CHAPTERS III. & IV.

OF THE DOCTRINE OF MAN'S CORRUPTION, AND OF THE METHOD OF HIS CONVERSION TO GOD.

1. Man, from the beginning was created in the image of God, adorned in his mind, with the true and saving knowledge of his Creator and of spiritual things, with righteousness in his will and heart, and purity in all his affections, and thus was altogether holy; but, by the instigation of the devil and his own free will (libera sua voluntate,) revolting from God, he bereaved himself of these inestimable gifts; and, on the contrary, in their place, contracted in himself blindness, horrible darkness, and perversity of judgment in the mind; malice, rebellion, hardness, in the will and heart; and finally, impurity in all his affections.

2. And such as man was after the fall, such children also he begat: namely, being corrupted, corrupt ones; corruption having been derived from Adam to all his posterity, (Christ only excepted,) not by imitation, as the Pelagians formerly would have it, but by the propagation of a vicious nature, through the just judgment of God.*

3. Therefore, all men are conceived in sin, and born the children of wrath, indisposed (inepti) to all saving good, propense to evil, dead in sins, and the slaves of sin; and, without the grace of the regenerating Holy Spirit, they neither are willing nor able to return to God, to correct their depraved nature, or to dispose themselves to the correction of it.†

*"Hence we condemn the error of the Pelagians, who assert that this original sin (peccatum originis) is no other thing than imitation." Belgic Confession, Art. xv.

Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam (in imitatione Adami) as the Pelagians do vainly talk (fabulantur); but it is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone (quam longissime distet) from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, &c. Art. ix. Church of England.

See on Rejection of Errors, chap. ii. Art. 6.

4. There is indeed remaining in man, since the fall, some light of nature, by the help of which, he retains certain notions concerning God and natural things; concerning the difference of things honorable and shameful, and manifests some desire after virtue and external discipline: but, so far from his being able, by this light of nature, to attain to the saving knowledge of God, or to turn himself to him, he does not use it rightly in natural and civil things: nay, indeed, whatever thing it may at length be, he contaminates it all in various ways, and holds it in unrighteousness, which, when he does, he is rendered inexcusable before God.*

5. The reason (or purport or purpose, ratio,) of the decalogue, particularly delivered from God, by Moses, to the Jews, is the same as that of the light of nature; for when indeed it exposes the magnitude of sin, and more and more convicts man of guilt; yet it neither discloses a remedy, nor confers the power of emerging from misery; so that, being rendered weak through the transgression of the flesh, it leaves him under the curse, and man cannot through it obtain saving grace.†

6. What, therefore, neither the light of nature nor the law could do, that God performs by the power of the Holy Spirit, through the word, or the ministry of reconciliation; which is the gospel concerning the Messiah, by which it hath pleased God to save believers, as well under the Old, as under the New Testament.

The

7. God revealed this mystery of his own will to fewer persons under the Old Testament; but now, the distinction of people being taken away, he manifests it to more. cause of which dispensation is not to be ascribed to the dig nity (or worthiness) of one nation above another, or to the better use of the light of nature; but to the most free good pleasure and gratuitous love of God. Therefore they to

* Man, by the fall "entirely withdrew himself from God, (his true life,) and alienated himself, his nature having been wholly vitiated and corrupted by his sin; by which it came to pass, that he rendered himself obnoxious, as well to corporeal, as to spiritual death. Therefore having become wicked and perverse, and in all his ways and pursuits (studiis) corrupt, he lost all those excellent gifts, with which he (God) had adorned him; so that only small sparks and slender remains (vestigia) of them are left to him, which yet suffice to render men inexcusable; because whatever there is in us of light, hath been turned into blind darkness."* Belgic Confession, Art. xiv.

*Rom. i, 18, 20. ii. 1, 12, 16. Eph. iv. 17-19. Rom. iii. 20. v. 20. viii. 3. 2 Cor. iii. 7, 9. Gal. iii. 10, 22.

Rom. viii. 3. Gal, iii. 22. Heb. iv. 1, 2. xi. 7. "Both in the Old and

whom, beyond and contrary to all merit, such grace is given (fit) ought to acknowledge it with a humble and thankful heart in respect of the rest to whom this grace is not given, to adore with the apostle the severity and justice of the judgments of God, but by no means to scrutinize them curiously.* 8. But as many as are invited by the gospel, are invited sincerely (or in earnest, serio.) For sincerely and most truly God shews in his word, what is pleasing to him; namely, that they who are called should come to him. And he sincerely promises to all who come to him, and believe, the peace of their souls and eternal life.†

9. That many, who are called by the ministry of the gospel, do not come, and are not converted; the fault of this is not in the gospel, nor in Christ offered by the gospel, nor in God inviting by the gospel, and conferring various gifts on them; but in the persons themselves who are invited some of whom being regardless, (or unconcerned, securi,) do not admit the word of eternal life: others indeed admit it, (admittunt,) but do not receive (immittunt) it into their heart, so that they turn back after an evanescent joy of temporary faith ; and others choke the seed of the word with the thorns of the cares and pleasures of the world, and bring forth no fruit; as our Saviour teaches us in the parable of the sower. Matt.xiii.

10. And that others, who are called by the ministry of the gospel, do come and are converted, this is not to be ascribed to man, as if distinguishing himself by free will (libero arbitrio) from others, furnished with equal or sufficient grace for faith and conversion, (which the proud heresy of Pelagius states,) but to God, who, as he chose his own people in Christ from eternity, so he also effectually calls them in time; gives them repentance and faith; and, having been rescued (erutos) from the power of darkness, translates them into the kingdom of his Son, that they may declare his energies (virtutes) who called them out of darkness into this marvellous light; and glory, not in themselves but in God: the apostolic scripture every where testifying this.§

New Testament, everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both God and man." Art. vii. Church of England.

* See Rejection of Errors on first chapter, Art. ix.

† Matt. xxii. 4-10. John vi. 37-40. Rev. xxi. 6. xxii. 17.

Luke vii. 12-15. John iii. 19-21. Heb. iii. 12. Gr. iv. 2.

"Whatever things are delivered to us concerning the free will (libero arbitrio) of man, these we deservedly reject; because he is the slave of sin; and man can do nothing of himself, unless it hath been given to him from

11. But, when God performs his good pleasure in his elect, or works in them true conversion, he not only provides that the gospel should be outwardly preached to them, and that their mind should be powerfully illuminated by the Holy Spirit, that they may rightly understand, and judge what are the things of the Spirit of God; but he also, by the efficacy of the same regenerating Spirit, penetrates into the innermost recesses of man, opens his closed heart, softens his obdurate heart, circumcises his uncircumcised heart, infuses new qualities into his will, makes that which had been dead alive, that which was evil good, that which had been unwilling willing, and from being refractory, obedient; and leads and strengthens it, that, as a good tree, it may be able to bring forth the fruit of good works.*

12. And this is that regeneration, which is so much declared in the scriptures, a new creation, a resurrection from the dead, a giving of life, (vivificatio,) which God without us (that is, without our concurrence,) worketh in us. And this is by no means effected by the doctrine alone sounding without, by moral suasion, or by such a mode of working, that after the operation of God (as far as he is concerned) it should remain in the power of man, to be regenerated or not regenerated, converted, or not converted; but it is manifestly an operation supernatural, at the same time most powerful, and most sweet, wonderful, secret, and ineffable in its power, according to the scripture (which is inspired by the Author of this operation) not less than, or inferior to, creation, or the resurrection of the dead: so that all those, in whose hearts God works in this

heaven. For who will dare to boast that he can perform whatsoever things he shall will; when Christ himself saith, No one can come unto me, except the Father who sent me, shall draw him? Who will boast his own will, who hears, that the affections of the flesh are enmities against God? Who will glory in his understanding, who knows that the animal man is not capable of those things which are of the Spirit of God? In fine, who will bring forward (proferat in medium) any thought of his own, who understands, that we are not sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves,' but that we are sufficient, all this is of God? That which the apostle hath said ought to remain certain and firm: 'It is God who worketh in us, both that we may be willing, and that we may effect (it) of his own most gratuitous benevolence.' Phil. ii. 13. For no mind, no will acquiesces in the will of God, in which Christ himself hath not first worked; which he also teacheth, saying, 'Without me ye are able to do nothing."" John xv. 5. Belgic Confession, Art. xiv.

* Deut. xxx. 6. Ps. cx. 3. Bible translation. Jer. xxxi. 33. xxxii. 39. Ez. xi. 19. xxxvi. 25, 26. Zech. xii. 10. Matt. xi. 25, 26. John i. 12. iii. 3-6. vi. 44, 45, 65. Eph. ii. 4, 5. Phil. i. 13. Col. i. 13. 1 Thess. ii. 13, 14. Tit. iii. 4-6.

1 Pet. i. 3. ii. 9, 10.

admirable manner, are, certainly, infallibly and efficaciously regenerated, and in fact (actu) believe.* And thus their will, being now renewed, is not only influenced and moved by God, but being acted on by God, itself acts and moves. Wherefore, the man himself, through this grace received, is rightly said to believe and repent.†

13. Believers cannot in this life, fully comprehend the manner of this operation: in the mean time, they acquiesce in it; because, by this grace of God, they know and feel, that they believe in their heart, and love their Saviour.

14. Thus, therefore, faith is the gift of God; not in that it is offered to the will of man by God, but that the thing itself is conferred on him, inspired, infused into him. Not even

that God only confers the power of believing, but from thence expects the consent, or the act of believing: but that he, who worketh both to will and to do, worketh in man both to will to believe, and to believe itself, (et velle credere et ipsum credere,) and thus he worketh all things in all.‡

15. This grace God owes to no one. For what can he owe to him, who is able to give nothing first, that he may be recompensed?§ Nay, what can he owe to him, who has nothing of his own but sin and a lie? He, therefore, who receives this grace, owes and renders everlasting thanks to God: he who receives it not, either does not care for those spiritual things, and rests satisfied within himself; or, being secure, he vainly glories that he possesses what he has not. Moreover, concerning those who outwardly profess faith, and amend their lives, it is best to judge and speak after the example of the apostles: for the inmost recesses (penetralia) of the heart, are to us impenetrable. As for those who have not yet been called, it behoves us to pray to God, who calls the things which are not, as though they were: but in no wise are we to act proudly against them (adversus superbiendum eos est) as if we had made ourselves to differ.

16. But in like manner, as by the fall man does not cease to be man, endowed with intellect and will, neither hath sin, which has pervaded the whole human race, taken away the

* John v. 21, 24, 25. vi. 15. Eph. i. 19, 20. Jer. xxxi. 18, 19.

26. 1 Pet. i. 22.

Rom. vi. 4-6. viii. 2. 2 Cor. v. 17, 18. Gal. ii. 6, 10. Col. ii. 12, 13. iii. 1.

Acts iii. 19. v. 31. Rom. viii. 13. 2 Tim. ii. 25,

"We believe that the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts doth impart to us true faith." Belgic Confession, Art. xxii.