Title PageIntroductionFirst Head of Doctrine. Divine Election and Reprobation Article 1 As all men have sinned in Adam, lie under the curseàArticle 2 But in this the love of God was manifestedàArticle 3 And that men may be brought to believe, God mercifully sends the messengers of theseàArticle 4 The wrath of God abides upon those who believe not this gospel.àArticle 5 The cause or guilt of this unbelief as well as of all other sins isàArticle 6 That some receive the gift of faith from GodàArticle 7 Election is the unchangeable purpose of God, whereby, before the foundation of the worldàArticle 8 There are not various decrees of election, but one and the same decree respecting allàArticle 9 This election was not founded upon foreseen faith and the obedience of faithàArticle 10 The good pleasure of God is the sole cause of this gracious electionàArticle 11 And as God Himself is most wise, unchangeable, omniscientàArticle 12 The elect in due time, though in various degrees and in different measuresàArticle 13 The sense and certainty of this election afford to the children of God additional matteràArticle 14 As the doctrine of divine election by the most wise counsel of God was declaredàArticle 15 What peculiarly tends to illustrate and recommend to us the eternal and unmerited grace ofàArticle 16 Those in whom a living faith in Christ, an assured confidence of soulàArticle 17 Since we are to judge of the will of God from His WordàArticle 18 To those who murmur at the free grace of election and the just severity ofàRejection of ErrorsParagraph 1 Who teach: That the will of God to save those who would believe and wouldàParagraph 2 Who teach: That there are various kinds of election of God unto eternal lifeàParagraph 3 Who teach: That the good pleasure and purpose of GodàParagraph 4 Who teach: That in the election unto faith this condition is beforehand demanded that manàParagraph 5 Who teach: That the incomplete and non-decisive election of particular persons to salvation occurred becauseàParagraph 6 Who teach: That not every election unto salvation is unchangeableàParagraph 7 Who teach: That there is in this life no fruit and no consciousness of theàParagraph 8 Who teach: That God, simply by virtue of His righteous willàParagraph 9 Who teach: That the reason why God sends the gospel to one people rather thanàSecond Head of Doctrine Article 1 God is not only supremely merciful, but also supremely just.àArticle 2 Since, therefore, we are unable to make that satisfaction in our own personsàArticle 3 The death of the Son of God is the only and most perfect sacrifice andàArticle 4 This death is of such infinite value and dignity because the person who submitted toàArticle 5 Moreover, the promise of the gospel is that whosoever believes in Christ crucified shall notàArticle 6 And, whereas many who are called by the gospel do not repent nor believe inàArticle 7 But as many as truly believe, and are delivered and saved from sin and destructionàArticle 8 For this was the sovereign counsel and most gracious will and purpose of God theàArticle 9 This purpose, proceeding from everlasting love towards the electàRejection of ErrorsParagraph 1 Who teach: That God the Father has ordained His Son to the death of theàParagraph 2 Who teach: That it was not the purpose of the death of Christ that HeàParagraph 3 Who teach: That Christ by His satisfaction merited neither salvation itself for anyoneàParagraph 4 Who teach: That the new covenant of grace, which God the FatheràParagraph 5 Who teach: That all men have been accepted unto the state of reconciliation and untoàParagraph 6 Who use the difference between meriting and appropriating, to the end that they may instilàParagraph 7 Who teach: That Christ neither could die, nor needed to dieàThird and Fourth Heads of Doctrine Article 1 Man was originally formed after the image of God.àArticle 2 Man after the fall begat children in his own likeness.àArticle 3 Therefore all men are conceived in sin, and are by nature children of wrathàArticle 4 There remain, however, in man since the fall, the glimmerings of natural understandingàArticle 5 Neither can the decalogue delivered by God to His peculiar peopleàArticle 6 What, therefore, neither the innate understanding nor the law could doàArticle 7 This mystery of His will God revealed to but a small number under the OldàArticle 8 As many as are called by the gospel are unfeignedly called.àArticle 9 It is not the fault of the gospel, nor of Christ offered thereinàArticle 10 But that others who are called by the gospel obey the call and are convertedàArticle 11 But when God accomplishes His good pleasure in the electàArticle 12 And this is that regeneration so highly extolled in ScriptureàArticle 13 The manner of this operation cannot be fully comprehended by believers in this life.àArticle 14 Faith is therefore to be considered as the gift of GodàArticle 15 God is under no obligation to confer this grace upon anyàArticle 16 But as man by the fall did not cease to be a creature endowed withàArticle 17 As the almighty operation of God whereby He brings forth and supports this our naturalàRejection of ErrorsParagraph 1 Who teach: That it cannot properly be said that original sin in itself suffices toàParagraph 2 Who teach: That the spiritual gifts or the good qualities and virtuesàParagraph 3 Who teach: That in spiritual death the spiritual gifts are not separate from the willàParagraph 4 Who teach: That the unregenerate man is not really nor utterly dead in sinàParagraph 5 Who teach: That the corrupt and natural man can so well use the common graceàParagraph 6 Who teach: That in the TRUE conversion of man no new qualitiesàParagraph 7 Who teach: That the grace whereby we are converted to God is only a gentleàParagraph 8 Who teach: That God in the regeneration of man does not use such powers ofàParagraph 9 Who teach: That grace and free will are partial causes which together work the beginningàFifth Head of Doctrine Article 1 Those whom God, according to His purpose, calls to the communion of His SonàArticle 2 Hence spring forth the daily sins of infirmity, and blemishes cleave even to the bestàArticle 3 By reason of these remains of indwelling sin, and also because of the temptations ofàArticle 4 Although the weakness of the flesh cannot prevail against the power of GodàArticle 5 By such enormous sins, however, they very highly offend GodàArticle 6 But God, who is rich in mercy, according to His unchangeable purpose of electionàArticle 7 For in the first place, in these falls He preserves in them the incorruptible seedàArticle 8 Thus it is not in consequence of their own merits or strengthàArticle 9 Of this preservation of the elect to salvation and of their perseverance in the faithàArticle 10 This assurance, however, is not produced by any peculiar revelation contrary to or independent ofàArticle 11 The Scripture moreover testifies that believers in this life have to struggle with various carnalàArticle 12 This certainty of perseverance, however, is so far from exciting in believers a spirit ofàArticle 13 Neither does renewed confidence of persevering produce licentiousness or a disregard of piety in thoseàArticle 14 And as it has pleased God, by the preaching of the gospelàArticle 15 The carnal mind is unable to comprehend this doctrine of the perseverance of the saintsàRejection of ErrorsParagraph 1 Who teach: That the perseverance of the TRUE believers is not a fruit of electionàParagraph 2 Who teach: That God does indeed provide the believer with sufficient powers to persevereàParagraph 3 Who teach: That the TRUE believers and regenerate not only can fall from justifying faithàParagraph 4 Who teach: That TRUE believers and regenerate can sin the sin unto death or againstàParagraph 5 Who teach: That without a special revelation we can have no certainty of future perseveranceàParagraph 6 Who teach: That the doctrine of the certainty of perseverance and of salvation from itsàParagraph 7 Who teach: That the faith of those who believe for a time does not differàParagraph 8 Who teach: That it is not absurd that one having lost his first regeneration isàParagraph 9 Who teach: That Christ has in no place prayed that believers should infallibly continue inàConclusion And this is the perspicuous, simple, and ingenuous declaration of the orthodox doctrine respecting theà |
    |