Cap. VI thesis vs Remonstrants; Faustus Semipelagian axioms exploded
Remonstrants say and defend that the predestination or election decree falls on no one God has not foreseen and considered as believing and persevering in faith to life's last habit. We say predestination precedes that foresight — so only those are foreseen and considered by God as perseveringly believing whom God by the antecedent purpose of his election decreed to make such and, having made them, to lead to eternal life. We therefore explode Faustus the Semipelagian's axioms, not far from Remonstrant mind: Salvation of men is placed not in the Maker's predestination but in the servant's operation. There was no special divine munificence toward believers. Predestination is not cause of certain goods. Predestination pertains to justice. Unless foreknowledge has explored, predestination decrees nothing. Against all these we set ours: predestination of singular persons to life arises from God's mere good pleasure, not from any foresight operations of the human will — nay, of all good operations leading to eternal life, election's grace is the antecedent cause and fountain, not a following reward or wage. Now to arguments: mere divine good pleasure, not foresight faith on one side and unbelief on the other, makes the first discrimination of elect and passed-by.
Latin
Dicunt etenim et defendunt Remonstrantes, decretum praedestinationis sive electionis non cadere in quenquam, quem Deus non praevidit et consideravit ut credentem et ad extremum usque vitae habitum in fide perseverantem. Nos autem dicimus, praedestinationem antecedere hanc praevisionem; ita ut illi soli a Deo praevideantur et considerentur tanquam perseveranter credentes, quos Deus antecedente electionis suae proposito decrevit tales facere, factosque ad vitam aeternam perducere. Explodimus igitur illa Fausti Semipelagiani axiomata, quae non multum abludunt a mente et sententia Remonstrantium: qualia sunt; Salus hominum non in praedestinatione Factoris, sed in operatione famulantis collocata est. Non fuit specialis aliqua Dei munificentia erga credentes. Praedestinatis non est aliquorum bonorum causa. Praedestinatio ad justitiam pertinet. Nisi praescientia exploraverit, praedestinatio nihil decernit. Hisce omnibus opponimus hanc sententiam nostram; Praedestinationem singularium personarum ad vitam ex mero Dei beneplacito oriri, et non ex praevisis ullis humanae voluntatis operationibus: quin-etiam omnium bonarum operationum quae ad vitam aeternam ducunt, gratiam electionis causam antecedaneam ac fontem esse, non praemium aut mercedem sequentem. Argumentis jam agamus, ac ostendamus, merum Dei beneplacitum, non praevisam fidem ex una parte, et infidelitatem ex altera, facere primam discriminationem electorum et praeteritorum.