Jones on Article XVII: Of Predestination and Election

” As lie hath chosen us before the foundation of the eaith was laid, so he hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings before the foundation of the world was laid. And as this elect ion of God was only of the mere grace, will, and pleasure of God, so were all his blessings toward us intended of his only goodness, and not of our merits or deservings ; what thing could we deserve before we were born that provoked God to love us, or was the cause why that God loved us ? Nothing… God of his own goodness electeth and choseth whom he will, only of his mere mercy and goodness, without all the deservings of man : whom he hath elected, he calleth them, for the most part by pi-eaching of the gospel, and by the hearing of the word of God to faith in Christ Jesus : and through faith he justifieth them, forgivcth sins, and maketh them obedient to

hear his word with gladness We were elected of God in

him (Christ) to be saved before the beginning of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before God by love.

God hath oi-dained us that we should be his children by

adoption, and that not of our deserving, but only by his mercy and grace, and by the merits of Christ’s passion, that all the praise and thanks should be given only to God for it ; and

nothing to ourselves : he hath made us his children by adoption, that we should shew our Father in all holiness of life, that we should follow his footsteps in our life.” — On Eph.

” Holiness is the end of our election. ‘He chose us before the

foundations of the world that we might be holy.’ So that

unless we esteem vilely of our own election, unless we refuse to satisfy the will, to obey the commandment, to follow the example, and to answer the vocation in which God hath called us, we must be holy.” — Luke i. 74, 75.

” When you find these three points to be in you ; namely : — first, when you know your sin and be sorry for the same, and afterward tbelieve to be saved through the passion of Jesus Christ, and thirdly, have an earnest desire to leave sin, and to fly the same ; when you find these three things in your hearts, then you may be sure that your names are written in the book.” — Ser. 3rd Sun. after Epiphany.

” Set before your eyes the wonderful joy and felicity, and the innumerable treasures which God hath laid up for you that fear and love him, and live after his will and commandments ; for no tongue can express, no eye hath seen, no heart can com- prehend nor conceive the great felicity that God hath prepared for his elect and chosen.” — 5th Sun. after Epiphany.

” ’ Many are called and few chosen.’ These words of our Saviour are very hard to understand, and therefore it is not good to be too curious in them, as some vain fellows do, who, seeking carnal liberty, pervert, toss, and turn the word of God after their own mind and purpose. Such I say, when they read these words, make their reckoning thus, saying : ’ What need I to mortify my body with abstaining from all sin and wickedness ? I perceive God hath chosen some, and some are rejected. Now if I be in the number of the chosen I cannot be

damned; but if I be accounted among the condemned number, then I cannot be saved, for God’s judgments are immutable.’ Such foolish and wicked reasons some have, which bring them either to desperation, or else to carnal liberty. Therefore it is as needful to beware of such reasons or expositions of the Scriptures, as it is to beware of the devil himself. But if thou art desirous to know whether thou art chosen to everlasting life, thou mayest not begin with God : for God is too high ; thou canst not comprehend him. The judgments of God are unknown to man ; therefore thou mayest not begin there : but begin with Christ, and learn to know Christ and wherefore he

came Consider, I say, Christ and his coming, and then

begin to try thyself whether thou art in the book of life or not. If thou findest thyself in Christ, then thou art sure of everlast- ing life. If thou be without him then thou art in an evil case. For it is written, ’ No man cometh unto the Father but through me.’ Therefore, if thou knowest Christ, then thou mayest

know further of thy election There are none of us all, but

we may be saved by Christ ; and therefore let us stick harder to it, and be content to forego all the pleasures and riches of this world for his sake, who for our sake, forsook all the heaveidy pleasures, and came down into this miserable and wretched world ; and here suffered all manner of afflictions for our sake.” — Septuatjmma Sunday.

” The cause of our election is the mercy of God in Christ. (Rom. ix.) Howbeit, he that will be partaker of this election, must receive the promise in Christ by faith. For therefore we be elected, because afterward we are made the members of Christ. Eph. i. Rom. viii As in the justification or remis- sion of sin, there is cause, though no dignity at all in the receiver even so we judge him by the scripture to be justi- fied, and hath remission of his sin, because he received the grace promised in Christ ; so we judge of election by the event or success that happencth in the life of man, those only to be

elected that by faith apprehend the mercy promised in Christ.” — Int. to Decl. of Ten Commandments.

” The question of necessity shall not he so hard indeed as it seemeth, if we separate a little the divine providence from our will ; and do say all things to be done, necessarily, if we regard the purpose or providence of God ; but if the same be referred unto our will, we do work them freely and of our own accord.” — Curio’s Defence.

Some other there be, that for an extreme refuge in their evil doings, do run to God’s predestination and election, saying, that if I be elected of God to salvation, I shall he saved, what- soever I do. But such cast themselves down from the pinnacle of the temple in presumption that God may preserve them by his angels through predestination. God’s predestination and election ought to be with a simple eye considered to make us more warily to walk, in good and godly conversation according

to God’s word and not to put all on God’s hack, to do

wickedly at large Therefore St. Peter willeth us through

good works to make our vocation and election certain to our- selves, which we know not, but by the good working of God’s. Spirit in us, according to the rule of the gospel.” — Letters.

” Certain it is that our election cometh only and wholly of the benefit and grace of God for the merits of Christ’s passion, and for no part of our merits and good works, as St. Paul dis- puteth and proveth at length in the Epistle to the Romans and Galatians, and divers other places, saying : ’ If by works then it is no more of grace, if by grace then it is no jnore of works.’” — Annotations.

” The elect, in whom finally no fault shall be, but they shall

perpetually continue and endure Likewise the elect shall not

wilfully and obstinately withstand God’s calling.” — Ibid.

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” The Christian faith which hath endured since the begin- ning of the world, is the eldest, undoubted, right and true faith, which all the holy patriarchs had, and in the which they served

God and pleased him This holy faith also had all righteous,

and such as were of godly understanding, in all the congrega- tions of Israel from the beginning. In this were saved all they that from the beginning were preserved and ordained to salva- tion.”— Old Faith.

I will declare the manner of justification to how many

things it is applied. Unto God unto Christ unto mercy

unto his election. (Eph. i.) ’ According as he hath chosen

us by him, or ever the foundation of the world was laid, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.” — Old Learning and New.

” What is predestination ? it is the secret election of the wisdom of God to eternal life without our deserving. They be predestinate and called to everlasting life which hear and re- ceive the word of God.” — Demands, fyc.

” The elect are so written up in the hand of God, that nothing chanceth unto them without the singular providence and fatherly appointment of God.” (Acts iv.) ” ’ For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and also Pontius Pilate, with the gentiles and the people of Israel gathered themselves together,’ for to do what- soever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to he done.” Pre/, to the Surrmary of New Testament.

“God hath chosen you from the beginning, his election is sure for ever. The Lord knoweth who arc his. You shall not

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be deceived with the power and subtlety of antichrist ; you shall not fall from grace ; you shall not perish. This is the comfort which abideth in the faithful when they behold the

fall of the wicked “When we see these things in order, we

must say, Alas ! they are examples for me, and they are lamentable examples. Let him that standeth take heed that he

fall not But how may we know that God hath chosen us ?

how may we see this election ? or how may we feel it ? The Apostle saith, through sanctijication and faith ; these are tokens of God’s election. Have you received the Gospel ? — On Thessalonians.

” For whereas that most sacred purpose of the divine pre- destination and reprobation doth issue and spring from out the only will of God, being indeed most unsearchable, yet most righteous ; and whereas, also, men are first fashioned in the same will, as in God’s workshop, to be either vessels of wrath, or vessels of mercy, before that any lenity or mercy do appear to be extended towards any of them from God ; by what means then will Osorius affirm that the defence of justice consisteth wholly in mercy, and that there be no vessels of wrath, but

such as will not be vessels of mercy ? I do answer that this

is true that no man perisheth at all, but whoso perisheth

by his own procurement and default,” nevertheless, “as he

is a judge he doth punish sinners indeed ; but as he is a creator he doth fashion his creatures according to his will, even as the potter doth fashion his pots.” — Against Osorius, Election, <$•&

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