Beveridge on Article XVII: Of Predestination and Election

selves from the catholic church, and not agreeing with the goodness and mercy of Christ, and saying there is no place of repentance to be granted to a believer after baptism.” By which words we may see that not only Philastrius himself ealls this a vain doctrine, but that the whole church was against it, and that both in their judgment and practice, in that they granted repentance to such as had fallen after baptism. And that the primitive church was wholly against denying repentance to such as had fallen after baptism, appears also in that they so often condemned Novatianus for holding the contrary, as in two councils at Rome, and two at Carthage, and one in Italy, all about an. Dom. 2544; in which councils they also determined what is here asserted, that the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as sin after baptism.

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Predestination to Life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby (before the foundations of the world were laid) he hath constantly decreed by his counsel, secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them hy Christ to everlasting salvation, as

vessels made to honour.

HOUGH in the other articles we may make use of reason as well as scripture and Fathers, yet in this we must make use of scripture and Fathers only, and not of

reason,

For as the ordinary priests were not to enter into

the holy of holies, so neither is carnal reason to venture upon

a Thus I find St. Augustine long ago entering upon his discourse De predestinatione et gratia, premising this as a consideration to be attend- ed through his whole discourse, even not to think that God’s justice or wisdom can be measured with human reason. Sed quis ita desi- piat, vel potius quis ita blasphemet, ut dicat de justitia Dei lege humane justitie disputandum? Que profecto si justitie Dei adversatur injusta est. Ab illo enim qui summe justus est, omne quod qualitercunque justum est, manare manifestum est. Quis ergo qui incommutabilem, manen- tem, et omnia que sunt condentem, regentem, atque servantem Dei sa- pientiam pendat humane sapientic arbitrio? De quo idem apostolus dicit, quia sapientia carnis inimica est Deo. Et alibi, Sapientia hujus

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344 Of Predestination and Election. Art.

this mystery of mysteries. For it concerns God’s predestina- tion, which must needs be infinitely above man’s apprehen- sion. So that a cockle-fish may as soon crowd the ocean into its narrow shell, as vain man ever comprehend the de- erees of God. And hence it is that both in public and private I have still endeavoured to shun discourses of this nature: and now that I am unavoidably fallen upon it, I shall speak as little as possibly I can unto it, especially considering how many other truths are still behind to be insisted upon. And in that little that I shall speak, I shall labour to make use of as few of my own words as by any means I can, speaking nothing concerning this great mystery but what scripture and Fathers have expressly delivered unto me.

So much therefore of this article as I have transcribed contains an excellent description of election, or predestination to life, exactly consonant to the doctrine delivered by St. Paul to the Ephesians, in these words: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we may be holy and without blame before him in love: having predes- tinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Eph. i. 4, 5,6. And to Timothy in these words : Who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling; not according to our works», but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Jesus Christ before the world began. 2 Tim. i. 9.

And what the apostle did here deliver from God the pri- mitive church learned and taught from him. St. Augustine

expressly: ¢ Before he made us he foreknew us, and he‘

chose us in his foreknowledge when he had not as yet made us. By whom could this be done but by him, who calls those

OD Kard Ta epya jpar, pyoiv, nondum fecisset elegit. Sed a quo

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hoe fieri potuit, nisi ab eo gui vocat omnia que non sunt tanquam ea que sunt? Apostolus enim dicit, Qué elegit nos ante mundi constitutionem. Intra mundum facti sumus, et ante mundum electi sumus. Aug. de preedestinatione et gratia, c. 5.

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XVII. Of Predestination and Election. 345

things that are not as if they were? For the apostle saith, Who chose us before the foundation of the world. We are made within the world, but we were chosen before the world.” And again: ¢“ Out of those to whom the righteous severity had adjudged punishments, according to the inexpressible mercy of his hidden dispensation, he chose out vessels which he might fit for honour.” And elsewhere: ¢ “ Firmly believe, and by no means doubt, that the Trinity, the unchangeable God, the certain foreknower of all things and works, both his own and men’s, before all worlds did know to whom he would give grace by faith. Without which none from the beginning of the world to the end of it can be absolved from the guilt of his sin original and actual ; for these whom God foreknew, he did also predestinate to be conformable to the image of his Son.”

And thus Prosper also: f “The predestination of God no catholic person denieth, &c. But the faith of predestination is confirmed fromthe manifest authorities of the holy scrip- tures, to which it is not lawful by any means to ascribe those things that are wickedly done by men, who came into that proneness to fall, not from the creation of God, but from the sin or prevarication of the first parent: from the punishment whereof none is freed but by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, prepared and predestinated in the eternal council of God before the foundation of the world.”

Fulgentius also hath delivered his opinion very clearly

Id. de fide ad Petrum diac. [77. App. vol. VI. ] f Przedestinationem Dei nullus

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bilem dispositionis occultz miseri- cordiam, elegit vasa que faceret in honorem. Ibid. c. 13.

e Firmissime tene et nullatenus dubites, Trinitatem, Deum incom- mutabilem, rerum omnium atque operum tam suorum quam humano- rum certissimum cognitorem, ante omnia szcula scire, quibus esset per fidem gratiam largiturus: sine qua nemo potest ex initio mundi usque in finem a reatu peccati tam origi- nalis quam actualis absolvi. Quos enim Deus prescivit, et predestina- vit conformes fieri imaginis Filit sut.

catholicus negat, &c. Predestina- tionis autem fides multa sanctarum autoritate scripturarum munita est, cui nullo modo fas est ea que ab hominibus male aguntur ascribi: qui in proclivitatem cadendi, non ex conditione Dei, sed ex primi patris prevaricatione venerunt. De cujus peena nemo liberatur, nisi per gra- tiam Domini nostri Jesu Christi preparatam, et predestinatam in zeterno consilio Dei ante constitu- tionem mundi. Prosper. ad capit. Gallor. ¢. 1. [p. 316.]

346 Of Predestination and Election. Art. in this case: §“ For God,” saith he, “who made man, did himself prepare in his predestination, both the gift of illu- mination to believe, and the gift of perseverance to profit and persevere, and the gift of glorification to reign, for such to whom he pleased to give it: who also doth not any otherways perform in deed than was ordained by his unchangeable will. The truth of which predestination, whereby the apostle wit- nesseth we were predestinated in Christ before the founda- tion of the world, if any one refuse to receive with the belief of the heart, or to utter with the confession of the mouth, if, before the last day of this present life, he lay not aside the obstinacy of his impiety, whereby as a rebel he with- standeth the true and living God, it is manifest that he doth not belong to the number of those which God did before the foundation of the world freely choose in Christ, and pre- destinated unto the kingdom.” And so I pass to what follows in the article.

Wherefore, they who be endowed with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to G’od’s purpose by his Spirit working in due season: they through grace obey the calling: they be justified freely: they be made the sons of God by adoption: they be made like the image of his only-begotten Son Jesus Christ: they walk religiously in good works, and at length, by God’s mercy, they attain to everlasting felicity.

After predestination itself described, here we have a descrip- tion of such as are predestinated, leading them from grace to

& Deus enim qui hominem condi- dit, ipse preedestinatione sua et do- num illuminationis ad credendum, et donum perseverantie ad_profici- endum atque permanendum, et do- num glorificationis ad regnandum, quibus dare voluit praeparavit: qui- que non aliter perficit in opere, quam in sua sempiterna atque incommu- tabili habet voluntate dispositum. Cujus predestinationis veritatem, qua nos ante mundi constitutionem preedestinatos in charitate testatur

apostolus, si quis detrectet cordis credulitate recipere, vel oris confes- sione proferre, si, ante ultimum diem vite preesentis, impietatis suze contumaciam, qua Deo vivo et vero rebellis obsistit, non abjecerit, mani- festum est eum non pertinere ad eorum numerum, quos Deus in Christo ante mundi constitutionem gratis elegit, et pradestinavit ad regnum. Fulgent. de incarnatione et gratia Christi, [67.]

