Jackson on Article XVII: Of Predestination and Election
Bernard C. Jackson, 1900
Commentaries on Article XVII: Rogers (1607)Ellis (1660)Burnet (1699)Beveridge (d. 1708)Welchman (1713)Practical Exposition (1716)Veneer (1725)Madan (1772)Hey (1796)Tomline (1799)Wilson (1821)Jones (1849)Trollope (1850)Browne (1850)Forbes (1867)Boultbee (1871)Maclear & Williams (1895)Green (1896)Gibson (1896)Jackson (1900)Bicknell (1919) · Article 17: text, context and Study
Article XVII. Of Predestination and Election
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 by Christ to everlasting salvation, as vessels made to honour. Wherefore, they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to God's purpose by his Spirit working in due season: they through Grace obey the calling: they be justified freely: they be made 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.
As the godly consideration of Predestination, and our Election in Christ, is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort to godly persons, and such as feel in themselves the working of 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 it doth greatly establish and confirm their faith of eternal 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 downfal, whereby the Devil doth thrust them either into desperation, or into wretchlessness of most unclean living, no less perilous than desperation.
Furthermore, we must receive God's promises in such wise, as they be generally set forth to us in holy Scripture: and, in our doings, that Will of God is to be followed, which we have expressly declared unto us in the Word of God.
Text: Book of Common Prayer (1662)
Cleaned OCR; [...] marks passages cut for illegibility. See the scan. Text: The Thirty-nine Articles: a short exposition, by Bernard C. Jackson (London: Church Book Room, 1900). Short notes on each Article. Cleaned OCR from the Internet Archive scan; passages too garbled to recover are marked [...]. Public domain.
to ‘‘ depart from grace given.’’ As this error originated in the exaggeration of the doctrine of Predestination and Election, it is natural that the next Article should treat of this subject. It con- fists of three parts :—
Part 1 ts a statement of the doctrine.
Its language is largely drawn from Holy Scrip- ture (See Eph. i., and Rom. viii.). It leaves the purpose of God in election a mystery, ‘*‘ secret to us ’’; and it makes no attempt to reconcile the truths of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsi- bility. It then proceeds to enumerate seven stages in the spiritual experience of the elect. “They ..’… be called by his) Sgeenssieo- through grace obey… . be justified freely … . be made sons of God by adoption… . he made like the image of his only begotten Son… . walk religiously in good works . … by God’s mercy, attain to everlasting felicity.’’ (cf. Rom. viii., 28-30).
Part 2 is a caution against the abuse of the doctrine.
It is a doctrine for Christians—for “ godly per- sons and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ.’’ And for them “ the godly consideration ’”’ of it.‘ is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort.’’ In fact, the thought of it sustains their faith, inspires them with hope, and kindles their love for God. But it is not a doctrine for ‘‘ carnal persons,’’ i.e., unregenerate persons, ruled merely by their natural senses and not by ‘‘ the law of the Spirit.’’ If they be ** curious ’’ (i.e., not content to regard the doc- trine as a mystery), and so “ have before their eyes the sentence of God’s Predestination,’’ it may have a very dangerous effect upon them, It may either plunge them “ into desperation ”’ thinking there is no hope of their salvation, or, worse still, ‘‘ into wretchlessness (recklessness) of most unclean living,’’ thinking that, if their future is already predestined, it does not matter how they live.
Part 3 gives two important rules for the tnter- pretation of Holy Scripture.
First, ‘“ we must receive God’s promises in such wise, as they be generally set forth in Holy Scrip- ture,’ (i.e., interpreting particular promises ac- cording to the general tenor of all). Second, “in our doings, that Will of God is to be followed, which we have expressly declared unto us.in the on. of God ”’ (e.g., John iii., 16, and 1 Tim. ii., 4).
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