Wesley Corpus

How easily then may a believer infer, from what he hath experienced in his own soul, that the true grace of God always works irresistibly in every believer! that God will finish wher ever he has begun this work, so that it is impossible for any believer to fall from grace and, lastly, that the reason why God gives this to some only and not to others, is, because, of his own will, without any previous regard either to their faith or works, he hath absolutely, unconditionally, predestinated them to life, before the foundation of the world ! 5. Agreeable hereto, in “The Protestant Confession of Faith,” drawn up at Paris, in the year 1559, we have these words: “We believe, that out of the general corruption and con demnation in which all men are plunged, God draws those whom, in his eternal and unalterable counsel, he has elected by his own goodness and mercy, through our Lord Jesus Christ, without considering their works, leaving the others in the same corruption and condemnation.” (Article 12.) 6. To the same effect speak the Dutch Divines, assembled at Dort in the year 1618. Their words are: “Whereas, in process of time, God bestowed faith on some, and not on others,--this proceeds from his eternal decree; according to which, he softems the hearts of the elect, and leaveth them that are not elect in their wickedness and hardness. “And herein is discovered the difference put between men equally lost; that is to say, the decree of election and reprobation. “Election is the unchangeable decree of God, by which, before the foundation of the world, he hath chosen in Christ unto salvation a set number of men. This election is one and the same of all which are to be saved. “Not all men are elected, but some not elected; whom God, in his unchangeable good pleasure, hath decreed to leave in the common misery, and not to bestow saving faith upon them; but leaving them in their own ways, at last to con demn and punish them everlastingly, for their unbelief, and also for their other sins. And this is the decree of reprobation.” (Article 6, et seq.) 7. Likewise in “The Confession of Faith” set forth by the Assembly of English and Scotch Divines, in the year 1646, are these words:-- “God from all eternity did unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass.