin.
4. And He was made not only a true or complete man with respect to His substance, consisting certainly of a truly human body and rational soul, but also truly subject to the same infirmities (John 1:14; Rom. 1:3; 8:3; Gal. 4:4; Heb. 2:13; 4:15; 5:7), passions, labors, afflictions, straits, pains, griefs, shames, reproaches and even the most bitter, to death, and for the very purpose that being in all things made like to His brothers (yet without sin) He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, for expiating the sins of the people, etc. And this is proposed by that Article of the Apostles’ Creed concerning Christ Jesus, “I believe in Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.”
5. The office of Jesus Christ is threefold: prophetic, priestly and kingly (Luke 1:32-33; Acts 3:22-23; Heb. 5:6-7; Rev. 1:5; 19:16), which the whole in part, He faithfully administered now long ago in this world under that state of humiliation and abasement, and now also in part gloriously administers in heaven in a state of glory and exaltation.
To the prior state pertain the following articles: “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried, He descended into hell” (Psalm 24:1-10; Acts 2:36; 1 Cor. 1:23; 2:2; Eph. 4:9; 1 Tim. 6:13; Heb. 2:16). By these, as if by certain degrees, the entire humiliation of Jesus Christ, which was gradually consummated, clearly became Him as our prophet, and priest. To the latter these are to be referred: “The third day He arose from the dead, ascended to Heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there He shall come to judge the quick [living] and the dead” (Mark 16:19-20; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25; 8:1). By these things is excellently described, partly a certain preparation to both the regal and priestly dignity of Jesus Christ and partly His very dignity in Himself, and of the magnificent display of the same.
6. He has entirely fulfilled His prophetic ministry, not only when He openly explained to us the will of God through sharing the Gospel of true salvation (John 1:18; 5:19; 2 Tim. 1:10) or eternal life after death to all who truly believe and obey, but also brilliantly confirmed by manifest signs and miracles too great to be questioned (John 5:36; 15:24; Acts 2:22; 10:36), and also by the example of His own proper obedience (Phil. 2:3; 1 Pet. 2:21), brilliantly confirmed in both His life and death, and moreover after His death solidly asserted and proved by various arguments for forty days (John 20:21; Acts 1:3).
7. His priestly ministry He partly attended to long ago, when by the Father’s command (Phil. 2:3), whose will humbly bearing, He submitted to the cursed death of the cross for us (Gal. 3:13; Eph. 5:2; Heb. 1:9-10; 10:5-6; 1 John 2:2), and offered Himself to God the Father as a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the entire human race [John 1:29; 2 Cor. 5:14-15; 1 John 2:2], and though innocent, suffered Himself to be sacrificed upon the altar of the cross.
In part, He still daily performs the same (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:24-25), while resurrected He continually appears before the face of God in heaven for the sake of men and effectively and gloriously intercedes for believers, exhibiting Himself indeed always and everywhere as a most faithful advocate and patron to them.
8. His kingly office He already perpetually exercises, since, being once revived from death by the Father and raised to the throne of supreme majesty in heaven (Psalm 110:1; 1 Thess. 1:10; Heb. 1:3; Rev. 3:21), and placed at the right hand of God in the highest (Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:35), and having gained all power in heaven and earth, He magnificently rules everywhere.
Indeed He administers all things according to His own will, that in the first place He may consider the safety of His believers (Psalm 2:8; 110:1; Eph. 1:20-22; 4:11), namely, since not only has He long ago instituted the ministry of the Gospel for our good, but also powerfully preserves it uninterrupted against all types of obstacles and therein still admirably exerts His own spiritual efficacy.
And He powerfully guards, protects and defends His faithful subjects in this life by the Spirit and His ministering angels against the schemes, frauds, snares, force and power of Satan, tyrants and all their other enemies (Acts 12:11; 18:10), until in the last judgment He utterly destroys the latter, and takes the former up into His heavenly and immortal glory and renders them eternally happy and blessed (Matt. 24:31; 25:30; 1 Cor. 15:24; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 4:17). And indeed upon these offices is built both the knowledge and worship of Jesus Christ Himself, in so far as He is the mediator, about which [we will say] more later, in its place.
9. But from this it appears that Jesus Christ is not our Savior for just one reason, for His office, example and suffering, nor only because He declared to us the way of eternal salvation and confirmed it by miracles, likewise the example of His life and death and in this way acquired for Himself supreme power and virtue to save us, but indeed it rises from His virtue of merit and efficacy before God, and immediately provided for us.
Indeed by this merit (Matt. 20:28; Rom. 5:8-9, 19; Phil. 2:5; 1 Tim. 2:5-6), whether He earned eternal salvation for us because of His obedience, or because of that mediation, especially of His violent and bloody death (just as a λύτρον [ransom], or price of redemption, and propitiatory sacrifice), God has thus far reconciled all sinners to Himself, in order to restore them by His grace through and because of this ransom and sacrifice, and He willed to open the door of eternal salvation and the way of immorality to them, even as it was prefigured many ages before under various types, figures and shadows of the Old Testament (Rom. 3:24; 14:9; Heb. 4:4; 1 Pet. 1:3; 1 John 2:2), and especially under the type of that solemn sacrifice, which the High Priest performed once every year in the holy of holies.
Truly He is our savior by efficacy, in as much as He efficaciously applies the virtue and fruit of His merit to His believers, and really gives them to enjoy of all the benefits gained by His obedience, and makes them partakers of these things by faith, about which [we will say] more later.
10. But they [i.e., Calvinists] enervate [weaken], indeed they completely overthrow, the universal power of His merit and the truth of its efficacy, who assert that both the absolute [unconditional] election and reprobation of certain persons (whether considered before the fall [supralapsarianism], or only in or under the Fall [infralapsarianism], without regard for faith in Christ, or to the contrary, disobedience) was made first in order, before Jesus Christ was designated by the Father to be a mediator for them.
For neither was it necessary that there be any true expiation of sins by the ransom of Christ for them, nor indeed was it even possible (if truth may be frankly spoken) for those who were long before by name peremptorily and absolutely predestined, part to life, part to death. For the [unconditionally] Elect, as they [i.e., Calvinists] call them, or those who are predestinated to life, have no need of any such expiation and reconciliation because they have been absolutely [unconditionally] elected to salvation. They are in the flaming grace of God and are already esteemed by God with the highest and immutable love that belongs to sons and heirs of God.
But concerning the reprobate, as they call them, they themselves deny any atonement was truly made for them, and besides being something absurd in itself, of course it implies a contradiction. For once they were reprobated, according to the opinion of these men, they are thereupon wholly altogether excluded from the atonement made by Christ. Because those whom God has by an immutable decree once reprobated from salvation or cursed to eternal destruction, He does not seriously will, nor can will, that anything good should really be conferred for salvation, much less that the atonement should be shared by them with the elect. And this concludes the summation of the special works of God. (pp. 69-74)
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SPECIAL CALLINGS, AND THE COMMANDMENTS AND TRADITIONS OF MEN
1. And this indeed is the sum of those commandments which are taught to us by Jesus Christ, or which are necessary for all Christians to observe equally in order to gain eternal salvation. Nevertheless, aside from these every believer has his particular calling, which is to be carefully observed by everyone. Of such are magistrates (Rom. 13:1), subjects (1 Pet. 2:13-14), parents, children, masters and servants (Eph. 6:1); likewise of the married (Eph. 5:22; 1 Pet. 3:1), bachelors, virgins (1 Cor. 7-8) and widows; of rich (1 Tim. 6:3), poor (1 Tim. 6:17; James 2:1; 5:1), etc.
Some of them were already treated in the exposition of the Decalogue [Ten Commandments], and for the rest special instructions or admonitions (but proportianable to those already spoken and suitable to every individual’s state) are obvious throughout the Holy Scriptures.
2. Of these in general we must hold to the rule of the Apostle: let every one remain in that calling in which he was called (1 Cor. 7:20). Yet as much as possible, if we can do better, it is permitted for us to do so, preserving piety. For all these conditions in themselves are indifferent and therefore neither commend us to Christ (Col. 3:11) nor make us hostile or less pleasing to Him.
Wherefore (for instance) more holiness is not to be ascribed to virginity or celibacy than to a married estate (1 Cor. 7:25), neither more to poverty than to wealth, etc. Neither are rash vows to be made to God concerning these things by which we perpetually bind ourselves to this or that, indeed through which we test God and cast a snare to ourselves and our liberty.
3. Truly all other works, especially the merely external, which are considered religious, and which are invited by the human spirit above and beyond the Word of God (Matt. 15:2; Gal. 4:9; 5:1; Col. 2:8) (as when some opinion regarding worship, if not utterly necessary, then at least meritorious or satisfactory, is imposed on men’s consciences by the authority of others, especially the church, under the pretense of traditions, or whether they be freely and voluntarily performed by us), they certainly are not necessary for salvation.
