All Articles For The Voice Of Our Fathers

EXPOSITION OF THE CANONS  THIRD AND FOURTH HEADS OF DOCTRINE  OF THE CORRUPTION OF MAN, HIS CONVERSION TO GOD, AND THE MANNER THEREOF  Article 2. Man after the fall begat children in his own likeness. A corrupt stock produced a corrupt offspring. Hence all the posterity of Adam, Christ only excepted, have derived corruption from their original parent, not by imitation, as the Pelagians of old asserted, but by the propagation of a vicious nature.

We must still say a few words about the nature of the assurance of preservation and perseverance. This article has as its main purpose merely to state the fact that this assurance is possible and real for the saints, and therefore it does not go into detail as to the nature of assurance. Nevertheless, in stating the simple fact of assurance the fathers could not very well avoid saying something as to the nature of assurance.

The question faced in this article is: how is it to be explained that, in distinction from the many who do not obey the call of the gospel, there are others, called through the same ministry of the gospel, who come to Christ and are converted? And the fathers treat, first of all, the Pelagian answer to this question. 

PART TWO  EXPOSITION OF THE CANONS  THIRD AND FOURTH HEADS OF DOCTRINE  OF THE CORRUPTION OF MAN, HIS CONVERSION TO GOD, AND THE MANNER THEREOF  Article 1 (concluded) 

Article 9. Of this preservation of the elect to salvation, and of their perseverance in the faith, true believers for themselves may and do obtain assurance according to the measure of their faith, whereby they arrive at the certain persuasion, that they ever will continue true and living members of the church; and that they experience the forgiveness of sins, and will at last inherit eternal life. 

Article 9. This purpose proceeding from everlasting love towards the elect, has from the beginning of the world to this day been powerfully accomplished, and will henceforward still continue to be accomplished, notwithstanding all the ineffectual opposition of the gates of hell, so that the elect in due time may be gathered together into one, and that there never may be wanting a church composed of believers, the foundation of which is laid in the blood of Christ, which may steadfastly love, and faithfully serve him as their Savior, who as a bridegroom for his bride, laid d

PART TWO  EXPOSITION OF THE CANONS  THIRD AND FOURTH HEADS OF DOCTRINE  OF THE CORRUPTION OF MAN, HIS CONVERSION TO GOD, AND THE MANNER THEREOF  Article 1  (continued) 

Article 11.

Thus far we have called attention to the negative aspects of this article, namely, the truth that the perseverance of the saints is as far as the saints themselves are concerned absolutely impossible and that this perseverance is not in consequence of the saints’ own merits and powers. And we have found that this must be taken in the most stringent sense of the word.

PART TWO  EXPOSITION OP THE CANONS  THIRD AND FOURTH HEADS OF DOCTRINE  OF THE CORRUPTION OF MAN, HIS CONVERSION TO GOD, AND THE MANNER THEREOF  Introduction