First Head of Doctrine — Article 15

First Head of Doctrine — Article 15

_Of Divine Predestination_

What peculiarly tends to illustrate and recommend to us the eternal and unmerited grace of election, is the express testimony of sacred scripture, that not all, but some only are elected, while others are passed by in the eternal decree; whom God, out of his sovereign, most just, irreprehensible and unchangeable good pleasure, hath decreed to leave in the common misery into which they have wilfully plunged themselves, and not to bestow upon them saving faith and the grace of conversion; but permitting them in his just judgment to follow their own ways, at last for the declaration of his justice, to condemn and punish them for ever, not only on account of their unbelief, but also for all their other sins. And this is the decree of reprobation which by no means makes God the author of sin, (the very thought of which is blasphemy) but declares him to be an awful, irreprehensible, and righteous judge and avenger.