questions." Kirchner: "Since, therefore, faith in
Christ is a special gift of God, why does He not bestow it upon all?
Answer: We must defer the discussion of this question unto eternal life,
and in the mean time be content to know that God does not want us to
search His secret judgments, Rom. 11: 'O the depth,' etc." In a similar
way Chemnitz, Selneccer, and Kirchner expressed themselves in their
_Apology of the Book of Concord_, of 1582, declaring that, "when asked
why God does not convert all men, we must answer with the apostle: 'How
unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!' but not
ascribe to God the Lord the willing and real cause of the reprobation
or damnation of the impenitent." (Pieper, _Dogm_. 2, 585f.)

229. Predestination according to Article XI of Formula of Concord.

In keeping with her fundamental teaching of _sola gratia_ and _gratia
universalis_, according to which God's grace is the only cause of man's
salvation, and man's evil will the sole cause of his damnation, the
Lutheran Church holds that eternal election is an election of grace,
_i.e._, a predestination to salvation only. God's eternal election, says
the _Formula of Concord_, "does not extend at once over the godly and
the wicked, but only over the children of God, who were elected and
ordained to eternal life before the foundation of the world was laid, as
Paul says, Eph. 1, 4. 5: 'He hath chosen us in Him, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ.'" (1065, 5.) This
election, the _Formula_ continues, "not only foresees and foreknows the
salvation of the elect, but is also, from the gracious will and pleasure
of God in Christ Jesus, a cause which procures, works, helps, and
promotes our salvation, and what pertains thereto; and upon this [divine
predestination] our salvation is so founded that the gates of hell
cannot prevail against it, Matt. 16, 18, as is written John 10, 28:
'Neither shall any man pluck My sheep out of My hand,' And again, Acts
13, 48: 'And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.'" (1065,
8.) While thus election is a cause of faith and salvation, there is no
cause of election in man. The teaching "that not only the mercy of God
and the most holy merit of Christ but also in us there is a cause of
God's election on account of which God has elected us to everlasting
life," is rejected by the _Formula of Concord_ as one of the
"blasphemous and dreadful erroneous doctr