Predestination and the Early Church Fathers

"Lord God, you who have made these worthy of the removal of sins through the bath of regeneration, make them worthy to be filled with your Holy Spirit, grant to them your grace, that they might serve you according to your will, for to you is the glory, Father and Son with the Holy Spirit, in the Holy Church, now and throughout the ages of the ages. Amen.
[This prayer comes from the ancient baptism rite according to Apostolic Tradition as recorded by Hyppolytus - Bishop of Rome ca 215AD. It was spoken at the point the Bishop laid hands on (Confirmed) the newly baptized Christian before the first Eucharist on Easter Morn ]


"Going back to the earliest times of the Church, we find that the Primitive Fathers, taking a practical view of the subject, identify the elect with the baptized, and hold that Predestination and Election are to Baptismal privileges, while the question whether a person is elect to life eternal and final glory can be known only to God Himself. They hold that as the Jews of old were all the chosen people of God, so now every baptized member of the church is on of God's elect. Thus:--"*

The Church of God which sojourneth in Rome to the Church of God which sojourneth in Corinth, them which are called and sanctified by the will of God through our Lord Jesus Christ ... Let us therefore approach him in holiness of soul ... loving our gentle and compassionate Father, who made us an elect portion unto himself...[Clement of Rome]

"... elect and worthy of God, having peace in flesh and spirit through the passion of Jesus Christ [Ignatius to the Church at Tralles]

"... we are by no means a despicable people, nor a barbarous nation, like the Phrygians and Carians, but God hath elected us, and hath manifested himself to those who asked not for him." [Justin Martyr]

"The same God, who formerly elected the patriarchs, hath now elected us" [Iraneus]

"I call the Church the general assembly of the elect" [Clement of Alexandria]

The church councils affirm predestination:

No mean wretch is freed from his sorrowful state, however great it may be, save the one who is anticipated by the mercy of God, as the Psalmist says, "Let thy compassion come speedily to meet us" (Ps. 79:8), and again, "My God in his steadfast love will meet me" (Ps. 59:10). [Council of Orange [529AD] CANON 14]

According to the catholic faith we also believe that after grace has been received through baptism, all baptized persons have the ability and responsibility, if they desire to labor faithfully, to perform with the aid and cooperation of Christ what is of essential importance in regard to the salvation of their soul. [Council of Orange [529AD] Conclusion]

The scriptures affirm predestination:

Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? [Rom viii. 30]

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: [Eph 1:11]

For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth [Rom ix. 11]

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love [Eph i. iv]

Jesus said... I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. [John xvii. 9-10]

And so in our prayer of the Order, we recognize the calling of the saints: That is was according to God's good purpose, which has been since the foundations of the world, that he would call and give grace to his elect to believe in him and do that which he has commanded.

Almighty God, our sovereign Lord, who called Cornelius the Centurion to be the first Christian among the Gentiles, who healed the servant at Capernaum in accordance with the Centurion's great faith, and who inspired the Centurion at Calvary to glorify Jesus; strengthen us in our faith that we might follow their example to love, serve, and glorify you as faithful members of the Church Militant, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

* MacLear and Williams, An Introduction to the Articles of the Church of England... London 1895.

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