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Calvin and Calvinism

Marbeck:

Reprobation.

A definition of this word Reprobation.

Reprobation is the most wise purpose of God, whereby he has before all eternity constantly decreed without any injustice, not to have mercy on those whom he has not loved, but have overhipped* that by their just condemnation, he might declare his wrath towards sinners and also his glory.                                                     Pet. Mar. upon the Rom. fol. 293.

How the just cause of reprobation is hid unto us?

We say not that God’s ordinance is the cause of reprobation, but we affirm that the just causes of reprobation are to be hid in the eternal counsel of God, and known to his godly wisdom alone, but the causes of sin of death and damnation are evident and manifestly declared to us in the Scriptures, to wit, man’s free will, consenting to the deceivable persuasion of the devil, willful sin, and voluntary rebellion, by which entered death into this world, the contempt of the graces and God’s mercies offered, with the heaping up of sin upon to sin, till damnation justly came. The causes I say of sin, death and damnation, are plainly noted unto us in God’s Holy Scriptures. But why it pleased God to show mercy to some, and deny the same to others, because the judgments of God, are a devouring depth, we enter not in reasoning with him, but with all humility render thanks to is Majesty, for the grace and mercy, which we doubt not but of his free grace, we have received in Christ Jesus our only head.                                                                 Knox.

Iohn Marbeck, A Book of Notes and Common Places, collected and gathered out of the works of diuers singular Witers, and brought Alphabetically in order (Imprinted at London by Thomas East, 1581), 906-907. [Some spelling modernized.] [* Overhipped: past tense of overhip: to pass over, to pass by.]

18
Aug

William Tyndale (1494–1536) on 1 Timothy 2:4

   Posted by: CalvinandCalvinism   in 1 Timothy 2:4-6

Tyndale:

How this place (God will have all men saved) is understood.

God will have all men saved.  ¶  That is, will have the Gospell preached to all men, without exception, & offer to all men repentance, and will have all men praied for. Tyndale.

Iohn Marbeck, A Book of Notes and Common Places, collected and gathered out of the works of diuers singular Witers, and brought Alphabetically in order (Imprinted at London by Thomas East, 1581), 24. [Original spelling retained.]

Thanks to Tony for the find.

14
Aug

Johannes VanderKemp (1664-1718) on the Well-Meant Offer

   Posted by: CalvinandCalvinism   in The Well-Meant Offer

[Note: 1) The following is a but a very brief selection from VanderKemp. What we do see here are some very pertinent comments, hence their selection. 2) In his exposition of the Catechism, VenderKemp first provides a positive exposition the catechism, after which sets out sets out applications by way of exhortations, first to the unbeliever, second to the believer. The following are his exhortations to unbelievers.]

VanderKemp:

1) 2 But ye, who seek not yet the suffering Jesus. who pursue your happiness in your own works, to whom Jesus is not yet precious in his sufferings, who mind earthly things, and are thus enemies of the cross of Christ j who once seemed to have chosen his side. but have again loved the present world, and do thus crucify the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame; who withstand the people of Jesus, and therefore Jesus himself, see in these sufferings of Jesus what will betide you also: for if these things were done in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry?” Luke xxiii. 31. If the Son of God experienced so much woe, when he was guiltless, and had done all things well, how will ye, O vile wretches, endure, when he will attack you not as a man. but when he will stir up all his wrath, and ring you to his seat at, that he may accuse you of all your misdemeanors, your sedition again4t him, your blasphemy, reproaching and transgressing of his law; that he map condemn you as guilty, and send you away as accursed, when he will say to you, standing on his left hand, bb Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels,” Matt. xxv. 41. How will ye then be crucified? for “your worm shall not die, and your fire shall not be quenched,” Mark ix. 44. Either ye must suffer, or Jesus for you. Since now ye evidence by your behavior, that ye have never sought him in truth, ye have therefore no proof, that he suffered for you: therefore be anxious and concerned, look unto him, that ye may be saved, He stretches out his hands, pierced with the nails, to you, and invites you to come unto him.       Johannes VanderKemp, The Christian, Entirely the Property of Christ, in the life and death, Exhibited in Fifty-three Sermons on the Heidelberg Catechism. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Reformation Heritage Books, 1997), 1:322. [Sermons originally published in 1717.] [Some spelling modernized; underlining mine.]

