by his own good pleasure and free will (b): "Prædestinationem vocamus æternum Dei decretum quo apud se constitutum habuit, quid deunoquoque homine fieri vellet. Non enim pari conditione creantur omnes; sed aliis vita æterna, aliis damnatio æterna præordinatur."-" Quod ergo Scriptura clare ostendit dicimus, æterno et immutabili consilio Deum semel constituisse, quos olim semel assumere vellet in salutem, quos rursum exitio devovere. Hoc consilium quoad electos in gratuitâ ejus misericordiâ fundatum esse asserimus, nullo humanæ dignitatis respectu : quos vero damnationi addicit, his justo quidem et irreprehensibili, sed incomprehensibili ipsius judicio vitæ aditum præcludi (c)."—" The article of predestination," says Dr. Waterland, "has been vainly enough urged in favour of the Calvinistical tenets; for, not to mention the saving clause in

the

(b) Arminius opposed these doctrines, but not till after our articles were compiled. Calvin nearly followed the opinions of Austin and the Latin church, and Arminius those of Chrysostom and the Greek church. For an account of this controversy, see Mosheim; and for a general account of the opinions which have been entertained concerning Predestination, and the arguments by which they have been supported, see Burnet upon this article. "It is agreed by every body that his collection of the arguments made use of by both parties, contains a brief, full, and fair representation of what is found in their respective writings upon this subject." Veneer.

(c) Calv. Instit. lib. 3. cap. 21.

the conclusion, or its saying nothing at all of reprobation, and nothing in favour of absolute predestination to life, there seems to be a plain. distinction (as Plaifere has well observed) in the article itself, of two kinds of Predestination, one of which is recommended to us, the other condemned. Predestination, rightly and piously considered, that is, considered not irrespectively, not absolutely, but with respect to faith in Christ, faith working by love, and persevering; such a predestination is a sweet and comfortable doctrine; but the sentence of God's predestination (it is not here said in Christ as before) that sentence simply or absolutely considered (as curious and carnal persons are apt to consider it) is a most dangerous downfall, leading either to security or desperation, as having no respect to foreseen faith and a good life, nor depending upon it, but antecedent in order to it. The article then seems to speak of two subjects; first of predestination, soberly understood with respect to faith in Christ, which is wholesome doctrine; secondly, of predestination simply considered, which is a dangerous doctrine. And the latter part seems to be intended against those Gospellers, whereof Bishop Burnet speaks. Nor is it imaginable that any true and sound doctrine of the Gospel, should of itself have any aptness to become a downfall even to carnal persons; but carnal

persons

persons are apt to corrupt a sound doctrine, and suit it to their own lusts and passions, thereby falsifying the truth. This doctrine, so depraved and mistaken, our church condemns; that is, she condemns absolute, irrespective predestination, not the other."

As archbishop Cranmer was not only the principal compiler of these articles, but by his writings and influence contributed more than any other person to the Reformation in England, it may be right to state the sentiments of that eminent prelate upon the subject of this article; and as the publication (d) from which the following quotations are taken, was confirmed by act of parliament, they may be considered as containing also the sentiments of our early Reformers in general: "God is naturally good, and willeth all men to be saved, and careth for them, and provideth all things by which they may be saved, except by their own malice they will do evil, and so by righteous judgment of God perish and be lost; for truly men be to themselves the authors of sin and damnation. God is neither author of sin, nor the cause of damnation; and yet doth he most righteously damn those men, that do with vices corrupt their nature, which he made good, and do abuse the same to evil desires

(d) Necessary Doctrine and Erudition for any Christian Man,

desires against his most holy will wherefore men be to be warned, that they do not impute to God their vice, or their damnation, but to themselves, which by free-will have abused the grace and benefit of God."-" It is to be considered, that although our Saviour Christ hath offered himself upon the cross, a sufficient redemption and satisfaction for the sins of all the world, and hath made himself an open way and entry unto God the Father for all mankind, only by his worthy merit and deserving, and willing all men to be saved, calleth upon all the world, without respect of persons, to come and be partakers of the righteousness, peace, and glory, which is in him; yet for all this benignity and grace, shewed universally to the whole world, none shall have the effect of the benefit of our Saviour Christ, and enjoy everlasting salvation by him, but they that take such ways to attain the same, as he hath taught and appointed by his holy word.”— "And here all fantastical imagination, curious reasoning, and vain trust of predestination, is to be laid apart. And according to the plain manner of speaking and teaching of Scripture in innumerable places, we ought evermore to be in dread of our own frailty, and natural pronity to fall to sin, and not to assure ourselves that we be elected any otherwise than by feeling of spiritual motions in our heart, and by the tokens of good

and

and virtuous living, in following the grace of God, and persevering in the same to the end."

It is very clearly proved in " A Dissertation on the Seventeenth Article (e)," printed at Oxford in 1773, that the sentiments of Ridley, Latimer, and Hooper, coincided with those of Cranmer concerning grace and predestination; and Dean Tucker has shewn, in his Letters to Dr. Kippis, that" at the time just preceding the Reformation, the church of Rome, in respect to predestination, grace, freewill, and perseverance, was truly Calvinistical."

"In England, at the time of the Synod of Dort, we were much divided in our opinion concerning the controverted Articles; but our Divines having taken the liberty to think and judge for themselves, and the civil government not interposing, it has come to pass, that, from that time to this, almost all persons here, of any note for learning and abilities, have bid adieu to Calvinism (ƒ), have sided with the Remonstrants, and have left the Fatalists to follow their own opinions, and to rejoice (since they can rejoice) in a religious system consisting of human creatures without liberty, doctrines without sense, faith without reason, and a God without mercy (g)."

(e) Written by Dr. Winchester.

(f) "Whitby published some tracts on Election, Reprobation, and Original Sin, and in these treatises he confuted Calvinism almost to a demonstration." Jortin. (g) Jortin, Dissert. 2nd. Page 3.