Calvinists Creeds
The Calvinistic, Westminster Confession of Faith: “God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass; yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions; yet has He not decreed anything because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life; and others foreordained to everlasting death.” (Westminster Confession of Faith, III. Of God’s Eternal Decree, emphasis mine)
Charles Spurgeon cites the Waldensian Creed: “That God saves from corruption and damnation those whom he has chosen from the foundations of the world, not for any disposition, faith, or holiness that he foresaw in them, but of his mere mercy in Christ Jesus his Son, passing by all the rest according to the irreprehensible reason of his own free-will and justice.” (Election, emphasis mine)
The Canons of Dordt: “According to which decree, he graciously softens the hearts of the elect, however obstinate, and inclines them to believe, while he leaves the non-elect in his just judgment to their own wickedness and obduracy.” (The Canons of Dordt, I. Of Divine Predestination, Article 6, emphasis mine)
The Baptist Faith and Message: “Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end. It is the glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility.” (Article V, “God’s Purpose of Grace” in which the wording of the Article is loosely based on the New Hampshire confession of faith of 1833)
When Calvinists get very passionate in their arguments, and are filled with righteous indignation, this is what they are really protecting: the presumption of their own election.
Question: What do Calvinists say about Election in their Confessions and Creeds?
Answer: It essentially praises God for picking them to be elect, and then insists that there is never any inconsistency about it.
Commentary, by adding what Calvinists mean, but will never come right out and say:
“Election is the gracious purpose of God (upon those whom God is arbitrarily partial), according to which He regenerates (apart from faith in His Son), justifies (apart from faith in His Son), sanctifies (apart from faith in His Son), and glorifies (elect) sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man (because we say so), and comprehends all the means in connection with the end (“the means” is whatever is fatalistically scripted). It is the glorious display (glorious because it works out good for me) of God’s sovereign goodness (good for me, not so good for you), and is infinitely wise (for picking me), holy (look at how great God is for choosing me above all you other smucks), and unchangeable (hey, He’s never changing His mind about me). It excludes boasting (that’s right, it’s humbling to be valued by God for election) and promotes humility (that’s right, because God was wise enough to pick me, before I ever picked His Son; I’m on another level, Jack!).”
