¶ Of predestination, and Election.
The Foundation of Election
God's eternal purpose of predestination to life in Christ, and the resulting calling, justification, adoption, and sanctification of the elect.
Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God, by which—before the foundations of the world were laid—he has firmly decreed, by his own judgment (secret to us), to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he has chosen out of humankind, and to bring them to everlasting salvation through Christ, as vessels made for honor.✦✦1 So those who have been given so excellent a gift of God are called, according to God's purpose, by his Spirit working in due season: through grace they obey the calling; they are freely justified; they are made sons by adoption; they are made like the image of God's only begotten Son, Jesus Christ; they walk devoutly in good works; and at last, by God's mercy, they attain everlasting happiness.✦✦2
The Proper Use of Predestination
The doctrine of predestination brings comfort to the godly but danger to the carnal, and all must receive God's promises as set forth in Scripture and follow His revealed will.
Just as the godly consideration of predestination and our election in Christ is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort for godly people, and for those who feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ—mortifying the works of the flesh and their earthly members, and lifting their minds to high and heavenly things—both because it greatly establishes and confirms their faith in eternal salvation to be enjoyed through Christ, and because it fervently kindles their love toward God: so for curious and carnal people who lack the Spirit of Christ, to keep constantly before their eyes the decree of God's predestination is a most dangerous downfall, by which the Devil may thrust them either into despair, or into a recklessness of most unclean living no less perilous than despair.3 Furthermore, although we don't know the decrees of predestination, we must still receive God's promises as they are generally set forth to us in Holy Scripture; and in our actions, we are to follow that will of God which has been expressly declared to us in the Word of God.
Read the original English
PRedestination to lyfe, is the euerlastynge purpose of God, wherby (before the foundations of the worlde were layed) he hathe constantlye decreed, by hys owne iudgemente, secreate to vs, to delyuer frome cursse and damnation, those whom he hath chosen oute of mankinde: and to bryng them to euerlasting saluation by Christ, as vessels made to honoure. Whereupon, suche as haue so excellēt a benefit of God geuen vnto them, be called, according to goddes purpose, by his spi rite workyng in due season: they throughe grace obey the calling: thei be iustified freli: thei be made sonnes by adoption: thei be made like the image of Gods onlye begotten sonne, Iesu Christe: they walke religiously in good works: and at length, by Goddes mercy, they attain to euerlasting felicity.
As the Godlye consideratyon of Predestination, and our election in Christ, is full of swete, pleasaunt, and vnspeakeable confort, to godly parsons, and such as fele in them selues the woorkynge of the spirite of Christe, mortifying the workes of the flesh, and theyr earthlye members, and drawyng vp theyr mynde to high, and heauenlye thinges: aswel because it doeth greatly establyshe and confyrme theyr faythe of eternall saluation, to bee enioyed throughe Christ: as because it doth feruētly kindle their loue towards god: So for curyous, and carnall persones, lacking the spirit of Christ to haue continuallye before theyr eyes the sentence of Goddes predestination, is a most daūgerous downe fall: whereby the Deuyll may thrust them either into despe racion, or into a rechlesnesse of most vncleane liuing, no lesse perilous then desperacyon.
Furthermore, although the decrees of predestynation are vnknowen vnto vs: yet we must receyue Goddes promyses, in suche wyse as they be generallye settefourthe to vs in holye scrypture: and in our doynges, that wyll of God is to be folowed, whiche we haue expressely declared vnto vs, in the worde of God.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Eph.1.4 — just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before him in love
- ↩Rom.9.21-Rom.9.23 — Does not the potter have authority over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? Rom.9.22 — What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make his power known, bore with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? Rom.9.23 — and in order that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he had prepared beforehand for glory
- ↩Rom.8.28-Rom.8.30 — And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good — for those who are called according to his purpose. Rom.8.29 — For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Rom.8.30 — And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
- ↩Rom.8.29 — For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Notes
- 1 ↩Early modern 'constantlye' here means firmly/steadfastly (with fixed resolve), not repeatedly.
- 2 ↩Source hyphenation 'spi rite' read as 'spirit'; 'excellēt' as 'excellent'.
- 3 ↩In sixteenth-century English, "curious" here means presumptuously prying into God's secret decrees, not merely interested or inquisitive.
John Ponet's Short Catechisme (1553) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit