ART. IX.

Of this prefervation of the elect to falvation, and of their perfeverance in the faith, true believers for themfelves may and do obtain affurance according to the measure of their faith, whereby they arrive at the certain perfuafion, that they ever will continue true and living members of the church; and that they experience forgiveness of fins, and will at laft inherit eternal life.

ART. X.

This affurance however, is not produced by any peculiar revelation contrary to, or independent of the word of God; but fprings from faith in God's promises, which he has most abundantly revealed in his word for our comforts. From the testimony of the holy fpirit, witneffing with our fpirit, that we are children and heirs of God, Rom. viii. 16; and laftly, from a ferious and holy defire to preferve a good confcience, and to perform good works, And if the elect of God were deprived of this folid comfort, that they fhall finally obtain the victory, and of this infallible pledge or earnest of eternal glory, they would be of all men the most miserable.

ART. XI.

The fcripture moreover teftifies that believers in this life have to struggle with various carnal doubts, and that under grievous temptations they are not always fenfible of this full affurance of faith, and certainty of perfevering. But God, who is the father of all confolation, does not fuffer them to be tempted above that they are able, but will with the temptation alfo make a way to efcape, that they may be able to bear it, I Cor. x. 13. and by the holy fpirit again inspires them with the comfortable affurance of perfevering.

ART. XII.

This certainty of perfeverance however, is so far from exciting in believers a fpirit of pride, or of rendering them carnally fecure, that on the contrary, it is the real fource of humility, filial reverence, true piety, patience in every tribulation, fervent prayers, conftancy in fuffering, and in confeffing the truth, and of folid rejoicing in God: fo that the confideration of this benefit should ferve as an incentive to the serious and conftant practice of gratitude and good works, as appears from the teftimonies of fcripture, and the examples of the faints.

ART. XIII,

Neither does renewed confidence of persevering produce licenciousness, or a difregard to piety in those who are recovered from backsliding; but it renders them much more careful and folicitous to continue in the ways of the Lord, which he hath ordained, that they who walk therein may maintain an affurance of perfevering, left by abusing his fatherly kindness, God fhould turn away his gracious countenance from them, to behold which is to the godly dearer than life; the withdrawing thereof is more bitter than death; and they in confequence hereof fhould fall into more grevious torments of conscience.

ART. XIV.

And as it hath pleafed God by the preaching of the gospel, to begin this work of grace in us, fo he preferves, continues, and perfects it by the hearing and reading of his word, by meditation thereon,and by the exhortations, threatenings and promises thereof, as well as by the ufe of the facraments.

ART. XV.

The carnal mind is unable to comprehend this doctrine of the perfeverance of the faints, and the

Y

f

certainty thereof, which God hath most abundantly revealed in his word, for the glory of his name, and the confolation of pious fouls, and which he impreffes upon the hearts of the faithful; fatan abhorsit, the world redicules it, the ignorant and hypocrite abuse, and heretics oppofe it; but the fpouse of Chrift hath always moft tenderly loved and conftantly defended it, as an inestimable treasure: and God, against whom neither counsel nor ftrength can prevail, will difpofe her to continue this conduct to the end. Now to this one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be honour and glory for ever.

Amen.

CONCLUSION.

A

ND this is the perfpicuous, fimple, and ingenious declaration of the orthodox doctrine refpecting the five articles which have been contreverted in the Belgic churches; and the rejection of the errors with which they have for fome time been troubled. This doctrine, the fynod judges to be drawn from the word of God, and to be agreeable to the confeffions of the Reformed churches. Whence it clearly appears, that fome, whom fuch conduct by no means became, have violated all

truth, equity, and charity, in wishing to perfuade the public,

"That the doctrine of the Reformed churches "concerning predeftination, and the points annexed "to it, by its own genius and neceffary tendency, "leads off the minds of men from all piety and reli"gion--that it is an opiate administered by the flesh "and the devil, and the frong hold of fatan, where "he lies in wait for all; and from which he "wounds multitudes, and mortally ftrikes through. "many with the darts both of defpair, and fecurity "that it makes God the author of fin, unjust, "tyrannical, hypocritical-that it is nothing more "than interpolated Stoicifm, Manicheifm, Libertine"ifm, Turcifm-that it renders men carnally fecure; "fince they are perfuaded by it that nothing can "hinder the falvation of the elect, let them live

(as

they please; and therefore that they may

"fafely perpetrate every fpecies of the most atro"cious crimes; and that if the reprobate should ❝even perform truly all the works of the faints, "their obedience would not in the leaft contribute "to their falvation-that the fame doctrine teaches, "that God, by a mere arbitrary act of his will, "without the leaft refpe&t or view to any fin, has "predeftinated the greatest part of the world to "eternal damnation; and, has created them for

this very purpose-that in the fame manner in "which election is the fountain and caufe of faith