I. God did foreknow and foresee all things from the beginning.

We believe that God, before He made the world, even then from before all things by His immeasurable wisdom, foreknew all things. Yea, and what good He meant Himself to do, and what ill He meant to suffer to be done--so far forth as nothing was ever hidden or could be hidden from Him, but all things as well what hath been done is done, or shall be done as what can be done, though it never be done, we doubt not but hath and doth lie open and manifest always in His sight (Heb. 4:13; Acts 15:18).

II. God hath determined all things in His eternal counsel and hath beforehand ordained them to the best ends.

And we believe that God hath not only foreseen all things and that they are present in His sight, but also in that His most wise and eternal counsel He hath certainly established whatsoever did or doth appertain to the creation and government of the world (Acts 4:28), or to the selecting of His church from the unclean filth of other people, or to our redemption and eternal salvation. And that He ordained through His infinite goodness that those evils which in His wisdom He would suffer to be done, should be to good ends; so that not one hair can fall from our head without the will of the Father, or without cause (Matt. 10:19,30).

III. All men to be predestinate; some to life and some to death.

Wherefore we also doubt not that God, when He created all men (to speak nothing of angels) in Adam righteous, He foresaw that in him all should sin, and elected some in Christ, that they should be holy and undefiled in His sight in charity, and therefore predestinated them of His mere grace, and according to the purpose of His will to eternal life (Eph. 1:4-5). Othersome [On others] He would not vouchsafe that grace and therefore prepared them as vessels of wrath for destruction (Rom. 9:22), because of His just judgment, that in the one sort His infinite mercy, in the other His justice, might be known to the whole world, to His great glory.

IV. The election of the saints by free gift.

For as the calling unto Christ and justification in Christ is wholly of free gift, and not of our own works (Eph. 2:9; Titus 3:5), so likewise we understand that the whole predestination of saints is freely given because it is wrought in Christ, and for Christ is put in execution (Eph. 1:4; Rom. 9:11). That no man might glory in himself, but he which glorieth should glory in the Lord (1 Cor. 1:31).

V. We are predestinate not only to the end, but also to the means.

Whereupon we also believe, since God hath chosen us in Christ, that we might be faithful and holy, and unblamable in His sight, that we are predestinated not only to the end--that is, to eternal life and glory--but also to the means by which we attain unto the end; and chiefly unto faith, whereby we are ingrafted into Christ and to regeneration and true repentance, whereby being made new creatures in Christ, we might live holily to His glory, and [the] edification of our neighbor (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15; Matt. 5:16).

VI. They be not elect, neither can they be saved which are never grafted into Christ by His Spirit, and true faith.

They therefore are shamefully deceived, and to their own destruction, which persuade themselves they are elect and therefore shall be saved, although they be not grafted into Christ by faith, nor repent them of their sins, nor regard the will of God, or to do any good works (Titus 1:16; Eph. 2:10). For they separate that which God will have joined together.

VII. Everyone ought steadfastly to believe he is elect in Christ; yet we may be more assured by the feeling of our faith in Christ.

Hence it is manifest, although no man in general ought to exempt himself out of the number of the elect, since the Scripture doth not so, but rather steadfastly to trust that when he is called to Christ, he is called according to the eternal decree and election of God. Yet if any man will be more assured of his certain election, he must run to his faith and the witness of his conscience, whether he perceive that he truly believeth in Christ (2 Cor. 13:5), and whether he carry a sincere love towards God and his neighbor. Yea, if he find himself herein not altogether soundly and throughly [thoroughly] settled, yet let him not despair, but desire of God that He will help his unbelief (Mark 9:24), hoping that he may in time be better assured.

VIII. The causes why the doctrine of predestination is delivered in the Scriptures.

For neither is the doctrine of the eternal free and unchangeable predestination delivered in the Holy Scriptures that we should neglect Christ, or despair of salvation; or with security let loose the reigns to our concupiscence, or grow insolent; but contrariwise for these especial causes. First, that we may know that without Christ none can be saved (Acts 4:12), since the foundation of our whole salvation was fastened and laid in Him before the world was made (2 Tim. 2:19). Then [second], that in time of our temptations, we which believe in Christ should strengthen ourselves by the certainty of our salvation, and so neither despair nor distrust, knowing the same to be certain and sure in the eternal decree of God (Romans 8). Thirdly, that thereby we might be stirred up to the study of faith in Christ, of holiness, and of good works. Since we are chosen, that we should be faithful, and holy and blameless in His sight, and walk in good works (Eph. 1:4; 2:10). Lastly, that we grow not proud if we trust in Christ and live godly in Christ; and that he which glorieth may glory in the Lord (1 Cor. 1:31), since God through His grace did from the beginning decree in Christ that we should be such.