Indeed besides, they cannot be considered worthy of the respectable title of truly good works or of divine worship (much less of supererogation [to do more than is required] or any excellent religion) because they cannot come under the solemn name of true obedience, which is of itself acceptable and of right due to God and Christ (Matt. 7:21; 15:16; 23:23; 1 John 2:17), our only lawgiver (1 Tim. 4:8; 6:3; Titus 3:8-9) (and therefore is commanded under the promise of eternal life).
For indeed not rarely they are a great impediment to the principal part of divine worship (namely loving God and neighbor) and hurtful to true godliness, especially if, as often happens, they are not only made equal to divine commandments but even preferred. (pp. 102-03)
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ON THE HOLY AND SACRED TRINITY
1. But God is considered distinctly and relatively under a three-fold hypostasis [the essential nature of a substance] (Matt. 28:19; John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 1 Cor. 12:4-6; 2 Cor. 13:14), or under three persons, under which indeed He Himself has made known His own deity in His Word, to be considered by us economically and with respect to itself. And this trinity is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (1 John 5:7 [KJV, NKJV]). One hypostasis of the deity is . . . unproduced and unbegotten. Another is produced of the Father by generation, or the only begotten of the Father. Finally, another in a peculiar manner proceeds from the Father and the Son, or emanates from the Father by the Son.
2. For the Father alone is void of all origin, or entirely unbegotten and proceeding from no other (1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 4:6), but who nevertheless has from eternity communicated His own deity, whether to His only begotten Son (John 1:18; 3:16; Rom. 8:32), indeed not by creation (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7) (respecting which the angels are called the sons of God) nor by gracious adoption (John 1:11-12; Gal. 3:26) (by which we believers are also the sons of God) nor only by the gracious communication of divine power (or authority) and supreme glory, by which He is the mediator (John 3:35; 5:22), but also by a true yet secret and ineffable generation (Ps. 2:7; John 1:18; Heb. 1:2); and also to the Holy Spirit, proceeding from both by a mysterious emanation or spiration (John 15:26; 1 Cor. 2:11-12; Gal. 4:6). And so the Father is most justly considered the fountain and origin of the whole deity.
3. Therefore, the Son and the Holy Spirit, although both are divine with respect to their hypostasis, manner, and order, are truly distinct from the Father; yet they are truly partakers with the Father of the same deity or divine essence and nature absolutely and commonly considered, just as is certainly proved from the divine names (John 1:1-2; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:2; Rev. 1-4) or titles (Isa. 11:1; 63:10; Matt. 12:31-32; Acts 5:4; 13:2; 20:28; 1 Cor. 2:10; 3:16; 6:19-20; 12:4, 11), likewise from the divine properties and operations which are clearly attributed to them both throughout the Sacred Scriptures, among other things.
And here is the sum total of the Apostles Creed, by which we profess that “we believe in one God the Father Almighty,” etc. “And in His only begotten Son,” etc. And lastly, “in the Holy Spirit.”
4. And these are sufficient for this mystery, which indeed is completely necessary to treat soberly, prudently and religiously, and as far as possible, to enunciate the same in the proper and express phrases of the Holy Spirit, which we judge to be most safe (Matt. 11:27; John 1:18; 1 Cor. 2:10), since the Spirit of God Himself best knows and is most correctly able to express His own nature.
Indeed, as far as is necessary and sufficient, He willed to express [it] to us in His word, whom it is fitting reverently and most religiously to follow for the present, until we see God Himself in person, and know Him perfectly (1 Cor. 13:12; 1 John 3:2). Then indeed, in that glorious world, he will grant that He may be most clearly known by us. And thus far indeed [is sufficient] regarding God Himself. (pp. 51-53)
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ON THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORKS OF GOD
1. In the second place we come to consider the works of God by which He revealed His own glory and communicates what is good to us, and to some degree exhibits Himself to be known to us. Consequently these are a certain foundation built upon the right and authority of God (Ex. 20; Deut. 32:6; Ps. 136; Acts 17:24; Rev. 4:11) by which He can, and usually does, justly impose our worship, what and how He pleases; likewise justice and equity, by which we are obliged to yield to Him wholly and entirely such worship as He Himself demands according to His right (Mal. 1:6; 2:10).
2. These works come under a twofold manner of consideration (Acts 15:18; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:4; 2 Tim. 1:9; 1 Pet. 1:20): 1. as they were foreknown and foreordained by the deity before the ages, or before the foundations of the world were laid, which are customarily in one word called “decrees;” 2. as far as they are manifested in time, or their most wisely established mode and order, now long since commissioned by that divine decree (whether general or special, whether absolute or conditional).
