The doctrine of eternal election has been treated by our dogmaticians at various places in their dogmatic treatises (in connection with the doctrine of divine grace, Quenstedt, Hollaz; or with that of salvation in Christ, Baier). If the doctrine of election is taught in its Scriptural truth, it does not matter at what place in a dogmatic treatise it is presented.1
Nevertheless, since the doctrine of election is not a central article of faith, but is given, in the main, for the consolation of the believers, and since also, as the Formula of Concord observes Epit., XI, 11, we should proceed in the study of God's predestination "according to the order which St. Paul has observed in the Epistle to the Romans, who first directs men to repentance, to knowledge of sins, to faith in Christ, to divine obedience, before he speaks of the mystery of the eternal election of God," we prefer to place it after the discussion of the doctrines of sin and grace, repentance and faith, so that the student may consider it with all the facts and consolatory promises of the Gospel well in mind.