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XVII. Of Predestination and Election. 347

grace, and at length conducting them into glory. All which is virtually if not expressly contained in that excellent pas- sage of the apostle to this purpose, from whence I suppose this part of the article was taken, where he saith, For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many bre- thren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called : and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justi- Jied, them he also glorified. Rom. viii. 29, 30. Which words St. Augustine having repeated, concludes: 5 “ Of these who are predestinated none shall perish with the Devil, none of them shall remain under the power of the Devil unto death.” And the same Father again, or, as others think, Fulgentius, to the same purpose: i “ Firmly believe, and do not doubt, but that all that God of his bountiful goodness made vessels of merey were predestinated of God before the foundation of the world unto the adoption of the children of God; and that neither any of them whom God predestinated to the kingdom of hea- ven can perish, nor any of those whom he did not predestinate unto life can be saved, for that predestination is the prepara- tion of the free gift, whereby the apostle saith we are predes- tinated unto the adoption of the children of God by Jesus Christ to himself.” And so doth Bradwarden the profound say: k “ Predestination is the eternal preparation by the will of God, of final grace in the way, and eternal happiness in the country, for a reasonable creature.” But to proceed:

As the godly consideration of predestination, and our

election in Christ, is full of sweet comfort to godly persons, and such as feel in themselves the working of

h Horum preedestinatorum nemo cum diabolo peribit, nemo usque ad mortem sub diaboli potestate rema- nebit. Aug. de Trinitate, 1. 13. [20. vol. VIII.]

i Firmissime tene, et nullatenus dubites, omnes quos vasa miseri- cordiz gratuita bonitate Deus facit, ante constitutionem mundi in adop- tionem filiorum Dei preedestinatos a Deo; neque perire posse aliquem eorum, quos Deus predestinavit ad regnum celorum, nec quemquam

eorum quos non predestinavit ad vitam ulla posse ratione salvari. Preedestinatio enim illa gratuite do- nationis est preparatio, qua nos apostolus ait preedestinatos in adop- tionem filiorum Dei per Jesum Christum in ipsum. Id. de fide ad Petr. diac. [78. Ap. vol. VI.]

k Preedestinatio est zterna pre- paratio ex voluntate divina, gratiz finalis in via, et beatitudinis sempi- terne in patria creature rationali. Bradward. de caus. Dei, 1. 1. c. 45.

348 Of Predestination and Election. Art. the Spirit of Christ, mortifying the works of the flesh,

and their earthly members, and drawing up their mind to high and heavenly things, as well because wt doth greatly establish and confirm their faith of eter- nal salvation to be enjoyed through Christ, as because it doth fervently kindle their love towards God: so, for curious and carnal persons, lacking the Spirit of Christ, to have continually before their eyes the sentence of God’s predestination, is a most dangerous downfall, whereby the Devil doth thrust them either into despera- tion, or into wretchfulness of most unclean living, no less dangerous than desperation. Furthermore, we must receive G’od’s promises in such wise, as they be generally set forth to us in holy scripture: and, in our doings, that will of God is to be followed, which we have expressly declared unto us in the word of God.

In which words there are several things briefly to be con- sidered. First, that to holy and religious persons, the godly consideration of this doctrine of our election in Christ is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort ; which we see verified in the example of St. Paul, who, having considered the truth of this mystery, immediately triumphs with joy and comfort, crying out, What shall we say then to these things? If God be with us, who can be against us? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect ? It is God that justifieth. Rom. viii. 31, 33. 1 Not, who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s people, or of God’s servants, but who shall lay any

thing to the charge of God’s elect? If God hath elected us, it is _

in vain for men or devils to accuse: if He be our friend, it is in vain for any one to be our foe.

But, secondly, though the godly consideration of this doc- trine is the ground of great consolation to the godly, yet-for curious and carnal persons to have it continually before their

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XVII. Of Predestination and Election. 349

eyes is a most dangerous downfall, whereby the Devil doth thrust them either, first, into desperation ; (and so indeed had St. Augustine no sooner explained and confirmed this great doctrine, but Hilarius Arelatensis sends him word, that some ™ were so moved with it, that they said, desperation was held forth to men by it ;) or, secondly, into wretchfulness of most unclean living, no less perilous than desperation ; a sad ex- ample of which St. Augustine relates: for, saith he, ® “ there was a certain man in our monastery, who being reproved by his brethren why he would do some things which he should not do, and not do some things which he should do, he an- swered, Whatsoever I am now, I shall be such a one as God foreknew I would be. Who truly (saith the Father) both said true, and yet this truth did not turn to good, but it so turned to evil, that leaving the society of the monastery he became a dog that returned to his vomit; and yet what he may be hereafter, it is uncertain.”

