Corollaries: unequal light of grace; election mystery; decree ordered to Christs merit and means
From what has been said the following corollaries flow.
1. It does not clash with the universal grace and philanthropy by which God loved the world, nor with Christs merit, that God grants one people or region greater light — and so also greater grace and love — than others, and more or less according to the diversity of ages and times.
2. Nor does it clash with Gods love and Christs merit that even at the same time and place He grants one human greater light and grace than another, each according to the measure of Christs gifts.
3. In this disposition of God — when, where, and how He lets the light and efficacy of His Word and Spirit shine and work in the world — consists properly the highest mystery of the election of Gods children. For according to His counsel and purpose God from eternity mercifully appointed to dispense to fallen humans in Christ this free light of Word and Spirit.
4. Even though God was moved not by foresight of works or of faith or of any other animal condition in sinful humans, but by His alone unmerited mercy, to elect some of them to life: still this decree of election cannot simply be called absolute; for although on the animals side in the human there is no determination or condition of it, yet there is some on Gods side, who Himself bound it to Christs merit and to the means — namely the preaching of the gospel and the faith that applies it.
Latin
Atque ex dictis sequentia fluunt confectaria. 1. Universali gratiae & philanthropiae, qua Deus mundum dilexit, & merito Christi non repugnat, quod Deus uni populo aut regioni maiorem lucem, adeoque & maiorem gratiam ac dilectionem concedit quam aliis, adeoque plus minusve secundum diversitatem aetatum & temporum. 2. Neque repugnat dilectioni Dei & merito Christi, quod vel eodem tempore & loco uni homini maiorem lucem & gratiam quam alii concedit, & quidem unicuique secundum mensuram donorum Christi. 3. In hac dispositione Dei, quando, ubi & quomodo lucem & efficaciam verbi & Spiritus sui in mundo lucere & operari sinit, consistit proprie summum mysterium electionis filiorum Dei. Nam hac secundum consilium & propositum suum Deus hominibus lapsis in Christo ab aeterno misericorditer dispensare constituit hanc gratuitam lucem verbi & Spiritus sui. 4. Etiamsi Deus neque praevisione operum, neque fidei, ulliusve alterius conditionis animalis in hominibus peccatoribus, sed sola immerita misericordia sua motus sit, ut quosdam ex iis ad vitam eligeret: tamen hoc decretum electionis non simpliciter absolutum dici haud potest; quia, etiamsi ex parte hominis animalis nulla illius determinatio aut conditio est, tamen est aliqua ex parte Dei, qui illud ad meritum Christi & media — praedicationem Euangelii puta & fidem hoc applicantia — ipse met adstrinxit.