2) 4. Perhaps ye may think, all this doth not concern us, for we know God: we could prove by passages from the word of God that he exists, and show what and who he is, and w endeavor to live according to our knowledge, by forsaking evil, and doing good. It is well; but does your knowledge warm your hearts, unite you to God and Christ? and are your works “done in God,” as the Lord Jesus says? John iii. 21. But how few are there, who know God thus? there are many who have not been taught so by God; they nave only a literal knowledge of the void, which leaves their souls alienated from God, and doth not influence and urge them to do all things in union with the Triune God. Their knowledge puffs them up, and “their. zeal for God is not according to knowledge, leading them to establish their own righteousness,” Rom. x. 2, 3.

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Humfrey:

Having gone thus far in abasing the strength of nature, we shall find how they [Arminians] make it up again, with advancing an universal Sufficient grace, by the help of which lever of free will of man shall be lifted into the same throne, from whence before they threw it down. For when that grace which they set up, must be such as only gives a next power to believe and repent if we will, but leaves the will undetermined and uninclined, and this being supposed to be vouchsafed to all according to the condition they are in, whether Elect or Reprobate alike, it is apparent that man’s free will by the cooperation of this grace, or refusal, is that which begins, or puts by his own justification, and consequently makes the difference (in the upshot) between him that is saved, and him that is damned…

Now what my thoughts are on this, I have offered as I pass; and more particularly, at the end, upon he first head of Election. There is  universal Grace consistent with Special Grace of God’s Elect: or inconsistent with it.  The former, I shall like to have well explained. The latter, I take to be against St. Augustine, and the Scriptures. The Grace of God is without, or within us. There us the Love, or Good-will of God to Mankind, “who would have all to be saved”: Our Redemption by Christ; The remedying Covenant; The Gospel. This is Grace without, and that some Grace there us then sufficient, and universal, that yet has no Effect on the most, is out of doubt. There is moreover, that Grace which lies in the Help, or Assistance of the Spirit within, and the Fruit of it (Gratia Auxiliatrix, & Infusa) and this our Divines do distinguish unto Common and Saving. By Common, they understand not the universal sufficient assistance of the Schools before, but some particular Operation of the Spirit effecting so much as it is given for, only because those Effects reach no farther than what is Common to the Elect and Reprobate, they call such Help or Grace only Common Grace. Thus far we are safe; As for any Grace besides all this, if there be any, not opposing Electing Grace, I shall be glad to hear it; but my own mind, I perceive, hangs thus.

John Humfrey, The Middle-Way in One Paper of Election & Redemption, With Indifferency between Arminian & Calvinist, (Printed for T. Parkhurst, at the Three Bibles in Cheap-side, 1673), 36 and 37. [Some reformatting; bracketed insert mine; some spelling modernized, extended Latin quotation not included; underlining mine.]

Davies:

2 Cor v. 20.–We then are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

…The introduction to this passage you find in the foregoing verses, God hath given to us (the apostles) the ministry of reconciliation; the sum and substance of which is, namely, “That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.” As if he had said, “The great Sovereign of the universe, though highly provoked, and justly displeased with our rebellious world, has been so gracious as to contrive a plan of reconciliation whereby they may not only escape the punishment they deserve, but also be restored to the favor of God, and all the privileges of his favorite subjects. This plan was laid in Christ; that is, it was he who was appointed, and undertook to remove all obstacles out of the way of their reconciliation, so that it might be consistent with the honor and dignity of God and his Government. This he performed by a life of perfect obedience, and an atoning death, instead of rebellious man. Though “he knew no sin” of his own: yet “he was made sin,” that is, a sin-offering, or a sinner by imputation “for us,” that we might “be made the righteousness of God in him.” Thus all hindrances are removed on God’s part. The plan of a treaty of reconciliation is formed, approved, and ratified in the court of heaven; but then it must be published, all the terms made known, and the consent of the rebels solicited and gained. It is not enough that all impediments to peace are removed on God’s part; they must also be removed on the part of man; the reconciliation must be mutual; both the parties must agree. Hence arises the necessity of the ministry of reconciliation which was committed to the apostles, those prime ministers of the kingdom of Christ, and in a lower sphere to the ordinary ministers of the gospel in every age. The great business of their office is to publish the treaty of peace; that is, the articles of reconciliation, and to use every motive to gain the consent of mankind to these articles. It is this office St. Paul is discharging, when he says, We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Samuel Davies, “Sinners Entreated to be Reconciled to God” in Sermons on Important Subjects (New York: Robert Carter, 1845), 1:45, 55-56. [Italics original; underlining mine.]