And lastly, it is here very opportunely added, that we must receive God’s promises as they be generally set forth in the holy scripture. Though they are but some that God hath elected, yet his promises are made to all: Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest, Matt. xi. 28: and, Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life, John iii. 16. In the application of which and the like promises, we must not have respect to the eternity of God’s purpose, but to the universality of his pro- mise. His promises are made to all, and therefore are all bound to lay hold upon his promises: and as we are to re- ceive his promises, so are we also to obey his precepts as made to all. So that in all our doings the will of God is to be followed as we have it expressly declared to us in his word :

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n Fuit quidam in nostro monas~- terio, qui corripientibus fratribus cur quedam non facienda faceret, et queedam facienda non faceret, re- spondebat, Qualiscunque nunc sum,

talis ero qualem me Deus futurum esse preescivit. Qui profecto et ve- rum dicebat; et hoc verum non pro- ficiebat in bonum, sed usque adeo profecit in malum, ut deserta mo- nasterii societate, fieret canis rever- sus ad suum vomitum, et tamen ad- huc qualis sit futurus incertum est. Aug. de dono perseverantix. [38. vol. X.]

Arr.

350 Of Predestination and Election.

not considering whether God elected me from eternity, but whether I obey him in time; if I obey him in time, I may certainly conclude that he elected me from eternity. And thus do I find St. Augustine advising this doctrine to be so published, as that men may not thereby be brought off, but rather spurred on to obedience. © “ It is of too much conten- tion therefore,” saith he, “ either to deny predestination, or to doubt of predestination : which notwithstanding is not to be so preached to the people, that it may seem amongst the un- skilful and dull-sighted multitude to be reprehended in its being preached. As the foreknowledge of God seems to be reprehended, which certainly they cannot deny, if it be said to men, whether you run or sleep, what he that cannot be deceived foreknew you would be, that you will be. But it is the part of a deceitful or unskilful physician to apply a profit- able medicine so as that it either do no good, or else harm. But we must say, so run that ye may obtain, and in your very running you shall know that ye were so foreknown that ye would run lawfully ; and so if there be any other way that the foreknowledge of God can be preached, whereby the idle- ness of man may be repelled.” And in the next chapter, rp“ And that way which we told him that speaks to the

© Nimiz igitur contentionis est preedestinationi contradicere, vel de preedestinatione dubitare; que ta- men non ita populis przedicanda est, ut apud imperitam vel tardioris in- telligentiz multitudinem redargui quodammodo ipsa sua preedicatione videatur. Sicut redargui videtur et preescientia Dei, quam certe negare non possunt, si dicatur hominibus, sive curratis sive dormiatis, quod vos prescivit, qui falli non potest, hoc eritis. Dolosi autem vel impe- riti medici est utile medicamentum sic alligare, ut aut non prosit aut obsit. Sed dicendum est, Sic cur- rite ut comprehendatis, atque in ipso cursu vestro ita vos esse pre- cognitos noveritis ut legitime cur- ratis ; et si he alio modo Dei pre- scientia preedicari potest, ut hominis segnitia repellatur. Aug. de dono perseverantiz, [56, 57. vol. X.]

P Tum etiam modum quo uten-

dum esse in preedestinationis preedi- catione nos diximus loquenti ad po- pulum, non existimo debere sufficere, nisi hoc vel hujusmodi aliquid addat, ut dicat : vos itaque ipsam obediendi perseverantiam a patre luminum, a quo descendit omne datum optimum et omne donum perfectum, sperare debetis, et quotidianis orationibus poscere ; atque hoc faciendo confi- dere non vos esse a preedestinatione populi ejus alienos, quia etiam hoc, ut faciatis, ipse largitur. Absit au- tem a vobis ideo desperare de vobis, quoniam spem vestram in ipso ha- bere jubemini, non in vobis: male- dictus enim omnis homo, qui spem habet in homine; et bonum est confidere in Domino, quam confi- dere in homine, quia beati omnes qui confidunt in eum. Et hance spem tenentes, servite Domino in

timore, et exultate ei cum tremore. Ibid. [62.]

—— Ff.