The decrees themselves must be judged from this execution and its method and manner (Ps. 33:11; Isa. 14:26-27; 46:10; Jer. 18:7). For the decrees are entirely such as their execution, nor could the execution not correspond to the decree without a mark of inconsistency, much more that it should fight or oppose the decree.
3. There are two principal [works] of this execution, namely, the work of creation (Gen. 1), when man did not yet exist, and of re-creation or redemption (2 Cor. 5:17), which through sin man was made liable to death and eternal condemnation, together with all his descendants. The continual providence of God (Ps. 104; Eph. 1:10; Col. 1), or His preservation and control of all things, adheres to both these works and is always appropriate for the natures and properties of created things (unless something should happen out of the ordinary, such as miracles, etc.). (pp. 53-54)
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ON THE COMMANDMENTS OF JESUS CHRIST IN GENERAL: FAITH AND REPENTANCE, OR TURNING TO GOD
1. The will of God, which He desires to be performed by us that we might obtain eternal salvation through Christ, is fully contained in the commandments of Jesus Christ, all of which, although they may be many and varied (Matt. 5-7), still may be comprehended under this one commandment of faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Rom. 1:16-17; 3:22) (but true or living faith, working through love) and usually are comprehended under it in the Sacred Scripture. At the same time, it must be granted that often the commandment of repentance (Matt. 3:2; Acts 3:19) or conversion ought to be closely connected, in order to clarify the exegesis of the matter.
2. But we call living and true faith that which necessarily has joined to itself good works (1 Cor. 7:19; Gal. 5:6; 6:15; James 1:15) and a sincere correction of the whole life, structured upon the commandments of Jesus Christ. For because the promise of eternal life is everywhere joined by our Savior to true faith (John 3:36; 6:40), indeed faith itself is said to be imputed for righteousness to the one who believes (Rom. 4:5), yet nevertheless James affirms that we are justified by works also and not by faith alone (James 2:24). For Paul also asserts that godliness has promise for the present and the future life (1 Tim. 4:8).
Indeed further, the author to the Hebrews peremptorily declares that without holiness none will see the Lord (Heb. 12:14) and not a few others of the same opinion are expressly read in the Holy Scriptures (Matt. 7:21; Heb. 10:36; James 1:15). It is certainly necessary that the prescription of faith is not to be considered in any other way than as to include the obedience of faith in its own natural property, and is like a fruitful mother of all good works (Eph. 3:17; 2 Pet. 1:5-7; 1 John 5:1) and the fountain or spring of all Christian godliness and holiness. There is no reason why it ought or rightly may be opposed to obedience and godliness.
3. Therefore, for this reason faith encompasses the whole conversion of man as prescribed by the gospel, which not only contains what is vulgarly called penitence or contrition and serious sorrow for past sins, but also repentance plainly and properly taken (Matt. 3:3; Luke 3:3, 5; John 3:5; Acts 3:15; 26:18; Gal. 6:15; Eph. 2:1; 5:15; 1 Thess. 1:9), or a sincere change for the better of the mind, soul and the whole life according to the Scriptures. Sometimes, however, in order to fuller explain them both, they are distinguished from one another (Acts 16:18).
4. For concerning this, every Christian in general must hold that for repentance or conversion to be pleasing to God for salvation, three things are ordinarily necessary.
1. That it be effectual (Rom. 8:1; James 1:22; 2:26; 4:15; 2 Pet. 1:8-9) and therefore is not completed by willing alone and mere emotion, or bare zeal for godliness. But it must always outwardly exert itself through acts of virtue, as often as there is occasion and can be done, clearly so that one does not neglect what is commanded (John 8:34; 1 John 3:7-9), nor willfully does works which he knows are evil or forbidden (Rom. 14:32) or which he doubts is pleasing to God, neither easily overlooks the sins of others (Eph. 5:11; 2 Pet. 2:8; Rev. 2:2) and approves them by his consent, silence, disregard or by other means.
2. That it be sincere (Matt. 6:1; 19:8; 22:11-12; 1 Tim. 1:5) and therefore not only proceed from a certain and solid knowledge of the divine will, but it also supposes a true and honest soul, that is, which does not arise from a divided, dissembling, feigned heart, but from one which is complete and whole.
3. That it be continual (Matt. 10:24; 24:13; Heb. 3:6, 14; 10:38-39; Rev. 2:7, 10, 16; 3:21) and therefore that it not be performed only once, or for certain times, almost at intervals, nor endure only for a time, but that it persists to the end of our life, that is, until God Himself puts an end to our obedience. But it is a rewarding work that we give special consideration to these heads of faith and good works. (pp. 76-78)
